The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-30
STORM CAUSES
GREAT DAMAGE
Horse Killed by Touching Elec-
trio Wire, and Street Car De-
stroyed in Main Street.
LIGHTNING STRIKES WIRES
Cables Burned Through, and Be-
tween $50 and 500 Telephones
Put Out OF Commission.

Rolling out of the east and gather
ing intensity as it came. one of the
Scvcrest storms of the season broke
over Richmond shortly after o'clock
yesterday afternoon, deluging the city
in sheeted torrents OF water and caus
ing much damage to telephone and
power wires The storm broke a. the
hour when thousands OF people were
going home from the shops and thea
tres, but they had seen II looming and
darlleninS in the east some time be-
fore the deluSe came, and had plenty
OF time in which to gain shelter from
the rain and refuge from the blind
ing fla shes of lightning which ran
wild over the wires and played in
curious fashion about the tops OF the
nigher buildings.
Horse t;lcctrocutcI.
The most serious accident of the
storm occurred on Main Street, be-
tween First and Second. at sos o'clock,
when lightning struck 4 service wire
OF the Virginia Railway and Power
Company, causing it TO break and fall
across both trolley wires. a horse
oelonginS to Node Brothers, bakers,
topped on the burning end or one
u the trolley wires. and was electro
luted, dying as il fell the second time
from the heavy surcharge of cleo
;ricity which passed through its quiv-
ering body. The accident occurred
opposite the grocery store OF Harry
Whitman, lis East Main street in
which the crews of two Main street
cars held up by the broken trolley
wires mad taken refuge from the blind
ing storm.
street Car Burns.
Immediately after the horse was
killed one OF the wires fell across the
top of Main Street car No Sl4, east
bound. and set it aiire Fortunately
neither crew nor any passenger was
Inside the ear, and no one was hurt.
But the big car was practically de-
stroyed, though nremen fought the
flames valiantly. 1t was not until the
current had been cut off that the blaze
was eXtinguished.
The trolley wires siZzled some time
after the service wire had fallen across
them, and cars on either side Of the
danger point were stopped until the
damage could be repaired. When the
large wires burned through they
snapped. the burning ends falling to
the ground The horse, which had
been left standing in front OF the
Whitman store, obeying some strange
impulse, walked directly on 10 one OF
the wires. y circuit was formed Inn
n.dia.ely. and it fell. The horse man
aged to rise to his feet once, only to
fall again. 1t quivercd once or twice.
and was dead The driver, a colorcd
boy, became alarmed and fled
Several people ran INTO the store to
notify the Railway and Power Com
pany of the burning wires. and in
twenty minutes repair wagon was
sent to the scene. In the meantime
the car had caught fire. and an alarm
OF fire was turned in. The firemen
turned hundreds OF gallons of water on
the blazing car but the water was OF
no avail while the current was on. and
the car continued to blaze furiously
until the current was turned off. Sew
eral cars were held up by the accident,
and traffic was delayed for half an
hour.
Many Telephones Out of Order.
The Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Company reported that between
40 and 500 telephones had been put
out or commission by the storm
Lightning struck many wires and
burned through underground and aerial
terminals. thus cutting off the cur
rent and rendering the telephones use
less Oiiicials OF the company said that
il was one of the severest storms they
have experienced in several years The
damage will be repaired, it was said.
by this afternoon.
The telegraph companies suffered
'.'t' .. "ii6Hl interruption IN their SER
wee. and reported that none Of the
wires was down
me storm lasted an hour, the rain
pouring down in windy torrents that
seemed to fall all directions at once.
me lightning was alarmingly close
to the city. and people were frightened
by the detonations of thunder, which
seemed to sound at their very doors
The rainfall was heavy. reaching a
depth OF 1872 inches for the twelve
hours ending at s p NJ