Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-02
PANIC IN CAR BY (
AN EXPLOSION ]
DURING STORM
Trolley Pole Pulls Down Over
head Wire, Causing Awe
Inspiring PyrOtechnics.
LIGHTNING AND DOWNPOUR
CAUSE WIDESPREAD HAVOC
Railroad and Other Traffic Tie.
Ups-Bursting Dams and
Washouts Reported.

Scotch Plains last night were
thrown into a panic during the
height of the storm when
a trolley pole fell and pulled down
with 1t an overhead wire. The live
wire coming in contact with the pole
caused a report which sounded like
an explosion and frightened several
women passengers into Mysteries.
This accident cut off the light SER
vice In the car and the storm made It
appear as dark as night outside.
After few moments the excited
passengers were Gained and waited
patiently until the damage was re-
paired. The mishap occurred at 4:23
O'Clock in in Lybe Park, and It was
thirty-seven minutes before the car
was able to proceed on it's way.
Another trolley accident on the CEN
tral division of the Public Service
Railway occurred at the Watching
avenue bridge in Plainheld, where
the water got so high that the cars
We're stalled for forty minutes.
While the storm was still raging a
rotary was burned out in the Me-
tuchen power house, necessitating the
switching of power from the Perth
Amboy station. This series of acci-
dents threw the service in the CEN
tral division out of gear for five
hours It was after o'clock last
night before the service was restored
to normal schedule
Buildings Hit Here.
Six buildings were struck by light
ming in the city during the terrific
storm which swept over the State
yesterday afternoon, but no one was
injured nor was there any great
property loss here as a result of the
fires. In other parts of the State.
however, the property damage was
electric light wires were torn down.
and distance communication
was cut off almost entirely.
At the Manunka Chunk junction
Of the Pennsylvania and Lacka-
wanna railroads Charles Walters.
operator at the railroad tower. had
narrow escape from death. He
felt the tower sagging, and made a
hurried exit into the storm. A few
minutes later the structure was
undermined and washed down the
embankment. Two hundred yards of
the roadbed was also washed away.
Park Lake Breaks Dam.
At Egg Harbor the park lake was
swollen by the recent rains and broke
through a twenty-four inch concrete
dam. Several buildings were under
mined by the flood and thousands of
fish, recently placed in the lake by
the State authorities. were liberated
and carried down the river
Trees were uprooted and several
homes struck by lightning in Asbury
Park, Ocean Grove and Long Branch,
but no serious damage resulted At
Freehold the home of George J. Tay-
Tor, of Mechanic street, was struck
by lightning and a fire which fol-
lowed caused 81 200 damage.
Although the torrent of rain here
did not last very long. the thunder
and lightning storm continued for
several hours. Many pedestrians were
caught unawares in the streets and
received a thorough drenching before
they reached places of safety.
storm Not Discriminating.
Unlike the storm of last Monday,
the North Hudson and Bergen Coun-
ty divisions of the Public Service es-
capped with little damage. Mondays
storm left the central division un-
scathed. but returned yesterday and
made up for the recent slight
Within twelve minutes six alarms
were turned in as the result of light
ming pranks. At 4.01 o'clock box 1873
was sounded. The f1remen extin-
guished a slight blaze in the cafe of
Drescher & Knipper at 3s3 Park ave.
nue.. The lightning struck an electric
light wire and caused s25 damage.
Four minutes later box 81 was
sounded. Lightning struck an iron
plate in the hair goods store of Sam
uel Rothspiel on the second floor of
134 Springfield avenue. No damage
was done.
The lightning striking a wire at the
home of Charles Fischbereck, 465
Ferry street, did $40 damage and
caused an alarm to be sent in from
box 5Ss. The alarm was sounded at
4:07 o'clock.
Lightning Strikes Wire
Three minutes later box 5s7 was
sounded and the firemen extinguished
slight blaze in the plant of the
Royal Cleaning and Dyeing Company
at 214 Thomas street. Lightning
struck an electric wire. Damage s25.
The private box of the factorY
Jersey Railroad avenue and Hami I
street was sounded at 4:12, as an em-
ployee believed that the structure had
been hit by lightning. No trace of a
| lightning bolt was found. The box
was 365.
At Alb o'clock box %, near No. 8
engine-house in Court street, was
sounded A lightning bolt had en-
tered the basement of the Everett
Court apartment at IS Court
street and had set fire to the wood
work. The damage Is estimated at
5000.
Lightning Strikes Church.
Lightning struck several places in
Bloomfield and vicinity during the
heavy storm yesterday afternoon.
among them the Watsessing NJ. II.
| Church, where bolt shattered a
portion of a minaret tower. tree
| in front of the edifice was struck and
| a limb was torn off.
The home of George Bradley, in
Watsessing avenue. was HIT by bolt
and a large hole was made In tho
roof. An attic room was ruined.
| The Flagstaff on the Bloomfield Ma
tional Bank was shattered. A CHM
lney on the house of William Schleiser
| in Outlook place, Glen Ridge, was
struck and bricks sent flying in every
direction. The inmates were badly
frightened and a domestic tainted.
In Brookdale lightning hit large
elm tree on Watching avenue and
cleft it in twain The streets in town
and borough were flooded and much
damage done to the roads There,
|