The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-07
STORM SCARES:; DOES LITTLE
 REAL DAMAGE Telephone Company Worst Sufferer, As Gale Blew
 Down Lines TROLLEY CARS BLOWN OUT BY LIGHTNING One Tree Struck and Thou sands Badly Frightened
 By Bolts

Beg1nning with a light storm near rnfdllleht and rsepausing thko4rkhouf early raorl1af 6 hours. one 0f the wors eleetrfcHz vintMt1ons which this city has wttAlstood in several years created havoc within the city limits between 5 and Q clock this morn ing. It struck and damaged the court house spire. 6eoded streets burned out telephone and telegraph switchboards and struck several trees about the city, A deluge of rain accomp anied the lightning and th1nder
 The Connecticut Company suffered smost severe damage four Of its cars being reported as struck by lightning. the fuses being blown out and the motors damaged by excess of water Passengers. though few zn number, were greatly scared by the flashing and electrical discharges that sur rounded them.
 So swollen were the streams in this vicinity that one early ni1kman on Barnum avenue reported the loss Of two cans of milk from his wagon as the horse was compelled to swim the current of Bruceis brook, near Bar mum avenue.
 A bolt which entered the Western Union Telegraph Company's ofncce on Fairfield avenue about 4 o'clock set fire to the switchboard, burning the insulation from the wires of Fairfield division. The fire was extinguished before 1t had spread and without the necessity of summoning the fire de- partment.
 The local fire-aIarm system was badly crippled by the storm, several alarms being rung in from boxes throughout the city during the night, It finally became necessary to ring the tower bells announcing that the system had been damaged in various sections. Supt. Barnes with a large staff of men tested every city box to- day.
 At an early hour last night, police box troubles were anticipated if men were permitted to ring in. They were ordered not to do so, and the Game well board at police headquarters was not utilized. It went through the electrical storm undamaged.
 The first trolley car to be damaged was on the North Bridgeport line. where, following binding flash from the sky, the car returning to this city was left in complete dark ness. This was closely followed ay the striking of a car on the Strat- and one at~Ash Creek. On the latter two, water is said to have seeped in to the motors short-circuit1nr them. They were later lowed to this city.
 All the S1gnal uBntS between Ash Creek and Mill River were out of commission following the storm which laid low not only the trolley signal wires but those of the Western Un- ion telegraph. Large forces Of men were engaged in reconstruction work today.
 About 6 o'clock this morning. large tree in front of the home of for mer superintendent of streets. John Colgan, at Park and Arctics streets the corner of Park and Arctic streets. was struck by lightning, which scar ed its trunk from top to bottom. peeIfng the bark clean during it's course to the ground. MT. Colgan's family were aroused as were all in the immediate vicinity, and their tele- phones were later found to have suf-5 fered from the shock.
 Owing to the overhead ground wires maintained along the railroad for the purpose Of deflecting lightning from their signal wires, the New Haven of- hciaIs today reported that their tracks were in perfect operation.
 Although the storm swept upward from the direction of New York citv and later passed over the Sound. Westport and Fairfield reported that the storm. one of the worst in inten- sity that has visited those sections in
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