The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-09-16
MANY PHONES OUT OF ORDER
'Electric Light and Telephone Compa-
MES Keep men at Work All Night
In An Effort to Restore Lines After
the storm-Water Floods Easements.


Hundreds of people in Kenosha
were denied telephone service today
and lighting systems in many homes
of the city were out Of service Tues
day night and this morning as result
Of the havoc wrought by the big cleo
trio storm which struck Kenosha just
after four O'Clock Tuesday afternoon.
In fact all wire service in the city was
practically crippled and construction
gangs worked through the entire night
making an effort to restore the lines
so as to make efficient service posi-
BILE. The cables Of the Wisconsin Tele-
phone Company on South street and
Market street were struck by light
ming and in this manner the service of
more than two hundred and fifty sta
tions on the west and southwest sides
of the city was cut off. Freak work
of the lightning cut off other phones in
various parts Of the city and the trou-
Bile board at the telephone office this
morning looked like war map
of Europe.
Out in the county the rural lines
were down in many places. Three
poles were splintered on the Bristol
lines permitting the wires to drag on
the ground and interrupting service.
The Bristol line between Bristol and
Pleasant Prairie was struck by light
ming and all phones on the line cut
off. Traffic between Kenosha and Chi
cago and Milwaukee was maintained
over the underground wires. The tele-
phone company was just recovering
from the effects Of the storm on Sun
day night and Monday morning when
the second blow of a week came. Tt
will probably be another day before
the phone service can be restored and
it will be week before the effects of
the storm has been eradicated.
The trouble for the Wisconsin Gas
and Electric Company was general
throughout the city and the company
had wires down on Charles and Grover
streets, on Rowland and Milwaukee
avenues, and many patrons were fore
ed to go back to primitive plans for
lighting on Tuesday night. Every
available line man that could be put
in service worked through the night
restoring the lines. The power lines
were also hit by the lightning and
manufacturing interests were inter
fered with for several hours It is
expected that the lighting company
will have all Of its trouble cleared
away before time for turning on the
lights this evening Fuses were burn
ed out in many houses and the trou-
bic men at the office of the company
were kept busy today taking care of
these minor defects in the service.
The poor old west side of the city
suffered from the great fall of water
and people who had just got the water
baled out Of their cellars following
Monday mornings storm were forced
to put on the rubber boots and start
dipping water again. The rain Tues
day afternoon was cloud burst, al
most as much water falling as on Sun
day night and Monday morning. Sew
ers were filed to overlooking all over
the city and many reports Of water
backing up into the cellars were re-
ceived. The rain stopped the work on
the extension of the trunk sewer and
the trenches were so filed with water
that it will be several days before the
work can be resumed
Reports from out of the county are
meagre on account Of the interruption
of the telephone service, but many of
the low lands in the county are under
water. Farmers, however, claim that
no serious damage was done to crops.
No reports Of buildings being struck
by lightning have been received IN
the city, but several reports of cattle
being killed BY bolts come from the
west part Of the county.