The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-20
MOST TERRIFIC STORM
IN TWENTY nine YEARS
LIGHTNING DAMAGES SUB-STA-
TION SOUTHERN POWER co.
over Three Inches Rainfall in One
HOur-SeYeral Dwellings Struck
By Lightning.

HOur-SeYeral Dwellings Struck
By Lightning.
The rain on last Thursday after
noon was the heaviest that has fal
len in Newberry in a long time. 1t
came rather sudden and unexpected.
From o'clock until there was an
almost continuous downpour, Be-
tween three and four inches of rain
fell in that time. There was at times
strong wind and many severe flashes
of lightning and eavy thunder
The rain area was small. Two miles
on the Silverstreet road t. ere was not
more than sprinkle and few miles
further on there was no rain a. all.
Towards Prosperity the rain extend
ed only few miles But in the town
it was some rain. The north fork Of
SCOTS creek was very much swollen
and ran over the bridges and out into
tie bottoms until it looked like the
Parr Shoals dam might have been re-
moved to Newberry The house oc-
cupied by Mr. John Bass in Purcell
street was surrounded by water and
the water came into the floors and
Mr.. Bass and wife had to be boated
out. Down in the street ttat runs by
the rrington-several Of the
houses below the Jail were surround
ed by water and it ran into the floors.
Corn was blown down and some
damage done to gardens.
Lightning struck the sub station OF
the Southern Power company and put
tie town in darkness and did consid-
cradle damage to the building. IA tree
in lower Main street was blown down
carrying with it an electric light
pole There was no current on from
7 o'clock until about 9 o'clock. su-
perintendent H. w. schumpert fired
up the big engines at the town plant
and in an hour and half the lights
were in use. 1t took good and quick
work to get the wires and lines ready
by the time the steam was ready to
turn the wheels at the city plant, but
it was done. Mr.. John c. Goggans,
who is in charge of the Southern Pow
er plant got busy as soon as possible
and by II o'clock he had the current
ready from that plant and the current
was transferred.
Lightning struck IT, steeple to the
Newberry hotel building over the
stor, of Glider & Weeks and stunned
few people who happened to be
crossing the street about the time. 1t
also struck the dwelling of iMr. P. C
Gaillard and slightly stunned Mrs.
Gaillard but no serious. damage was
done at either place.
The streets were washed in bitches
in many places. The drainage is bad
and in ordinary rains the water over
flows many of tie streets but in
downpour such as that Of last Thurs
day they\ become regular rivers in
many places.
AS stated the area of the rain fall
was circumscribed and it must have
been something like a water spout. On
few occasions before the water mas
been out of tie regular channel of the
creek and over the bottoms but in
those cases the rain lasted longer.
The rain of Thursday extended only
few miles in any direction from
town. On Mr.. F. R. Hunters place
about two miles from town barn
was blown from it's pillars. Apart
from that no damage of like nature
aas been reported.
Rain is needed in many sections OF
the county and the crops are suffer-
ing especially old corn. Cotton does
not require a great deal of rain.
WORST STORM IN 20 YEARS.