Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-06-16
LIGHTNING SETS
TWO HOUSES AF|RE
House in State Street and One
in Tottenviiie Were Struck
During the Storm.
LIGHTNING STRIKES HORSE
Excitement in Southern Sec
ton as Firemen Save Home
of Benjamin GoIdberger.

During the heavy electric storm
that broke over this city and vicinity
about $50 O'Clock yesterday after
noon two houses In Perth Amboy
and Tottenville were struck and set
afire by lightning. The home OF
John H. Jones In Amboy avenue,
Tottenville, was partially wrecked by
the erratic course Of an electric bolt,
and considerable excitement in lower
State street, Perth AmbOy, was
caused when cupola at the home of
Benjamin Goldberger, local archi-
tect,, was partially demolished by
lightning and the house set afire.
The flames were extinguished before
more than $15 in damage had been
done. The storm late yesterday at
ternoon, was preceded by heavy
thunder, and the black, dense clouds
piling up in the sky made the use of
lights in the business places neces-
sary. The storm broke with a terri
fic downpour that caused many re-
ceiving basins to overflow temporar-
lily, but the rain torrents were Of
short duration.
Lightning seemed to be striking
in several places In this vicinity as
flash after fash was followed by a
min Goldberger, with her infant
child. was in the kitchen of her home
at 151 State street and saw flash
of lightning and heard crash OF
thunder which seemed nearby.
Firemen Save House.
Directly passersby ran into the
house and informed her that the
-cupo1a had been struck and set afire
by lightning. One man ran to box
IA, at Kearny avenue and Gordon
street, and gave the fire alarm, while
the others made their way to the roof
with buckets Of water. The prompt
response of the firemen saved the
house. The Washington Hose &
Chemical Company's chemical hose
was strung through the house and
attic to the root, part OF the cupola
cut away and the flames quickly ex-
tinguished. The lightning bolt t6re
OF the wooden ball on the cupola,
setting fire to the woodwork Just
over the garret. Fire Chief Tooker
estimated the damage at $40 The
house isfa four-family, two-story
double brick structure, with wood
en- cupola above each division Of the
building. Mr. Goldberger and family
occupy the top floor of the southerly
side of the double house, which is
owned by Peter Pavlovsky. There
was no lightning rod on the house.
Lightning struck the chimney of
another house in Hall avenue shortly
before 6 O'Clock, but only few
bricks were displaced from the
smoke chamber.
A horse belonging to David Splitter
& Son, wholesale liquor dealers, was
knocked unconscious and rendered
deaf and partially blind when it was
struck by lightning yesterday after
noon. The animal was standing
under tree in front of the Splitter
home at 1872 Lewis street and was
being fed when the storm arose. 1t
is believed that lightning struck the
tree and then hit the horse in the
head. The animal was knocked to
the ground and rendered uncon-
scious. 1t is now under the care of
DR.. A. P. Lubach.
Damage in TottenvilIe.
During the heavy shower that
passed over the lower end of Staten
Island shortly after o'clock last
night, lightning struck the residence
of John H. Jones, at 1894 Amkoy
avenue, Tottenyille. The bolt
struck the chimney In the rear of the
house, knocking the top off of it and.
L. N o.x rff a
slate roof. 1t passed down the lead
er pipe, ripping part of that off the
side of the house and entering the
bath room on the second floor, tore a
hole in the side of the wall, knock
ing the plaster clear across the room.
Several of the weather boards on the
back of the House were scorched and
SCOT from the chimney was scattered
about the kitchen range and floor.
The heavy down-pour of rain at the
time and the slate is believed to have
prevented the bolt from setting the
house on fire Mr.. Jones was in the
kitchen at the time but suffered no
shock. His daughter, Mrs. Mabel
Skidmore, was sitting on the porch
when the crash came and ran into
the house. When 1t became dark in
the west shortly before the shower
broke everybody got indoors because
Of the fear of another hail storm
ike the one that visited this section
On June 23 several years ago. A
heavy squall and down-pour of rain
occurred in the afternoon before 2
D o'cloch that made the streets look
ike rivers.