The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-11-24
MUCH DAMAGE BY STORM.
OUT OF COMNQS-
SION AND LIGHTS OUT DUR.
ING LAST NIGHT.
Limbs Blown Down All About City and
Many Fences Torn Down or Blown.
Down-COOling Tower OF Lighting
Company Blown Down.
From The Daily Item, Nov. 10.

From The Daily Item, Nov. 10.
Sumter citizens experienced an un-
usual condition last night for from
3 o'clock on there were no electric
lights, the city would have been in to.
tai darkness had it not been for the
fact that many stores used gas or in
candescent lights and automobiles
were constantly coming and going,
their bright lights illuminating the
streets. And then the wind blew
away the clouds and t noon came
out and afforded a or citizens
their way home. =
Much damage " 8 zone by the
storm, the Sumte lephone Conn
pany and the S. : Lighting Conn
pany being app ly the heaviest
sufferers On y ton Avenue sever.
al telephone were blown down
and on Harv' : let another pole was
broken dow weight of a falling
llmp. AT rous other places the
wires wer> Ken or put out Of COM
mission by falling limbs. The lights
of the town were put out Of use early
in the evening, about o'clock and
remained out all night. A switch was
burnt out at the power house, but this
was repaired and the lights could
have been trned on sometime after
wards, but for the fact that so many
wires were down and it was consider
ed dangerous to allow the current to
go back on until an examination was
made for broken and hanging wires
and all danger points removed. The
limbs and telephone wires making the
necessary repairs impossible until this
morning. The Sumter Lighting Com
pany also lost one Of its cooling towers,
which was blown down by the wind.
This will handicap the plant until IL
can be repaired but will not prevent
their giving service. Many limbs were
blown from trees all about town, some
Iof them big branches which fcsexthes
wires down with them, while others
were only small twigs which only serv-
ed to partly block the streets. Prop
erty owners suffered little damage. A
number of fences were toppled over
by the wind and few window panes
were smashed, but otherwise the
sportive wind did no mischief to pri-
vate property.
Early this morning workmen were
set to work to repair the telephone
system and the poles on Hampton
Avenue and Harvin street were re-
placed, the wires being Strengthened
out and the breaks repaired. The 9TH
er places where falling limbs broke
the wires We're also attended to. The
city force was busy removing limbs
| from the streets so that traffic was lit
tie hindered today the branches be-
ing removed before much business
was in progress. The streets were also
| being cleaned up and put back in
their usual neat condition. The Sum-
ter Lighting Company had all of it's
wires back in commission by noon to-
day and lights are on as usual, or
should be, as the company has repair
ed all known damage.
The storm which came about S
O'Clock in the afternoon after a dis
agreeable drizzle for most of the day
lasted for several hours. Between
and the rain poured down in torrents
and the wind was at it's highth. La
ter on the clouds were blown away
and by 10 o'clock the moon was shin
ing brightly, with only a few scatter
ing clouds in the sky. However, the
wind continued all night and today
was blowing a stiff breeze which made
it disagreeable for shoppers on the
streets.