The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-16
LIGHTNING AND
STORM DAMAGE
Unusually Hard Visitation
Here and Across the
Connecticut
REED AND WELLS
HOUSES ARE STRUCK
Fire Not Started and Nobody Seriously
Hurt-C. A Harris Automobile in
Washout on Spofford Lake Road
Last Evening

ijdot
The two or more electrical storms
which visited Brattleboro yesterday aft
ernoon and last evening did more dam
age to house property than has resulted
from all such storms previously in the
last two years. IN spite Of this fact
no. one was injured seriously, no fires
were caused, and there was no serious
damage to roads or streets or crops in
the town Of Brattleboro Roads to vii
mington and to Spofford lake were i'm
passablc last night and this morning.
long detours being necessary for au-
tomobiles and teams.
The most serious damage here was to
the house owned by Baxter Reed on
Highland street and occupied by Bert
| /. Frost. During the first severe shower
| lightning struck the chimney on the
house, SCATTERING it, The bolt entered
| the cupola, stripping the lath and plas-
ter from the inside, smashing window
| and going out over an electric light
wire.
| Mrs. Frost and her children were in
the kitchen at the time and when the
bricks began to rattle down they fled
! - III AiNiiiR VI At lti2HtuI. -NOIt Oh
them was shocked but all were badly
frightened
! The home Of Mrs F. 4. Wells at la7
High street was struck about the same
time. The bolt ripped III a few elan.
boards, drawing the nails cleanlv,
knocked a picture from the wall in the
downstairs tenement. and stripped off
some plastcring there Mrs Wells was
affected somewhat from the shock. but
not seriously
Last evening shortly after clock
while the families Of Carl Schorling, ST..
land Carl Schorling. ir.. were ut the ia
bic, a bolt struck 50 close that the fork
IN the hand Of one member of the family
was knocked from his grasp and Mrs.
ISchorling, sr., became unconscious from
the effects of the fright Members
said that ball Of fire appeared to en-
ter the door, but there is no trace on the
building of lightning having struck.
In some sections the telephone service
was knocked galley west Over 200 sub
scribers were barred from telephone
conversation for varying lengths of
time. Big fuses were burned out at some
places, but the lines themselves were
not damaged and the repair crew OF
Wire Chief Herbert Shaw were at work
as soon as possible and were at it al
night and toa&v
The storm was more severe the othcl
[ side Of the river than on this side
F., kecne, y. H., reports that two inche:
of rain fell and that the kcenc clectri,
railway was unable to run cars during
the evening. The crop damage there wa
Z considerable. Swanzcv, n H., report
led genuine cloudburst and much dam
age.
The main road to Spofford lake from
! Brattieboro was put out Of commission
, yesterday afternoon when culver
between the homes of 5. L. Rice ant
!, Pcrley Richardson was washed away
u Charles A Harris, treasurer Of the Brat
/ tlcboro Savings bank. was driving hi
car to the lake, when the roed at thi
point gave way and the car went in. Nj
\ Harris was not injured and the car no
very badly damaged. but it was impos
II sible to get it out last night
Such automobiles as made the tri
from the lake to Brattleboro this morn
" ing come by way of the gulf roaC
Il which is somewhat washed on the numeI
q Gus hills, but is passable.
l. \ boy, whose name is said to be Bing
IS ham of Westmoreland. was on the lax
r with other boys during the early par
of the afternoon storm and suffere
d some from electrical shock The part
r in the boat went to the camp of til
r Camp Fire Girls, the nearest point, an
d from there the boy was taken to til
It Emerson cottage for treatment. He wa
G. not seriously injured.
ii Road Commissioner A. A. Wallace sal
II that all of the streets in the village ha
O. withstood the storm well and that Il
&c material damage had been done. Thel
is d bad place on the road to Putney an
dctour was being made this mornir
near the Henry K. Brown farm. NJ
Wallace had Il crew of men and teams
cb work there and said that everythir
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