The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-23
MARTINS FERRY AND BRIDGE
PORT ARE ESPECIALLY
HARD HIT.
Debris chokes Streets In These TWO
Cities and Ties UP Street Car
Traffic Four Hours.

The second hardest storm of the
year struck Wheeling and rlclllty
about 2:30 o'clock yesterday after
noon. lightning set fire to one street
car and another bolt tore a great hole
In the roof of the new school building
al Fulton.
In this city. north Of the city and
in the Out-thr-pike district. rain came
down in torrents. Water ran curb
deep In the streets in many places.
| Street cars were blocked at several
points where miniature rivers In the
streets carried debris into switch
points In the pike district particular
", small streams overlooked their
banks and many gardens we're almost
ruined.
Lightning Fires Car.
While the storm was at It's height,
a bolt OF lightning fired the insula-
ton on City Railway car No. II al
| Twentieth and Chaplne street. \ DISK
blaze started and an alarm of fire was
sounded. The Hook & Ladder COM
panv and Chemical departments re-
Sponded. The mtn from the HOOK d
Ladder house put out the fire Win a
Babcock eXtinguisher. The damage to
the car was small. No one was hurt
The car was in charge OF Motorman
Perry and Conductor Allison.
Martins Ferry and bridgeport seem
ed 10 he the hardest hit. while ! ork-
vile. a small Town three mile> norm
Of Martins Ferry. reported that only
an ordinary shower had occurred
there The lightning in both cues
; was very noticeable and inc tnunoeF
clans we're deafeninS and terrl1!lne'
At least one place was struck nus
hninc q home on Second street. Mar
! tins Ferry.
At Martins Ferry.
Streets choked with dead trees
huge hor1lders and Shiny mud, cellars
fioodod With water and complete iso-
lation from surrounding cities due 10
! Tho criunlinC Of street car ana lel.'-
rhonn service were the most outStand-
;nr results Of the storm thai STRUCK
Norrins Ferry yesterday afternoon
1'hn storm was without doubt the most
severe that has visited the city Wlthih
/ tho nast five years. The rain s'arteu
! about go and continued almost uhlh-
tprrupt eddy until 4:3". .;u. =.
! On South Sixth street. when -
crossed hv streets leading from IN"
hin west of the city. torrent ni water
nowe1 down the street, making l'nlnS'
possiblc any kind OF i'A'ltG nG' ~, ~
street The water oN"rilnW'd me
curb$inne in many plaC' : anu "S .n
corner of Grant avenn" anG HlNlh
street tho lowest part nj ihr S'Frei'
the cellars Of homes yer" hooaea,
reaching a dep1h of four feet III some
Of the houses. Armed win hrooms
and hose. the families 81 DnSE as
Soon AS the rain ceased and cleaned
the cellars as the water t;HWn'l Out. IN
thn hrmp of Mrs. Jessie loun? IN
Gran: ;,ynnur. a plug had bern place.
in the sewer opening and the oocru'
n7nts rf the house. upon r.'ii"nln% irnm
Wheeling. found the basement flood
ed ~.
In the lower end Of tho city, eSr,H'
cially in the vicinity Of League park.
thr debris was piled up SO. great mat
street car traffic WAS cut or from
shortly before 3 o'clock until after
o'clock. As soon rs The storm ceased
the Wheeling Traction Company put.
several forces of men at Work clear
ing The tracks Of mud and removing
the logs and hnuldprS that were
washed upon the tracks.
On Virginia street, where paving IS
in progress. the torrent OF water picked
I'm large cans of tar filler ana wished
them several blocks down MUn'oc as