Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-08-17
NEWS HAPPENINGS
ABOUT NEW Castle
Town in Darkness After
Electrical Storm Disar-
ranges Lighting System
COUNCIL FAILS
TO GET TOGETHER

No a.. which left Wilmington iast
might nj T2O O'Clock came TO a dead
s,op at the Lobdell switch, put out
Of commission by lightning. Ihe
nash had struck the trolley wire and
dancing down the trolley pole, put the
batteries that light the car out OF
commission and then grounded. The
dozen or more passengers sat mute,
as II waiting for something worse to
come. Then a whistle tokeepmp
your. courage laugh and that was all
Everybody took the trouble as a mat
ter OF course. The car, sans al
lights bowled along through the
darkness. its way lighted by frequent
flashes OF lightning, until the car
barns Just outside Of New Castle
we're reached, when new car was
brought into service. Not a person
tn the car was hurt, no one became
hvsterical and no one even felt the
shock but between 'us girls every
body was glad when tho journey was
over.
once again. as the result Of
storm. this place was plunged IN
total darkness last night, every cleo
tric street and house and business
p.aco light being put out of commits
sion Users of the electric light claim
that every time there is a storm the
lights 10 out and charge this 20 the
fact that the wires are so close
around the trees that the wet leaves
stop the current on the wires There
was bitter complaining last night be-
cause the streets we're dark as pitch
and few people cared 10 venture out
over tho uneven sidewalks unless per
fectly familiar with such streets.
The special meeting of council call
ed for last night did not materiali1e'
The mayors office was IN darkness
because OF no electric lights and only
two councilmen, President j. 7.
Stoops and Neil Seminar appeared
An Oh lamp was secured and the
two waited I'm o'clock and then
announced no session The meeting
van bo held tonight II another storm
does not put the lights out
Citizens have awakened TO the Tact
that the city Is open TO a big Dill
for the refunding Of 0yIfpaid taxes
on the Dobbins estate properties In
the Dobbnsville section Of the city
as the result Of improper assessment
OF the properties. resulting In double
assessments for the past twenty years.
There are siNtysevon properties IN
The plot. which pay city taxes. these
laxes being paid by John Hance, who
Is handling the properties as agent
for the estate. Then Joseph Dobbins
OF Philadelphia, the only member OF
the family living IN the east. has
been assessed for nearly twenty yea1r
for six supposedly other properties
IN the same section Of the city. This
week. Mr.. Hence checked mp the
properties of the estate and Joseph
Dobbins and found the city has been
collecting double taxes on six OF the
properties for the past twenty years.
He asked the tive cOuncilmen last
night to correct the double assess
ment and strike the joseph Dobbins
properties from the assessment books
This will probably be done.
Onlcials of the water company have
decided 20 ascertain whether the
general complaint of the citizens and
Board OF Health against the condi.
ton Of water furnished TO the peo.
Pile OF the city Is justified Yester.
day the officials collected samples
OF the water from various parts OF the
city and sent e to the home Offices
OF the company I'm Reading, Pa.
where they viii have &c analysed. The
Board OF Health already has had the
water analysed and pronounced full
OF Intestinal bacteria. The people are
hoping that when the officials find
that the water is bad there will be
some Improvement made In the water
by getting new source OF supply.
II. W. Splker and j. A. Holidays
members OF the teachers committe,
OF the school board met last nigh
with Professor II. II. Ennis, princi
pal OF the local schools. TO 60 owe
With him the question % whether O
not he viii serve his Office the com
ing school year. He has been draft
ed for military service and has ais
applied for commission In tn
reserve corps but no wOrl has bee
received yet as TO whether he vii
get either service This leaves th
situation up in the air for the schoo
board but they have a man from Hal
-isburg whom they can get il necel
sary
Members OF the congregation o
the First Baptist Church TO the nun
Der OF about two hundred enioye
their annual outing TO Woodlan
Beach yesterday. The party left thl
city carly in the forenoon on tn
steamer Thomas Clyde. Towards lat
afternoon when the storm clouds bl
gan TO lower the committee IN charg
decided TO take no chances on a moor
light ride home and rs a result IN
boat locked lust shortly before tn
electrical storm broke. The outin
was one OF the most successful th
congregation has held in recent year,
In the darkness Of the streets las
evening lumber wagon belonging {
The Eliason Lumber Company ra
into an automobile belonging {
Thomas Appleby OF near Newpor
The car was slightly damaged.
An auto crashed into q telechon
pole at the corner of Third and Del,
ware streets last night, the drive
being unable to see the pole in IN
darkness There we're several mine
injuries 70 people stepping OF. N
curbs and tripping over defects
the sidewalks. In some sections
Delaware ans the side streets Il va
50 iarl' a pedestrian could nof 50
Eve ftet aheal
Sergeant John Mccain IN chars
OF whipping the raw recruits of Cor
pany L into shape is making goc
progress with his work and sas N
men in fine condition so far as a
rudiments o. military instruction "a
concerned. He has worked hard al
the men are warm in their praise
his efforts IN their behalf.
The opportunities ,,bieh the va
Adj hold for iuutual benefit cannot