The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-05-23
SANITARIUN BARNS BURNED
Lightning Hits Big Barns Sunday AT
ternOon But Efficient Work of Fire
men Prevents Spread of Flames to
Main Buildings of Institution.

Kenosha was the center for a num-
Der of freak storms on Sunday after
noon and evening and the wind and
lightning left a trail of havoc. Mar
row escapes from lightning, burning of
buildings and blocking of streets by
trees and electric service poles were
reported from many part of the city.
rThe Telephone and the Electric light
company was decidedly hard hit and
more than hundred phone stations
in the city were in trouble this morn
ing while the Wisconsin Gas and Elec
trio Company had men working all
through the night and again this morn
ing in an effort to repair the damage
done by the storm. On Park Avenue,
Chicago street, Julius Street and Park
Row, poles Of the Electric Company
were blown down by the wind or
struck by lightning and they fell across
the streets blocking them The SER
vice Of the Electric company was in
terferred with for more than an hour
on Sunday night on account Of plant
trouble caused by the lightning.
The biggest excitement Of the storm
period was caused by the burning of
the big barns of the Pennoyer SAM
tarium just after four o'clock Sunday
afternoon.
The cupola Of the big barn was
struck by lightning and in few
seconds the entire roof of the big
building was in flames. 1t went down
to the ground with the city fremen
and the Sanitarium emergency fremen
fighting to keep the fire from spread
ing to the main Sanitarium buildings.
The fight with the fire was successful
one and while several times it looked
as il the fire would spread to the big
buildings it was fought back and the
loss was confined to the barn and its
grain contents.
When the lightning struck the barn
Nicholas Mungen was busy milking
the cows. The electric shock was felt
all over the barn but Mungen with the
aid Of Charles Boyer and Walter Petrie
managed to save all the live stock
in the building. This included four
horses and nine cows. Boyer went in
to the barn fighting his way against
the spreading flames and managed to
bring out safely three automobiles
which had found garage room in the
burning building.
The fire at the Sanitarium caused
great excitement. All over the down
town district it was reported that the
main building of the institution was
in flames and thousands of people brav-
ed the rain am went to the institution
to watch the flames which Quilted the
big barns. The city booster pumps
proved their value as within a few
minutes afterthe call had been sent
Icing lines of hose had been laid from
the fire hydrants near the city limits
and the water was being poured on the
burning barn. Had it not been for
the promptness of the Kenosha firemen
and the efficient work done by the
booster pumps the big building pro-
badly would have been in flames.
81 can't give too much credit to
the work of the fire department Of
the city" declared DR.. N. A. Pennoyer
as he watching the falling walls of
the big barn, "Had it not been for the
prompt response and the efficient work
of these men [ am certain that it
would have been impossible for us to
have saved the buildings here's
The loss on the big barns is between
$4,000 and $4,000 and it is partially
covered by insurance.
While the crowds were on their way
to the Sanatarium the lightning struck
the trolley wire of the street railway
system at the Norh end of Milwaukee
Avenue burning off the connections and
causing some, delay in the operation
of the street ears.
This was repaired before the fire
was out at the big barns and the cars
handled the people on the trip back
down town.
During the storm in the afternoon
lightning hit a house in Collins street
and Young woman busy washing
dishes had a narrow escape. The bolt
Of lightning knocked the dishes from
her hands and singed her hair but she
was not seriously injured and little
damage was done to the house.
The storm just after seven O'Clock
Sunday evening came with a wind
which had the velocity of a cyclone
and it did much damage to trees and
to the various kinds of wire service
In the city.
The financial loss to the companies
pm account Of the storm will amount