The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1921-07-15
Three Workmen Badly AZ
fected When Electricity
Comes Down Wire
And Pipe
OTHER DAMAGE
ABOUT THE CITY
Damage Done To Property Of
Telephone Company;
Trees Blown Down

Mt. Vernon was visited Tuesday af-
ternoon by storm of uncommon se-
verify shortly before o'clock. 1t was
accompanied by heavy downpour Of
rain, wind and lightning. Whine little |
iii any damage appears to have been |
done by the water both the wind and
the lightning did not little damage.
At 20 minutes of o'clock bolt of
electricity struck the comb of the roof
at the south end of the garage of the
garage of Sapp Bros. & Co. on West
Ohio avenue. Several holes were torn
in an area possibly two feet square.
The electricity came down following
wire to the pipes of the heating sys-
TEN. When it struck pipe along the
south wall the workmen in the me-
chanical department of the garage
state it appeared to burst and to scat
ter in every direction the air bing fill
ed with flying sparks.
Nelson Sapp, Clyde Scott and d. w.
Cramer were working at bench i'm
mediately below the place where the
electricity followed the wire down to
the pipe and exploded. All three were
strongly affected and more or less par
alyzed for time. Cramer was unable
to use either his hands or his arms
for some minutes. Scott had in his
hands a wrench and pair of pliers
and, after the bolt struck he was un-
able to release them for some time.
Sapp was dazed and when he came to
himself he found himself in the bat
terry room with several wires discon-
nected. Sapp was unable to account
for his presence in the battery room
or how the wires were disconnected.
Today none of the three was any the
worse for his experience.
The concrete building of Sapp Bros.
& Co. was but slightly damaged as a
result of having been hit by the light
ming.
1T is reported that lightning also
struck telephone pole at the c. of c.
corner, East High street and the pub
lie square. II the pole was actually
struck, as persons who were in the vi
cinity at the time of the storm declare
it was, it shows no evidence of the
bolt.
;, More or less damage to trees was
done by the wind. A large tree at No.
sos East Burgess street was blown
down. 1t fell parallel to the street and
did not obstruct traffic. Another tree
at the corner of Sugar and Mckenzie
streets was blown down. This fell
across the street partially obstructing
traffic. Still another was blown down
at Hamtramck street and Third aven-
ue.
In nearly every other part the trees
suffered the loss of branches and were
more or less severely damaged.
Much water came down during the
rain. AS usual the lover parts of the
city suffered and many complaints
have been spoken. For short time
Main street at the public square look
ed like the Kokasing river in flood
season.
Gay and Water streets suffered from
an overflow as usual. 1t is hoped by
the local authorities that this may be
the last occasion for complaint by resi-
dents in that quarter. 1t is purposed
that the Gay street storm sewer will
be constructed this fall and that it
will be adequate in disposing of the
storm waters that come down that
street. 1t is the intention of the au-
thorities to build all he sewers au-
thorized by the council this summer.
There is some reason to doubt it may
be possible to do more than small
part of the street paving authorized
this season but the sewers can and
will be built.
Officials of the Mt. Vernon Tele.
phone company report considerable
property damage as result of the
storm. A number of polls were blown
down and telephones were burned out
In several residences about the city.