The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-06-07
ELECTRIC STORMS
DISRUPT SERVICE
TELEPHONE AND POWER COM
PANIES SUFFER DAMAGES
CLOUDBURSTS REPORTED

The electric storm which visited
this section OF the country last even
Ing, did considerable damage to the
telephone and electric power lines
about the city and throughout the ad-
jacent territory, bringing down wires
and poles, and throwing several
nearby cities into darkness for the
entire night. The major portion of
the trouble was caused by lightning
striking the 66,000-volt, high tension
lines of the Washington Water Power
company on Sixth street, near Hays
street, cutting the line in two, whence
it fell to the ground, causing a con-
siderable amount of fireworks and
jumping to the telephone lines run
ming adjacent to the power circuit.
Several of the electric and tele-
phone poles were set on fire, and
several hundred yards of telephone
and electric light cable burned up,
causing the throwing out of order of
approximately 100 telephones in
Moscow and on rural lines. The
larger part of the damage was suf-
fered by the telephone company, some
hundred heating coils in the main
office being burned out, and one ter
minal being put out of commission,
besides the large number of tele-
phones thrown out of use, most of
which were restored to order by this
afternoon.
Considered Lucky
G. J. Langdon of the Moscow Tele-
phone and Telegraph company, stat
ed that considering the possibilities
for damage, he considered that his
company had been exceedingly for
tunate to escape SO lightly. The
Washington Water Power company
did not consider that they had suf-
fered any damage, other than a tenn
porary shut down Of power at the
Spokane headquarters, and the delay
in sending the current through the
new Colfax system while the local
line was being repaired and inspect
ed for other breaks.
Cloudbursts were reported from
several sections of the country near
the city, one striking south of town
a few miles, where it was reported
that the water fell in torrents such as
had never been witnesses there be-
fore The territory covered by the
downpour there was reported several
miles square, the storm breaking
along the ridge running between Mos
COW and Genesee.
A second downpour, termed
s'waterspout", struck near Leland, to
the south and west of Moscow, where
some damage was done Lightning
was reported as striking a barn own
ed by George Jacobs, near Union
town.
Torrents Of Water
J. N Collins of this city, who was
driving home from Genesee, came in
to the cloudburst area just after the
storm, and stated that he had never
before seen so much water in this
country, the entire flat and the hill
sides seeming to be a torrent of
water. The Elmer Paulson, Chris
Deesten and c. C. Carpenter places
were in the center of the storm Sew
eral small bridges along the creek
were washed out, fences were torn
down and farm machinery in some
cases washed out Of the barn lots. |
At one place a large automobile was
pushed along by the water a distance
of some so yards, landing against the
garage, but without being damaged.
There was no heavy damage to the
crops from the rainfall. A few pieces
of summer fallow ground were badly
washed, however.
The power lines of the Potlatch I
Consolidated Electric company, which
supply Juliaetta, Troy, and Kendrick
with electric power, were thrown out
of commission by the electrical storm
and the cities were thrown into dark
ness through the. entire night, the
lines not being repaired until late
this morning. The current is sup
piled by the Washington Water
Power company to the smaller CON
cern wholesale, which is responsible
for all repair work on that branch
of the system.
Grain Inspection Dates