New Britain herald., 1925-06-02
MUCH DAMAGE DONE BY THUNDERSTORM
Automobile Hit by Lightning; Trees Down; Phones Crippled
SPEEDERS PAY WITH FINES
Speaking Contest at High School Better Mailing Wcck-Organizc Boy Scout Troop Plainyille Briefs.

Briefs.
 Sweeping down the valley with unprecedented fury, the fiercest rain and hail storm in many years struck Plainville early last evening and left visible trail of havoc in it's wake. The shower was short but sharp and was accompanied by much lightning and wind. Trees (. and chimneys were blown down by the gale. tele- phone service crippled, and lights extinguished in several sections of Plainville.
 As far as can be learned, the lightning struck but once, hitting an automobile parked outside the Standard Steel & Bearings, Inc, and shattering the glass window. The broken glass flew and inflicted cut on the arm of man in the machine. The electrical end of the storm was not as severe here as in New Britain, the greatest damage resulting from the wind and hail. The chimney on the Central garage was blown into the street by the wind. while Park street suffered extremely heavily, many trees being torn to pieces 10 the gale. Large trees on East Main, Whiting, Broad, and other streets were also blown down, as were many in the Plain vile camp grounds. The falling branches carried wires with them and the electric lights in the Park and Broad street district were ex- tinguished. Telephone service was also crippled, the line to Bristol be- ing severed and steady buzzing being still apparent today. in spite of the nasty work of crews of line men. The roadway at the trolley switch on the Forestvile road was still inundated under foot of water this morning. t|
 Many window panes in touses on Canal and Broad streets were shat tered by the huge hailstones which fell with great violence throughout the storm.
 Busy Court Session
 Holiday specders furnished the piece de resistance at the session of the town court last night, five automobile law violators being fined total of sS5. and costs by Justices l.. s. Mills and William Cunning ham.
 Howard Palmer of Kcnsington and Leo Tanna and another driver from Terryville were each fined s10 and costs for violating the rules of the road, the technical charge being failure to reduce speed at intersect- ing streets. They were apprehended by Motorcycle Officer Fred Callen on West Main street.
 Frank Odin of New Britain, ar- rested Friday night by Constable F.. 1 w. Furrey after his machine had crashed into telegraph pole at Blossoms corner and plunged the | eastern section of Plainvllle in dark | ness, was fined S25 and costs on a charge of reckless driving.
 Failure to abide by the directions of the authorities cost Jessie KaI- | waszewski of New York s3O. He was arrested by Constable Andrew Hogan on Friday for driving with a Connecticut registration and a New York operators license. but re- leased under bond and fold to ap- pear in court, being warned not to repeat his offense. On Saturday, however, he was caught driving again, and last night levies of s1O | on the first count and s2O on the second were made against him, the costs bringing the total to about S54.
 Forming Scout Troop
 Twenty-eight boys were present last night at the meeting held for the purpose of forming a Boy Scout troop at the Methodist church. Walter O, Cook scout executive of the New Britain council, under the Jurisdiction of which Plainville comes, was present and talked to