Year: 1866




ming, Causing . Destructive Conflagra-


tion.


Poughkeepsie was visited BY succession OF terrific
thunder showers Wednesday, and great damage
sued. About dense OF clouds appeared in
tho west the line extending many miles north and
SOUTH the whole body In few moments blending into
solid black WALL with huge thunder heads in the
advance. Hardly breath OF air stirring the murky
pail in the meantime gradually crawling up the horizon,
while frequently brilliant flashes OF rorked and chain
lightning darted in every direction light air Of wind
from the southward rose whom the heavily charged
Clouds having hardly reached the centre Of the horizon
drifted slowly away to the norhward and eastward not
however without causing the earth to be
deluged with an immense body OF water from
the receding edge OF the black vapor. Shortly after
another storm cloud following fast upon its predecessor
'walked the horizon from the west and vivid flashes
or lightning and peal upon peal OF deep heavy thunder
warned the inhabitants Of its approach In an instant
almost, it burst upon the city in all its fury the ram
falling in torrents and the hail rattling like so many
peas. Flash after flash Of fearfuy sharp and vivid
lightning, OF pale BLUSH color almost blinded the
Of the behoder while the cracking peals Of thun-
der terrified the more tmid Of the population The en-
pankments we're washed away and ceHars were hed
TO verhowng with water During the progress of the
lightning had struck tho Of one OF the buildings
OF the New York Ice Company situated at the Whale
Dock in the cpper end Of the CITY, and IN less than half
an hour that and Ave other buildings all filed with ice
had communicated to the wsaae Pain. Works


s Of hs sss York Ice 1
down at S25,000 insured in New York oefces
The loss Of the propreors Of the Wedde Paint Works
time were fifteen thousand tons of ice The lightning
also struck dwelling on Delaheld street, Knocking
away somo Of the brick work but njuring no one A
dwelling the opposite side Of the river struck by
the electric dud and entirely destroyed Loss unknown


The lightning flashed 81 fearful rate in Albany. II
struck st. Josephs church, tearing the north tower
badly. II ran down the tower in serpentine course
entering the base and removing large stone from It's
position.


III CANAL BOAT HAND KILLED.


George Wiley steersman on the canal boat Ohio, iy-
ing at Albany struck while having hold Of the tller
and instantly killed. The lightning coursed from tho
left side OF the neck down his body back and 'front.'
burning hls assh in . shocking manner


BARGE STRUCK.


The derrick mast OF the barge r. Suydam while lying
sground on the bar below Albany was sr.o. m in =,
inside leaving outside she'll Of sufficient strength to
hold together its entire length The persons on board
were feed by the shock Of the lightning and lay in
sensible for several minutes When they recovered the
vessel was enveloped in dense smoke. They COM
cargo had been nrcd whom they learned thai nothing
was burning except the splints Of the mast The barge
was brought back to Albany.


IN. storm At rov /. rspoTea @ have b..p on. a, N.
severcst experienced there for many years The light
ming struck barn In South Troy and blaze
~ an instSnt ana ontirey consumed. building on
Eighth street was also struck and considerably damaged
-.t THE sr0KM ALoNG THE RIvRR. -


The storm reached the whole length Of the Hudson
above Poughkeepsie. At Tivoli rain and hail fell In
torrents. but disasters BY lightning reported Al
Hudson the storm was a terrific one, accompanied by
hail and rain The large body Of rain that fell wash
cd sway an embaDkmcnt on the Troy and Boston Rail-
road throwing entire freight train from tho track The
engineer Of the train ~ said 10 have had his broken
sIoop's mast shivercd by the lightning and the
captain stunned while the vessel was lying at the dock
at Hyde Park, seven miles above Poughkecpsc
C0R0NER's INQUEST ON rHK BODIES OF THE PER-


RIVER RAILROAD.


The Coroner's jury empsnelled to hold in.
quest on the bodies Of those pc who killed
by the accident the Hudson River Railroad Tues
day assembled at Of the large hotels In Peekski
Wednesday, but owing 10 the absence OF important wit
nesses the inquest was postponed until Monday next