ELECTRICAL STORM
A VIVID SPECTACLE.
LIGHTNING STRIKES HOUSES
AND DISABLES STREET CARS.
Hundreds Drenched Before They Can
Reach Shelter -- Freak Bolt Turns
Dresser Completely Around.
Severe Shock for Woman.
Kansas City was visited by an electrical storm shortly after 8 o'clock last night which for vividness and intensity while it lasted eclipsed anything seen here in years. For three quarters of an hour almost constant lightning flashes, followed immediately by claps of thunder like a volley of rifles close at hand, made a terrifying spectacle. many houses were struck, chimneys dismantled and street cars disabled. No serious accidents were reported.
Beginning about 2 p. m. heavy showers followed one another at intervals until about 5:30 o'clock. Then the sun came out and all looked well, but both barometer and thermometer indicated there was trouble in the air, and it burst in all its fury two and one-half hours later.
When the storm arrived it came so suddenly that hundreds who had been deceived by the evening sunshine and left their umbrellas at home were drenched before they could reach shelter. Even those in street cars, where the windows were down, got their share of the rain which had no direct course, seeming to come from all directions at once.
STREET CARS SUFFER.
The street car system suffered for a time, many of the cars being put out of commission by lightning, and wires were down in several places. At Eighth street and Troost avenue cars were burned out by an electrical shock.
A Westport and a Prospect avenue car suffered similarly while in the vicinity of Fifth street and Grand avenue, an Indiana avenue car was put out of commission at Eighteenth street and Walrond avenue, and a Minnesota avenue car was treated in the same manner at Nineteenth and Walnut streets. The smoke from the burning controllers caused some excitement among the passengers.
The lightning cut some peculiar pranks, possibly the oddest being at the home of George Miller, 4100 Belleview avenue. Here a stone chimney which his built on the outside of the house was struck. Holes were torn in the chimney near the top, and the bolt passed into an upper room and had an engagement with a big dresser which had been standing with its back toward the wall.
DRESSER IS TURNED AROUND.
When the lightning left the room, breaking out a window across from where it entered, the dresser had been turned completely around and faced the wall. The mirror was shattered and scattered all over the room. The family was below when the shock came and no one was injured.
At the home of W. R. Hall, 628 Freemont avenue, Sheffield, the lightning completely dismantled a brick chimney and passed into the house. Mrs. Hall, who was standing in the room, was thrown down and severely shocked.
While the council was in session at the city hall lightning came in contact with an electric light wire supplying the upper house chamber and burned out a fuse, putting all of the wall lights out of commission. One circuit only was involved.
