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SEVERE LIGHTNING STORM DOES DAMAGE TO HOUSE AND WIRES

The storm at 3 o'clock Wednesday afternoon was a heavy one while it lasted and the lightning and thunder were unusually severe.  Shortly after the hour mentioned the lightning struck the residence occupied by J. W. Hershey on West First street.  An alarm was sounded from Box No. 6, but when the firemen looked at the register at the central engine house it showed No. 12.  A part of the apparatus made a dash for box 12 at the corner of South Diamond and Arch streets, but, of course, there was nothing for the firemen to do there.  While the men and apparatus from the central engine house were going to box 12 it seems that the alarm was properly secured at No. 2 firehouse and that company came on uptown and went to box No. 6.  Afterward finding that there was no fire at No. 42 the balance of the trucks returned and went to First street.

Fortunately when the lightning struck the Hershey home it proved to be a cold stroke.  Considerable damage was done to the building, however.  The chimney was knocked off the house, the roof was considerably broken and torn while the ceiling of one of the upstairs rooms had a big hole in it.  Several members of the family were thrown off their feet and severely shocked by the stroke of lightning, but all speedily recovered from the effects.

While the storm was in progress things were very lively at the central fire station.  Balls of fire and sparks of electricity fell off the wires and electrical apparatus on the floor but fortunately no serious damage was done to the fire alarm telegraph.

The Mansfield Telephone company suffered considerably from the storm.  The company had quite a number of telephones burned out in the central and eastern parts of the town.  At various points people observed balls of fire dancing along the wires and up and down the wooden poles.  So far as can be ascertained none of the poles or wires were actually struck by lightning.  The company had a force of men at work promptly making repairs.

The storm afforded some trying experiences for the telegraph operators in the different towers located in the Mansfield railroad yards.  Henry Meily and Ed DeLong of the Pennsylvania F.S. tower say the lightning was of such intensity as to render the operating instruments veritable cracking cannons. The sparks of light flashed through the quarters on every side while the disturbance continued for about twenty minutes.  Several of the other operators have spoken of the storm's effect upon their instruments and some time was required this morning to set the devices in working order.  The new Duplex system, put in the F. S. tower several weeks ago by a Cleveland electrician, is out of use today and the cause is attributed to the sharp lightning of yesterday.

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