Douglas County Past: Lightning storm plays havoc in Superior; sleuth sees success disguised as lumberjack

Aug. 23—Aug. 19, 1907

Lightning and high winds play havoc

The elements were in conflict yesterday and one of the worst electrical storms that has visited the head of the lakes in years created havoc with property and, in one distressing instance, broke off the life of a little child in Duluth.

No fatality is reported in Superior but several buildings have suffered and the telephone and telegraph service is in a crippled condition.

The Richelieu hotel felt the severity of the storm to a degree. Several windows were blown in and a great plate glass window on the Ogden Avenue side of the hotel was completely smashed by the force of the wind and rain. One terrific peal of thunder so shook the hotel that a portion of the ceiling of the dining room fell upon the head of a diner and cut his head open.

The storm raged furiously at the East End and much damage was sustained by property generally. Newton Creek overflowed, the great mountain ash in front of the residence of Tom Jacobs at Second Street and Becker Avenue was split in two by lightning, the angry flashes tore through the house of Ald. Morriset striking Mrs. R.G. Neville who lay stunned for half an hour, but leaving the structure untouched.

A thunder bolt struck the Children's Home yesterday and for some time consternation reigned. At the time of the shock about 20 children were gathered together in one room and as the ripping of the lightning on the outside walls and the tremble of the foundation of the home became apparent to the youngsters they dispersed in terror all over the house.

Ten hurt in a collision

At 6:40 o'clock yesterday morning a worktrain and a freight on the Omaha came together at the curve just east of M Avenue at Central Park and 10 laborers who occupied a coach on the worktrain were bruised and cut in the shakeup. The trains were going at a good rate of speed, but were able to check down some before they hit and to this fact is ascribed the absence of fatalities.

Isaacson is prize sleuth

Officer Isaacson is the regular patrolman at South Superior and walks a beat in that end of town. There are those who think now that he should be at work in some big city as a chief of detectives and they apparently have good reason for so thinking. Yesterday Officer Isaacson disguised himself as a lumberjack. The disguise was so good that even Chief McKinnon failed to recognize him.

After he had tried the disguise on a few friends Officer Isaacson started out on a crusade against those who were supposed to have lid tilting proclivities and as a result of his activities the docket in Judge Parker's court this morning looked like the ledger of some big manufacturing concern after a particularly profitable month.

Dennis J. McGrath runs a candy store on Third Street. He has long been suspected of supplying the thirsty ones on Sundays and once before was arrested on the charges. Since then he has kept out of the clutches and until Officer Isaacson adopted Sherlock Guck tactics he was immune. Yesterday, though, he is said to have sold a bottle of Peerless to a common, everyday-looking lumberjack and this morning he pleaded not guilty to selling liquor without a license.

D. Gauthier runs a saloon on Third Street and is also said to have contributed to the collection of the pseudo lumberjack. He pleaded not guilty and his case was adjourned a week.

Tom Geranto is bartender for Smith & Pawlikowski and he took pity, it is said, on the thirsty lumberjack. The proprietors will be arrested instead of the bartender.

Joseph McLaren is bartender at the Moriset saloon on Third Street and Officer Isaacson says the lumberjack obtained liquid refreshment from him. The case was adjourned a week and the proprietor will be arraigned at that time instead of the bartender.

Aug. 20, 1907

Lake St. Croix claims victim

SOLON SPRINGS — W.B. Peck of Duluth was drowned in Lake St. Croix at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.

Mr. Peck and his two little girls, Marjorie, aged 10, and Dorothy, aged 14, had been out on the lake in a boat and as they neared shore on the home bound trip Mr. Peck said that he would swim ashore and he jumped into the water and started out. He went into the lake at a point where the little creek empties onto it in the middle of the picnic grounds. Here the water is very cold owing to the spring water from the creek. It was seen to affect Mr. Peck at once.

The little girls threw out their oars to the drowning man and tossed him the water wings that they had in the boat. He was able to get none of these and the girls were at the same time left without any means of moving their boat. Nic Lucius was on the shore near at hand and went to the rescue as did others but the body had gone down for the last time when the boats got to the scene. The body was recovered at 9 o'clock.

To soon have telephones

The Douglas County Co-Operative Telephone company is now a reality and the farmhouses of the county will soon be connected with the city by telephone lines. The articles of incorporation were mailed to the secretary of state yesterday and the poles are being taken out preparatory to stretching the line.

Officers were elected yesterday and Henry Ward of the town of Superior was chosen president George H. Selden, vice president; H.D. Coyne, secretary and E. Erickson, treasurer.

"We expect to have the line running within a month or six weeks, allowing for delays," said Mr. Ward yesterday. "And will then be able to ring up the city and tell our troubles to the policemen or anybody else we care to. Men are at work now getting out the poles and the wire and other paraphernalia is all ready as soon as they can be used. The cost is going to be very moderate and I think the convenience will be well worth the expenditure. The Douglas County farmers are right up-to-date and don't you forget it."

Aug. 21, 1907

More saloons go out in the county

Railroad laborers attract the saloon-keepers. There are a good many more saloons in the county now than there were before the Wisconsin Central road commenced the work of putting in its line to the head of the lakes. The saloons have sprung up all along the line from South Superior clear down to the county line below Gordon.

Aug. 22, 1947

Stove explosion causes blaze in five family flat

Explosion of a kerosene stove on the third floor of a five family dwelling at 412 23rd Avenue East resulted in a blaze that caused $200 damage to the building and $300 to the contents at 9:23 a.. Friday.

Firemen said the blaze started in the third floor apartment occupied by Carl Halberg, owner of the building. Neighboring apartments occupied by Mrs. Anna Novak and Miss Sana Mackela, on the first floor, and Norman Kolstad and Peter Vengrin on the second floor, were not damaged.

Articles and pictures courtesy of retired librarian Judy Aunet with Superior Public Library.