1902 - Lightning Destroys a Fine Evansville Church. FINE CHURCH RUINED. Lightning Causes Fire That Destroyed Structure.

Evansville, Ind., March 31 - St. Boniface Catholic church, located in the western suburbs of this city, was struck by lightning at an early hour Sunday morning. The structure took fire, and the interior of the building was a mass of flames before an alarm was turned in. When the department arrived it was too late to do any good. The building is an entire loss. Rev. Father Burkhardt, when he heard of the loss, fainted, and for several hours was unconscious. His residence, to the left of the church, was damaged, and his fine library, worth many thousands of dollars, was destroyed.

St. Boniface was probably the largest and finest Catholic church in this state on this side of Indianapolis. It was commenced in 1878 and finished in 1881. The dedication ceremony brought nearly 50,000 people to the city. The church cost about $200,000, and there was only $10,000 insurance on the edifice. The congregation is wealthy, and the church will be rebuilt at once.