Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-10
MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 10.
TREMENDOUS HAIL STORM.

On Friday evening last, about O'Clock,
the town OF Alexandra was visited by the
sayerest Hail Storm ever witnessed even
by the Oldest inhabitant. 1t continued
with unexampled fury for about fifteen
minutes. The rayagcs committed in that
short time were such, that a description
Of them would scarcely be believed at a
distance. The direction of the Hail, or
rather Jumps Of ice, was from north to
south; and so great was its force, that
every house in town, with window on
the north side, felt its effects fragments
ofglass were strewed on every floor. The.
quantity destroyed is almost inumcrable;
we have heard Of one gentleman alone,
who lost Z Thousand names. The roofs of
many houses were despoiied Of the yene-
rabIe proofs OF their antiquity; and nu-
merous c!limn;es were swept of their sooty
gatherings. The gardens in and around
the town suffered greatly: trees were
stripped Of their foliage, and some of their
branches.
We are aware that a bare recital Of the
circumstances which attended this sinsu-
lar operation CT nature, will have the ap-
pcarance OF bombast we have seen ac-
counts OF Hail Storms which we thought
bordered rather On the marvellous: but
the risk OF such charge must not deter
us from recording facts however strange.
Some Of the stones that fell were nearly
Il foot in circumference Many Of them
WEIGHED four ounces. They were of W.
rious irregular shapes. They fell with
prodisious force, tearing off pieces of
shingles, and, in one instance, we arc as
surcd, penetrating the roof of a house
We have understood, moreover, that one
or two people were hurt considerably,
What tie opinion Of stranger might be,
Oh viewing our town on Friday evening, is
di;ficuIt to tell: on one side Of every street
running east and west, the windows were
entirely dismantled, while On tie other,
all was safe and quiet. We doubt whc-
, Their similar scene was ever exhibited in
| tic United States: and perhaps, it was in
some measure owing to its novelty, that
it excited less regret than any other loss
| to An equal extent would have done; al
| tiou"l il is to be observed that the injury
| fell rot upon any particular individual; the
loss, in the aggregate. was great, but 1t
| was a common calamity, and divided "a
monsst many. The damage sustained i'll
window glass alone, amounts to several
| thousand dollars.
The hail was accompanied necessarily
| by rain, which must have diminished the
| size of the former, and occasional peals OIL
thunder and flashes oflightning.
Nrom all that we can learn, the storm
appears to have been confined within very
narrow limits.
Connected with this subject, there is a
circumstance well worthy Of record. Not
withstanding the universal and uneSpec'-
/ ed demand, nay, absolute necessity Tor
window glass, occasioned by the above e.
vent, Mr.. Hugh Smith, amerehant OF inns
town, refused to dispose of quantity IN
the wholesale way, but retaited 1t oe MS
accustomed prices--an instance OF GENEROUS
fe,!ow-leeling, which does him much no.
nor.
Commodore Rodgers, in repairing ,ae
mast of the frigate President, mas ID I' sh;r
yerell. that the SHOT from inc DIi'.,n % -
!, which struck them were ~ ihs'o noa -
.,,o,, of FIRST DeIlG NCu "