The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-09-26
BY THE MAILS.
From the Concord IN. II. Patriot of Sept, III
TREMENDOUS HURRTCaNE,t

Perhaps the most awful tornado that ever
occurred in New-England, took place on Sun
day evening the 9th inst. extending from
Croydon, southeasterly through the towns of
Wendell, New-London, Sutton and Warner.
violent storm of wind and hail was indeed
felt Is. many otl.e- ta-v,As lint thu ra1aoes so
tar rs we have ascertained, are confined TO
those above mentioned.
ABOUT SIX O'Clock, Sunday evening, after
an extremely fine and warm day, dark cloud
was observed to rise rapidly in the north and
northwest, and passing in a southeasterly Iii
recuon, lliumined in its course by incessant
flashes fof the most vivid lightning. There
was a most terrifying commotion in the cloud
nseif; and It's appearance gave notice that ir-
resistible power and desolation were its at
tendants. Few, however, apprehended the
danger that was threatening, or that their
dwellings, which had long withstood the fury
Ct the tempest, were to be swept away like
leaves by the winds of autumn.
In Cornish and Croydon, we understand.
considerable injury was done, The house of
Deacon Cooper, Of Croydon, was much inlur.
ed; his barn and its contents entirely blown
away. Passing in direction E. S. E, in
ITS progress collecting TO more narrow COM
pass its force, it kept its track along the low
lands, till it came to the farm and buildings
of Mr.. Harvey Huntoon, in Wendell, about
~ rods from the borders of the Sunapee Lake.
The people in the house, eight in number.
were frightened by the appearance of the
cloud. Soon they saw the air before it filled
with birds and broken limbs Of trees. In an
instant the house and two barns were pros
trated TO the ground. A side of the house fell
upon MIR. ID. and his wife, who were standing
IN the kitchen. The next instantit was blown
of and dashed to pieces. The woman was
carried across the field With the current. A
Mrs. Wheeler, who with her husband and
child, we're then living in the house, had tak-
en- her child and fed to the cellar. Mr.. w.
found himself in the cellar, covered with tim
bers and bricks, and much injured. A child
eleven months old was sleeping upon bed
IN the west part of the house ; the gown which
1T wore, was soon after found IN the water on
the shore of the lake, $50 rods from the
mousse anu3 we learn, that NJ "Wednesday
following, the mangled body of the child was
found on the west shore of the lake, where it
had foated by the waves. Though the sun
was an hour above the horizon, yet it was as
dark as midnight. The air was filed with
leaves, fragments of trees, and gravel. The
bedstead on which the child lay, was found in
the woods, eighty rods from the house norther-
", and out of the general track of the wind.
The bed and bedding have not yet been found.
number of bricks were blown more than an
hundred rods from the house: large pieces of
timber belonging to the house and barns,
some seven and eight inches square and
twelve feet long, were carried eighty and
ninety rods; pair of tart-wheels were separ-
ated from the body and spire, carried about
SIXTY rods ard dashed in pieces; large iron
pot was blown upwards of seven rods nearly
all the trees of middling sized orchard were
blown down, many Of them torn up and car.
ried from seventy to an hundred rods in the
woods casks, furniture, clothing and dead
fowls were found at much greater distance.
The only furniture found near the house was
kitchen chair. bureau was blown across
the lake, two miles wide at that place. and
excepting the drawers, was found'half mile
beyond the lake, the whole distance being
two miles and three quarters From the build
lhgs the land rises about 100 feet in the dis
lance of so rods, then descends to the lake.
A door-post of the barn, Of beech, Is feet
long, 8 by IL inches square, was blown
through the air up this rising ground forty-four
rods. large hemlock log, so feet in length.
and feet in diameter at the butt, and nearly
at the top, was moved from its bed, where
1t had lain eight or fen years. and carried by
the wind up the hill and over two large rocks
II inches above the ground, situated about
SIX feet from where it lay, to the distance of
six rods. The rise of land in this distance is
found to be ten feet six inches. 1t struck a
rock, which breaking it in two, stopped its
progress. A piece of wood, heavily timbered,
100 rods east, of 40 acres, was entirely pros
trated; not whole tree is standing on any
part of it. horse was blown up the rise
before mentioned 40 rods, and so injured as to
make it necessary to kill him. No human
lives were lost, excepting that of the child
All the other seven persons, however, were
much injured, and some of them very severe
ly. house and barn belonging to Mr.. East
man were much shattered, but not entirely
ruined. The width of the tornado in Wen
dell is thought to have been half mile.
From Wendell the hurricane passed across
the lake in most sublime and terrifick
pyramidical column to Ncw-London, whera
the destruction of buildings and property is
represented to have been the greatest hut
we have not heard of any deaths at that
place, nor have we any particulars from that
town sufficiently minute tojustify a.detail.
On Saturday last, with several gentlemen
from Concord, Hopkinton and Warner, we
visited the ruins in the latter mentioned town,
near the Kearsarge mountain, in that part for
merly called the Gore. No person can con-
ceiVe, without visiting the spot, the horrours of
that instant--it was but an instant when all
was over-when houses, barns, trees, fences,
fowls, &c. were all lifted from the earth, into
the bosom Of the whirlwind, and anon dashed
into thousand pieces. No language can
give an adequate representation OF even the