Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1851-08-29
The Tornado in the Vicinity of Boston

Inc lornauo III TIC VICINITY VI boston
The Boston papers contain long accounts
Of the destructive effects Of the tornado which
swept through the towns Of Mediord, West
Cambridge, Wallham, Sc, on Friday AFTER
noon. lls width is represented to be but about
thirty or forty rods, aud the roar Of the wind
was heard a great distance. We gather from
the accounts in the Bosion papers, the follow
ing items. which will give same idea u the
force of the tornado and is destructive effects
The frs, damage Of which we obtained any
reliable account. was upon the farm uf Mr..
Oliver Russell, near West Cambridge. 4
valuable orchard rdI completely oarrisd array.
Some forest trees, near the orchard, Of huge
dimensions. we're torn from their foundations
and carried forty or fifty rods Walls, fenc
e., everything was swept. The earth on Mr..
Russel's premises was ploWed in many pla-
ccs almos, incredibly His damage cannot be
short Of $500 OF $1,000. leaving Mr. Rus
sells farm, passed through other orchards,
doing but little has damage.
4 man nancd Andrew Wilson, IN the en-.
ploy Of Mr. Oliver Russell, was taken from
his feet and carried about fifteen rods. lie Is
seriously injured 10 the region Of the hiPs.
The tornado then passed. to the village Of
IVES, Cambridge with increasing fury, M.
roofing and p'os'raiing buildings IN Is courc.
Mr. Hill, orchard, one OF the finest In Cam
bridge, va, llHos, entirely destroyed. The
tres were raised some distance into the air,
and borne along at most Wild and fearful
rac. Il 10 stated, farther, that one large aP-
pie rcc vas blown 6Ny feet in the ar, and
carried over the top OF house.
. Il D, estimated tina, a hundred houses had
chmnics blown oil, OF were otherwise dam.
aged.
. IL Mcdforl. the chimu,es q brick hose
occupied by the Rev. John Plerlout, wcrc
blown down, and tie south side Of his roof
blown away; his barn was also unrooled.
NcNtwas a new house being built for Rev.
ID. e.. llaskins. This was entirely DESTROYED
and no part l,n standing. Their were sew
,Ial urn at work 10 ibS hou-r, but they, tall
bot onc,l bad sufficient waning IN run out
and lay down To- a hollow under a stone wall.
The man Who VI, lch IN the house, was IN.
mrcd, but no, very seriously.
The loss Of property IN West Cambridge
and Mrdlurd D, estimated at not less than one
hundred thousand dollars.
7 At the Moliorl gate Of the Lowell Rail.
road, ), ~, quite destructive. Three large
houses we're i,sroycd-onc slld To b. worth
$1,000 They belonged To Mcssrs. Usher,
Edward, and Bacon The dcpo, was also
blown down, and Mr. Sanford, the station
master, seriously inquired. lis son James, a
boy 1T fifteen, had both leg, broken, besides
sustaining other lnJlucs. lie was carried 90
Boston, whore u vas found necessary TO anu
. pu,alc bath lcgS
. Il o.. stated that tWo men on the Cambridge
,,dc Ut Myiiord River, wcrr carried by the
force II the wind to the Mcdford side. where
they were deposited unhamed. Another
man b, said To- have bcen carried IN the ar ten
or fifteen feet. \ freight ear, IN the track,
ncai the Mrdlotd station, vas hncd W and
blown over and over, and finally landed ten
roi, distant IN an adjoining field The Bcc
gives The following instance II the force Of
the wind "a hmOus lurkcy.cock, slrutiing
With great pcmp, was driven aEalns, a stone
wall and completely smashed. liz remains
wcrr literally plaslercd to the walls
The Times SAYS ~ lady states that She
was sitting within her house, with her child
IN her lap, when she experienced a sudden
puipg OF shaking Of the house. She though,
II NJ danger, but In a moment or two after,
She heard a Tremendous crashing overhead,
aud on looking upward she saw the sky, the
roof Of The bousc having been taken ~ aD'i
carried many rod. distant One spar fell and
slightly injured her shoulder. The escape OF
herself and child from serious INJURY would
sem miraculous"
. IL Is said tia, the ground over which the
tornado passed Lad the appearance Of having
been passed over By plough. The damage
to the growing crops IS very large, especially
to fruit trees. The appearance OF Yves, Cam
bridge after the passage Of the tornado, IL
tins described IN the bee ~ portion Of the
village II West Cambridge presented Pccu-
liar and sad appearance. Roofs, trees, chin
nes we're sucw,d up and down the streets,
and acruss the fields. Some houses were en-.
tirely down, some partly 50, while others
were minus roof aud ehlmnics. Timbcrs,
twisted and shattered, and houses moved from
their foundations, wcre seen in every dircc-
lion. One Tremendous Pa,riachal elm tree
was rePosing In the highway, is massive
roots looking as though they would have de-
fled any power" The width Of the tornado
was in some places 6ily, and in Others, thirty
rods. The entire length is not yet certainly
known.
/ A correspondent Of the Boston Transcript,
writing from West Medfori, says that the
house Of Mr.. Charles Rollins, demolished,
was nearly finished, and was to cost sGOOo.-
4 carpenter at work in the attic, was carried
to the ground On the attic floor, and received
no injury. The roof OF the house Of Mr.
Nyc, carpenter, va, blown oil. His wife Jay
sick in her chamber, and she was buried IN
the dust and rubbish of the falling ehimnies
/ n, ,,.,.J, ,,,ss.d ,h,,,,h the north uari