Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-12

At half past four O'Clock yesterday afternoon
the people Of Holden were terrified by a tornado
which swept through the northery part of the
village of Holden Center, demoishing houses,
barns and shops, and tearing up trees by the
roots. The wind was accompanied by thunder
and lightning, and lasted but about two min
utes, in which time terrible havoc was made
with everything in its track, which was closely
defined and about ten rods wide. 1t came from
southwesterly direction and passed to the
northwest but how far it went before its fury
subsidized we have not learned.
The first place that correct information comes
from in regard to it is Paxton, where it blew
the end off the house of Nathaniel L. Parkhurst
who lives on the Barre road about a mile from
the centre of the town, and completely demol-
ished his barn, breaking heavy OK wagon in
pieces, and strewing the other contents Of the
barn in wild confusion for many rods around.
An orchard adjoining was destroyed, one apple
tree of great size being blown a distance of
thirty rods, with three four cart loads of earth
upon the roots lifted bodily from the ground
The next house in its track was that of Jonas
Bigelow, known as the old town farm; here the
house suffered much damage, and the barn was
leveled to the ground.
In Holden, the first house struck was that of
Lewis Martin, about two miles from town and
near the Paxton line both house and barn were
demolished. Crossing the pond, the tornado
went tearing through the woods, moving a
clear strip, and in its fury swapping off large
pines and uprooting oaks in a twinkling; and
unrOofing Mr.. Griffin's house near the village,
after devastating John Richardson's woodlot
Grifffn's barn was completely demolished as was
also that of Hastings Newell, whose house lost
its roof The other sufferers from its
fury in Holden center were: Peter
S. VIM, chimneys of house blown down
and barn demolished; Mr.. Cooley, house partly
unroofed and barn demolished; Daniel Fiske,
house partly unroofed and barn demoished
Ansel Lakin, house and barn nearly destroyed;
Michael Mclaughlin, house partly destroyed
and barn completely; S. D. Hubbard, house
partly destroyed and carpenter shop completely;
Mrs. Ira Broad, house unroofed and barn COM
pletely demoliShed Thomas Clellan, windows
broken in and chimneys blown down; Aaron II.
Rogers, chImneys blown down and house some
what shattered; John Burns, barn entirely de-
stroyed; j. Henry Warren, barn nearly de-
stroyed Ebenczer R. Parker, both house and
barn entirely torn down; John Titus, house
somewhat injured; Simon Hubbard, house un-
rooted; John Adams, barn unrooled. The
chimneys on the Catholic church were blown
down, and the spire on the Baptist church was
left in a shaky condition.
Ill. 1, & r. =
blowing about of timber, strange to tell, not a
person was killed. Three were injured-Mr.
Parker and wife, who were in their house when
it was leveled to the ground, and left not one
board or timber on another; and man named
Charles Burnett, who was in Hubbard's car
penter shop and suffered a fracture Of the skull.
Two children were in John Burns barn, but
escaped without serious injury, while four
horses in the same were badly bruised.
1t is impossible to give correct description of
the devastation caused by the tornado, or to con
vey an idea OF the force with which it evelcd all
in its path. A stone wall, heavily built of large
stones, was blown over in the rear of Burns
house, and Parker's house was raised and set
one side just the distance ofits length, and when
it came down with a crash the inmates found
themselves out in the world, with all their earth
ly goods a wreck-furnture, crockery and cloth
ing scattered in all directions.
The damage mentioned above is in all proba.
biity only portion of the whole amount al
though many thousands of dollars would not
cover what has been here detailed. 1t was felt
in West Boylston near the village of Oakdale,
but how severely we are unable to state.