The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-07-16
The NeW-Jersey Hurricane.
EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE IN BERGEl
COUNTY.


COUNTY.
The hurricane on the afternoon of the
4th of July appears to have been unusually
severe In New-Jersey, and Bergen County
was, judging from all accounts, the greatest
sufferer. The details of the extent of the
storm in that locality only reached the city
Monday. They are replete with interest.
The morning was cloudless and beautiful,
and passed with few sprinkling rain-drops.
Toward noon freshening breeze sprang
up In the north, assuring continuance of
the pleasant weather but about o'clock
In the afternoon huge thunder-cloud,
which for some hours bad lurked in the
horizon, drifted overhead, and then the
rain fell. The grounds on which celebra-
tlons were being were deserted by speakers
and listeners. Some ran to their caI Iriages,
and others to the houses. After moment s
suspense peal of thunder rang overhead,
flash of lightning followed, and the storm
from sky almost cloudless before burst
with terrible fury. At first, as d sort of
prelude, some hail of about the size of
walnuts fell. With crash following crash
the hailstoncs pelted and rang against the
houses, and ripped their way through brush
and tree. The scene at this point was
terrific and grand. Those who had re-
manned near their horses were forced to
leave them for the shelter of the buildings,
and the terrified animals, stung by the
repeated blows of the hail, broke their
fastenings and tore away. Not least in
danger were the windows Those fortunate
enough to have an outer protection were
temporarily safe, though in several cases
the stones broke even the blinds, while
window panes left unguarded were shattered
and an entry to the houses given to the
racing ice. In less than ten minutes the
storm abated, and in twenty minutes it
was over.
A peculiar sight was now presented.
Fruit trees which a few moments before
had waved their densely leaved branches,
were stripped of leaves and fruit, and were
as bare as in Winter. Many houses looked
as though they had passed through siege
of war, the window-glass being shattered,
and roofs split and torn.
The hailstones were matter of some
curiosity, since their size was unprecedented
One, and it was not the largest, measured
little over five inches in circumference.
This may seem incredible, but it is vouched
for by hundreds. The stone referred to
resembled common rock candy, being of an
ovate form, and bristling with cubical
crystals. This ice was very hard, and was
difficult to break When broken, it
presented the appearance of the section of
an onion in its concentric rings or layers.
The blast first struck Manuel, n Y,
and driven by north-easterly wind, fol-
lowed an exceedingly tortuous course down
the valley of the New-Jersey and New
York Railway as far as Paterson, where its
force seems to have been spent. At the
stations of Peare River and Park Ridge, on
the line of the aforementioned road, the
damage was very heavy. The roof of the
station-house at the latter place was nearly
ruined, the states composing it being broken
and shattered. A large factory standing
west of Pascack station had more than fifty
windows entirely demolished. Even the
sashes were broken. The roof of this
building was very badly damaged also.
Crops of standing grain fell under
the blast, and were frequently cut down
completely. Fruit crops of every kind will
be probably complete loss. The farmers
in this vicinity will undoubtedly lose heavily,
since the storm has deprived them of nearly
all their Summer crops, upon which their
entire dependence rests. The actual loss it
would be difficult to estimate
The hurricane visited Salem, unroofng
buildings, tearing up fruit trees, and
damaging the crops. Mulford's hay house
was entirely demolished Dana & Hunts
oilcloth factory was unroofed the chimney
'of Starr & Mercuer's canning factory was
blown down, damaging the roof After
the storm the streets were almost impossible
from the presence of broken tree limbs and
other debris