Connecticut western news., 1874-06-19
More About the Ashley Falls Tor.
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Our account of the terrible night of the 14th inst. at Ashley Falls in last week s NEWS was necessarily SO abridged, we have thought best to give further particulars this week, and as we find the account giv- en by reporter to Springfield (Mass. ) paper, who visited that village the next day after the storm, as good or better than any, thing we could write, we publish his article entire.
 The most striking feature in Western Massachusetts of the thunder storms of Sunday night, wes probably the tornado which visited the beautiful village of Ash ley Falls in Berkshire county. This village lies in the center of the southern part of the broad meadows of Sheffield, and is sur rounded by mountains which are at a sniff cient distance to afford peculiarly favorable opportunities for the observation of the phenomena of thunder storms - 1t is very prosperous farming village, the excellent water power from which it takes it's name is owned by Mrs. Wm. G. Bates or w estHeld, being used only for grist mlli ana saw mill. Its pride was in it's orchards and fine shade trees.
 At about eight o'clock Sunday evening heavy cloud was observed to cross from the town of Salisbury, Ct., in the southwest. to Fine Ridge, an eminence of the Taconic mountains, up which range it rolled north as far as Great Harrington, where it struck southeast across Pool mountain-an emi- hence of the Geer mountains, so called from it's proximity to the Berkshire soda springs-to the town of New Marlboro This cloud was accompanied by terrific thunder and lightning, as we'll as by rain which deiuged those towns, but not by any PYnPQaIvpIv uinlnnt ,! however, it nearly doubled on itself and moved southeast upon the village of Ash ley Falls, where no rain had before fallen that evening. Its first point of attack and that which suffered most, was a handsome school house 30x4O feet on the ground and two stories high, with cupola. It was built two years ago at a cost of $2, 200. and was designed for two schools. This was moved SIX or eight feet upon it's founda- nons and then twisted, bent and broken in- to fragments Tn an lnconceivable manner: WINDOWS, 6lackboards, Venetian blinds chairs and desks being tumbled together in the most extricable confusion. One laroe section of the floor was turned comnleta1v over, and the furniture which stood unon It now lies under it. One window had not single pane of glass broken or cracked and It IS one of the curious facts of inc wreck that the frailest portions-the olass and blinds are the least injured.
 The gale was accompanied by violent nali, ram and thunder, making a hideous complnatlon of noises which Completely oszea the people. Passing from the wreck oI the scnool house the storm demolished Darn Delonglng to Grove D. Griffith, worth perhaps $500, which in it's fall killed g val uable COW and so imprisoned two horses in the ruins that it was necessary to eTtenonn. -n Ilze doors by the free use of axes in order to Iree them. Such was the noise of the tenn pest that the crash of the large barn fallino put lew rods dlstant, was not heard amid the general tumult. A house owned hv MT; Hiram Meacham, and occupied bv him and MT. J. 5. New, the depot master. was unIoofed, the chimney falling upon the pea where MT. News little child usually lay at that hour of the evening. Barns and ou.1ulloings belonging to Mrs. Malvina Asaley, Jonn 5. Tease and others were un- roofed and many chimneys were over. thrown. WI
 But probably the loss which most seri- ously grieVes the sufferers is that of yalua. Die apple and shade trees blown down. Wnich they say cannot be replaced as build. lngs can. The power of the wind was for cibly shown in the woods and orchards of Mrs. Bates, where huge trees were uproot- ed or broken off like pipe stems. But in lndlVidual trees this power was shown all oyer the area of the tornado-which had a iseier cial1H ; or or anoas mile and half-espe line apple trees belonging to John s. Pease. who had raised them as seedlings, were deeply mourned by him. Among the seri ous losses were large fields of rye, in fine growth. which were cut up. with other valuable crops, by the hail. This destruct- i've agency also made good deal of havoc sides of the buildings look as though tbev were pitted with the small pox. The loss es are so divided that it is impossible to es- innate them even approximately, but they must amount to several thousand dollars.
 After the tornado had ceased, six differ ent showers passed over the village during tue nignt. which deluged everything. Al together it was night the oldest inbahit. ant will long remember.