Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-29
THE STORM AT GENEVA.
Additional observation-disclosures De-
structIon of Property in the City
end subuTbs-Fr6Rks OF
Hail and lightning.

1t is stated that the great storm which
took place at Geneva on the night OF
Wednesday, July 7th, and morning OF
July 8th, exceeded in violence and de-
any that has taken place
in the district for quarter Of century.
The two previous days had been oppress-
lively hot, and on July 18th, at sunset,
there was every indication OF the COM
ing tempest. The lightning, which be-
gan at about eight o'clock at night, be-
came every moment more brilliant, and
lit up the whole Of the surrounding coun-
try and belt of mountains. About one
O'Clock in the morning, says the S1Dtss
Chronicle, a few drops of heavy rain and
the swiftly darkening armament her
aided the outburst. A furious wind
sprung up. and in few seconds In
creased to hurricane that brought with
1t torrents Of rain, and heavy driving
mist, that deadened even the glare ofthe
constant flashes. The hail that followed
was of the most destructive character,
the stones in many instances attaining
the size of turkeys egg; the average
pieces of ice being as large as walnut,
and in four or five minutes the whole
face Of the country, the hOusetops and
various buildings were covered, as IN
winter, with q broad white mantle by
TIE lev shower. The incessant lightning
lit I'D the scene, while great branches Of
trees, twigs, leaves, and flying straw
with all the lighter debris and rubbish
of q populous center, whirled and heW
before the stormy blasts. 1t was the
hight Of the cyclone that lasted fully ten
minutes or q quarter of an hour. The
violence of the elements reused all &C.
nevs; crashing glass, flying tiles and
states, inundated houses, Kept the pOpu-
lation. reused from their first sleep, in
state Of excitement and alarm for con-
siderable period. To go out Of doors, un-
til the rage Of the hurricane had passed,
was, save at the risk OF great personal
injury, utterly impossible, with the GIL
gantie hail-stones and various missiles.
About three o'clock in the morning the
storm had passed on Its usual circuit
round the lake, to visit and att1lct the
other lscustrine cantons. The morning
sun rose on a scene of rural desolatlOn;
trees, that the day before were bending
under their wealth Of verduTe and fruit,
were, in the majority of cases, scatned
or liberated and stripped OF the larger
portion Of their leaves and tWjgs. The
smaller vegetation, the vine especially,
in the environs of the city, have been,
il not entirely destroyed, terribly IN
jured, while the ground crops are laid
flat and vegetables perfectly mscerated
by the sharp masses of bail that fairly
beat the leaves of both fruit and flower
to pieces. Gardens were wrecked en-
n,uSse, Conservatives, skylghts and
roofs appeared to have been subjected to
a bombardment, and ruin and destruc-
ton are apparent in all quarters.
The quantity of hail that fell
must have been enormous, for until late
in the day after heaps OF the con-
gealed masses were slowly melting before
the rays of the sun. There is no exag-
geration about the size of the hail
stones, many even exceeded the size be-
fore mentioned, and q mass OF ice was
picked up in Carouge that exceeded two
pounds in weight. Not lamp-pOst in
the city or suburt 8 has escaped wholly
intact: many, in fact, are completely
wrecked In frame, and telegraph poles
and trees have either been blown down
or shivered and splintered. The Arve
and Rhone, supplied by the torrents OF
rain and melted ice, roar along in now
turbid flood, bearing on their surface
wood, broken furniture, and floating
household appurtenances OF every ma
ture, and an Immense branch or limb, 8
tree in itself, has drifted across the iron
supports of the Pont de PArve. For
tunateIy the storm appears to have beer
extremely localized, and to have spenl
its fury about the southern part OF the
city and suburbs. According to the
latest accounts, hesrdsman is reported
to have been killed by the hail at Il:
Capite. At SeizenOve, another village
in the vicinity, small house, with tive
occupants, was blown down. Abou
fifty thousand francs, at least, it is esti
mated, will be required to repair thu
damage to public property.