The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-07-30
From the Cincinnati Commercial.

The continuance of rains in the
Valley of the Ohio is remarkable.
The country is soaked-the rivers
are full-the grass is rank-the
weeds are taking the corn-the
wheat and barley are rotting in the
shock-the oats are beaten down
and entangled SO that the difficulty
of harvesting under any circum-
stances will be very great,-and
still the rains fall day after day, and
each week the rainfall increases.
This is without recent example in
this climate, and the destruction Of
crops threatens to reach the proper
tions of great public disaster. In
France destructive storms have raw
aged some of the fairest provinces,
and the following, from very late
Paris letter to the New York Times,
tells us it is not in America alone
that the weather has becomea topic
of exciting interest:
"The country is suffering from tenn
pests entirely unparalleled in this latl-
tnde, have seen heavy storms in sever
al different countries, but none exactly
like these. When cloud bursts rain
comes down in streams, in great vol
un1e. and does not get scattered in drops
as usual. When seen from distance it
looks like water-spout. The force of
the rain beats down the crops and cuts
the branches from the trees in the most
astounding manner. As we receive the
news from the last great storm which
traversed the whole of France, but pass
ed over a narrow belt of country, we
6nd the damage greater than was at first
supposed. Numerous localities which
were reported uninjnred have suffered
immensely, and we find that the tempest
lef. distress and ruin in its track from
one end of the country to the other.
eg Everywhere they are now talking OF
vineyards and wheat fields entirely de-
stroyed. The fruit trees from Norman
dy to Nice have been nearly stripped
On the right bank of the Rhone for a
considerable distance the storm did not
leave single bunch of grapes. and
hardly leaf upon miles and miles OF
splendid vines. Along the rich hills Of
Monthoux the hail made clean sweep
And, as incredible as it may appear
hail-stones were picked up in the vii
llge of Aunemasse which weighed five
and six hundred grammes. or one pound
and was thrown into the scales and, af
ter being handled, weighed eight hun
dred grammes, or one pound and seven
ounces, or thereabouts. This astound
ing fact is 80 we'll authenticated that
scientific men have to yield TO the evl'
dence. And, after lying all day in thC
sun, the savarts of the section. who
went out to examine the matter in order
to report to the Government, found
hundreds of hail stones among the vines
which were from one-half to one and q
half inches in diameter. OF course
half the window panes in the village
were smashed, and in two cases thu
wooden blinds were broken in. Many
persons were injured and hundreds o
fowls were, killed. In one commune o
small dimensions the losses were esti
mated at 100000 francs; at Lezenore
roof was beaten in three persons killed
at Carre man running along the roaC
was killed by one of these enormou
hail-stones. 1t takes two columns q
very fine print to give rapid summar,
of all the disasters caused by thi
storm. which passed over more than tw
hundred towns, villages. and hamlets.