Middletown transcript., 1877-07-07
THE GREAT TORNADO.

circle.
THE GREAT TORNADO.
Hoases and Barns Carried Away.
The whirlwind or tornado which
visited Chester county on Sunday af-
ternoon was Of such force and infict-
ed such damage that it has rarely, if
even, been equalled in this section Of the
country. The storm took the form Of
narrow funnel-shaped whirlwind,
which dashed along with terrible force,
tearing down or carrying away what
ever came in its path. The area Gov
cred was narrow, but the wreck left in
the path Of the storm was complete.
The first place where it appeared,
according to the reports that have been
received, was Penningtonville, now
called Atglen, in Chester county, on
the line Of the Pennsylvania railroad.
Here the tornado was very severe. On
the farm Of f. Paxson a part Of the
house was taken away, the barn level
ed to the ground, the orchard laid
waste, fences and everything in its
path were swept away. At Woodland
the house, barn and wagon-shed we're
blown to the ground.
The whirlwind struck Parkesburg
between three and four o'clock in the
afternoon. Here it was very powerful,
and demolished the houses ofsGeorge
Paxson, Of Delaware City, Mrs. Full
ton, Mr.. Hemmings, George Boise, two
Of Parvin Smith, and house and barn
Of Samuel jackson. Near Parkesburg
a man walking along the road was
picked up and carried nearly quarter
Of mile, and when he fell his face was
laid open from his forehead to his cheek,
inficting the most horrible injuries,
from which it is said he has since died.
The storm then struck the barn Of DR..
Murphy, in Highland, barn of William
Hamill, and Mrs. Hopkins house.
a bridge one hundred feet long, span
ming Buck Run, OF the Delaware City
railroad, was carried into an adjoining
field. The storm passed over Stotts-
vile, doing little damage, but a little
beyond that place it struck dense
woods and moved its way in the most
perfect manner. Huge trees were
twisted, torn up and carried away, and
In the wake Of the gale a perfect road
way was left, as only such a terrible
visitation could have made.
"A house near Brinton's Mills was
torn in pieces, and a colored woman
named Hopkins, killed. Three chill
dren are missing. At Ercildoun the
damage was particularly severe.
The seminary for young ladies,
owned by Mr.. Darlington, had fortu-
nately but few occupants, the school
having closed last week and the pupils
gone to their homes. When the storm
came up Mr.. Darlington and his fami-
ly took refuge in the cellar, probably
saving their lives by so doing, as the
roof was blown off and one side Of the
building was shattered.
A new frame building and stable
were razed to the ground, and COW
in the latter, belonging to the princi-
pal, Richard Darlington, was killed,
while two horses in the same structure
were somewhat injured by the falling
timbers. Jacob Carriers house and
stable, in the same neighborhood, were
blown over, and two or three other
buildings suffered a like fate. Joseph
Brinton's barn was torn down, and his
orchard almost completely uprooted. !
When the entire result Of the storm is
known, though the belt Of damage is
narrow, the loss to property viii no
doubt be found to be very great.
The sheds Of the Friends Meeting
House at Ercildoun were demolished. |
All this destruction was effected BY
wind, and no rain nor hail fell at Er-
cildoun, while at Coatesville, three
miles distant, the rain and hail were
very severe.
In the path Of the storm the growing
corn was cut off about an inch above |
the ground as clean as though it had
been done with knife. The whirl-
wind, after doing all this damage, fol-
lowed the same northeasterly course to
a wood about two miles beyond Ercil-
doun, where it broke, depositing the
various materials it had been carrying
with it. Shingles, stones, furniture,
bed-clothes, straw, hay, trees, bark and
leaves were scattered around in a cha
otic mass. Heavy pieces Of timber,
200 or 300 pounds were
caught up and carried along as though
they were nothing more than straws,
and a hedge of the tough Usage orange,
well trimmed and closely matted, was
Of all its thorns, leaves and
bark, nothing remaining but the whiten-
ed boughs and smaller twigs.
Near Marshallton, some four miles
from West Chester, ewhirlwind made
its last descent, and great damage was
inflicted. The house and barn Of Jo-
seph Marshall were badly used, and
Baily's barn was destroyed.
Similar scenes Of devastation to crops,
trees and other property are
to be seen. Before reaching West
Chester the storm had spent its fury,
and there a high wind with rain showed
extraordinary in its character.
Taken altogether this was one Of the
most remarkable storms that has ever
visited the eastern States. There is
doubtless much serious damage yet to
be reported.
In the Senator Grover election inves-
tigation at Portland, Oregon, ex-Sena,
tor Nesmith Wednesday testified that
he understood outsiders" were paid
....-.- - 0..ax,a..y- :,.4a,.,,4 4L.t L.