Litchfield enquirer., 1877-07-26
Terrific storm m Lanesv'IIe.
THE VALLEY INUNDATED.

A severe, storm visited this place on Monday about four o'clock, and consist ed of heavy hail and rain, with wind. It extended over a section about two miles in length and one in width. It wrought destruction and great devastation. Sever al barns were blown down or unroofed, fences broken and scattered, windows smashed, trees upturnod and twisted of, and all crops destroyed. The storm abso- lutely rolled over this beautiful hamlet on the plain like aitidal wave, destroying all before it, and the storm was so intense that man or beast could not withstand it. The people were horror-stricken as they saw destroyed in an hour the industry of 8 season, and the labor of years in pro- curing fine orchards and fruit. Eye wit nesses who watched the rising of the storm, describe its workings to be that of 6 cyclone, which indeed it was. A black. threatening cloud arose in the east and circled over. the valley and was met by similar clouds from the west and north. As they approached each other the sky assumed a fearful appearance; the clouds seemed to boil and roll together; heavy, rumbling thunder shook the houses. and a darkness so deep spread over. all that the birds sought shelter, poultry ran home, and the cattle n the pasture lowed for the herd boy to bring them home The farmers and laborers hastened from the fields to thelr houses and all watched in fearful expectation. It burst upon them with a roar and suddenness like the explo- sion of bomb. The centre of the storm seemed to be in the vicinity of the farms of T. A Welton, the Widow Marsh, and Isaac Northrop; with the longest diameter reaching from the Noble place to the Buck farm. and the other extending the width of the valley. The farms within this peHmeter suffered severely. Those mentioned in the centre, somewhat moro than the rest. The loss to the farmers is ettimated from $500 to $1, 900. T. A. Vel ton and Isaac Northrop belng the heavi: est losers. Rye, oats, corn, tobrcco, po- tatoes. fruit and gardens are destroyed. Mrs. Marsh loses fine young orchard, all her window glass and a small build Ing. James McMahon had one barn blown down and another taken off the foundation. T. A. Welton had a barn moved from it's position and broken in the ceDtre, and the roof taken off his store and the gable end forced ID. Most of the goods were destroyed in the store. G. Giddings had his barn moved ten feet from it's foundation.
 All the barns were destroyed at the old Goodsell place. The Methodist meeting house was unroofed. Damage was also done to many dwelling houses. George Welton was in the field, and before he could reach shelter his hands were lacera- ted, and portions of hIs body made black with bruises from the hail. The hail stones were as large as hens eggs, and even larger. We saw one measured by Hen- " Stevens which Squire Bennett picked up that was still, ,twenty-four hours after it had fallen, four inches one way and three and half the other. Large cakes of the frozen hail were picked up by visitors from New Milford and the surrounding country and carried home to display. MT. Jennings horses ran away coming from the field with hay wagon and threw ont one of his men, injuring him slightly. Fred Crosby had twenty-two turkeys kill ed, and others had poultry destroyed. Henry Booth had two valuable colts kill ed by the lightning. The rainfall is wild ly estimated, some getting it as high as eighteen inches. One man told us that he walked from his house to his barn. where it'is perfectly level. and the water came over the tops of IS boots. The creeks overfowed, and the low lands were flooded. Some considerable damage was done to thu roads. We heard man say it would cost more to repa1r one road than to build new one. The. ..Housatonic road had several wash.outs, which were so speedily repaired inst it did not interfere with the regular trains. The appearance to-day of this beautiful valley is sorry one; trees leafess, rich vegetation gone, and wrecks strewn, in every direction. One cannot help but exclain with one of it's oldest inhabitants, "What have those quiet, good people done to merit such avenglng wrath from the Almighty" Would it not be commendable act of generosity for some of our rich farmers to share with these persons who have lost all their crops, some of their superabun- dance?-D DGnbuTY NesUS. ...,... ....s.