Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-07-18
STORMY SUMMERS.
The TOrnadOes Of the Last Decade--.The
Great Storms of the Past.
Cincinnati Commercial

The Tornadoes of the Last Decade-..The
Great Storms of the Past.
Cincinnati Commercial.
The occurrence Of great and destruc-
tive storms is frequently marked in his
tory. Perhaps the most terrible one on
record is what is known as the great
storm Of Nov 1927, 1903, in England
and throughout Europe In that fright
full tempest, lasting throughout the great
er part of two days, the number Of per-
sons drowned in the Thames and Severn,
and lost on the coast in ships blown from
their mOOrings and never heard of after
ward, was estimated at 5000 souls. The
loss of property sustained in London
alone, by wind and flood, was estimated
at the enormous sum of 2, 900, 900 pounds
sterling. In the county of Kent a great
number Of trees were torn up by their
roots, the great Eddystone Lighthouse
was completely destroyed, and immense
numbers of cattle were killed and
drowned In the West Indies, from the
Sd to the 18th Of October, 1880, terrible
hurricanes devastated the whole coun-
try. At Barbados over 1000 inhabi-
tants lost their lives in this tempest, and
the destruction of British and other YES
sells in West India harbors was fright
full Another terrible hurricane visited
the island Of Barbados Aug. 10, 1881.
In this tempest over $500 inhabitants
were killed and over 5000 wounded.
Many Of our readers will remember
the fearful hurricane which swept over
Ohio and States lying to the westward
as far as Iowa in June of the year 1860.
The violence of the wind which attended
this great storm was declared by many
to have been without parallel Great
destruction to trees, crops, roofs, vessels,
and some loss of life were the results
along the broad track of this tempest,
reaching in width for many miles
In the year 1866 tremendous gales
swept across the American lakes and
the Atlantic coast from the 9th to the
11th Of January. The same hurricane
reached Europe, and the steamer Amalia
went down with cargo valued at 81 O0O,-
900. Many wrecks and great loss Of life
were reported in various countries, show
ing that an unusual atmospheric pertur-
baton pervaded the globe at the same
time.
A frightfully destructive storm was the
tropical hurricane which struck the coast
of Nova Scotia with terrible fury on the
Oath and 25th of August, 1873 The loss
of life was frightful, and that of proper
ty was estimated at the time from four
to five millions of dollars About nine
hundred houses were destroyed, the
damage done to wharves and crops
could scarcely be calculated, and the
number of vessels known to have been
destroyed during the Oath and 25th of
August was l ,O32. In the neighborhood
of the Gulf of st. Lawrence and the At
lantic shores of Nova Scotia and New
foundland the loss Of life was not pro-
portionately large, being estimated at
less than five hundred in all
It is notable that the month of June,
1871, was prolific in thunder and rain
storms, especially in the Western States.
The 10th of June there was an awful
tornado at Eldorado, Kansas, that nearly
destroyed the whole town. On the 18th,
at several points in Wisconsin, violent
and destructive tornadoes were re-
ported. The same day a terrible hur-
ricane at Scranton, Iowa, demolished
houses and carried light buildings ten
rods, killing the inmates. The same
day Westerville, Iowa, reported terri
bic tornado, and the vicinity Of Spring
field, ILL.,, was visited by an awful cy-
clone, pulling up trees and whirling
fences in the air. On the 10Th of June,
the same year 1S71, there was a ter
rifle thunder and rain storm, flooding
the country in Kansas and Minnesota,
and on the 2oth of the same month
there was great storm on Lake Supe-
rior, attended with furious winds from
all points of the compass (whirlwinds,)
twirling the waves into spires, or water
spouts, and attended by destructive
tidal wave at Duluth, Minnesota.
On the 9th Of July, 1871, Dayton, Ohio,
was visited by violent tornado, in the
path of which many houses were demol-
ished and churches and bridges blown
down, several persons being killed, and
the total damage to property in the city
and country estimated at at least one mil
lion of dollars 1888