The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-11
The DEADLY STORM.
Further Particulars Of the
Terrible Tornado.
TWENTY-EIGHT DEATHS.
How the Storm Swept Over
Wallingford.
[BY rELEGR ,PH TO THE HERALD.

WALLISGFoRp, Conn, August 10. 1873
The FIRST reports OF the calamity at this place on
Friday evening far from ex,ggerang tho story Of
tho disaster fall far short OF tho terrible truth
That there had been destruction OF life and
property was clear, but tho extent, the com
pstencss and the terrors OF tho calamity
received no adequate description Indeed, IL is not
easy, even now, to give graphic picture Of a scene
which is VIVID IN tins reality than It can posi-
bly, TO ths imasinstton Walipsford Is
beautiful little New England town, and before
the calamity befeli had two pretty
streets, Main and Film, the nigh ground TO the
east of tho railroad. These streets wero lined on
side with n row OF splendid elms, and tho cot
t.gcs were neat and homehkc, bespeaking both Gull
ture and comfort To the west OF the VIII
iage Is a low rangs OF hills called, for tho
want OF better name, Mount Tom, and nesting
under the shadow OF tho range is the Community
Lake, named alter tho wallingIord branch OF tho
Oneida Community. Between these heights upon ono
OF which IS tho village proper, there Is u low
land, called In common pariance 'ths Plain,' and
here that tho tornado was most deadly
and destructive. Sweeping from the ths
lake everything tell before IT, anu tho lower village,
where wcro tho homes OF the poor, Is to-day not
much mass Of ruins even plot Of ground,
thickly strewn with ecattercd debriG Scarcely n
house was left standing, and 1t was here that the
tornado came ireieh,od with sne blasts OF death.
roREwARSiNo
Tho singular part OF IL Is that the about
without any forewarnng. Tho afternoon, although
warm, as calm as a day in Juno. Even as even
Ing approac he'd the weather not threatening, but
the aenizens OF the village who 1.-Two
tho heights along which are Main and
Elm streets saw sbout six o'clock q por-
tend which was indeed portentious, but which
N hen no al hO cal mi tv
Along the range Of the blue hills tho side Of
tns plain were seen approaching with lightning
rapidly two black clouds, between which Of
| pesrly whiteness II was not long until
the double columns OF inky biackness. Illuminated
now and then by the vivid flashes Of tho
lightning, lifted down from the hills beyond and
| seemed reaching into the lake as II to take up its
waters in the dread embrace, but the tornado did
not tarry long to toy with the waves
| ana ripples Of this American Windermere Oh and
on It came crushing through tho slms which
resisted tho blasts OF many storm overturni
trees which had sunk thei. deep into tho EARTH
or twisting tho immense trunks into fragments. and
scattering tho pieces TO the Winds lifting fonees and
barns ana houses evon IRON their foundations, aud
breaking large structures into bits as hne ss kindpg
| wood; dashing men and women and children Without
| mercy against tho mad ana fying fragments II was
! nm awful moment which even those who underwent
its terrors describe. The tornado with
out warning; u was relentless In its fury while Il
lasted, but 1t pasted away almost AZ quickly a. II
came Bshind IL In ns u left n track OF death
and dcsoIa,ion before squallsd 10 this locality
no. even when the ,mpr,sonsd waters OF NH River
lot loose ana rushed down that valley Of doath
FoRrY HOUSES DESTROYED.
In this wsns lord disaster not less furious the
anger OF the eismen and not loss terrible the
dealing forces Of nature. Not fewer than forty houses
were destroyed, and upon rs many as twenty eight
victims, probably more has the death angel pu,
his mark The village OF walingiord is indeed,
q grief stricken community. wnere yesterday were
happy homes and praltling children, to-day are only
the foundation walls and lew bits OF splntorcd de-
bris while In the dead house, no, far away, tho
remains o.. tho ones who gavo tho cottages their
wonted charm. In every direction are to DO
seen saddened faces. On every wind borne
the sounds OF mourning. and from every tongue come
the tales Of WOO and desolation, which compel a
whole community to bcwai a disaster that almost
universal. The incidents OF the storm are many
and freaks OF the gale hcartronding that N
no easy task tho history OF those tow
mcnw.
| WHAT SAW.
But one little episode deserves tho telling First
OF ALL when tho black and angry cloud swooped
down from the Merden Hills Daniel Reilly was row
| ing on the lake He tho danger and fol,
tho gale niting tho waters out OF thor
bed and rolling them into a hugo column
OF angry and h,shiug waves. Quick as thought
he dashed out OF his boat and while his little craft
was lifted up with khc waior, he, TOO, was carried
| safely to the shore Chow l came 10 have presence
OF mind 10 leave the boat" Reilly said to the HxxALr
correspondent, ~ don't know. but II was that which
| saved my life. II had start In the boa
| I would have been killed, Tor the boat In tns
mids, OF tho gale, while by diving, got out Of n
| way. And then Reilly triod 30 describe tho gale bu
could 60, dcscr pton oft than that the
black msss WHICH swept down upon tho LAKE. sue ec
| up the water until n stood 10 huge heap tn,
centre Unlike old Samuel Butsrs hero, "who scarce
| could ops his mouth but out there flow trops.
Daniel Re,y could not cIose HE because any ngur,
ofspssch which he ist adequate 70 tho secssiou va
big enough 10 choke him. People who were pea
tho lake at the time aud saw Rciy's shell TOSSED
about ike TOY the top Of tho swelling
sure he was drowned, and his return his shauere,
hcme, where his old mother was PROSTATE from feal
and anxiety, lev moments later, vas us much sur
| prise as II ono h I'd risen IRON the dead.
| rwESr coFYiSxp VICTIMS.
! Between tho lake and tho scene oil the creates
! desoIation is brics building used a school house
| but now turned into morguv. There lay to-day tn
COINED rename Of twenty one victims OF tho caam
| Ivy. Anything more dreadful than this eharne
house Of waiiinsford dead my not well b.
imagined. All day long crowds nlcd nt
tho building anxious to identify relative
or friends or satisfy a morbid curiosity which cor
t4uly might De shocked at a sight OF this ghast.
spec,scle. On the tops Of benches were OF pin
boxes covered with sheets. In those rude cnskss Or
snoassd the stark bodies OF the victims. From tn
oonios drips water from the msl,iog ice unit
the nov Is . muddy pool. The air Is stinin
and me scene 10 altogether 80 CHASTITY tina, execo
ton - frivolty In comparison with IL. Between III