, 1878-10-05

none knew of the fearful calamity
impending. When the flying columns OF
clouds, which appeared to stard on end,
reached point over the lake of the Wal
lingiord community they swooped down
upon it with great velocity and III an
instant sight was presented to the ter
! ritied spectators that battles description.
The lake, from shore to shore. became II
seething whirlpool, the water divided
INTO halves from the shock Of the descen
ding rain and hail, and over flowing in
a grand sweep the land on each side.
Daniel Reilly was rowing on the lake
when the torrent descended. High into
the air was his boat lifted by the winds
and water, and sixty feet on to the shore
was it carried, high and dry on the bank.
He was severely bru sed, aud the shock
to his system is one which he will not
soon recover irUA. Then came the re-
coil, the water rushed back tp the center Z,
and the rebounding cyclone dashed on,
carrying with it great mass of whlrllng
water. In less time than it takes TO write
it the tornado onward across the
northern portion of the town, going in
belt perhaps aquarter OF u mile wide
On the plains in its course stood the
homes OF many OF the mech mics OF the
village and employees in the factories.
Light frame structures, most OF them
they could hut be handled like shavings
by the tornado hurled upon them.
Then there was the OLD Roman Catholic
church edihCe-u wooden stlucture-an
easy prey to the combined fever of the
elements. There were old frame houses
too which were erected long before Wal
lingfurd became u manufacturing town
and their barnes and sheds. Beyond
the plains in the course taken by the
cyclone and upon the hill were more sub
8 antial residences, the fine i,ur--sICr.
high scheol, built seven or elgnt years
ago, ON the corner OF High and Main
streets, at cost OF $4,000 To the
eastward were farm houses and beyond
these forests. Hardly had the cycloue
lett the lake and began ils destructive
sweep across the path indicated before 1t
became filled with debris Of hundred
buildings. Houses were leveled as IT "a
mountain OF rock had fallen on them.
The Catholic church was completely de-
mollished; not a single timber remaining
standing; nothing but low heap Of tiue
rubbish, iosts weighing many pounds,
heavy timbers, household furniture ol
every description, iron kettles and kitch
IN stoves were eagerly gra,ped by the
whlrling tornado and carried on its dead
iy course. Up the hill the torrent rushed
and the scenes ot the plains was repeated.
The substantially built schoolhouse wac
directly in its course and the upper stories
wrie wrenclled from the walls and the
masonery sent flying to tic east, nothing
remaining but fragments OF the lower
story. The houses on the hill were many
of them damaged, but the great force oi
the tornado appears to have been par
TALLY spent, or else its course changed
The house OF one resident on the Mill Was
swept round and round and badly dam
aged. The cyclone appeared TO the ter
rfed inmates to be sweeping directly
towurds them; black with the ruins Oi
the buildings oil the plains below, but
when right in front ofthe doorway, whirl-
cd about and passed round the house TO
the rear, where barn was unroOtcd,
then lashed around TO the frcnt again
and uprooted elms which had stood the
storms oi many years rs IT they were but
sapiugs, swept around the unscathed
dwelling again, and continued its course
to the eastward. The only house com
pleteIy wrecked on the hill was that o!
John Munson. He was sitting in his
purlor when the crash came, and in a mo.
ment he found himself IN the cellar par
ly buried in the fallen ruins. He can
give no de e,crlption OF the event, aud
knew nothing OF the storm. until he
found himselfhomeless, Two OF his five
children were also buried in the ruins,
and were exrica;ed with considerable
difficulty, ond were severely Jui not Sc