San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-21
THE TERRIBLE TORNADO.

NEW ORk, aug lo.-A IFNtS specldl
from Wallingford, Conn.,, says: No
man who has not looked upon the ruin
wrought in this place by the storm of
Friday can conceive of the terrible force
with which the elements beat upon the
Mains of Wallingford during the few
moments it lasted. Never did storm
come with more appalling suddenness,
Friday afternoon was one of the loveliest
Of the season. Light clouds sailed
across the sky until 3 or o'clock in the
afternoon, occasionally obscuring the
sun. Then few black clouds portend-
ing disaster appeared over Mount La
mentation, high hill lying to the west
ward of the village. Under the foot of
this hill spreads Lake Windermere, an
artificial pond created by the Com
munity people by damming the Quin-
nipiac River. Wallingford lies between
this hill and another not so high that
runs parallel to the mountain east of the
town. Hills surround the pretty village
THE CLOUDS GREW DARKER
toward 5 O'Clock, when the workmen
about the village left the factories and
the mills, and started for their homes.
The wives sci about preparing supper
for their returning husbands, and only
passing glance was cast toward the
murky clouds that rolled over the west
ern hills. BY $50 o'clock they had be-
come intensely black. Still there was
no sense of impending danger. The
utter stiffness that precedes many thun-
der.storms settled down in the valley
lust before 6 o'clock. All the wind
seemed to have died away, but aloft the
clouds went tearing wildly along at such
pace that many observers took alarm,
and fastened through the streets to seek
shelter. Lightning began to play in
cessantly across the low-hanging clouds.
WITH HORRIBLE sUDDENNEss
change took place in the heavens. I'm
der the threatening clouds other and
blacker clouds were driven. They came
I'D from the west almost with the swift
ness of thought, before a dense black
mass that rolled over the Wallingford
community. A fleecy, white curtain
advanced, hiding the orchards and vine
Yards as it moved forward. The light
nings flashed in binding forks from
this cloud, that was more like smoke
than vapor in its lightness. Incessant-
" the flashes lighted up the surround
ing country with a lurid purple light,
while the thunder ratified and doomed
with interminable and deafening loud
ness.
1t was about :15 that q second mass
of clouds was was noticed approaching
on different current of wind from the
northward, and some say there was also
a commencement setting in from the
southwark, bringing heavy black clouds
that seemed to touch the tops of the
trees. A few drops of rain fell gently.
Men and women hurried to the windows
to close them, and home-going laborers
began to run. Little reckoned any one
the peril of that moment. Before a cry
could be raised, or preparation made to
escape, ......... .....
A DEATH-DEALING BLAST
fell upon the homes of the poor. The
heavy clouds over Windermere Lake
seemed suddenly to drop upon the lake,
and the waters were churned into foam
with great whirling and whistling.
The winds from opposite quarters SEEM
ed to meet. A great volume of water
was lifted from the lake and went swirl
ing up and up into the air. Lightning
is not quicker than was the advance
from west to east of the column of wa
ter and the clouds that seemed to min
gle with it. In a second it started on a
forward course. Before it lay the sand
plains on which about 81 families, most
ly Irish, have bought lots and establish
ed their dwellings. The plains are near
ly flat for distance west to east OF
about third of mile. Then the land
rises rapidly to the ridge on
which the main street is laid out. The
Wallingford Community had a water
wheel on the shore Of Windermore
Lake. The whirlwind caught it, and
it was crumbled as if it had been built
of straws. A few hundred yards from
the lake was poor cottage, in which
lived Michael Mooney, his wife Mary,
and their sons Daniel and Michael.
Michael was in the village. With the
first puff of wind the woman attempted
to shut the windows; the boys assisted
her. Before they knew what had hap
pened the house was
LEvELED TO THE EARTH.
A power irresistible carried the build
ing, twisted into fragments, flying
through the air. Mrs. Mooney was
caught up and hurled along through
branches of trees, and over telegraph
wire, beyond the railroad, across two
lanes, distance of nearly quarter of
mile, when she was flung down, bat
tered, gashed, and bloody. The boys
were blown through windows along
with bricks, pots, and pans. Michael
was carried into the branches of pros
lraiah mil. TO-, MIL NAG ~ hi rlnn