, 1878-10-05

clear weather. 1t WAS some time oetoAe
the Wa ligtord people could realize the
great disaster which had belhllen their
village. The scene along the track of
whirlwind WAS heartrending. Between
thirty and forty HOUSES were wrecked;
in some cases lcvcIed completely; in
others the roOtes had been sent flying
yards away; in Others one side or part
OF the front or rear was gone. One old
house had lost an entire corner, Eut the
rest remained standing, the entire interior
of the house and the attend mt ruin being
visible from the exterior. Here ana
there, ri ght in the course Of the cyclone,
over the plains, houses had been lett un.
touched aud uninjured, while within II
few iret of them the terrific strength of
the elements had been exhibited by the
twisting OF of the Trunk of some great
elm. Trunks thilty inches in diameter
had been snapped like twigs. A salready
stated the track of the cyclon commenced
at Community lake, where the water was
lifted out in tunnel shape, the first
building to feel the gigantic force ot the
elements being the Community windmill.
The wind then passed on to the town,
the buildings first leveled being those on
Colony -street including the Catholic
church. within stones throw of the
Hartford railroad and short distance
from the depot.
As soon rs the people recovered from
the mazed state into which they were
thrown, and began to realize the terrible
results of the storm, prompt Efforts were
taken to search the ruins and falling
buildings, to remove the dead, and assist
the dying. Fortunately no one was in
the Catholic church at the TINS of its
d 'structiun. Had there beeu their cs-
cape from instant death would have been
|
miraculous. In most Of the frame build
ings destroyed the occupants were most.
ly women and children. the fathers of the
families having not yet come in from
their days work; in most the evening
meal vas being prepared in expectancy
of their return. To this cause is due the
fact that in no instance was an entire
family sent together into eternity n father
or brother---One or more members of
the group-is lett to mourn the death OF
parents and brothers and sisters. II
was not long before energetic measures
were taken to search the ruins Gov.
Hubbard was telegraphed the extent of
the disaster, and replied by ordering out
the local militn, Co. K, to act as police
men, guard the ruins from Expectations
Of robbers, and keep the crowd from in
tcrfering with the work of those engaged
in 'igging out bodies, and relieving the
wounded. A citizens patrol was organ.
lied. however. and the aid of the portion
ofthe company which turned out WINS
not needed. Word was sent to Meriden
on the evening "scoot" train hAd Rat
ciffe, Hicks and others succeeded in
diffusing the news of the horrible calam
i'y and in a very short time seven ply
sicians were assembled and Mt eight
O'clock were in Wallinsford. With the
local physicians and DR.. Robinson OF
New Haven, who arrived on later train,
they took charge of the injured and dy-
ing stopping the flow of blood from cuts
and bruises, binding up the broken and
irastured limbs and relieving the suffer
ing by administering an9sthctics. III
almost every serious case, the injuries
consisted of cOntusions on the head
fractures of the skull, etc., caused by the
falling timbers or trees.
The tornado or cyclone was caused by
The violent meeting OF sharp north and
east winds. The storm was quite severe
in Meriden. The forty foot flag pole in
front of the uncompeted building of the
Bradley s. Hubbard manufacturing Co.
was shattered by lightning, and the slate
root of the building wns torn up and
considerable damage was done to stored
goods. Manning & Bowman's factory
was also damaged.
ACCOUNTS or SPECTATORS.
From the numerous published ac-
counts Of spectators tie following are