The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1878-12-14
QUITE A BREEZE.
Houses Unroofed, Trees Torn Up
and Fences Frustrated.

One OF the heaviest wind storms evel
! known to OUT people, passed over tiit
Umpqua valley last Monday morning
The storm began about 1:30 o'clock. and
fifteen minutes before it Lroke upon this
city. fearful roaring, rumbling sound
was heard, which increased as the storm
drew nearer, and finally when the wind
came one could hardly hear another per
. son speak when both parties were inside
of building The storm came from the
I southwest. and, as an old salt Describes it.,
| ait WAS a regular sou'>westeI.' The sig
nal service record shows that the storm had
velocity of fifty miles per hour What
made it most destructive was that the wind
came in gusts, and formed whirlwinds.
which took most everything in their way.
The damage done in this city was con.
siderable The engine house, at the rail.
road depot was thrown 10 the ground and
completely wrecked. pat" the fireman.
as good luck would have it. was in the cab
of the locomotive when the building 1eil
and escaped crushing 10 death. He was
starting the fire beneath the engine, and
was startled. as might be supposed, when
headlight of tue locomotive was torn off
and OF er damage done to the machinery;
but Big Jack" pulled out for Portland
the same morning with his battered en>
gne as though nothing unusual had oc-
Cured. W. F. Owens chicken coop and
smoke-house were rnroofed, and had it
not been for wire-clothes line which held
them they would have been carried into
the river. The river at the time
was as angry as the sea ever becomes
comparatively speaking. Its Surface was
violently disturbed. Mr.. Thrasher had
sonic damage done sbout his premises, bul
it was easily repaired. The southern cor
ner of Wright i Caflon's Stable was torn
of,, aud shed covering hay scales, and the
scales also. were demolished A large OAK
tree standing near was blown down upon
tbs. dwelling house of W. G.. Woodw re,
and portion of that structure shivered as
ii struck by lightning. Tom Grisdale's
barn and Jacob Bitxer's stock shed were
carried away. Mrs. Compton's millinery
establishment also was d mayed in the
matter of cornice destroyed. For time it
seemed as if Ihe whole town would go,
and there is leason to believe that much
b,..-
the storm lasted three bours instead OF one.
The barn OF John Bruckner six miles
southwest Of his place was thrown over.
and a years crop exposed to the rain tina,
followed the storm The greater number of
telegraph poles were uprooted Oh the differ
ent lines, and George Dement, lost smoke
house. All fences in the county have been
prostrated. George Roberts states there is
not line of fence standing between Cans
yonville and Rosebulg, and parties from
Coos Bay, say ther- are no fences standing
in Ten Mile and Looking Glass districts.
In addition to this Col. Thos. Beale lost two
sheds and portion of the roofs of his barn
end dwelling were ripped off: Ben sAgee
lost his barn; Jeptha Green a blacksmith
shop and wood house; Tim Crossman half
the roof of his residence; jim Velzan q
smoke house. Jas. DilIard the roofs of two
granaries, and JEFF Singleton the roof of
barn.
The force of the wind was more plainly
shown at Looking Glass. There the roof
10 Il. &. Crews barn was completely raised.
One half of it was carried the distance of
thirty yards, and the other half fifty yards
and deposited on the roof of that gentle
| mans dwelling. At Oakland the damage
| done was not so great as in other districts.
Fences everywhere were blown down. A
Brewn's stable was unroofed. Half of the
| roof of the large stable was torn away, as
| well as part of the roofs OF Haynes and
| Frazers barns. Pat Snyder suffered only
| in the loss of wood shed.
There is no record of such storm in the
history Of the county before Parties who
have resided here tor twenty-five years say
it is the first. The limbs of the trees, show
ing growth OF forty years, dc not exhibit
eny signs of similar storm, and there is
evidence to prove that il is the first storm
of the kind in this valley within half
century of the past. While we cannot es>
innate the full amount of dana ge,it is very
easy for us 10 attribute the storm to acci-
dent, and nothing more How it was it
dTopped upon US cannot be told the chances
are, another generation will have come
to take the places of the present before
another such occurs