St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-07-25
Terrific Tornado.
The Biggest Gale Boston Ever Experienced

The Biggest Gale Boston Ever Experienced.
PITTsFIELD AND OTHER TOWNS BADLY
SHAKEN UP.
BOSTON, July 16.-SooD after A
o'clock this afternoon a storm of terri
fic violence burst over the city.
Throughout the day the weather had
been intensely hot, and at about three
o'clock p. m. the sky presented the ap-
pearnce indicating blow and from the
peculiar luried clouds gathering hur-
ricane was thought probable. When
the storm burst these opinions were
fully verified as it was one of the Sc
verest tempests that ever swept over
Boston. The duration of the storms
greatest violence was about twenty
five minutes and in that period great
damage was done to life and property.
Reports from various points down the
harbOr contain accounts of serious
damage and distressing accidents. Many
small yachts and boats were capsized.
The most serious disaster yet reported
was to the small schooner Myrtle of
CharlestOwn, having on board four
women, man and boy. The schooner
capsized off Bird Island, and all hands
excepting the man, who clung to the
top mast, were drowned.
Hail fell in large quantities, and a
| large number of windows were broken,
and trees blown down and some houses
unroOfed. Chimneys toppled over and
the flood in some of the streets formed
river of several inches in depth.
Along the wharves are many anxious
people earnestly inquiring about the
fate of friends. A planning mill in the
city was struck by lightning and set on
fire, and firemen buried in the ruins of
falling chimneys and are not yet extri-
Gated.
FITCHBURG.-A tornado of terrific
| force struck this town this afternoon,
doing great damage to property. No
lives reported lost.
PITTsFIELD.-At 2:30 this afternoon
tornado from the west struck the
southern suburbs of this place. Three
persons were killed and three OF four
wounded, some fatally. Buildings were
unroofed and blown down, hundreds of
trees levelled and fully $4,000 or
100000 worth of property damaged.
The tornado first struck the kellogg
place occupied by Thomas Paynes. The
wall of the kitchen part of the house
was blown in, and the barn completely
demolished, wagons smashed and hay
blown away. Following along the
valley to the southeast it levelled hun
dreds of magnificent trees.
Bridget Tate's house was unroofed
and the barn entirely demolished. The
inmates escaped unharmed. Pomeroy's
factory was unrOofed and surrounding
tenements damaged, and the building
know as the "tanneryn blown to pieces.
Matthew Collins, ten years of age, was
crushed beneath the debris aud his
brother had both arms and his jaw
broken. An old man named WathertOn
was very severely injured. The wind
tore across the fields, levelling fences,
orchards and crops. The Redfeld
House was partly unroofed. Geo. NJ.
Wentworth's house was lifted from the
foundation, turned around and was car
ried two rods. Other houses in the
vicinity suffered loss of chimneys, piaz-
zas, etc. The Taylor place, IA fine brick
house surrounded by stately trees, was
entirely unroofed and the trees all
broken or torn up by the roots. Oppo-
site, the residence of Hon. j. N. Dun
HILL WIS uuIOOIGu, GIO CONSERVATORY
ruined and the barns prostrated.
The horse of Mrs. Beckwith of Stock
bridge, who with her son was driving
into Mr.. Paynes' yard to escape the
storm, became frightened, overturned
the wagon upon Mrs. Beckwith, killing
her instantly. The storm next levelled
the orchard of Willis Place, tore up
trees around Kernochan's summer resi-
dence, demolished the iron bridge cross
ing the Housatonic river, and blew two
large barns to pieces. Gleasar's slaugh-
ter house was next tum bled into ruins.
The storm rushed across the valley,
leveling all in its way, and struck at
last on the west side of Washington
mountain, where six barns were de-
stroyed, two houses partly blown down
and all the farm fences levelled. The
track of the tornado was not over 60
rods wide and the above report covers
about three miles.
Advices from various other places ia
Massachusetts indicate Il storm of unu-
sual severity, with immense damage to
property.
TAUNToN.-A frightful tornado, last
ing about minutes, passed over Taun-
ton and vicinity about $50 D. m., and
for time nothing could be seen ten
feet distant, the air being filled with
dust, smoke and all sorts of loose de-
bris. No one killed.
NANTAsKET BEACH.-12 unknon per
sons were drowned by the capsizing OF
boats in this afternoons gale.
WoRCEsTER.-One man was killed
and three dangerously injured by the
storm to-day.