The Portland daily press., 1879-07-17
TERRIFIC TORNADO.
The Biggest Gale Boston Ever Ex-
perienced.
VESSELS CAPSI8ED AND MANY LIVES
lost:
Pittsf1eld and Other Towns Badly Shaken
Up.

BOSTON, July 16.-Soon after o'clock this
afternoon a storm of terrific violence hurst
over the city Throughout the day the
weather had been intensely hot, and at about
o'clock p. M, the sky presented the M.
pearance indicating blow and from the neon.
liar Hurled clouds gathering a hurricone was
thought probable. When the storm hurst
these opinions were fully verified as it was one
OF the severest tempests that ever swept over
Boston. The duration of the storm's greatpst
violence was about twenty-five minutes ami IN
that period great damage was done to life and
property Reports from various points down
the harbor contain accounts of serious tamage
and distressing accidents Many small yachts
and boats were caps'zed. 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 except
ing the man. who.clung to the top mast, were
drowned.
Particulars of disasters down the harbor are
not as yet obtainable, but probably there is
large loss of life and property.
Hail fell IN large quantities and a large num-
Der of windows were broken, and trees blown
down and some houses unroofed. Chimneys
toppled over and the flood In some of the
streets formed O river of several inches in
depth. Along the whatves are many anxious
people earnestly inquifing about the fate of
friends. A planning mill in the city was struck
by lightning and set on fire, and fremen
Uufleu Ill UnG ruins OF 1alllng cllmlleVS and ara
not yet extricated.
FIrcHBURG, July 16.--A tornado of terrific
force struck this town this afternoon, doing
lost. rO-''N
PrTTsFIELD, July 16.AAt go this afternoon
tornado from the west struck the southern
suburbs OF this place. Three persons were
killed and three or four wounded some
fatally. Buildings were unroofed and blown
down, hundreds of trees levelled and fully
$15, 900 or $4,000 worth of property damaged.
The tornado first struck the Kellogg place oc-
cnpied by Thomas Paynes. The wall of the
kitchen part of the house was blown in and
smashed and hay blown away. Following
along the valley to the southeast it levelled
hundreds of magnificent trees.
Bridget Tate's house was unroofed and the
barn entirely demolished. The inmates
escaped unframed. Pomeroys factory was
unroofed, and surrounding tenements damaged
and the building known as the ''tannery'
blown to pieces. Matthew Collins, ten years
OF age, was crushed beneath the debris and 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 Redheld House was partly unroofed
George M. Wentworth's house lifted from the
foundation, turned around and was carried two
rods. Other houses in the vicinity suffered
Ii
, place, a line brick house surrounded by stately
trees, was entirely unroofed and the trees all
broken or torn up by the roots Opposite
the residence of Hon. j. N. Durham was I'M
rooted, the conservatory ruined and the barns
Frustrated
The horse of Mrs. Beckwith, of Stockbridge,
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 leyelled
the orchard of Willis Place, tore up trees
around Kernochan's summer residence, demol-
1shed the iron bridge crossing the Housatonic
river, and blew two large barns to pieces
Gleasars slaughter house was next tumbled
into ruins The storm rushed across the valley,
leyelllng all in its way, and struck at last on
the west side of Washington mountain, where
SIX barns were destroyed, two houses partly
blown down and all the farm fences levelled
L ne track OF the tornado was not over 60 rods
wide and the above report covers about three
miles.
Advices from various other places in Massa-
chusetts indicate storm of unusual severity,
with immense damage to property.
TAUNTON, July 16.-A friglltful tornado,
lasting about minutes passed over Taunton
and vicinity about $50 o'clock p. M, and for
a time nothing could be seen ten feet distant.
the air being filled with dust, smoke and ali
sorts of loose debris. No one killed
NANTAsKEr BEACH, July 16-Twelve I'M
known persons were drowned by the capsizing
OF boats in this afternoons gale.
WORCESTER, July 16.-One man was killed
and three dangerously injured by the storm
to-day.