The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-16
A DESTRUCTIVE CYCLONE.
oNANCocK, VIRGINIA, SWEPT BY A
TERRIFIC WlNDSTORM.

The Large Black FuRnekShaped Cloud
Catches Up Body of Water, Forming
Huge WaterspOut, Which Breaks Over
the City with Destructive Results.
ONANcocK, Va, Sept. 15.-The most ter
rife cyclone that ever visited the eastern
shores Of Virginia swept over 0nancock Sun
day night up-rooting trees, over-turniag
houses and spreading destruction in its track.
The day had been intensely hot and a. night
came on dark cloud overspread the sky.
There was long continued display OF vivid
lightning, and just before midnight the
bursting of the storm was heralded by
black funnel-shaped cloud that approached
from the southwest with loud roaring
noise. The town of Onancocll lies between
two arms of broad and deep estuary of the
Chesapeake bay.
In approaching the town the cyclone
passed over the southern arm Of the sstury
and caught up huge column of water, form
ing a water-spout which broke with destruct-
i've violence in the lower end of the town.
The wind sweeping on through this end Of
the town tore up great trees by the roots,
twisted them off near the ground and carried
away all the houses in its track which, for
tunately, lay through the part of the town
where the buildings are not close together.
The steeple of the Northern Methodist
church, containing a bell weighing more
than 500 pounds, was blown off and set down
in the street thirty yards away, without
damage to the bell The people aroused by
the terrific noise of the storm rushed out to
find the air filled with flying timbers and the
rain pouring down in torrents The falling
of chimneys and the shaking of houses made
many believe that the dreadful earthquake
was at hand As the cyclone approached the
broad and deep body of water that forms the
northern limit of the town, it seemed to have
gained fresh strength and swept everything
before it,
The house of Sheppard Horsey, worthy
colored man. with all its contents, was borne
up and carried several hundred yards across
the water, while some of its heavy timbers
were found more than mile away. A heavy
piece of iron was blown several hundred
yards, and firmly embedded in the side of
house. Shortly after leaving the town, the
cyclone struck cemetery on an elevated
promontory, hurling down many of the
heavy monuments, and breaking others Off
like reeds, close to the ground. Great oaks
in the cemetery that had stood the storms Of
centuries were torn up by the roots, and
others more than five feet in diameter, were
snapped Off like pipestems.
The track of the cyclone varied in width
from fifty to seventy five yards. 1t began
two or three miles outside of the town and
went about the same distance to the north
where it appears to have died away in the
marshes that border on the Chesapeake Bay.
All along its course are marks of desolation
and destruction, In some places it Frustrated
all the trees and growing crops in its path.
In others it left the trunks of the trees stand
ing with all the limbs and much of the bark
blown of, and in passing through cornfelds,
it tore the fodder from the stocks and
shucked the ears of corn.
Miraculous escapes are related and it is
almost miracle that no lives were lost. 1t
is impossible to state the exact extent Of the
destruction done to property, but it will
doubtless amount to many thousands of dol
lars. A large number of persons have been
engaged all day in cleaning away the debris,
and many persons from a distance came to
witness the destruction caused by the most
remarkable phenomenon that has visited this
section within the memory of men