Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-09-14
4 VIRGINIA CYCLONE
A FEARFUL STORM AT oNAEcocK On
SUNDAY.
wa,erspouts, Destruction to Houses,
Trees, and Crops, bat No
Lives Lost.
lsnerlal telernm 70 lhe DIspstoh.l

tgnecial teIecmm to the Dispstch.l
0yANcocR ria TAsLEY, Septem-
her ls.-The most terrific cyclone that
has ever visited the Eastern Shore OF
Virginia within the memory of living
man swept through this town last
night. overtuTDiog houses, blowing
down trees, and leaving destruction in
lis track. The storm approached from
a southwestern direction. and was pre-.
coded by long and vivid display Of
Gchtn,pg. just before the cyclone
burst upon the town funnel-shsped
cloud was seen approaching With
loud, roaring NOISE that awakened those
who had retired to sleep.
Onancook Is situated between two
arms OF Onaoocck creek, broad ana
deep estuary Of the Chesapeake BAY.
The cyclone in passing over the SOUTH
en arm of the creek took up large
mass Of water, and, forming q water
spout, poured il down with destructive
violence on that portion OF the town
through which it passed. The track OF
the cyclone was about seyenty-hve
wards wide and lay through the west
ern or lower end Of the town, where
the buildings are not close together,
else the destruction would have been
much greater. Nearly all the trees in
that part Of the town we're blown down,
many great oaks that had withstood the
storms Of centuries being torn up by
the roots or twisted of few feet above
the ground.
HOUSE BLOWN OVER A FENCE.
CAPTAIN John II. l.. Hopkins had his
meat.bouse blown over high fence aud
landed in street fifty feet or more
from where it STOOD. The stables and
other out-houses Of Mr.. Robert l..
Uonkins were blown down and utterly
DESTROYED. The steeple Of the North
ern Methodist church, containing bell
weighing more than five hundred
mounds. was blown over and set down
fifteen or twenty yards away in the
middle Of the street. Captain Thomas
sxszohnson, the oldest inhabitant Of the
M. had the front porch and sll the
& : ;npeys Of his Westinghouse blown
M and his barn, stables, and other
<t.houses blown away, though the
horse within the stables were left un-
hurt.
HOUSE TORN TO FRAGMENTS.
As the cyclone approached the north
ern branch of the creek it seemed TO
gather fresh strength, and swept every
thing before il. The house in which
Shepperd Horsey, worthy colored
man. lived was torn to fragments, and,
with all its contents, blown across the
creek. Some Of the heavy timbers Of
the house were found nearly mile
away. and pitcher and piece of ice
weighing five or six pounds were car
ried several hundred yards across the
creek. Horsey lost everything he had,
including about fifty dollars in money !;
md if be and his wife had not been out
at the time they would hardly have
escaped certain death.
In crossing the southern arm OF the
creek the cyclone again gathered up
great column OF water, which 1t poured
down on the land, cutting holes in the
earth.
IN A GRAVEYARD.
As the storm passed through the
family burying. ground on the farm OF
Mrs. Catharine POulson the wind blew
some of the largest tombstones over,
while it broke others off like reeds close
to the ground The cyclone appeared
to have arisen about mile southwest
of Onancock. where it destroyed the
barn and stables Of Captain James NJ.
Cobb. Its force seems to have been
spent soon after passing this town.
Along its track it blew down trees and
left the crops lying on the ground. In
some places the trunks of trees were
left standing. while their limbs and
much Of the bark were blown off.
On one farm it tore the shucks from
ears Of corr.
THE RESULT.
The inhabitants Of that part Of the
town through which the cyclone passed
were greatly frightened by the falling
houses and flying timbers, and not
few believed that severe earthquake
had come, and the entire day has been
spent in clearing away the debris from
the streets and around the houses, and
Yet much remains to be done. Certain
is it that Onsncock in all its previous
history never withstood such a catas'
trophe, and the wonder is that no per-
sons were killed or seriously hurt. II
is impossible to state the exact amount
of damage done to property here, but
it is very considerable aud will run ul
in the thousands.