Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-05-18


ward. Before the storm broke the
cloud parted, one portion spending its
greatest fury upon the farms of Mr..
Jos. Grantham, Maj. Jas. Law. Hooff
and others in that locality, several
miles west of town, and the other
striking heaviest upon the farms of
Messrs. w. F. Hemp and Jacob Star
ry, mile or so north of Charlestown,
and taking a southeastern course
through the farms of Col. Francis
Yates, Mr.. Samuel j. Boyd and others
towards the Shenandoah river. The
hail fell furiously for about five min
utes, accompanied by torrents of
rain. The larger hailstones measured
three inches in circumference. land the
smaller ones were about the size of
an ordinary marble. The velocity of
the storm wss terrific and the destruc-
ton left in it's wake will amount to
many thousands of dollars.
been enabled to hastily gather before
going to press on Monday, we learn
that Mr.. Joseph L. Grantham has
sixty acres of wheat destroyed and
loses heavily. Maj. Jas. Law. Hooff
has one hundred acres of wheat and
large amount of grass completely
moved off, his corn and some of his
finest trees and garden destroyed,
and all his rail fencing running north
and south blown away. Is pasturing
his wheat, and says $4,000 would not
make him whole again. Mr.. Geo. II.
Beckwith loses twelve or fifteen acres
of wheat, Mrs. Anna S. Brown and
John A. Washington thirty-tive or
forty acres, Mr.. Robert Earl about
twenty-five acres of wheat and forty
five trees of his best timber, Mr.. VIM.
Ramcy twelve or fifteen acres Of
wheat, the Baylor farm much dam
aged, and Maj. EV. Shirley loses n
large quantity of timber. The crops of
Mr.. W. f. Hemp and Mcssrs. Jacob
Starry (landlord) and Joseph Grand
staff (tcnant) are complete loss, and
their fencing is nearly all destroyed.
The new barn of Mr.. Hemp, not quite
completed, was slightly moved by the
storm. Mr.. Starry's timber also suf-
fcred heavily. and that the storm at
this point was terrific may be imagined
from the fact that a heavy farm wagon
was swept clear across the barn-yard
by the furious wind.
AS Flowing Spring five little girls
had barely escaped from the storm
into the house of Mr.. Otty, when n
large willow was torn up by the roots
and blown across the spot where they
were playing, but 4 moment previous.
Mr.. Samuel j. Boyd estimates that
at least half of his wheat crop is gone.
Mrs. Hannah Buffers orchard is very
much damaged and wheat crop Sc
riousIy injured. Mr.. Jno. 7. Col
ston's wheat upon the lands of Mrs.
Hunter and Judge Green is very much
damaged. Mcssrs. Thomas Frazier,
S. w. Wysong, VIM. d. Briscoc, Mrs.
Margaret L. Crane, James NJ. Ran
son, James NJ. Browns heirs, Col. a.
Boyd. John II. Hall, John w. Gard
ner, Craven. Trusscll, Lewis Starry,
and probably 4 good many others,
lose heavily.
All the early gardens in Charles
town were pretty well destroyed and
now present 4 sorry aspect. Hun
drcds of panes of glass were broken,
among them twenty large ones in the
Sadler building, twcnty-ninc (also
large oncs) in Mr.. Geo. w. Armen-
trout's new dwelling, thirty-three at
the Baptist Church, fOrty-eight at
Mrs. Rcbecca Hunters, seventeen in
Mr.. Nimrod Trussell's new house.
twcnty-six at Mr.. John Meningitis,
large number at the Shenandoah
Valley depot, Mr.. A. d. Miley's and
Mrs. Towards, and lesser numbers
Cor perhaps as many and even great
cr) in various houses all over town.
1t takes nearly two boxes of glass to
replace Messrs. Weirick & WclIer's
loss in their different buildings, and
in the Shirt Office eleven glass
were smashed in less than minute.
Mr.. John Il. Colston had about twenty
five young goslings on his pond, and
they were all killed by the hail.
The hail was followed by a heavy
fall of rain for several hours after
ward.
Mr.. J. c. Holmes, Superintendent
of Repairs of U. S. Public Buildings,
has secured an office in the Lee Hall
Building, on the same floor and adj
joining the SPIRIT office. His Office
furniture will arrive from Washing
ton this week, when his clerk Mr.. A.