Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-22
DEATH IN A CLOUD.
Two TOrnadOes Sweep Over
the County.
LIFE AND PROPERTY DESTROYED
Appalling Scenes Along the
Track of the Storm.
BOTH MEN AND ANIMALS MANNED.

Farm Houses Near Port Penn Wrecked.
Razing smithy Near Hare's Corner
and killing It's owner, Theodore Bruce.
Thousands of Dollars Worth of Fruit
Trees Destroyed General Wilson'S
Beautiful Place in Ruins-M Many
Persons Injured, but the Escapes are
Miraculous-T Christiana Rolling
Bill Scattered TO the Winds.
A tornado visited New Castle hundred
and South Wilmington last night, devas-
tating miles Of territory It blew down
nearly fifty buildings and was attended
with the loss Of life and the serious in
jury Of large number OF others. The
exact point Of inception OF this disastrous
torn has been definitely 10
Gated ON the farm Of Levi II.
Miller about four miles south Of Will
mington. At this time it was coming
from a southwesterly direction, travel.
ling due northeast II followed this
course in a ziz-zag course until the farm
of Levi II. Miller was reached Hero il
made slight detection, and crossed the
road TO the farm Of David Mccoy. Thence
to the blacksmith shop Of Theodore Bruce
After wrecking the shop and crushing
! Bruce to death under the debris Il went
like a streak up the State Road, scattered
the outbuildings at Farnhurst station.
and then with rapid succession carried
ruin and desolation TO the farm Of Henry
C. Burgie and to the Randolph Peter,
Nursery.
II followed q northeasterly conrs,
across the Andrews and Rogers proper
ties, crossed South Wilmington scattered
the Christiana Rolling Mil to the winds
and sped away towards the Jersey shor,
above pennsgrove.
Il covered a space of five miles and wa
covered by the tornado in five minutes
In its wake everything movable wa
wrecked. telegraph wires and fences weri
blown down. The damage is estimated
by various sufferers to be as follows:
Levi II. Miller So 600; David Mccoy,
81, 5O0' Bruce property, 81 800; Della
ware r. r. Company, $500: Henry c
Burgie, 81 600; Randolph Peters Estate
S25, 0OOi George White $500; Mrs Colo
mel J. w, Andrews, 81, 500, Mrs Theo
dore Rogers, 50, 600; John G.. Baker. 81
900; Daniel Lenty, 81, 500: Joel V
Greenman's 81, 900; William H. Turner
S3, 900. LObdell Car Wheel Company
$50, 600 and the National Dredging Com
pany 5 500. q total Of $i06. 800.
Add to this the damage done TO wood
land and crops the loss win foot up a
least $175, 600 One life was lost an
several persons were more or less SER
ously injured.
Where II strack First
The storm Of this area last evening at
parently had its beginning in a corn tiel
about 800 yards southwest of the res
dence of Levi II. Miller in New CAST
hundred. The corn was beate
to the ground and is all pointin
towards the northeast this morning.
roller run over the field could not hav
made a more perfect bed When III
home was reached the tornado struck
few trees on the side, carried away I'll
kitchen and several out buildings and III
roof of another building, throwing tn
whole mass into field half mile away
The window panes Of the house wei
broken and quantities Of leaves al
other debris were driven into the housi
Mrs. William Clavey was in the house d
the time and her three children. tw
girls and little boy, III the barn. III
track Of the tornado was between then
! and Mrs. Clayey's first thought. Satui
ally was TO 90 to her children's rescue. 81
, started and in going across the grouu
, fell and found herself unable to ris
j No one was injured al Miller's, and Il
damage is entirely confined to the coI
field and TO the house. The bolts i'm n
shutters were bent almost in halve
Z At David McCoy's house, across II
, road from Miller's, the storm careen,
, aronnd the barn. doing 40 further damas
: taan pressing in the barn doors and bio,
2 ing down several fences. IL then iumps
k TO the front yard, tore down old tre
several feet in diameter almost brealkir
them in two. In the barnyard sh,
fifty feet long and a machil
building were blown down. III
: wind whirled around the hou
, and picked up everything movabl
r Sheaves of wheat were lifted and land,
S in the upstairs bedrooms The frol
porch was cleaned of and the chairs pil,
up in one corner Of the yard uniniure
The pretty lawn in front of the hou
$ was made a perfect wreck. Shuttle
5 were torn from their fastenings al
S scores Of window panes broken ont. III
Q hen and wood houses were completely d
molished. Mrs. Mccoy was in the hou
at the time and all Of the family escap,
uninjured. The tornado then struck i
only fatal victim at
+. Theodore Bruce's smithy.
located at the intersection OF the Sta
e Road and the road leading from Newpo
: to New Castle. Here were the blac
smith, wheelwright and paint shops az
the residence of Theodore Bruce III
house was situated to the rear of I'll
: shops. Miss Cora Bruce, aged about
: years, told the story Of the storm TO
h JOURNAL reporter this morning as fo
: lows: my mother and / were the on
ones in the house at the time; the 9TH
five children were at Brandywil
Summit camp and did not retu
e until IL o'clock. Father hs
just gone out from supper and was wall
: ing between the pig pen and shop.
heard nothing Of the fall of the building
The only sound that noticed was a tr
4. mendous wind, which seemed to shal
the house from its fastenings. / imm
diately looked out and saw the situation
started to fnd my father and saw
head lYi-g between tTu kenrds IN 8 DO