The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-08-25
A CYCLONE IN CARROLL.
Portion of Myers District Visited by Ter
rife Rain and Wind Storm.

A Portion of Myers District visited by a Ter
rife Rain and Wind Storm
Tuesday afternoon and night, August 2lst,
will long be remembered in Myers district.
it being the first time cyclone ever visited
that region. Rain fell in torrents and much
damage was done. About two miles north
west of Silver Ran the storm was unusually
severe. An unoceupied house, owned by
Isaiah Crawmer, was blown down, and from
there it leveIled trees and fences until the
farm belonging to the heirs of John Motter
was reached, occupied by Levi ). Motter,
when the attic and second story OF the brick
residence was torn off, the roof from his large
bank barn was carried away and some wealth
erboarding stripped from the building; the
wagon shed and carriage house were moved
from their foundations and the blacksmith
shop completely demolished; all his buildings
are ruined, except the hog house and summer
kitchen. by the force of the storm. In two
thriving orchards there are not dozen trees
standing, some being torn up completely and
carried off. and his corn is leveled to the
ground. Mr.. Motter and three of his children
were in the blacksmith shop at the time, and
his attention was attracted by the blowing
over of tree and seeing his carriage house
moving, and before he and the children could
leave the shop the building fell inupon them.
They extricated themselves as soon as possible
and found the air filled with timber, straw,
hay, &c. The storm only lasted about 30
seconds, and its track was between three and
four hundred yards wide. The loss is esti-
mated at over $1,000.
Fortunately all the family escaped except
child in Mrs Motter' arms, which was struck
by A falling brick Mrs. Motter had gone to
the second story in order to bring the child
down, and left the room Just as the two gable
ends fell in. Books, clothing, rafters and
lathes were found half mile from the house;
rafters, lathes and shingles were found on the
adjoining farm of Frank Brown, sticking up
as straight as if they had been planted, and a
portion of the roof cannot be found.
The storm came from the southwest, passed
through Mr. Motter's cornheld changed to
the east and struck Frank Browns, on the
Lttlestown turnpike, where it tore portion
of the roof from his barn, uprooted trees and
carried some considerable distance.
Mr.. Motter's barn was filled with unthreshed
grain and hay, which is soaked through; sew.
eral loads of grain and hay were carried off
by the storm and scattered.
People from far and near visited the place
to see the great damage done in so short a
time.
Our Union Mills correspondent, under date
of August %, sends the following:
One of the most terrific and destructive
cyclones ever known in this section swept over
the northern portion of this (Myers') district
on Tuesday afternoon of this week. 1t had
two motions, forward ard circular, and trav-
eled from west to east. 1t first struck about
two miles southwest of the turnpike, on the
farm of Rufus Study, and swept eastward,
twisting off and uprooting trees, scattering
fences, leveling corn to the ground, in fact
/ 4 thotx in &c moth IT
came in contact with no buildings until it had
travelled about one mile, when it struck an old
dilapidated and untenanted house belonging
to Isaiah Crawmer. This il completely de-
moished. As it sped onward it seemed to
gather force and velocity, until it struck the
residence of Levi Motter, about one half mile
west of the turnpike. Here seemed to be
the centre of the storm, and the work of de-
struction was almost complete. OF some 10
or II buildings but one was left uninjured.
The barn, which was large and heavy frame
structure, was unroofed, rafters and all being
carried some distance, and the whole frame
work was moved some two or three inches on
the foundation, and had it not been filled with
grain the entire building would likely have
been swept away. The house, which was a
substantial three story brick building, was
blown down to the second floor, even tearing
out the partitions. In bed on the second
floor lay sick child. Mrs. Motter saw the
storm approaching and hastily snatched the
! child from the bed, but before she reached
| the door of the room the wall came in and
the bed was covered with the debris. Fortu.
nately Mrs. Motter escaped with her child to
the cellar unhurt. Another IA year old
daughter had gone to the garnet to close the
blinds While there the roof, gable ends and
one-half of the garnet floor were blown of, but
strange 10 say the little girl was left on the
remaining portion of the floor, receiving no
injuries more than scratch on the forehead,
| caused by being struck by large sheet iron
| drum which was blown against her. How she
escaped is miraculous. Mr.. Motter and three
/ of his children were in the blacksmith shop,
not more than twenty yards from the house.
| The first intimation he had of the storm was
the unroofing of his carriage house, which
stood about thirty yards west of the shop.
| He, with his children, made an effort to get
out of the shop, but before they reached the
| door the roof was taken off, and the side,
which was frame, was blown in upon him and
his children. Fortunately it was not so heavy
that Mr. NJ. could not lift it up and allow his
| children to escape unhurt. Mr.. Motter thinks
that the storm was not more than one-hall
minute in duration at his place, as by the
time he had extricated himself and his child
rem from the timbers of the shop the cyclone
had passed by. A number of other buildings
on the premises were eitherunroofed or other
wise damaged. A field of most excellent
corn belonging to Mr. NJ, just east of the
house, was blown down as fiat as fit had had
roller passed over it, many of the ears being
severed from the stalks; it cannot make hall
crop. Mr.. Motter's loss, including crops,
will not be far short of 81 800. After leaving
Mr.. Motter's place the storm kept on east
ward, taking a cornfeld belonging to Francis
Brown in its course, leveling it to the ground.
and crossing the turnpike between Mr..
Browns and Emanuel Study's, getting near
enough to Francis Browns barn to take of
about 20 feet of the roof. Trees more than
a foot in diameter we're blown out by the roots
and carried from 20 to 60 feet. After crossing
the pike the storm began to decrease in force,
and but little damage was done further on
except blowing down corn and fences. About
one and half miles east of the pike the storE
was not much felt. It was not more thar
from SO to 100 yards in width.