The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-08-25
pRIueE AND CYCLONE.

and fTiit Orchards Destroyed-Ihe StoJT
at Ne,c Orleans, Wheeling and Hiimingto
~ eSseLs Missing and Railroads Washc,
Om-Great Damage to the Sugar Belt
Portions of Prince Georges, Anne Arun
del, Kent and Cecil counties, Nd, wer
swept by tornado on Tuesday afternoon
Eleven lives were lost at Still Pond, Ken
county, in a canning factory, which wa
crushed in by the cyclone. Nine persons
were instantly killed and two others diet
shortly after, amongst whom was family O
four-father, mother and two children. Tn,
disaster was caused by four waterspouts, &C
companied by cyclone which travelled at tn,
rate of 20 miles an hour.
From the Baltimore Sun we condense the
following: Mrs. j. j. Masheter, whose hus
band owns POOLS Island, gave the following
description of the course of the waterspout
'We watched the black cloud hanging ovei
North Point, and suddenly We saw it start il
this direction, bringing with it an immense
body of water. The sight was terrible, for We
expected it to strike here, but, fortunately, il
diverged from its course and passed over the
extreme eastern side of the island. As il
passed the shore the sand was sent flying in
great clouds. The route of the spout could
be plainly discerned by the dark, foggy trail
it left. We watched it go up the bay, where
it was lost to sight. Following the spout was
what feared would be flood. The rain fell
in torrents, as if the heavens had opened |
have never seen such d storm before" No
damage was done on Pools Island.
Near Still Pond is located Black & Krebs's
canning factory. The factory was frame
building, 80 by SO feet, two stories high
Thomas Cockrill, who is manager says of the
IA % - 4
noon when the storm was first noticed. There
were SO persons engaged in the pairing room.
| looked out of The door and remarked that
the cloud would not strike u.s. Hardly had |
gotten the words out of my mouth when there
was peculiar solemn stiffness. A sensation
of danger took possession of ME Immediately.
Then came a terrific tornado. / was thrown
down and held PROSTATE by heavy sleeper
falling across me. The whole building was
demolished The boiler and engine were
tossed upside down, and the large quantity of
cans which were packed for shipment on the
second floor were scattered hundreds of feet
about the field. The groans of those pinned
down by the falling timbers were awful. The
dead and the wounded were on all sides.
| soon extricated myself and FASTENED to as
sist those who where imprisoned. The work
was slow owing to the great excitement which
ing steam drowned all attempt to talk. After
vainly trying to reason with the panic. stricken
employees several of us set to work to find
those who were missing, and this was job |
shall never forget. Here and there we would
uncover some poor soul who was stricken as
he or she sat at work. Others were pinned
to the floor just as they were reaching an
egress, while one family, consisting of hus-
band, wife and two small boys, were huddled
in group. They looked as if they had deter
mined to face death together rather than sep
arate. We were compelled to saw the rafters
away before we could get them out. A mother
was found holding the arm of her child as if
to shield it from its fate.
''When all the dead were taken away we
heard the groans of some one who was deeply
covered by the debris from the engineered
After hard work we reached man who was
known as Gustav Frantz. He was lying across
a heavy beam with at least half ton of odds
and ends upon him. We removed him and
found that his spine was broken in three diff
ferent places, while there was little or few
hairs on his head. He had been scalded by
the escaping steam
In the village of Still Pond houses and
barns were unroofed, shade and ornamental
trees, cornfields and orchards were Ieveled.
The track of the storm was about three quar-
tiers of mile wide
At Cecilton, Cecil county, the storm was
very much of the same character. The
Methodist Episcopal Church, which is large
brick building, is in total ruins. The roof
was blown off and the sides blown in. A
handsome organ was ruined. The streets of
the town are blocked by fallen trees. Three
miles from the village the outhouses on the
farm Of Mrs Thomas Harrison were blown
down and the crops destroyed. Several other
barns, dwellings, outhouses and orchards were
destroyed.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY.
In the vicinity of Jacobsville, .se Arun-
del county, the tornado destroyed thousands
of dollars worth of property and injured a
large number of persons. Hundreds of trees
were snapped off and the crops sustained
heavy damage. Between half past two and
three O'Clock the residents of Jacobsville
noticed huge black clouds rising in the south
western horizon in the direction of the head
of Magothy river, and many persons thought
forest fire was in progress. The clouds
moved towards the town and assumed the
shape of funnel $50 feet wide at the top.
A roaring sound like that of distant RAILROAD
train was heard. The lightning flashed and
steam-like vapor was visible. The storm
a northwestern turn and ran down the south
western shore of Rock creek to the Patapsco.
Mr.. Geo. W. McCubbin estimates his loss
at 5000. The tornado struck field of his
containing 500 cords of wood. Every pile
was either knocked out of position or the
pieces strewn over the ground so that cart
could not enter the field. Many of the sticks
were grasped by the wind as if they were
straws and thrown or dragged 800 yards across
a large corn6eld, causing the ruin of every
stalk. Leaving the cornfeld the wind struck
a tenement-house and orchard of Mr.. McCub-
bin. in the dwelling were oVerseer Fostliff
and wife, Thomas Wheedon, Frank Rowles,
George Warsen, and Belle and Fannie Danes.
OF Baltimore county, who were visiting Mr..
Postlif. The tremendous power struck the
house and knocked one of the walls in, when
the whole building collapsed on the inmates.
They were startled and bewildered, though
they heard the approach of the storm. Miss
Bell Danes found her sister caught under the
debris by the hair and aided her To got out.
Miss Fannie Danes received black eye and
injured her shoulder and back, while her sister
was cut on the head. James Meek's loss is
over 81, 900; his orchards and buildings being
destroyed. Arthur Hines, the grandson of
Mr.. Meek, ran into the yard to escape falling
bricks. He chung to the earth with his
hands and feet to save his life. Thirty fruit
cases were also destroyed and cantaioupes
were torn from the vines. The uprooting of
a large chestnut tree in front of the house left
a hole in the garden FIVE feet deep and thirty
wide. Mr., Meek was deeply affected by his
loss and said he had been cutivating the place
for twenty-five years and in FIVE minutes il was
destroyed.
The details are thrilling and many narrow
escapes were made from death. Stoves, chairs,
pans and household furniture generally being
hurled through the air, it was almost impossi.
Bile to escape instant death.
Bowie is station on the Baltimore and
Potomac Railroad, in Prince George 5 county,
and was struck by tho cyclone, Two churches,
dwellings, barns and houses were crushed OF
damaged beyond repair, horses and cattle
killed, and the railroad blockaded bydebris.
The loss here will amount TO at least SIC, 900.
DELAWARE.
The two tornadoes which swept over New.
castle county killed one man, Theodore Bruce,
a blacksmith, at Hare's Corner, injured
twenty person, four of whom may die, and
damaged fences, buildings, orchards and crops
to the extent of Sl50,000.
G. c. Peters lost over 5000 young pear and
apple trees, bis barn, two tenement houses
and the greater part of his corn. His loss
will reach $1,000. The loss OF the Christi
ana mill, owned by the Lobdells, is estimated