Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-08-01
STRICKEN LAWRENCE.
First Cyclone OF Importance to
Visit New England.
Eight Persons Killed, 500 Homeless,
Money Loss Of $500, 900.

The first cyclone Of any importance With
IN memory In New England aud one equal.
Ing in destructive power those so frequently
| reported from Western communities
visited the suburb South Lawrence NJ.
cently, and In Is minutes had killed
eight people, seriously injured from Is to
20, slightly injured at least 20 more, cut
a swatch through thickly populated
section 800 feet wide aud a mile long, rem.
dered 500 people homeless, DESTROYED or
| greatly damaged from IS to 100 buildings
mostly dwelling houses, leyelled a beautiful
square of over 500 trees and entailed prop
erty loss now estimated at 500, 900, all Of
which was uninsured against damage by
wind and storm. The calamity is the great.
est which has visited Lawrence since the fall
and burning Of the Pemberton Mills, so years
| ago.
The wonder on all sides Is that the damage
| to life and property was not ten times more.
| The storm In its gyratiOns took, IL ANYTHING.
the least harmful route. After demolishing
four houses on Emmett street II struck a
ledge, and seemed TO bound over one Of the
most thicky settled ortions of the city.
The greater part of its course was
through a comparatively open space,
where II could do bur little damage.
When 1t struck Springfield street. where the
destruction was greatest, the sudden, unac-
countable turns OF the storm saved many
houses lying apparently In It's path. A va
Ration of 100 feet Ia some places would have
swept hundreds OF lives to destruction,
where now there are but eight to mourn
The survivors were too much ter. flied to
know where or when the cyclone ended its
course, but the train Of ruin in its path
showed that II touched the earth at or
near the cricket grounds. crossed Emmett
street, Broadway, the railroad and Parker
street, entered Springfield street at its south
west end, trayersed It's entire length, demol-
ished nearly everything In its course, includ.
Ing one house on Foster st. and two on South
Union St, where they cross Springfield st..
passed from Springfield st. into Union So
levelling over 100 trees, and thence over
Shawseen River into the town OF Andover,
where it exhausted It's fury on trees and
fences.
One Of the saddest incidents OF the storm
was the wrecking at once Of the house and
the family of James Lyons. man 60 wears
OF age. Mr.. Lyons house was the fir.t one
struck by the tornado. lie was near the
house when he saw ii coming and at once
rushed for the house, and, entering, was
thrown to the floor and pinned beneath the
timber OF his shattered home. Extricatiny
himself be started TO look for his wife and
infant child, and was attracted by the CRYING
OF the baby, to the spot where they lay, his
wife dead the child almost unhurt.
The tornado was the elimination Of the
change in the wind, and had rotary move
ment, The wind revolved with terrible
velocity in a circle about one-cighth Of n
mile In diameter. II looked like a huge ball
OF blue black cloud, that when It passed
over the houses was intermingled with hying
tmbers, leaves, branches OF trees and dust
The sight was sublime and terrible.