Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-12-11
A Severe Storm.

from the south last Friday about
half-past twelve o'clock. A black
cloud borne along BY wind that
was like a tornado came roaring
through the valley, accompanied by
perfect wall Of rain. The fierce
wind dashed the binding sheets OF
rain into every crack and crevice Of
the buildings, while the sudden gusts
fairly shook the houses to their foun-
dations. 1t is well that Shepherds
town houses are substantially built,
for if they had not been they wo uld
have suffered Friday. The hands on
| the town clock were bent and twisted
| back, one torn off, and the clock
damaged The house of colored
family on the Rightstine place two
| miles from town was unrOofed, and
all through the neighborhood out
| buildings. sheds, etc. were blown
| down. Fences were laid low and fod-
der i'm the fields was scattered to the
four corners of the earth. Over in
the Cumberland Valley the storm
was even more severe, and at Mechan-
icsburg churches, dwellings and barns
were blown to the ground. The lit
tie town of Middletown. also. as usual.
came in for its full share of the dam
| age.
A correspondent of the REGISTER at
! Harper's Ferry sends us the following
account of the work Of the storm at
that place
Friday, December 4th, will long be
remembered by the citizens OF this
place. Early yesterday morning the
wind was blowing very hard from the
east, and loud crash told us that the
span OF bridge over the Shenandoah
river had been blown down and part
of it carried some distance The 9TH
err spans had been taken away by the
flood two years ago. Between ten
| and eleven o'clock the storm increased
so much that people became alarmed.
States were flying off the houses, and
windows were breaking in in every
direction. Captain Doll, mayor, see
ing the chimney on the house where
We live reeling and swaying like a
drunken man, sent for our family to
come to his house for safety. We had
| hardly reached his door when the
wind became so violent as to tear off
part Of the roof OF Hotel Conner, and
then a dreadful crash came and large
back porch was torn down from the
house. We all thought the hotel was
| coming down. | never heard any
thing TO compare with the roar of the
wind at that time. Another crash
came and the roof on Mrs. Julia
Walsh's large and beautiful dwelling
and storeroom came tumbling down.
1t was carried some distance up Shen-
andoah street. At this time the street
was full of boards, bricks and tin
roofs, and there seemed danger Of the
house falling. The roof is off Mr..
Ames' house, Ditmyer's coal-shed is
badly damaged, house on High
street lost its roof, and many others
were damaged, but none so badly as
Hotel Conner and Mrs julia Walsh's.
Her house to-day presents a sad APP
pearance. About l o'clock a dark
cloud hung over the Ferry, and fears
were entertained of a cloudburst. The
rain poured down in sheets, and the
poor people without coverings on their
houses were in distress. As soon as
the wind Quoted down, which it did
almost as soon as it commenced rain
ing, kind friends, as soon as they
could get on Mrs. Walsh's house,
stretched oil-cloths, boards, and every
thing they could, over it to protect
her goods from the rain. Large bags
of sand were carried and placed on
the covering TO keep it from blowing
off. 1t was an awful thing TO witness
from first to last. | pray may never
see another storm like it. We didn't
get in our house until o'clock. In
the evening the sun came out and
cheered the hearts Of the poor, fright
ened ones, but it will long be remem-
bered as black Friday" for Har
per's Ferry. V. NJ.