The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-08-30
"A Clinton Democrat oorresnondenl

"A Clinton Democrat correspondent
gives the following description of the eff
fects Of the great storm of the 10Th ins
in Lebanon township and vicinity:
One OF the sevcrest storms ever witne =
ed in the neighborhool was that of Sat
urday. The storm which Travelled about
the same tract in 1881 was far less severe
than this.
About p. NJ. there was gathering over
the Changewater vicinity an ominous
mass Of dark clouds The thicker and
faster they gathered, the darker and more
convulslve they became. They rolled like
paper in whirlpool. Everybody here
who was watching them agreed that there
was destructive storm with hail. So it
proved 10 be; for soon the clouds opened
"a veritable cloudburst. Its march of
devastation was across Newport, Wood.
glen, Anthony, Bunnval, Puddle, Califon;
thence over the mountain toward the Or
ange range. 1t extended about four
miles wide-from a mile and half of
here aud to the late Elias Cregar's farm
beyt MI the Puddle.
The Warren county peach orchards and
corn fields opposite Changewater were
completely ridded. The water came
down Changewater hill road in such vol
umes that the roadway was soon render
ed useless for travel. On one side, on
which ran the little stream which gather
ed from Freebooter Prall's spring there is
now o ditch twelve feet deep the entire
length OF the hill, and which 10 several
places must be filled before travel on the
hill will be safe-so much of the side of
the road was taken away. The stone
arch across in the fiat of the road was
soon filed with stone and dirt, and then
the water took its course down the road,
tearing it up as far as the Stewart resi-
dence aud Mr.. Bowers stone house, The
bridge will have to be almost newly built,
and to open the closed end of the lue
will cost almost as much as a new bridge
entire.
The damage to the roads in different
parts OF Lebanon township will reach
$500 as it will take nearly that much to
put them back into passable condition.
Peach orchards are all damaged. Cal.
vim Hill, at Changewater hill, estimates
the damage to his peaches, corn and
buckwheat at 81, 900. Peter Cashier and
VIM. V. Prall have about the same extent
OF loss; and it must be about the same all
along the line OF the storm across the
township. The apples were oil much
bruised, which will cause q light crop.
Buckwhest all lies flat to the ground
At Califon the hail broke many win
dow panes, and tore the peach.trees and
corn fields in every direction : James
Trimmer loses not only some 600 has,
kets of peaches, but his fine orchard, which
is hopelessly ruined. Hail fell and was
storm swept into such heaps that it was
yet to be seen in places on Monday.
One OF worst losers on peaches seems
to have been Charles b. Alpaugh, of near
Cokesbury, whose promising crop of TO-
600 baskets is utterly destroyed.
During this storm hois. OF Andrew
Slater, near Port Golden, was killed by
lightning in field.
The barn OF James Everitt, near, Plea
SAINT Grove, was burned by lightning with
its contents.
Lightning struck Chas. o. Smiths barn,
in Junction, but did little damage.
A cyclone swept through Somcrville,
the same evening and spread havoc in lis
path. 1t burst in all Its fury about 6
o'clock. Wind, rain and hail fell upon
the town all at once, and the terrible
storm lasted for half an hour before its
violence abated.
The hail fell in sheets, and in a few
minutes it was piled up in drifts from six
to eight inches deep. The rain came
down in torrents, aud at the end of ten
minutes after the first big drops fell the
streets were turned into rivers. The WA
ter in front of the depot stood a foot deep.
| The railroad tracks were completely COW
| cred and lost to sight for half mile either
way.
The furious wind stripped the trees Of
their foliage. Houses were unroofed,
| and their splntered fragments strewn in
streets and fields. The three.story brick
building occupied by Tunison Sc Losey as
a wholesale provision store house was en-
tirely unroofed Corn fields were blown
down, and the fruit crop was almost en-.
tirely destroyed. The area of the storms
devastation covered the whole town.
Every Qlaizer in Somerville and all that
could be procured from other places were
at work nearly all last week repairing the
windows which were broken during Sat
urdays haistorm 1t is estimated that
more than ten thousand panes OF glass
were broken in Somerville alone. The
total | oss in the vicinity will be more
than $75, 900.
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