Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-07-25
A GREAT STORM.
A Cyclone Visits Observation-Disclosures
Rainfall and Flooded Streams.

| herdSt0Wn folks nave no recollecUlon OF
storm as severe as the one that swept
over this section last Saturday after
noon, and the older citizens have to 60
way back "before the war to find
parallel. Saturday morning was un-
usually hot, the mercury hanging
about 90. At one o'clock the Their
mometer hanging at the second-story
window of the REGISTER building, in
the shade, registered 100 degrees above
zero. Clouds began to boil up in the
west, and storm passed north. About
three o'clock the clouds thickened and
concentrated over Shepherdstown, and
a storm of cyclonic fury swept over the
place. Brilliant flashes of lightning
were followed by crashing thunder
and twisting, furious gale of wind
swept torrents of rain and sprinkling
of hail in every direction. The storm
ragged about an hour, and from begin
ming to end was Of severity seldom
known in this valley.
Torrents of rain fell during the storm
and the cutters soon Overfowed, food
ing the streets But the worst flood
came later in the evening, after the
storm was over, when Shepherdstown
became sort of Johnstown. Soon
after five o'clock the people living
along Princess and Mill streets saw
wall of water, not dangerously large
but well defined, rushing down upon
them, and in few brief moments these
streets were raging torrents. 1t was
the water from the territory south Of
town, and came from the Sandy Ridge
neighborhood and the country west of
the Kearneysville pike. The run was
utterly inadequate to carry it off. On
the two streets named the water spread
from curb to curb and in many places
swept over the pavements, flooding the
cellars, Easements and in some cases
the first floors of the houses. 1t came
so suddenly that there was no time to
remove the property, and some persons
sustained considerable damage. The
gardens in the lower end of town were
covered with "a couple Of feet of water,
and the owners are bewailing the loss
Of their vegetables,
The cyclonic wind played havoc
with the fruit and shade trees about
Shepherdstown. Some Of the most
beautiful shade trees in the town were
destroyed. In Elmwood Cemetery
there was much damage, but it Is
something to be thankful for that it
was no worse. Some of the oInamen-
tai trees there were uprooted, others
had the tops twisted Oft, while some
lost great limbs. A few tombstones
were blown over, but none was broken.
In the Episcopal church-yard three Of
the finest trees were ruined and others
injured. At the rectory and at Z. IL.
Remnants and H. w. Potts's the shade
trees were badly broken. Trees IN
front of DR.. Reynolds and Henry
Shepherds houses were blown down,
damaging the iron fences. J, W, b.
Frazier lost beautiful sugar maple.
Fine young trees were broken down at
Mrs. Ella Billmyer's, Mrs. Ray $, Mrs
Hunters, and L. w. Pofenberger's.
The evening accommodation train
got stuck just south of town about $50
clock. An old culvert that had been
filled up was undermined by the water
Engineer Pentz Siler got his locomo-
tive safely over it, but the rails broke
under the baggage car, leaving the
front part Of the car on one side OF
the hole and the rear part on the other.
The engine pushed forward short
distance, when it was found that the
torrents Of water that poured down
the valley had thrown out Of line seven
or eight hundred feet Of track. A
large number Of repair hands were
summoned and put to work, and by
one o'clock the same night the trains
got through. The work was finished
up on Monday,
We have never seen Princess and
Mill streets as deeply flooded. Heavy
slabs and logs, cross-ties and other
drift Aoated down the streets as if
they were rivers. At some places
deep holes were washed in the streets
and the roadbed swept away. Great
quantities of broken stone were swept
down into the ravine at the old mill.
The corporation authorities began the
work of repairs the first of the week
and hauled most of the stone back. It's
needless to say that the streets were
made clean.
There was a cyclone at R. D. Sbep-
herds Wild Goose farm-the first
storm, that passed around Shepherds
-. ,,,,obar oF +ba MAGNIFICENT