Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-05-12
DEVASTATION.
Veritab|e Cyclone Sweeps
Through Belgrade and Sidney
Barns Without Number Razed to the
Ground--Live Stock Killed.
Forests Cut Into BY Hurricane Damage Runs
Into Many Thousands.

The cyclone which swept through the
central part of Maine. late SUNDAY
afternoon. was the worst that has Wis
tied that section of the State,and was
the cause of thousands of dollars worth
OF damage to property. as well as the
loss of considerable live stock. Luck
ily, however, not one human life was
sacrificed, nor have any serious inju-
ries been reported
The stnym came from the extreme
northwest and travelled in an almost
southerly course. and was accompanied
by thunder and lightning and in many
places by torrents of rain It's path
was about mile in width. and it seems
to have expended the greater part OF
It's energy in the villages along the line
from Pennington to Augusta. for there
was the most damage done.
IT was about O'Clock when the
storm burst. and people living in the
section where II ragged In all its fury.
say that the Imagination cannot pict-
urc the terrific power Of the blast that
preceded it. Everything bowed before
il. Trees We're snapped like reeds. or
torn up by the roots. and the crash OF
falling barns and other buildings. with
the wild roar of the thunder, was sim
ply awful. 1t seemed for a few mo-
ments that pandemonium had broken
loose.
The towns of West Sidney and Bel
grade seemed to have suffered the most
from the storm. and ruin is visible on
every side. a Journal man visited the
former place. Monday forenoon. for the
purpose Of learning particulars, and
found the damage to be worse than
first stated.
After leaving Augusta. on the Bel
grade road, few traces of the tempest :
fury were noticed, save an occasional
chimney in the dooryard or PROSTATE
section of fence. but after leaving
Brackets Corner, and taking the
Middle road to Sidney. there was
evidence enough Freshly cut timber
piled by the roadside showed where
great trees had fallen across the high
way. while through the woods that
border the east side Of the road were
cut great swaths. filled with prcstrate
and broken trees. felled as evenly as if
they had been cut with scythe
Fences were down everywhere and in
orchards along the way, twisted and
broken fruit trees furnished mute wit
nesses to the power of the elements.
No serious damage to property was
noticed until West Sidney was reached
Here the wind held high carnival. and
within a radius of one mile and a half
no less than 20 barns and parts of
dwellings were razed to the ground.
Probably the most damage done was
on the Hannah Woodward farm. Two
large barns were totally demolished.
ana HNe SIduc Jersey cattle, three
heifcrs and two bulls. were crushed to
death. Parts of the barns were car
ricd nearly 100 yards from where they
stood
Harrison Hill had a narrow escape
from death at that place. To get in
out of the rain he drove into one barn.
just before it fell. and had barely time
to reach the other before the first
crashed to the ground. 1t was quickly
followed by the second and Mr.. Hill
and his team were imprisoned by fall
ing timbers. He crawled out unin-
jured. and the horse was also rescued
Other damage done in West Sidney
was as follows: A barn and shed be-
longing to Henry Trask were un-
rooted and the chimney on the house
blown down. Marccllus Blaisdells
barn and shed were blown fiat and
wrecked. Mrs. Robinson
barn, near Sidney Corner, was blown
down, as was one owned by Joseph