The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-15
CROPS SUFFERED GREATLY
VAST DAMAGE FROM WIND AND
RAIN STORMS THIS WEEK.
The Storm Was Most Severe In the Connect.
cut River Valley.

Boston, July 16.-Vast damage has re-
suited from the wind and rain storms Of
this week in New England. Growing
crops of all kinds have been injured to
the extent OF thousands Of dollars. The
storm was general and the damage was
equally distributed over the district from
New York to Maine.
The storm seems to have been the cul-
mfnation of the extended spell Of hot
weather, although In but few localities
was there any electrical manifestations
From repsrts received from all over
New England 1t seems that the storm
was most severe along the valley of the
Connecticut river, and that the storm
center moved slowly up the river from
New Haven to the Canadian line, being
central over Quebec late last night.
While to the south and east of the storm
center the southerly and southeasterly
winds reached the velocity OF gale.
The remarkable feature of the storm
was the tremendous downpour Of rain.
Such torrents Of water that have fallen
at New Haven. Hartford. Springfield and
throughout Vermont and New Hamp-
shire have not been experienced for many
years In many instances the rainfall
exceeded the average precipitations fol
q quarter Of q year.
Rivers, which had almost subsided
into brooks by the usual summer dry
ness, suddenly overfiowed their banks,
spreading out over the lowlands into
vast seas and sweeping or thousands
upon thousands of tons Of hay already
for the barns. Small brooks swelled
into mighty streams that carried away
bridges and small structures along their
banks.
Fruit trees were also greatly damaged,
being weighted down not only with the
growing crop, but with the heavy mois-
ture, and the wind in many cases broke
off great quantities Of green boughs.
Along the main lines of railroad traffic
was delayed almost as much as by a
heavy winters snow by reason Of num-
erous washouts and landslides.
The mosquito fleet, which at this time
Of the year fill every little inlet along the
coast, from New York to Eastport, have
suffered greatly through tugging and
straining at their cables. and not few
Of the boats went crashing into others
as they were driven upon the beach.
Half dozen OF the larger craft were
broken up on the rocks. Only the hard
lest of the coasting steamers ventured
out and those coming into port from the
eastward reported tempestuous time.
In fact, nearly every service was more
or less crippled telegraph. telephone,
railroad and steamboat lines, by this
summer shower, which developed into
a storm equalling a West Indian hurri-
cane. And 1t will be many days before
New England will have recovered from.
the effects Of the blow.
The heavy storm prevailed with almost
uniform severity throughout Connecti-
cut. In New Haven during 30 hours
rain fell to the extent of 7.51 inches. In
Hartford, at Trinity college, a rainfall
Of 9.14 inches was recorded. At Derby
over inches fell. Crops in various sec
tions are badly damaged and In some
instances ruined. The highways are
dangerously washed, and all rivers are
greatly swollen. Factories In various
portions of the state have been COM
PEELED to shut down. Railroads have ex-
perienced considerable difficulty. The
most serious railroad washout occurred
ut Brooksvale on the Northampton d.
vision OF the New York. New Haven and
Hartford railroad. The tracks were un-
dermined I'm sections over a stretch OF a
mile, and trafYic was crippled for IL
houra