Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-05-26
Severe Storm.

Severe Storm.
A severe thunder storm passed over
this section last Thursday afternoon
about six o'clock. There was heavy
fall of rain, accompanied by a strong
wind, and the vivid lightning and
crashing peals Of thunder frightened
timid persons very much. Lightning
struck the barn of Mr.. VIM. H. Byers,
southwest of town, and knocked hole
in the gable end. The barn was filled
with smoke, but fortunately was not
set afre. The same stroke leaped
from the barn to a corncrib nearby,
and killed hog that was in the pen
beneath. In the Swan Pond neigh
borhood there was some damage by
the wind and rain to the growing
wheat, and many trees were blown
down. Part Of the roof of the barn
Of Mr. ?. H. Welshans was blown off,
and fencing and small buildings laid
low.
During the storm the great old white
oak tree a mile south of town, on the
Selby farm, along the Charlestown
pike, was blown down and almost en-
tirely destroyed. 1t has been land
mark for many years, and was known
as "the money tree" During the
civil war, the story goes, paymaster
in the Union army hid large sum Of
money, said to be between sixty and
seventy thousand dollars, under this
tree. When he was called to give an
accounting he said the money had
been taken from him by Confederate
soldiers. His story was discredited,
and he was tried, found guilty Of
stealing the money, and sent to the
peuitentiary. He served his time
about five years-and when he was
released from prison he came straight
TO the old tree and dug up the money,
which he had buried at the foot OF the
tree in a box. The incident created
considerable excitement at the time,
but the paymaster covered up his
tracks so well that the only evidence
Of his midnight visit was the hole in
the ground under the tree. He may
yet be living on his ill-gotten gains
for aught we know. The ground had
been plowed over time and again, the
men who farmed the land little dream
ing Of the treasure that was so near to
them. The tree had recently become
hollow and had been taken possession
Of by colony of bees. The old oak
will be missed by those who travel
this road.
The storm was very much more Sc
we're to the north Of us than in the i'm
mediate neighborhood of Shepherds
town. In Washington county, crops
were injured by hail and buildings
damaged at several points. The
Charlestown Adcocote tells Of the dam
age in the southern part Of the coun-
tv. At Summit Point the storm was
worst in its violence. The large new
barrack of Mr.. Elisha Locke, which
was 7Ox35, and only completed a few
months ago, was blown down; long
courthouse of Mr.. George R. Grim was
upset and now lies on its side The
ratters on the new house of Mr. Joseph
Duncan Were blown oil; one-halt-of
the ROOT on the east slde OF lAe Ldhue
barn was blown off, and nearly all
lines of rail fencing running east and
west were leveIed to the ground. The
wheat Is all down, likewise heavy
grass. We learn that on the old Lee
Griggs place, recently purchased by
Mr.. Robert Boyd, that the timber was
moved down and numbers Of large
trees all around in the vicinity were
uprooted. 1t is the worst storm which
has visited the county since May,
1890, when we had a cyclone, accom-
panied with hail, which destroyed
everything.