The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-25
HEAVY DAMAGE DONE.
Thousands Of Squares Of Glass Destroyed
By the Worst Hail Storm Ever
Known-.-South Sides Of Buildings
Smashed by Stones of Fabulous
Size..Storm Elsewhere.

Athol, June 24.--The worst and most
destructive hail storm ever known in
northwestern Worcester county struck
Athol at $40 o'clock this afternoon, ami
before the hail ceased falling, damage
to the extent of several thousand of
dollars had resulted to property. Pedes-
TRANS sought shelter from the fury of
the storm in every available place.
Reports from the outlying districts
are meagre, and it is not known to-
night how much damage was done in
the nearby towns, but it is feared it will
be great, judging from its severity here.
There was scarcely any warning that
a record breaking hail storm was upon
the citizens until sheets of ice fell upon
the town from seemingly rain-ladsn
clouds, Smashing glass in various parts
of the town dispelled this delusion.
The storm was a hummer. 1t lasted
but about ten minutes, but in its wake
there was much wreckage.
While glass was broken in large guam
titles in many buildings, the most seri-
Gus loss was at Lees shoe shops and the
Opera House
AT Lees shops fully 1000 squares of
glass were broken and the inmates of
the big building were given a mighty
scare. Glass few in every direction and
it seemed for time that the buildings
were beseiged with Calling guns. When
the storm ceased, the amount of broken
glass about the buildings was almost
fabulous. At the Athol Opera House,
every square inch of glass on the south
side of the building was destroyed.
The furious hail came from the south
and beat down everything breakahle
in its path, glass as much as quar-
ter of an inch in thickness being read
lily broken by great balls of ice.
Never has there anything ever eN en-
approached today's hail storm. Balls
of crystalized moisture fell, from six
to nine inches in circumference, and
hail stones as big as hens eggs" sank
into insignifcance.
The south side of the Summit house
presented a sorry sight.
The Eagle Furniture Company SUI
fered heavily and hundreds of panes
of glass were broken and other damage
done to the building.
Bates Brothers wallet shop was
badly damaged and hardly a square
of glass was left on the side of the
building which was storm swept.
The Academy of Music was pititul
sight, and it will require several hum
dreds of dollars to make it good.
The greenhouse of James sutherland,
one of the finest in town, is almost
complete wreck, and it is estimated
that upwards of 1900 panes of glass
were broken and much damage done
to the contents of the crystal DuildlnS
White & Raymond's sash and plind
shops are heavy losers, and the dar.-
age will reach into the thousands
Many other buildings about town are
badly damaged but cannot be enumcr-
ated at this time.
The damage to shade trees, arc
fruit trees cannot be estimated, out
will be large, while the damage 10
garden truck in general is very heavy
But little hail fell in the upper vi
lage, but there was a water spout. me
streets were deluged and washed tear-
fully, and it is estimated that sever ID
hundred dollars damage resulted