The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-08-03
WORST HAIL STORM
IN MANY YEARS
=. YESTERDAY
Thousands Of Dollars Damage
to Growing Crops
GARDENS WHOLLY RUINED
Fail as Large as Marbles Covered the
Ground In Places Several
Inches Deep.
GARDENS WHOLLY RUINED

Men approaching their three score
years and ten who have passed all
their lives In town do not remember
having experienced such a hail storm
as struck this vicinity shortly before
4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. For up.
wards OF half an hour the air was full
OF hail the size OF marbles and after
the storm was over specimens OF ir.
regular shape were found that meas.
ured three-quarters OF an inch the Ion.
gest way.
There Is no way OF estimating the
damage 10 growing crops for every
person owning a garden patch within
the radius OF the storm is a sufferer.
Corn was literally cut 10 ribbons and
potatoes and grain OF all kinds were
badly damaged. The iOacre piece OF
corn ON the Colgate farm Is Nc only for
silo uses and the market garden OF
George Hummer. representing a years
work. is complete ruin. The storm
came with such force that such crops
as cucumbers. squashes. tomatoes and
beans were riddled as though they had
been fred upon with a battery OF shot.
guns Plants and flowers In the gar.
dens and upon the lawns about town
are a sorry sight this morning.
Fruit. other than the smaller kinds
like currents and berries did not ap.
parently suffer 90 any great extent
Apples have now reached such a size
that the hail did not cut them OF the
trees.
The hail descended with such force
that small birds were stunned and the
sidewalks about the village we're GOV.
cred with the leaves that the hail had
stripped from the shade trees.
In protected spots where the ground
was shaded from the direct rays Of the
sun which appeared a ossao snuhlheof
sun, which appeared as soon as the
storm had ceased. the hail lay TO a
depth OF several inches. After the
storm n crowd OF men and boys gath.
cred on North street and began snow.
balling each other with handsful OF
the hail and last evening the bars In
town were serving beer and ale from
coils cooled with packings OF hail.
a large amount OF damage 10 the crops
ice cream frozen with hail was ser.
we'd last evening for supper As late
as nine o'clock last evening people
found places where the hail could b.
gathered by the handful and one man
stated that there was a heap on his
piazza this morning fully n foot hlgh
that had run down the spout from the
cave troughs. Under the caves Of 81
Francis church last evening the hail
lay In windows over a foot high.
The storm was preceded by light.
ming one bolt striking a large tree In
the front yard Of $. Huling Blackmcr
az the Center but the hail vas the pre-,
dominant feature.
The storm was apparently narrow In
its range. the southern section Of the
village escaped and In SALISBURY.
while the rain came down In torrents.
there was no hail AZ the John Rob.
lnson farm there vas hardly a sprin.
kle and even ON South street there Vas
no damage 10 the gardens
one OF the heaviest losers in the vi.
lage II l.. &. Holton. the florist. who
places his damage az $3.50. The hail
broke about 30 lights Of glass In hts
greenhouse and cut some Of his bed.
ded stock In the house into pieces
The plants not under cover are nearly
complete loss. At the end Of the
deep gutter made by the junction OF
the two greenhouses there was a heap
Of hail from which Eve bushels were
shoyelcd aud placed In the rcfrigera.
tor
On the Jesse Robinson farm the
crops Of corn and potatoes we're com.
plcicly destroyed
George y. Davis. the market garden
~. escaped. as his place was outside
the lines Of the storm.