The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-07-03
WORST HAIL STORM
In THIRTY YEARS
Lightning Struck in Several
Places in Town.
@. b. DICKINSON KNOCKED DOWN,
Bolt Sc, Fire to His House on Clark
Street but Flames Were Quickly Ex'
tinguished-Haii Stones Actually as
Large as English walnuta

one Of the worst storms that has
| visited this section since 1863 accord
ing 10 old Inhabitants with good memo
fies broke over this town yesterday
afternoon. Rain fell Ia torrents, light
ming played havoc and hailstones AZ
big as English walnuts Chat no ex
aggeration) pclted everything that was
not under cover. Few people in town
pretend TO remember such a hail storm
The icy pellets began TO fall shortly
before o clock and continued from
20 minutes 10 half hour. As the
storm continued the stones increased
in size, breaking windows and skylights,
tearing gardens into shfeds aud ruin
ing flower beds and shrubs. On Main
street the hail was 80 thick at one time
that IL could be taken up In shoyelinls,
and ON the depot platform IL literally
covered the plankng. The hail was
accompanied by almost continuous
thunder and lightning, Binding flash.
es came at intervals Of few seconds,
causing vivid pyrotechnic displays ON
telephone wires and poles. Lightning
struck in several places throughout the
town, and the deluge OF rain tore up
the highways on every hill. The Twin
State Gas and Electric company esti'
mates its damage Mt fully $500.
The strange thing about the storm
was the fact that IL was confined almost
wholly to Brattleboro. In Dummerston
no hail and little rain fell. Similar
conditions prevailed in Vernon. In
West Brattleboro the hail was much
smaller, while on Ames hill and DUN.
merston hill there was no storm TO
speak of.
During the storm lightning struck c.
b. Dickinson s honse on Clark street,
setting fire to the contents Of a closet
and knocking Mr.. Dickinson to the
floor. The bolt evidently entered the
northeast corner of the ell, tearing of
the slate, ripping of clapboards and
hurting a facia-b board into an adioin'
ing garden. Ii then passed through
the closet and set fire to several rolls
Of paper and some clothing, continuing
down the chimney and passing out by
the way of the cellar after ripping off
plastering over the kit
chen stove. The fire was put out by
Mrs. Dickinson before the arrival of the
which was summoned by Mrs.
II. NJ. Hood. Mr.. Dickinson was stand.
ing in the kitchen door when the flash
came. lie was thrown down in front
Of the sink and does not know just
how long he lay there. AS soon as he
recovered he sent Gretchen Goldsmith
% the home of her parents where Mrs.
Dickinson was calling and then pumped
/ pail of water with which to fight the
ire in the closet. When Mrs. Diekin-
son arrived the fire had gained consid-
,rable Roadway but it was put out by
-apid work. The damage was about
$50.
Lightning struck a tree on Williams
street and knocked down one of the
lorses attached to a wagon belonging
o the Crystal Springs Ice company.
\ limb fell from the tree and smashed ,
he top of the cart but the driver, Tru-
nan Barnes, was not injured. A bolt !
lso connected with the chimneys on .
he Brattleboro House, while others ,
truck on Frost street, Pleasant street I
nd in II. II. Winchester pasture. A
all pine tree on the Dutton farm near 7
he road leading to Dummerston sta =
ion was split its entire length. The !
rec was one of the last of the old y
rowth of pine and landmark in that !