The Penn's Grove record., 1911-07-28
A DESTRUCTIVE HAIL STORM
Several Farmers Have Great Losses.

An exceedingly heavy electrical storm
accompanied with hail passed over this
region last Friday and did much damage
to growing crops in some localities. The
sky was so darkened that a light was
needed to set type in the printing office
and the dark rolling clouds were terroii-
zing between 1.30 and 2 80 o'clock.
The hail fell over the territory extend
ing along the Delaware river from the
Penns Neck canal to beyond Penn's
Grove and south-easterly along Salem
creek for ten miles to the h~ead-waters
beyond Woodstown. Rain fell in a tar
rent Tor several minutes and the clatter
OF the hail made a depressing tune for
farmers whose labor for four months was
destroyed i'll fifteen minutes.
The hail stones were small at Penn's
Grove and did no damage. The heaviest
fell on a territory from Carney's Point to
the County Almsllouse two miles beyond
Sharptown.
Joseph B. Friant's garden near Wrights
school house appeared as if cut with a
hoe. The worst rain OF hail then divid-
ed.
The worst streak began falling on
George Biddle Wright's at Long Bridge
and cut vegetation woefully along the
back road to Courses Landing to beyond
Auburn-Salem road. Another destruc-
tive sheet OF ice began at Hawks bridge
and cut the farms along the Haines neck
road to Halltown. Farmers had SOM
crops damage worse THAI others. Some
of the farmers in Pilesgrove and Man
nington along the road from Woodstown
past the Almshouse sustained heavy
damages.
Some Of the farmers in Upper Penns
Neck who met with the worst losses were |
Biddle Wright, James Moore, Kate l..
Hewitt, Elmer Dubois, Gideon C. Dol
bow, Harvey Reed, John Bishop, Jr., on
the Summeriil farm, John Brandriff,
Charles Thompson, William Sparks, Capt.
H. 0. Weber, William Whitsell.
COlllS VI buUS6 WIZ HIcb MlbH bll6 ST6db-
es loses on Warrington side OF the creek
were Joel Jenkins, Jr. on the Ramsey
farm at Hawks bridge Peter Burris on
Kate L. Hewitt's farm, w. Thomas
Laud, Jr, Daniel Jaquett, Frank C.
Dolbow, David Dixon.
The hail stones were as large as hens
o,6 DC larro oro,,nd nc, oil ,ar dollars |
Some were 81 inches in circumference
Biddle. Wright measured ice 81 inches
in circumference half an hour after the
passed. Stones were numerous
which could not be spanned around.
During the gust lightning struck the
small farm on Jos. j. SummerilPs small
farm at Georgetown cross roads. Part of
the roof and weather boards on one end
were torn off.
In some places the leaves on the toma-
to vines were stripped off and the vines
appear like woody stems. Corn stalks
were stripped Of the blades and in some
places the stalks were cut off or broken
and in other places the wind blew it flat
the ground. Tomatoes were mashed
and torn from the vines and water mel
ons were dented and plugged. The hail
old rails and posts of the out
side decaying tissues and wherever the
DIT of ice struck a light spot appeared.
1t was the most destructive hailstorm
that has fell on this county for several
years.
Henry w. Austin's near Woodstown,
Ehoes crops we're cut badly, had a barrel
in the yard. After the storm was
,ver seven inches of water stood in it.
rhe torrents Of water washed great gull
les in the new state road now building
n Warrington and Pilesgrove. 1t will
axe S $1,000 to replace the dirt.
The record of rainfall in Wilmington
vas LII inches aud on the previous
was LIS, a total rainfall of 2.96
inches last week, in this region.