Middletown transcript., 1912-07-27
HURRICANE OF WIND AND RAIN
Widespread Damage Done Farm
Buildings and Crops

Since 1880 there has been no such tel
rife wind and rain storm in this State a
that of Sunday last The damage fo farm
buildings, fences, crops and trees wal
very general, though unequal, from Dove
I'D to Wilmington. Several showers had
marked the day, until about o'clock P
NJ, when the brief return of the sun
shine was followed by clouds which in the
west grew very dark. On a sudden, the
wind from the west began to roar, and
the rain poured down in torrents. The
force of the wind in places in the country
was very great, though it did not strike
the town with the same vioIence-doIng
slight damage beyond topping few trees
and blowing down few old and weak
ened ones. The wind storm seemed to
proceed in forks, lines Of greater destruc-
tionbeing shown, wherein some farms were
badly hit, while in other places in be-
tween, far less damage was done.
Scores of farmers suffered more or less
injury to buildings or crops. The follow.
ing are some of the most notable in
stances. On Mr.. Cowgirl Alston's farm
near Middletewn, a silo was entirely
wrecked, his apple orchard stripped, the
tops Of his wheat stacks blown off and
fencing leveled. To quote his own words,
''Things looked more like wilderness
than farm" Mr.. Patrick Maoney on
the W.P Biggs farm had several build
ings blown down. Mr.. Maxey Bland on
the Maxwell farm, had some II big trees
blown down. both shade and apple trees.
One large tree nearby, was uprooted and
fell only few feet away from the house
itself, smashing the fence. Two fine fields
of corn were laid fiat, and the blades of
the taller stalks whipt into ribbons, and
the wheat shocks uncapped and blown
over, as indeed were those of every farm
er's field exposed to that fearful storm.
AS illustrating the tremendous force of
the wind, Mr.. Bland says big hickory
tree on his line fence to the west, was
twisted at the trunk as though it had been
a mere sapling! On one of tie Cazier
farms above the canal, occupied by Mr..
Thomas Clay, the barn and sheds were
blown down; on another place farmed by
Mr.. Samuel Austen, several building
we're demolished. Mr.. Isaac T. Shaw, on
Mr.. ]. B. Foards place near Pivot Bridge,
had all the windows in his house blown
in, and only a stout silver maple in front
of the dwelling, saved it from being:de-
stroy On DR.. E. 6. Clark's farm on
Bohemia River, tenanted by Mr.. Richard
H. White, one. half the barn was unroofed
and gable end knocked out, and wagon
sheds and fences blown down. An old
brick dwelling house. built of bricks
brought from England over 200 years ago
was partly blown down. Mr.. Bonldsn,
on Dr. Diapers farm near Middletown,
had a number, OF buildings damaged, as
also did Mr.. Walker on his place near St.
Georges. On the Sites farm near Muir
pheys Mill, Mr.. Burton Donovan suffered
pretty severely in buildings and fences
&c. On Mr.. F. j. Penington's farm near
Odessa, large trees were uprooted and
some buildings blown down. Near Arm
strongs, on the Nowland farm, newly
built wagon shed was totally destroyed.
The farm OF Mr.. James Warren near Mt.
Pleasant, was severely hit. Big trees were
blown over, one of them falling where
but a few minutes before Mr.. Julian
Cleaver's automobile was standing.
In Odessa the trees lining Main street
were so largely shorn OF their limbs that
it was impossible to drive though the
street, or TO: the same reason, to reach
the wharf where the steamer Clio was
anchored.
1t is said the damage done towards the
West, in Maryland whence the storm
came, was even more severe than here in
Delaware. Stories are told of huge tree
trunks twisted off like bushes, houses on
the Bohemia River blown into kindling
wood-Wheat shocks scattered over the
fields and corn laid fat on the ground.
The most serious damage is that done to
the crops, especially to the corn, for
though the leveled stocks have partly
risen again, the blades whipt into strings
mean permanent injury to the growing
corn which will, one farmer says, show a
shortage OF 20 bushels to the acre on that
account alone.