Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-21
WORST HAIL STORM
|NCOUNTY HISTORY
YESTERDAY EVENING
HAIL STONES FELL AS
LARGE AS A HEN EGG

i Destructive Storm Sweeps Along the
4 Famous Apple Pie Ridge and From
There to the Mountain-Thousand
of Barrels of Apples Are Ruined and
I Corn Crops Laid Low, EntaiIing a
+ Loss Assresating Thousands of Dol.
I lars.
One of the most disastrous hail
storms in the history of Berkeley
county-some say the worst since the
memorable storm in 1857-occurred
/ Wednesday evening between and 5
i o'clock running fruit crops along the
famous Apple Pie Ridge, telling corn
crops to the ground and doing other
damage aggregating thousands of dol
lars. Stretching from above Ger
rardstown to the Potomac river on
the north, a distance of over ten or
twelve miles, and from Apple Pie
Ridge to the mountain on the west
and even beyond it, all is now DESC
lation where there was the prospect
of abundant fruit and corn crops be-
fore.
The hail storm Immediately follow
ed an unusually heavy downpour of
/ rain and lasted only about Is minutes,
then came a second heavy shower of
I rain.
/ While the hail storm was of com
/ paratively short duration, it was
frightful to behold and appalling in
+ it's consequences. Hail stones rang
/ ing in size from a small marble to a
hen egg fell with terrific force, cut
ting apples and pears from trees and
corn ears from the stalk as though
/ done with a knife Where the de-
| struction was the greatest the hail
stones were not only remarkable for
their size but their odd shape, not be-
ing cylindrical as usual, but being of
all sorts of add shapes resembling
broken pieces of glass and quite as
sharp. At some places west of town
directly =, in the pathway of the hail
storm, these huge pieces of ice were
driven through panes of glass in
houses with the force of cannon
shot, terrifying the inmates.
While the hail was carrying de-
struction in its wake over an area
miles in extent, the wind blew gale
as if to complete the destruction.
Large trees were uprooted, fences
blown down and corn already cut to
shreds by the hail stones was laid
fiat to the ground, pandemonium seem
ingly having been turned loose in the
elements.
Apple Crops Ruined
Among the heaviest losers by the
hail storm in the countys famous APP
pie belt were Thatcher brothers, Tay-
lor Catrow James Smith, II. Lott
Smith, Jacob Catrow, John Miller,
Robert S. Horner, Dr. Clifford Sperow
Homer Small, George Sperow. DIR. S.
I N. Myers, ]. r. Poland, and j. e.
! Thrasher and the Buck Hill and High
land orchards, the latter two being
back of Gerrardstown. Thousands of
barrels and apples and pears were cut
by hail and knocked to the ground. A
large percentage of these apples will
only be ft for cider or vinegar.
The individual losses, much less the
aggregate loss are not now obtainable
Homer Smalls loss is placed at $1,000,
John Miller at about $4,000. Taylor Ca
trows at $500 and James Smith & Son
at $4,000. The Buck Hill Orchard Co.
lost 500 barrels of apples and 1000
barrels of pears, estimated, involving
a money loss that will reach $500.
Messrs. Poland and Thrasher, this
city, estimate their loss at not less
than $4,000.
Storm Notes.
/ Mr.. James Smith, southwest of
/ town, says it will take $35 worth of
window glass to replace those broken
in his house. Such was the force of
/ the storm that the hail stones even
broke the window shutters on the ex-
posed part of the house.
4 In places between the ridge and the
mountain hail covered the ground like
snow.
]. w. Barrett who Is also pretty
heavy loser as to fruit, corn, etc, was
out in the storm some distance from
home, driving an open wagon. He got
4 two ugly cuts on the head from the
/ large hail stones.
! John Hess, along the mountain, says
a dozen of his chickens were killed by
the hail and every pane of glass in
his house was broken.
( Michael Butts had apples at market
this morning that gave evidence of
having been in the storm as they were
full of holes. His corn was riddled.
/ John Ridenour showed at market a
piece of his wagon top that had been
knocked out by a hail stone.
The hail played havoc with gar
den and field vegetables.
The storm seems to have started at
the gap above Gerrardstown and swept
north along the mountain beyond He'd
gesvilfe, its path being over ten miles
long and from one to three miles wide.