Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1917-06-14
Hail Causes Heavy Loss.
Wheat and Corn Ruined In
Storm Areas.

Storm Areas.
News from the various districts ovel
which passed the hail storm last week
Indicate that practically everything
growing has been ruined.
In this section of Frederick county
three distinct lines Of hail passed across
the State Road leading from Emmitsbure
to Frederick City. At Mt. st. Mary's
four miles north of Thurmont, one oil
these hail currents crossed the road, this
crossing the mountains from the west
and from the vicinity of Sabillasville.
About mile from this latter place the
hail and rain passed through the farms
of Mr.. VIM. o. Wertenbaker and John
Miller. Mr.. Wertenbaker states that
his Sc acres of wheat is entirely gone,
the corn badly damaged and the fields
almost ruined from washing, deep gut
tiers being torn through them.
In passing across the mountains the
farms of Mr.. Daniel Roddy at Mt. St.
Mary's were struck. More than 100 acres
of wheat and about 80 acres of corn,
large potato patches. garden and fruit,
were totally destroyed, the loss being es-
timated at $1,000. Other farmers along
the path of the storm suffered heavy
losses also.
To the south of Thurmont and in the
vicinity of Lewistown another of these
storms crossed the pike. This storm
probably was the same which struck
Wolfsville and ruined everything in that
in that end of Middletown valley.
Mr. Chas j. Remsburg, Harry Stull,
Chas. Rice and many others have lost all
their wheat crop, the fields now looking
yellow and like stubble fields. So great
was the force of the hail that trees have
much of the bark peeled off. The third
current crossed in the vicinity of Har-
mong Grove several miles north of Fred
e.ick city. The loss to each farmer will
be from one to three thousand dollars de-
pending upon the wheat and corn acreage.
This hail storm is the second to pass
over Nj. St. Mary's, the other being
about % years ago al the time corn was
vel cared.
In Carroll County, it is said 60 square
miles Of the county was ruined by the
storm.
In Washington county thousands of
acres OF wheat was destroyed.
Hagerstown appeared to be in the CEN
ter Of the storm with breadth of several
miles on either side. The earliest reports
from the county around indicated that
tie damage was unusually heavy, but
later reports show that in sections devas-
tation was the worst ever known. Whole
fields of wheat was stripped bare, the
heads being cut off by the hailstor es like
knives. Corn fields were ruined. gardens
cut to pieces. fruit trees stripped CT
fruit anc leaves end widespread ruin was
left in the wake of the storm.
The storm extended westward to the
east field on Tammany farm, the home
CT Col. C. A. Little, near Williamsport
and to the north as far as the far edge
of the Fairgrounds ana the Country Club.
The course was thence southwark toward
Vaudeville and Boonsboro through as
fertile section as the county can boast,
now wide ruin.
The fall of hail apparently was heavi-
est through the center of Hagerstown
and after the storm people walked upon
a mass of stones from two to four Or five
inches thick upon the pavements and
streets.
The city staggered under the blow like
a reed. The crash of the elements roar
ed like the seven furies turned loose with
the falling of hail rafting like artillery
fire. Nothing like the magnitude OF the
hail in quantity and size has ever seen
by tie oldest living resident of Hagers-
town. People said they had read and
heard of enormous hailstones and the
wreck and ruin these storms have wrought
but in all their lives they had no. been
brought face to face with the reality ike
this section experienced
The storm left Hagerstown stricken
and practically stripped with scarcely a
home that escaped damage. Thousands
of windows were shattered, heavy sky
lights broken, tin and metal roofs pune
tured until they resembled sleeves through
which water poured in volumes flooding
houses; window shutters broken and