The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-08-01
MOST SEVERE STORM
EVER EXPERIENCED
Damage to Fields and Gar
dens from Hail Cannot Be
Estimated Telephone
and Electric Light Com
panies Suffer and Power
Is Off Until Early This
MOrning-Quick Temper
ature Drop

A furious whirlwind, hail storm and
thunder storm swept over Brattleboro
village from west to east shortly after
1.30 o'clock yesterday afternoon, contin-
uing about 20 minutes and leaving de-
struction in its wake. 1t was, perhaps,
the most severe "twister'' this town has
ever experienced. blowing down not far
from 100 trees or large parts of trees
and literally covering the streets and
highways with carpet of leaves and
branches. Many of the trees were rot
ten and needed to be removed, but the
scene of devastation was none the less
impressive.
Hail and rain, which accompanied the
wind, caused a loss to the product OF
field and garden which cannot be esti-
mated. Many acres of corn were laid
fiat and some of it was riddled by hail
stones which fell in sufficient quantities
to whiten the ground. Tobacco fields in
nearby towns were laid waste, the
damage in this direction probably being
the most serious of all.
During the 20 minutes of the storms
duration half an inch of rain fell, but
not much damage was done to the streets.
1t was noticeable that those that had
been oiled suffered much less than others
that had not. Many of the hailstones
We're an inch in diameter. While the
storm was at its height the clouds were
so black that the time of day seemed like
late evening
The village was in darkness all night
because of the breaking of electric light
wires. Telephone service was seriously
crippled.
The highest temperature yesterday was
81 degrees The storm caused a decided
change, the mercury dropping Is degrees
in from 20 to so minutes During the
night the temperature went down to As
degrees.
Damage at Col. Estey's.
Three places in particular where dam
age was done to and by trees stand out
conspicuously. One was the spacious
grounds at Col j. Gray Estey's resi-
dence on School street, another was at
the point of land at the junction of Ma
pie street and Clark road, and third
was on the west side of the Manley
apartment brick building on High
street.
At Col Estey's the scene of despolia-
tion was perhaps the most notable Ten
trees were lost there, but the most val
uable were three large naples, two of
the silver variety, which stood near
each other north of the house Col Es-
tey stood on the east veTanda when
the storm was at its height, and was
an eye witness to the destruction One
half of tree on the east side was the
first to go. Then silver maple on the
north side was uproot ed and fell nros-
trate. The west tree of the two remain
ing i'll the group succumbed almost at
the same time and fell against the
other one, and the two struck the
ground together The lawn was badly
torn up and the root masses stood per-
pendicularly several feet high The
other trees were principally on the east
section of the premises, and trees which
remained standing lost several branches.
AT the junction of Maple street and
Clark road locust grove was almost
obliterated. % trees out of a total of
"a being uprooted and blown down This
grove rs owned by Lemuel Miller of
Lawrence Mass. The cottage on the
premises, occupied by Ephraim Bowie,
was struck by six of the falling trees.
1t was not damaged much, but it was
practically hidden from view
: a large white oak tree in the Crosby
grove, standing near the sidewalk west
of the Manley apartment building. was
blown against the building, the point of
contact being the edge of the fiat roof
The tree broke in two at that point and
the upper part fell on the roof A hole
was smashed in the top of the building
and a flood of water began pouring in
TO the opening, running down into the
upper apartment occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. George +. Barre and then into the
apartment below. occupied bv Attorney
Clarence NJ Miller and his mother, Mrs