Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-23

ana IN one case d uOVe was seen tc
be stripped of its feathers by the
furious wind. The wind storm was
accompanied by rain and after the
wind ceased it continued to rain fol
q few minutes and then the weather
cleared and the suns hone on the
wreckage of the tornado. Everyone
who had an automobile or could pos
sibIy commander one got out as
soon as possible to see the sights and
although their progress was checked
in many places by fallen trees, they
turned around and made their way
by some outhe streets.
The fire department called its men
together at the Central Fire station
and went out in details to see to the
clearing of the streets SO that should
a fire occur, the fire department
would not be impeded and the city
endangered by blocked streets
The damage to the beautiful trees
of Waterville cannot be computed in
dollars and cents. The heaviest dam
age seems. as far as can be seen, to
be on Elm, Pleasant, College avenue
and Western avenue. Naturally there
is more or less damage on other
oughfares where the wind got hold of
tree and twisted it off few feet
above the ground. Elm street seemed
mass of fallen trees at the first
glimpse aftcf the storm. Beginning
at Western avenue, a large tree on the
lawn of Jesse Whitcomb was split in
half and went crashing across the
street into the dooryard of James
Coombs. Another at Harry Stanhopes
was torn apart and fell acr'ss to
George Leighton's. The rest of the
street was strewn with big broken
limbs until at the corner of School
street on the lawn of Mrs. Sarah
Haskells home giant elm stood lean
ing over the street half uprooted. In
front of the rectory of the St Francis
de Sales church large maple in full
foliage was snapped off a few feet
above the ground/and fell across the
street. while several other smaller
trees were, broken off. In front of
the residence of Miss Augusta West
at the corner of Winter street a big
elm tree was uprooted, the roots
standing up at a distance of II or Is
feet with the green carpet of earth
of her lawn, but on Coburn property,
is another mighty elm laid low by the
elements.
College avenue suffered heavily One
big tree in front of the residence of
Clinton II. Goodhue blew over and
crashed through the roof of his house
which was finished but a few months
ago. Another large tree was split and
part of it fell onto the house of DR..
E. P. Fish with but slight if any dam
age. Another fell across the roof of
George K Boutelle's residence. Still
another fell very near the home of Dr.
E. Fl. Risley and another near the old
Phi Delta Theta fraternity house Far
Their up on the laws in front of the
! railroad station two large trees were
felled across the street and large
limbs were sawed off and removed
that traffic might pass. Severa, trees
on the campus of the college were
badly damaged. two entirely uprooted
and several broken and twisted off
Another large tree was split and
broken off on Caleb Lewis lawn.
The roof of the old Campbell place
on Center street, recently bought by
Guy Hume. was crushed by big tree
, from the other side of the street On
! Pleasant street a tree fell across the
street near the residence of Charles
Harrington and another near the res
! idence of J. l.. Fu;1er. In several
cases where trees were uprooted they
took the sidewalks with them, the
, tremendous power of the wind causing
! such strain that the concrete was
broken in squares likht Johnncake
A tree in front of the residence of
Ira Belyea on Pleasant street broke
off and, falling against the house,
crushed the piazza roof. A tree in
front of the Methodist church also
broke and CRASHED into the vestibule
On Middle street, one of the build
ings formerly owned by the Stand.
ard Oil Company and moved to Mid
die street by John B. Friel who ex-
pected to make it into a dwelling,
collapsed into kindling wood in the
midst of the storm, a small garage
on Main street near the railroad
crossing was also blown to bits. Sew
eral 'chimneys were blown down. one
being on the st. Francis de Sales
church.. which fell into Winter street.
another on the house of A. F. Merrill
on Dalton street, where also a tree
was snapped off like a stick of candy
and still another on the house of
Andrew Ware on the corner of Abbott
street and College avenue.
The business portion of Main street
suffered from broken glass and
wrecked and strewn awnings. One
large plate glass window in the Squire
store, one in the Walter w. Berry
store and one in Karekin's studio,
were smashed by flying pieces of
awning frame, which We're twisted
and broken and blown about like
kindling. The awnings were blown
to ribbons in some cases and dangled
desolately from the irons, where they
were not swept bare. Among those
who lost their awnings was the H. L.
I Kelley Co. The wind swept down
Temple street and snapped off a pole
carrying 16 wires and as the cross
arms fell, some of the wires caught
on the broken stump of the pole and
suspended them in air. A large tree
was also down at this corner.
On Summer street, a peculiar sight
was seen, when eight poles of the