The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-06-21
JONAS GROVE DIES FROM
FRACTURE OF HIS SKULL
Was Caught Beneath a Falling
Tree In StOrm-Herd of Cat
tie Killed by Lightning

Struck by the limb of a falling
tree during the windstorm which
passed over this section on Tuesday
afternoon, Jonas Grove, of Gortner,
31-year-old farmer of that section of
Garrett county, died yesterday af-
ternoon at the Western Maryland
Hospital, Cumberland, from frac-
ture of his skull.
Killing thirteen head of two-year
old steers, part of herd of cattle
the Ryan's Glade section, valued at
500 each, uprooting sixty of his SUI
gar maple trees, partially destroying
the Gortner school house and doing
other property damage to barns, silos,
orchards and timber, wind and rain
storm of small tornado proportions
swept through portions of Garrett
county Tuesday afternoon. In addi-
ton to the above wire communication
was interrupted and roads in every di-
rection were blocked by fallen trees.
Mr.. Grove, who has been residing
in the Gortner section of the county
for several years past, having pur-
chased the Thomas Sanders farm in
that locality, was attending the clos
ing exercises of the Swan Meadow or
Gortner school with his family. His
seven-year old son was participant
in the program, when the storm
struck that section. A community
dinner had been prepared and the chill
dren of the school with their parents
and several invited guests from Oak
land were just in the act of partaking
of the dinner. Mr.. Grove, fearing that
a horse attached to his buggy in which
he had driven to the school building
would become frightened and run
away, hurried from the building to
hitch the horse to a tree when he was
caught beneath a heavy limb torn
loose from the trunk by the terrific
wind. He was brought to Oakland by
Mayor Fraley who with Mrs. Fraley,
and was later taken to the Cumber-
land hospital by DR.. N. l. Broadwa-
ter where an operation was performed
by DR.. Oracle. Besides his widow,
Mr.. Grove is survived by three chill
dren: Ross, aged seven; George, five,
and Blanche, two years old. The body
was brought to Oakland last night
and funeral arrangements will be
completed today.
A portion of the roof of the school
building was torn away when one of
the two giant oaks standing within
the school lot fell upon it. A large
number of children were in the build
ing at the time but none were in
jured. Miss Virginia Casteel, of Oak
land, is teacher.
In Oakland a large tree standing
on Second street between Oak and
Water streets, was uprooted and in
falling carried down many electric
and telephone wires.
Lightning Strikes.
Thirteen of herd of cattle on the
Alex. Kitzmiller farm, in the Ryan's
Glade section, had taken shelter be-
meath a tree when lightning struck
the tree, killing them ALL The cattle
were two-year Odds and were owned
by Mr.. George w. Harvey, live stock
farmer of that section. Mr.. Harvey
also lost the greater portion of his
sugar maple grove when the wind
blew sixty of his best trees down.
Trees Block Roads
On the Oakland-Thomas road and
the Northwestern Turnpike fifty mas
sive trees were reported as having
been blown over and blocked traffic,
while in the orchards of farmers a
large number of trees were uprooted.
The silo of Ellsworth Moon was also
blown down and several barns were
more or less damaged.
Heavy rains and strong wind was
reported from the Accident section,
but with no serious damage resulting
Rain was much heavier but the
wind less strong in the section OF
Thomas, w. Va. The cinder streets
in that city were almost entirely
washed away by the force of the
water.
Telephone service was cut off be-
tween Crellin and Oakland, and a
falling tree broke one of the main gas
lines near Kingwood, W. Va, one of
the roots having been underneath the
pipe.
The heaviest rainst9rm in sixteen
years caused heavy damage in the
Valley, near Hagerstown,
where bridges, railway tracks and
telephone poles were washed away.
Farm crops suffered somewhat from
the rain and wind which seemed to
center in these sections.