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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/25970-h.zip b/25970-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..faded03 --- /dev/null +++ b/25970-h.zip diff --git a/25970-h/25970-h.htm b/25970-h/25970-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2cd094a --- /dev/null +++ b/25970-h/25970-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,1575 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Full Description of the Great Tornado in Chester County, Pa., by Richard Darlington</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + hr.full {width: 100%; margin-top:0em; margin-bottom:0em;} + hr.section {width: 65%;} + hr.quarter {width: 25%;} + + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 15%; + margin-right: 15%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + + .center {text-align: center;} + .right {text-align: right;} + + .small {font-size: 70%;} + .vsmall {font-size: 50%;} + .large {font-size: 120%;} + .medium {font-size: 80%;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + hr.pg { width: 100%; + margin-top: 3em; + margin-bottom: 0em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + height: 4px; + border-width: 4px 0 0 0; /* remove all borders except the top one */ + border-style: solid; + border-color: #000000; + clear: both; } + pre {font-size: 85%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Full Description of the Great Tornado in +Chester County, Pa., by Richard Darlington</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: A Full Description of the Great Tornado in Chester County, Pa.</p> +<p>Author: Richard Darlington</p> +<p>Release Date: July 4, 2008 [eBook #25970]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT TORNADO IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA.***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by<br /> + the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="pg" /> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<h1> +<span class="small">A</span><br /> +<br /> +FULL DESCRIPTION<br /> +<br /> +<span class="vsmall">——OF THE——</span><br /> +<br /> +<span class="large">GREAT TORNADO</span><br /> +<br /> +<span class="vsmall">—IN—</span><br /> +<br /> +<span class="medium">CHESTER COUNTY, PA.</span><br /><br /> +</h1> + +<hr class="quarter" /> + +<h3>By RICHARD DARLINGTON, Jr.,<br /> +<span class="medium">PRINCIPAL OF "ERCILDOUN SEMINARY."</span> +</h3> + +<hr class="quarter" /> + +<div class="center"> +<i>WEST CHESTER, PA.:</i><br /> +<span class="medium">F. S. HICKMAN, PRINTER & PUBLISHER.</span><br /> +1877. +</div> + + +<hr class="section" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> +<p>The unprecedented destruction of the tornado which passed +through the western part of our county on the first of July last, +created in the minds of many a desire to have a full account of the +movement, conduct, and origin of the storm cloud, together with such +scientific explanation as would throw some light upon this remarkable +phenomenon. After some weeks had elapsed, I gave the subject +considerable attention, and have prepared this pamphlet, which I trust +will meet some of the wants of intelligent inquirers upon this +subject, and will also be the means of enabling the people to have a +better knowledge of the loss sustained by those living along the route +of the storm. This account has been prepared at the suggestion of a +number who are interested in the subject.</p> + +<div class="right">R. D.</div> + +<p><i>West Chester, Aug. 15, 1877.</i></p> + + +<hr class="section" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2>THE GREAT TORNADO.</h2> +<hr class="quarter" /> + +<p>The Summer of 1877 has been remarkable in some localities for the +severity of its storms. These, in several instances, have partaken of +the character of tornadoes. Mt. Carmel, in Illinois, was nearly +destroyed about the 20th of June last; Pensaukee, in Wisconsin, was +nearly ruined on the 8th of July, and Pittston, in Massachusetts, +suffered terribly from a tornado on the same day. While these great +moving storm-clouds occur occasionally in some of the Southern States, +they generally move through sparsely settled districts, and the damage +inflicted excites but little attention elsewhere. In the West Indies, +and in other tropical regions, these tornadoes are of frequent +occurrence, and the damage is often fearful, whole towns being +completely swept away. In the East Indies, and on the coast of India, +these storms are known as Cyclones, because of their rotary +motion—the Greek word <i>Ruklos</i>, from which "Cyclone" is derived, +meaning "<i>a whirl</i>". A cyclone frequently extends across a great belt, +and is from fifty to five hundred miles in width. It may last for +hours, and if it occurs on the ocean it destroys most of the vessels +within its reach. In the dreadful hurricane that fell upon Coringa, in +India, in 1839, the town was destroyed and twenty thousand people lost +their lives.</p> + +<p>Cyclones or hurricanes of this class, do not occur in our northern +States; tornadoes, however, do in rare instances. These extend in +width not more than a few hundred yards, or even feet, and come and go +within the space of one or two minutes. In power and violence, +however, they are as destructive as the cyclones. In tornadoes the +storm-cloud, in nearly all instances, has a rotary motion; the wind +also sweeping forward progressively at the rate of from five to twenty +miles an hour. Science has shown that in the latitude where these rare +visitors come, they nearly always proceed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> from south-west to +north-east. In the great Illinois hurricane in May, 1855, that passed +over Cook county, it is said that a family of nine persons was carried +up in the air in a frame house, four of the nine being killed outright +and the remainder severely injured. The house went to pieces amid the +fury of the storm. Generally these great storms are accompanied by +peculiar electrical phenomena, though not in all instances. Rain and +hail often go with them. The storm-cloud of a tornado is nearly always +funnel-shaped, the small end of the funnel extending downward. It +looks like an immense balloon, and revolves on its axis with fearful +rapidity. The air beyond the limits of this cloud is also in rapid +motion, but merely partakes of the character of a very high wind and +is not particularly destructive. The death-dealing and destructive +power of the storm is confined to the limit of the conical cloud. All +movements for personal safety must extend entirely beyond the +circumference established by the rotary motion. The primary cause of +these tornadoes is probably due to a low barometric condition of the +atmosphere accompanied by a high temperature, and spreading over an +area of very irregular shape. An area of high barometer, accompanied +by a low temperature, encroaches upon the former, and then comes the +mighty effort to equalize these two different conditions of the +atmosphere and restore the equilibrium, which is the constant effort +of nature. The more diverse these two conditions are, the greater will +be the struggle of the giants in the contest. Of course the electrical +condition of the atmosphere existing at the time may form a very +important factor in the tornado which may follow. What was the +character and condition of the atmosphere on the memorable first of +July last, when the storm-cloud which spread desolation over a narrow +belt of not more than two hundred yards at most, swept across the +western half of Chester county, Penn'a? The middle part of the day was +hot and oppressive; the thermometer stood at about 92 and the +barometer about 29.6. The atmosphere seemed very close, and the +inhaling of air in the lungs was attended with rather more difficulty +than usual. I remarked to a friend that there was a peculiar condition +of the atmosphere, and yet who could have foretold the terrible +results of that afternoon? The oldest inhabitant had never heard of a +tornado in this section of country, and yet one was at hand. To give a +faithful and accurate description of the movements and conduct of this +storm-cloud, made it necessary for me to pass over the route of the +moving mass and observe critically its results, and also to inquire of +those living along and near its track what was its <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>appearance, what +was the direction of its sweep through the forest trees, how far the +<i>debris</i> were carried, what amount of life was destroyed, what was the +width of its track, and how the rotary motion of the cloud seemed to +affect the buildings and obstacles that vainly attempted to resist its +march in a direction a little south of east.</p> + +<p>The first point of interest in connection with the tornado was about +one mile south-east of the Gap station, on the Penn'a Rail Road, and +about two miles west of the boundary line between Chester and +Lancaster counties. From this point the storm-cloud proceeded for +about two miles in a direction south 70 degrees east, or about 20 +degrees south of a line running due east. About three-fourths of a +mile east of Sadsbury Meeting House a slight change of direction +occurred in the movement of the cloud, and it took a direction a +little to the north, running south 75 degrees east. It proceeded, with +slight local variations, for about eight miles in a direct line, and +cutting a track about 200 yards wide, until it reached the property of +William Hamill, in East Fallowfield township, near Newlin's Mill, and +here it widened to about 300 yards, destroying the fences, crops, +etc., on his property. At this point a slight change of direction +occurred towards the south, bringing it into contact with the timber +tracts of E. Phipps and Thos. Shields, in which a terrible destruction +of forest trees occurred. It now veered to the north about ten +degrees, and passed through the southern half of the village of +Ercildoun in a line south 83 degrees east, or in a direction nearly +due east, and continued thence until it arose in the air about +half-a-mile east of Ercildoun, and proceeded, at a higher elevation, +for about seven miles, relieving the farms and property of the +intervening country from destruction. As it approached Broad Run, +about a mile west of Marshallton, it descended sufficiently long to +unroof and almost destroy the barns and out-buildings of two +properties, owned respectively by Richard Baily and Joseph Marshall, +of West Bradford township. Here it came to an end in its mad and +reckless career. The two opposing currents of air had no doubt now +become thoroughly blended and partook of the character of a high wind, +fully relieved of its devastating properties. The storm-cloud was +dissolved, or had permanently taken a higher elevation over a still +greater amount of territory. The whole route of the tornado, as +measured by its effects, was about 22 miles. The width of its track +was from 100 to 300 yards, averaging generally about 200 yards. The +following points<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> also have been pretty clearly established by the use +of the compass, and also by careful observation along the route of the +storm:</p> + +<p><i>First.</i> That the general direction of the storm-cloud during the +first half of its journey, to a point near Newlin's Mill, one mile +west of Ercildoun, was south 75 deg. east, but at that point it +changed and its course afterwards was south 83 deg. east, or nearly +due east. <i>Second.</i> That the destruction of property was generally +greater as the cloud moved across a valley. <i>Third.</i> That the velocity +of the moving mass varied at different periods from 5 to 15 miles an +hour, but twelve miles an hour would be considered a fair average. +<i>Fourth.</i> That the trees along the southern side of the track of +desolation were generally thrown with their tops towards the north, or +at right angles to the direction of the progressive motion of the +cloud, while those on the northern side were thrown in the opposite +direction. <i>Fifth.</i> That in some instances houses and buildings near +the <i>centre</i> of the track were but slightly injured. These cases, +however, were rare. <i>Sixth.</i> That from local and other causes, the +lower part of the conical cloud frequently moved out of a straight +course, while the upper or larger part of the cone kept in a line very +nearly direct. <i>Seventh.</i> That as soon as the cloud was formed, a +roaring sound commenced, which continued without interruption during +its entire course. This sound was not unlike continuous thunder. +<i>Eighth.</i> That the movement of the storm-cloud was unaccompanied with +much rain or hail, though one or the other fell at some distance north +or south of the track, the sun frequently shining at the time. To +explain some of these phenomena, even with the aid of science, is +difficult. The storm-cloud itself was an entirely exceptional +phenomenon in this latitude. Such an event had never occurred before +in eastern Pennsylvania, and we are without the benefit of previous +observation and experience. The great destruction of property in +crossing valleys has excited marked attention. The cloud undoubtedly +required an immense amount of air to feed it as it went along. Persons +near its track say that they breathed with the greatest difficulty. +The surrounding air must have been very rare; in fact, a partial +exhaustion must have resulted from the absorption of air by the moving +mass. In crossing a valley at right angles, or nearly so, the dense +air up and down on either side, would be at hand to furnish it with +the necessary material, thus increasing its power and devastation; +this is one explanation. Another theory, which is probably the correct +one, could safely be advanced upon plausible grounds. Supposing +electricity to be the primal cause of the cloud itself, in passing +across<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> deep and irregular valleys with rugged surface, more +electricity would be developed, and greater power would be infused +into the revolving cone as it moved forward. When passing over a +smooth, level plateau, it would excite less of the electrical fluid, +and would hence be disarmed of a portion of its ability to destroy +buildings and fences.</p> + +<p>The second important point that we must consider is the increased +destruction of property and great violence exhibited on the right side +of the centre of the revolving axis of the storm-cloud, and a +corresponding diminution of destructive power on the left side. The +movement of the whirl was undoubtedly from right to left; the fallen +trees indicate it. The forward motion of the hurricane would create a +great inrushing of wind on the right side, and greater damage would +result than upon the other side where the wind was returning to +complete the rotary movement. While it is true the trees were +overthrown to some extent in all directions, yet they mostly fell in +the direction in which the wind struck them as it moved around in its +whirling motion. The southern side of the track of desolation, +however, presents evidence of the greatest power. The maple and other +forest trees were frequently twisted entirely off, showing +conclusively, that while they were first struck by the progressive +motion, the rotary motion was sufficiently quick to locate the falling +trunk. The great power of the storm-cloud was due to its revolution. +In fact, this marks the difference between the high wind and the +hurricane or tornado. The phenomena observed in connection with the +storm of July first, are almost identical with those of similar +character in the Southern States and West Indies.</p> + +<p>The third subject presented for our consideration is the upward and +downward currents which seemed to exist within the cloud. Objects were +thrown upward to an immense distance, and the distance to which some +objects were driven into the earth must convince us that there was a +force downward of great power. It is true that a falling body, when +influenced by gravity alone, will descend with great force, especially +if started from a high point, but the deep excavations found in the +track of the storm can only be accounted for by a downward current. +The funnel-shaped cloud enlarging its circumference towards the top, +would, with its centrifugal force resulting from its revolution, hurl +bodies to a great distance, and we find the <i>debris</i> of this tornado +hundreds of yards outside of its track, proving that when an object +was carried up in the whirl, it was often thrown off, laterally for a +great distance. A <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>remarkable feature in connection with the tornado +is the preservation of buildings in the track of the storm. Property +on both sides of a house was sometimes destroyed, and yet the building +itself was scarcely injured. This gap in the storm must have occurred +from local causes, and from the gradual elevation and descent of the +progressive movement of the cloud, thus carrying it over and beyond +some of the objects in its track. Some cases of this character will be +mentioned in the subsequent pages of this book.</p> + +<p>The color and appearance of the storm cloud is worthy of +consideration. By some who viewed it as it passed along, it is +represented as being an immense balloon, extending to the height of +several hundred feet, spreading out at the top, forming a funnel. It +moved along at times with great rapidity, and at other times it seemed +to halt, as if gathering strength for another effort. The color was +variegated, the whole presenting rather a luminous appearance. +Missiles of every kind could be distinctly seen in and through the +body of the cloud. At first sight it seemed to be a barn on fire—the +burning embers flying in every direction; but a closer inspection +proved it not to be fire, but dirt and hay and timbers, intermingled +with leaves and other light substances, giving it the appearance of an +immense wind storm, which was the correct conclusion. Those who had a +side view of the cloud state that it was quite light in appearance as +it passed over grass fields and timber tracts, but when it reached a +plowed field or a potato patch, it gathered up the dirt and loose +material and became a very dark mass of matter, and presented a +frightful appearance as it traveled forward with a velocity of a mile +in four or five minutes. Such was its character as it approached the +village of Ercildoun.</p> + +<p>Jos. Brinton, who resides at Newlin's station, on the Penn'a and +Delaware Rail Road, states that he observed the storm carefully as it +came from the west. He was standing on his barn bridge at the time, +and on looking over the high hill at the west of his residence his +eyes were directed to a point just above the funnel of the cloud. He +saw the clouds rise up at the circumference to a great height, and +then pour over into the central cavity from all sides; this continued +for some time. The funnel next appeared in full view, after the space +of ten minutes. Then the body of a tree appeared above; it appeared +motionless, and grew larger and larger as the cloud approached—the +tree being carried with the storm; finally it disappeared. The body of +the storm-cloud was now full of missiles, having the appearance of +millions of birds sailing through the air, the whole moving mass being +of a very dark color. As it moved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> forward these missiles were +discharged in every direction. The conical column now became very +tall, and was of a white color, in appearance not unlike the under +cloud of a great rain storm. As clouds of smoke and dirt rolled up +through the mass and were carried around by the rotary motion, the +appearance was that of an immense building on fire. He pronounces the +sight to have been awfully grand, and terrible beyond description.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 421px;"> +<a href="images/img1.jpg"><img src="images/img1thumb.jpg" width="421" height="480" alt="APPEARANCE OF THE STORM-CLOUD" title="" /></a> +<span class="caption">APPEARANCE OF THE STORM-CLOUD WHILE MOVING THROUGH +JOSEPH BRINTON'S FIELD.</span> +</div> + +<p>With a view of having correct data of the tornado, and placing the +same upon record, in company with my friend and schoolmate Edwin +Walton, of Highland township, I passed along the route of the +storm-cloud. The first point of observation was near the residence of +Jos. D. Pownell, Lancaster Co., Pa. He gave us a short account of the +cloud, and of the movement of the currents of air<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> which formed it. As +he sat upon the front porch of his residence, he saw a strong current +of air blowing from the south-west. To the north a storm had just +passed, and a powerful current set in from that direction and blew +directly across, coming in conflict with the current from the +south-west. The whirl commenced on their coming together, and was set +in motion about half-a-mile from his house and one mile south-east of +the Gap station. This rotary motion or "whirl" probably resulted from +the resistance encountered by these opposing currents of air, in their +attempt to ascend vertically, there being less resistance in a lateral +than in a vertical direction. The first movements of the cloud thus +formed were of a decided character. Some children that were playing in +a field near by, saw the danger ahead and fled to a lime-kiln, thus +saving their lives. The cloud now reached a stream of water, and Mr. +Pownell says the water was taken up and carried into the funnel of the +cloud, leaving the bed of the stream dry.</p> + +<p>It now approached his house with a continuous roaring sound, and he +fled within. It passed along the north side of his house, overthrew +his orchard, destroyed part of his corn crop, carried an apple tree +fifty yards, and cut a track 150 yards wide and proceeded in the +direction of Sadsbury Meeting House. His loss was about $300. The +first building struck was a tenement house on the property of Elwood +Pownell. It was located on the top of a hill that overlooked the +surrounding country; an old colored man named Robert Johnston occupied +it. The building was leveled to the ground. He stated that he was +coming up the hill as the cloud approached, and sought safety by +leaning against the bank and holding firmly to the fence; he was not +injured. He is now living in the <i>cellar</i> of the house and crawls out +into daylight when it is necessary; no movement is being made towards +rebuilding his dwelling. Loss, $200. The storm-cloud next passed over +Elwood Pownell's property. His wagon shed and carriage house are gone, +and a large number of his apple trees was overthrown. His farming +utensils were swept away, and the barn itself was moved fourteen +inches from its foundation. The fences on the property were more or +less demolished, but his whole loss was not very great. He states that +his father-in-law was paying him a visit on that afternoon, but was +unable to get home in the evening as his carriage was seized by the +storm and carried away. Mr. Pownell further states that he saw the +wind coming, and with the greatest difficulty reached the house, being +unable to find the door-latch after he got there. He also experienced +great difficulty in breathing. His loss<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> was estimated at about $200. +The storm now passed in the direction of a property on which Thomas +Bonsall, Jr., resides, distant about one mile from Christiana. +Two-thirds of the roof of his barn was carried off, and the eastern +gable end fell with a crash, as the wind struck it. His orchard was +destroyed, and also many of the fences on his property. The loss +sustained on this property was about $300.</p> + +<p>About a mile distant from Mr. Bonsall's buildings was a barn, said to +be owned by a Building Association of West Chester. The roof of this +building was carried off, and about $200 damage was sustained. The +storm-cloud had now acquired rapid motion and passed with great +violence over the property of Frank Paxson, who lives almost directly +east from the other properties mentioned. Mr. Paxson is quite an old +man, and told his story with considerable frankness. He was lying down +on that Sabbath afternoon and had his attention suddenly called to a +great roaring sound without. He had scarcely time to go to his front +door and examine the situation, when his large stone structure +encountered a tremendous blast of wind, and all was over in a moment. +He then looked out upon the scene: his barn was entirely demolished, +and also all his out-buildings. The trap door of his house was carried +off, and all his carriages and farming utensils were gone. The trees +near his dwelling, strange to say, were saved, while his orchard was +uprooted from one end to the other. I observed one of his large apple +trees, not only blown over, but carried about fifty feet from its +proper place. Mr. Paxson evidently felt his loss deeply, but was +cheerful. We asked him if he had received assistance from any source? +He replied—"not any." He was slowly beginning the work of +"reconstruction," but his place looked desolate indeed. His grain was +stacked, and bore evidence of having been severely handled by the +storm. His loss was estimated at about two thousand dollars. The next +property in the track of the storm was that of Madison Irvin. Part of +the roof of his barn was gone, and his wagon shed was overthrown; a +few fences and trees also were swept away. One hundred dollars would +probably cover his loss.</p> + +<p>We were now beginning to advance up the North Valley Hill, and were +about three miles from Parkesburg. This hill, on its north side, is +heavily wooded, and a great number of small properties is located +along that section. Some of these men are poor, but had succeeded in +securing for themselves small homes and residences. Stables here and +there dotted the hillside, and a long line of forest trees extended in +a northeasterly direction as far as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> the eye could reach. The great +storm-cloud, in its onward movement, traveled over several of these +properties. Wayne Woodland owns a farm of about seventy acres as the +rise of the hill was reached. He had a full force of mechanics at work +on a new barn, the old one having been a victim of the storm. The roof +had been carried off his house and fifty-one of his apple trees were +prostrate. The spring house had lost its roof, and his carriages and +wagons were not to be found; in fact, the work of destruction had been +nearly complete. His house, it is true, was standing, but he informed +us that sixty panes of glass had been swept out of it. Mr. Woodland +was about one hundred yards from his residence when he saw the storm +approaching; he ran for his life and barely saved it. He estimated his +loss at fifteen hundred dollars, and the estimate did not appear +unreasonable.</p> + +<p>Some small properties were now encountered, in the following order, +viz: Robert Bradford, stable down, loss about fifty dollars. William +Cephas, roof off his house and stable, loss one hundred dollars. Henry +Miller, stable destroyed, loss about fifty dollars. Next came Michael +M. McGuigan and John Murphy, whose losses were of a similar character, +amounting, respectively, to about fifty and one hundred dollars.</p> + +<p>We were now at the top of the North Valley Hill, and on looking over +the broad expanse of country to the east and to the south, we could +distinctly see the track of desolation, as it extended across fields, +over dwellings and barns, and through forests. The line of its course +was almost direct, and no obstacle seemed to sway it much from its +direct track. We traveled slowly down the hill, and then along the +road that leads to Parkesburg. The farm and residence of Ezekiel Young +gave conclusive evidence that he had not been spared from the terrors +of that July day. His land was made fenceless, his barn destroyed, (a +good stone structure,) his slaughter house, wagon shed, and three +tenement houses were unroofed, three stables were overthrown, his +spring house was uncovered, and his carriages, wagons, and farming +implements were wrecked. Part of the orchard was destroyed, and on +looking over into the meadow, towards the south, a huge tree, about +eight feet in diameter, was prostrate. Mr. Young is a good farmer, +keeps his buildings in fine repair, and was thoroughly overmatched for +once by this monster that traveled over his premises. He was cheerful, +but was deeply impressed by the immense mischief it had done him. His +buildings were all being repaired. His loss may safely be put down at +two thousand dollars.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> +<p>A remarkable incident occurred on the Strasburg road, near Mr. Young's +buildings. A German by the name of Jacob Eisinberger, was leisurely +walking along the road; he was almost unconscious of the approach of +the storm; on looking around he saw the fence blow away, and +immediately found himself in the whirl. He was carried along for about +two hundred yards in an unconscious state, and was then left in an +adjoining field, his jaw being broken, his shoulder blade fractured, +and various minor injuries were experienced. He was taken to the +hospital at Lancaster, and remained there for a time under treatment. +This was probably the only instance in which the tornado carried a +human being along with it. In all other instances personal safety was +sought within dwellings, and in most cases with good success.</p> + +<p>The track of the storm now extended through the southern part of the +borough of Parkesburg; only the extreme south-western portion of the +village, however, was destroyed. First came the new residence of Mr. +Geo. Paxson, Superintendent of the Penn'a and Delaware R. R. This was +a building of rather modest pretensions, long and narrow, and +constructed of frame. It had been finished, and his family were +preparing to move in on the following day. The dwelling was said to +have been erected by contract, the cost to be about fifteen hundred +dollars. The cloud on encountering the building, entirely demolished +it; a pump stood on the north or kitchen end, solitary and alone, and +it was evident that the structure had been near the centre of the +storm track. Several dwellings were now encountered towards the east +in the following order: First, was Mrs. Fulton's; her house was so +badly injured that it will probably have to be built again from the +foundation. The loss, which it is said falls partly upon the +Parkesburg Building Association, cannot fall much below eight hundred +dollars. Next was Charles Hennings's residence; the east end of it was +destroyed, with the loss of between one and two hundred dollars. +Vincent Rice, who came next in order, and had a house in course of +erection, sustained a loss of probably two hundred dollars. This +includes, I believe, most, if not all the destruction within the +immediate limits of Parkesburg.</p> + +<p>We now saw ahead of us, and a little to the south of the main road, +the residence of Samuel Jackson. His barn was gone, his house unroofed +and otherwise injured; his orchard was overthrown, and all his +out-buildings, some of which contained a large amount of grain, were +entirely missing; his fences were nowhere to be seen, and there was +the usual story of the destruction of farming<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> implements, carriages, +etc. The injury done to Mr. Jackson's property was very great indeed. +He informed us that he was standing next to the door in one of the +front rooms, and the great blast of wind blew the door off its hinges, +striking him a blow which fractured several of his ribs, and left him +entirely senseless. For several hours he remained in that condition, +finding himself, eventually, in one of the neighbor's houses, and +under medical treatment. Mr. Jackson's buildings were again in course +of erection, though he stated that he hesitated considerably when he +came to consider the question, whether or not he should re-erect them. +He seemed very much surprised that <i>he</i> should have received such an +unfortunate overthrow, while his neighbors, of some of whom he spoke +very highly, were passed by entirely. His loss will amount in the +aggregate, to about two thousand dollars, which will fall upon +himself, as no assistance, up to the time of his repairing, had been +rendered him.</p> + +<p>The track of the storm-cloud now extended along the southern side of +Buck Run Valley, mounting the hill as it approached Stottsville, and +cutting a road through the forest trees south of the buildings on the +property of Mr. Thomas Hoffman. It then came down squarely into the +valley, which turns abruptly to the right south of Stottsville, and +struck the track of the Pomeroy and Delaware City Rail Road, removing +the rails for a considerable distance; the substantial bridge that +crosses Buck Run, near the same point, was then demolished, the water +in the bed of the stream being raised up <i>en masse</i> by the whirl. The +loss to the Rail Road Company is probably six hundred dollars. The +storm, on its northern border, had caught the barn, orchard, etc., of +a property owned by Dr. Murphy, of Parkesburg; it ran through a +portion of his farm and did damage to the amount of six or seven +hundred dollars.</p> + +<p>The next property that felt the fury of the hurricane as it proceeded +in its course towards Ercildoun, is owned and managed by William +Hamill, and is within the limits of East Fallowfield township. Here +the storm-cloud widened to about three hundred yards, extending across +the valley, running east and west through his farm, reaching his barn, +and on its northern border, unroofing it and destroying the gable +ends, inflicting a damage to the extent of three hundred dollars on +the barn, and on the property itself of about twice that amount.</p> + +<p>We now approach the locality known as Newlin's Mills. These were not +quite reached by the southern border of the storm track, but the +timber tract of E. Phipps, a quarter of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> a mile north, was absolutely +destroyed, and as the cloud poured into the valley that divides the +properties of Mr. Phipps and Thos. Shields, a destruction of timber +occurred that absolutely beggars description. Forest trees by the +thousand were overthrown, many of which were broken off about half-way +down the trunk, and others were uprooted; others again were twisted +and interwoven in every conceivable shape. This mighty mass of +material lies there to-day untouched, and thousands of people have +visited the spot, amazed at the immense power which wind exerts when +under the influence of rotary and progressive motion. Such a sight was +never before seen in this latitude. In the valley that divides these +tracts of timber, was a humble frame dwelling two stories high, +occupied by a family of colored people named Hopkins. They heard the +roaring of the storm as it approached from the west; the mother of the +family, Mary Hopkins, rushed up stairs to close the windows, and as +her hand was upon the sash, the house was overturned and the joists of +the upper floor fell upon her, and she was found dead, having been +crushed to death between the joists of the upper story and the +rafters. The children below, or rather above her, as was the case at +this time, were uninjured. This was the only person whose life was +taken by the tornado, though a great number of narrow escapes was +made. The loss sustained by Messrs. Phipps and Shields would amount to +about twelve hundred dollars each. The entire amount of timber +destroyed on these two properties, and also on the property of Joseph +Brinton, south east of them, is about thirty acres.</p> + +<p>From some cause not fully explainable, the cloud of wind, after +striking this forest tract, changed its course about eight deg. to the +north, proceeding in a line south 83 deg. east, or nearly due east. +This change brought the storm directly into the southern half of the +village of Ercildoun, one mile distant. Before reaching that point, +however, the property of Joseph Brinton had to be traveled over. His +loss was heavy. His barn, carriage-house, and the north porch of his +dwelling were destroyed; the house, from some cause, was not much +injured. This was rather a strange circumstance, as the large trees on +both sides of it were overthrown, and also the fences. There appeared +to be two storm tracks at this point, but it was probably the same +cloud that had divided for a few moments from some local cause. The +hurricane also went through the orchard and wheat field on this +property, destroying the trees, the whole of the wheat crop, and the +fences in every direction. Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> Brinton estimated his loss at +twenty-five hundred dollars, and his estimate was not an extravagant +one.</p> + +<p>I now come to that locality over which my own observation extended, +and concerning which—"<i>Haud ignota loquor</i>"—I can speak with a good +degree of accuracy. The southern half of the village of Ercildoun came +next in the track of the storm-cloud. As this is the only village over +which the tornado traveled, a brief description would not be +inappropriate.</p> + +<p>This village contains about twenty dwellings. Twenty-five years ago it +had considerable reputation as a manufacturing locality—large +quantities of agricultural implements being made every year, and in +addition a foundry was kept in full operation. It had at that time a +daily mail, a valuable library, and many other attractions not then +found in many villages of like size. Two Friends' Meeting Houses are +located here, one in the centre and the other at the western extremity +of the place. In the days when the anti-slavery agitation was +beginning to rouse the people to a sense of the great evil of our +country, and when it required something akin to heroism to feed and +protect the fugitive slave on his road to the north, this little +settlement of Friends did its whole duty in the cause of humanity, and +was pretty widely known as a safe place for those fleeing from +bondage. A public hall was erected in 1847, and dedicated to free +discussion. The motto, "Let Truth and Error Grapple," was emblazoned +on its front in bold letters, and the lecturers and leading reformers +of the day often held discussions there which would have been a credit +to towns and villages of much greater pretensions. In 1851 "Ercildoun +Seminary for Young Men and Boys," was established, with Smedley +Darlington as Principal. It was a four-story structure, of good +dimensions, and could accommodate about fifty pupils. As such, it was +conducted for about three years, when the proprietor changed it to a +boarding school for girls, and continued it thus for seven years, when +it passed into the hands of its present proprietor, and afterwards was +known as "Ercildoun Seminary for Young Ladies," and was kept in full +operation to the present time. This Institution was remodeled in 1870, +and additional wings were added to it. Nearly two thousand pupils have +received instruction here, and its patronage extended over a wide +extent of country, including all the adjoining States, and many +others. Almost unvarying success attended the school in its efforts to +promote the cause of education. With this brief description of the +place and of its leading features,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> it will now fall to my lot to +tell the story of the terrible damage inflicted upon it by the great +tornado of July 1st.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 540px;"> +<a href="images/img2.jpg"><img src="images/img2thumb.jpg" width="540" height="332" alt="SEMINARY BUILDINGS AFTER TORNADO" title="" /></a> +<span class="caption">SEMINARY BUILDINGS OF RICHARD DARLINGTON, Jr., AT +ERCILDOUN, AFTER THE TORNADO.</span> +</div> + +<p>My school had been vacated three days before, and all the pupils, +together with their baggage, had gone. We felt, on that Sabbath +afternoon, a full sense of relief from responsibility and care. About +3 o'clock in the afternoon, while engaged in reading, I was informed +by my wife that an unusual rumbling and loud noise could be heard in +the west. I remarked that it must be a thunderstorm and nothing more. +The loud roar, however, continued, and became clearer and more +distinct. I arose hastily, took a position and listened to the sound. +In a few moments my mother-in-law, who resides with us, called to me +in a loud voice to come to the west window on the main hall of the +second story. I hurried thither, and on looking toward the west saw +the great storm-cloud approaching, distant at that time perhaps half a +mile, and coming over the level plain of the intervening fields. It +was a novel and terrible sight to behold. The great conical mass +seemed to be carrying along with it the timbers and burning embers of +a barn on fire; vast masses of dirt and other dark objects appeared to +be also in motion and coming directly towards my school buildings. No +time must be lost; the whole establishment <i>might</i> blow away, but in +any event the safest place seemed to be the basement story. Thither I +asked my family to go immediately; they did so. On reaching the story +immediately above the basement I halted, passed to the front porch, +and took a position for observation, thinking that possibly our plans +for safety would have to be modified. In a few moments the cloud +struck the building; it came apparently with the force of two or three +batteries of artillery, and the question was about to be decided +whether the brick walls could stand the shock; if they could not, our +lives must be sacrificed. It was all over in less than one minute. I +had withdrawn to a front room on the first heavy fall of brick through +the porch roof, for the upper story seemed to be coming down bodily +upon the lower floors. After it was over I stepped to the east end of +that part of the porch which was remaining, and viewed the situation; +it was enough to sadden the stoutest heart. Not a solitary building +without was standing; the fourth story of the Seminary was completely +gone. Our new dwelling house was in course of erection and was nearly +completed. Although it was a large structure, thirty-six by fifty +feet, not a vestige of it remained above the cellar walls; even these +were partially overthrown. My barn, carriage-house and stable, +together with every other out-building, were nowhere to be seen. Such +a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> sight was never witnessed in this part of the country. The horses +were still alive, though one of them, which had been in the barn, was +gasping for life more than fifty yards from the building, and was +badly mutilated; the other appeared unhurt, having kept just outside +of the storm track. The cow, which had been grazing in the pasture +field adjoining, had been lifted up bodily by the revolving mass and +was thrown over a hedge twenty feet high, and was dead—the fall +having probably killed her. The three hogs upon the premises looked as +though they had crawled out of the earth, for they were covered with +dirt; they seemed to breathe with the greatest difficulty and one of +them soon died. About fifty chickens were lying around dead. The +beautiful lawn in front of the Seminary, containing thirty varieties +of trees and ornamental shrubbery, was badly damaged, more than half +of the trees being either twisted off or uprooted. Not a fence could +be seen anywhere. I turned away from the sad and sickening scene. The +storm had broken nearly everything; the ground in all directions was +covered with timber and with the <i>debris</i> of buildings and of trees.</p> + +<p>Some strange incidents occurred in connection with the destruction of +property. Three carriages within the same building had their wheels +deposited at different points of the compass, more than one hundred +yards distant from the building and from each other. The spokes and +axles were mostly gone. The buildings had been covered with tin, and +this tin roof was found in every direction at an almost equal radius +from its former location. In several instances the roofing material +was interwoven with the branches of trees, and was wound around the +same two or three times. A large apple tree had been carried more than +one hundred yards. A chestnut tree of huge dimensions in the front +lawn had been stripped of nearly all its foliage, but had not been +overthrown. Over a hundred quilts and blankets from the Seminary were +lodged in the neighboring forests, torn into shreds. The upper section +of a pump at the new dwelling had been lifted bodily into the air and +deposited without the building. The grain in the barn, used for +feeding the horses, was sown by the storm over more than half an acre +of ground, and asserted its presence by a new and rapid growth. Most +of the evergreen trees on the lawn were broken off and the tops +carried away. The apple trees in every case, however, were uprooted. +The growing potatoes in one of my fields lost their green tops, the +bare ground alone remaining. Five hundred dollars' worth of school +furniture in the upper story of the Seminary, was carried away and +entirely destroyed. An immense quantity of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> letters that had been +stored, immediately under the roof of the building, were blown away, +many of which were read by persons living ten miles distant. A hedge +along the northern side of the Seminary property, nearly twenty feet +high, had the appearance, after the storm, of having been overrun by +an immense flood. About a hundred loads of material of every character +and description, were strewn around the premises, and were gathered up +after the storm. Several tons of hay that had been stored away in the +barn, were blown away, and not a vestige of it could be seen anywhere. +The timbers of the new dwelling were not only scattered around, but +were shattered so effectually that an entire piece of lumber could +with difficulty be found. Pillars of brick weighing several tons were +rolled out of their places near the top of the Seminary, and were +buried in the earth to a considerable depth. Some of the school books +were carried away for four miles or more, and were safely deposited +near the farm houses in the surrounding country.</p> + +<p>Other incidents might be given of the effects of the storm on this +property. But it is unnecessary. The damage was immense. The loss in +real and personal property, and every kind of damage inflicted upon +the Ercildoun Seminary property, cannot fall much below ten thousand +dollars.</p> + +<p>Let us now consider the injury done to the remaining part of the +village. Cyrus Coates resides immediately to the north of the school +buildings. He owns a small farm, and a very fine orchard is located on +the southern side of it. The northern part of the storm track passed +over a portion of his property. His barn was demolished. A good wagon +house was carried away, and all his carriages and wagons went with it. +The greater part of his farming utensils were either missing or +destroyed. Two-thirds of his orchard, including about fifty trees, +were overthrown. The fences in the track were carried away, and a +large quantity of old grain that had been stored in his barn, was +missing. Mr. Coates estimates his loss at over two thousand dollars. A +house and barn, and a small lot of land immediately to the east of the +Seminary, are owned by Elizabeth Meredith, an aged woman, who resides +there most of the time in company with her grand-daughter—a little +girl of eight years. With some difficulty this young girl induced her +aged grand-parent to descend from her room to the lower floor, as the +storm was approaching. She accomplished her purpose and the lives of +both of them were thus saved. The house was a stone and frame one, +one-half being built of each. The storm-cloud passed almost directly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> +over this dwelling and completely dismantled it. The slate roof was +carried off, and the upper story went with it—the eastern part of the +frame structure being blown forward into the adjoining road. The barn +was completely blown away, and the fences shared the same fate. Her +loss, including house, barn and fences, cannot fall below eight +hundred dollars.</p> + +<p>A row of houses, owned and occupied by several families of colored +people next encountered the fury of the storm. Lewis Miller, who +resides at the southern extremity, sustained a loss of about one +hundred dollars. James Richardson, who is next in order, had his house +badly damaged, and was himself struck by missiles, and disabled for +several weeks. His property was damaged to the extent of about two +hundred dollars. A double building belonging to James and William +Long, shared a similar fate. It was unroofed and nearly torn to +pieces. Their loss will be near three hundred dollars. The last +building, at the north end of the row, belongs to Wm. Harvey, a +blacksmith. It encountered the full force of the northern track of the +storm, and was unroofed, and fearfully injured. The shed adjoining was +nowhere to be found. His whole loss was about four hundred dollars. +The Fallowfield Meeting House property was now reached. A beautiful +grove of trees in the western part was nearly destroyed, the trees +lying in every direction. Some of the oaks were very large, but were +completely twisted off by the furious blast. The sheds for the +protection of horses were all overthrown, and the upper part of the +grave-yard wall was blown away, roof and all. The damage sustained by +this property was not less than three hundred dollars. George Walton, +who owns a farm to the south of the Meeting House, sustained some loss +in the destruction of a portion of his oats crop, and of his fences. +He estimates the damage inflicted upon him at near three hundred +dollars. Another property located on the south side of the road, +passing through the place from east to west, was that of Priscilla +Walton. Her buildings were untouched, but nearly every tree of a +thriving young apple orchard on the premises, was destroyed beyond +reparation. Her fences in the track of the storm were overthrown, and +her loss cannot fall short of three hundred dollars. On leaving the +village the tempest of wind made a complete wreck of all the buildings +on the property of Jacob Carter, a colored man residing thereon. He +was absent from home at the time of the storm, and on returning found +that his new house, erected of gravel and cement, was nowhere to be +seen. He loses by the storm about seven hundred dollars. We now leave +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> village of Ercildoun, the damage to which I have enumerated with +considerable care. We are also reaching a point at which the +storm-cloud arose to a higher elevation, and passed above the farms +and buildings, extending from Susan Pierce's property to a point near +Broad Run, one mile west of Marshallton. Mrs. Pierce was also a loser +by the tornado. The east gable end of her barn, and also part of one +side, though built of stone, fell to the ground when the cloud struck +it. Her loss, including fences and growing crops, amounts to about two +hundred dollars.</p> + +<p>We now find that the storm-cloud passes to a higher elevation, or +disappears, and for eight miles no buildings are touched. It descended +in a modified form near Broad Run, and overturned and destroyed the +barn of Richard Bailey, and leveled his fruit trees, inflicting a +damage of about twelve hundred dollars. Only one more property was +encountered. The buildings of Jos. Marshall to the north of the +Strasburg road, were struck. His barn was destroyed and a portion of +his house was demolished. He sustained a loss of near eighteen hundred +dollars.</p> + +<p>The end of the track of desolation is now reached. The storm is at an +end. The cloud has disappeared, and the story is nearly finished. The +loss of property sustained by the persons living along the route of +the storm-cloud is put in tabular form at the end of this work. It +amounts to over thirty-five thousand dollars.</p> + +<p>Edwin Walton, of Highland township, who had a good lateral view of the +movement and appearance of the tornado, gives the following account of +it:</p> + +<p>As the cyclone or tornado is a phenomenon of such rare occurrence in +this part of the country, and having an excellent opportunity of +witnessing the one which commenced in the eastern border of Lancaster +county, and passed through portions of Sadsbury, Highland, and East +Fallowfield townships, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on the +afternoon of July 1st, 1877, I will endeavor to give as correct a +description of it as possible, as it appeared to me. About two o'clock +on the afternoon above mentioned, after arousing from a nap, I +observed that clouds were gathering and distant thunder was muttering +to the north-west. The day was warm, the thermometer indicating a +temperature of about 90 deg. Fahrenheit, though no heated term (as it +is sometimes called) had been experienced; the weather for several +days previous having been rather cool and moist for the season. A +strong wind was blowing from the south-west, producing (as I have been +accustomed to term it) an active condition of the atmosphere, when +storms quickly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> gather, move rapidly, and are apt to be severe, though +not of long duration.</p> + +<p>I walked out into one of the fields and occupied an elevated position +that afforded a good opportunity of witnessing what was, unexpectedly, +soon to take place. I had been there from a half to three-quarters of +an hour, when the gust, which had been gathering to the north-west +presented a threatening appearance, a heavy rain apparently passing +round to the northward. Suddenly, a dark cloud made its appearance to +the south-west, forming rapidly from the atmosphere, and moving with +the lower current of air, to the northward. As soon as it reached the +vicinity of the gust, the usual play of electricity commenced, which +is frequently observed when clouds of unequal temperature meet. My +attention was soon directed to a constant roaring or boiling noise +that suddenly commenced at a point in the heavens to the north-west of +me, and near the western extremity of the two clouds, a noise not +quite resembling thunder, which, however, I supposed it to be, and +said to myself, "can it be that the main body of the storm is in that +direction when it looks so much darker and more threatening farther to +the north?" for the clouds in the immediate vicinity of the noise were +of a light appearance. The constant roaring, however, continued for +probably five to eight minutes, when I first observed in the direction +whence it proceeded, a dark cloud of smoky appearance rising from the +earth and whirling in a terrible manner, with streams of lightning +darting in quick succession from different directions into it, and a +whitish, funnel-shaped cloud suspended over it. I was considerably +startled, remarked that a cyclone was coming, halted a moment to +ascertain the direction in which it was traveling, which appeared to +be towards me, and started in haste to the house. I soon found that it +would pass a little to the north, and would not strike us, though the +air was thick with objects nearly overhead, many of which, to an +observer at a considerable distance, closely resembled buzzards +sailing round. I immediately took my stand on the upper porch at the +east end of the house, when an almost uninterrupted view could be had +all the way to the village of Ercildoun, and here the grandest and +most terrible sight that I ever beheld, suddenly burst into view, as +the tornado passed from behind the hill north of the house, and +crossed the narrow-wooded valley near Brinton's Mill, on the road +leading to Coatesville. This spot was heavily set with white-oak +timber of good growth, but the moment it was struck by the whirlwind, +the sturdy oaks, which had been standing for probably a century, were +instantly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> thrown to the ground, many of them raising tons of earth +and stones upon their roots, while others, not willing to leave the +soil that had nourished them so long, were broken off at different +heights and scattered around in confusion, or carried up in the +winding funnel to be dashed from the earth far from where they grew. +It is needless to attempt a description of the power exerted by the +storm at this point, as many visitors who have been there declare that +no description they had of it previously, conveyed any clear idea of +the reality, and the mind is utterly powerless to conceive how any +force can be generated to move an element so light and soft as the +atmosphere we breathe, with such tremendous velocity as that required +to produce the effect seen here, and many other places along its line +of travel. As it passed from this valley over the hill, in the +direction of Ercildoun, at a distance of about three-eights of a mile +from where I stood, I could distinctly see the branches of trees +flying rapidly as they were thrown off by the centrifugal force of the +whirl, the center being so densely filled with dust, leaves, etc., and +the motion so rapid, that in it nothing could be recognized. It now +moved across a cornfield but lately cultivated, belonging to Joseph +Brinton, and here the most terrible-looking sight yet beheld presented +itself, for the astonishing quantities of dust rolling upward, +together with the dreadful roaring, and the sun almost shining, +presented the appearance of a great moving fire, and such many +supposed it to be. Our nearest neighbors left their house +terror-stricken, and came towards ours, believing, the world was on +fire and the Judgment Day had surely come, a belief maintained by +others as well as by them, while the horses ran as far as they could +get from the frightful object.</p> + +<p>It could now be distinctly seen that Ercildoun lay directly in its +pathway, and I was almost horrified to think of such a destructive +power moving through a village, for it seemed to a beholder as though +no structure erected by human hands could, for a moment, stand before +it, and it seems marvellous, considering the destruction done at this +place, that not a single human life was lost, and only one in its +whole line of about 20 miles travel. The new dwelling house being +erected by Richard Darlington, was about the first in the vicinity to +share the fate of destruction, and the moment it was struck the +timbers could be seen flying high in the air and scattering in all +directions. The next instant the school building was obscured from +view, but in a moment reappeared again, showing it to be on the +outside of the center, and not in the full force of the storm.</p> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> +<p>After passing through the town and completely destroying many of the +buildings, the cone or funnel, which had accompanied the Tornado like +a dreaded omen, disappeared, showing that the whirling motion of the +air had ceased, and the storm for the time being was spent. The rotary +movement was to the left, which may be shown by standing upon one heel +and turning around in that direction. This was evident from the fact +that being on the south side, objects flying off from the center were +thrown forward, while to a beholder on the north side, as the storm +moved eastward, they were thrown backward. The cone appeared to be a +cloud of vapor, nearly white, connecting at the base or upper end with +a smooth surface of cloud somewhat darker, and tapering in a slightly +concave manner for about two-thirds of its whole length, terminating +in a tail of nearly equal thickness, about one-third of the whole +length and at a height varying, probably, from 100 to 200 feet from +the ground. The upper portion of the cone appeared to move nearly in a +straight line, and at a uniform rate of speed, while the tail or lower +end was frequently seen to bend considerably in different directions, +showing that the storm was somewhat swayed from its true course in +passing around the hills or crossing valleys at oblique angles, a fact +verified by observation. Sometimes it would seem to stop entirely for +a few minutes, and then move on faster than before, and was quite as +destructive on low ground and in narrow valleys as elsewhere. The +appearance of fire frequently spoken of, especially by those toward +whom the storm was approaching, I am satisfied was produced by the +sunlight against the constantly rising dust, the light being partly +transmitted and partly reflected. No rain fell in the track of the +storm, but hail stones of large size and in considerably quantity fell +in some localities on the north side of it.</p> + +<p>One remarkable feature observed by those near its passage, was the +difference between the wind then blowing and that of ordinary winds, +the tornado acting with a drawing or sucking force, trees and other +objects seemed to give way more readily than if acted upon by the +pushing force of the wind behind them. The size of the central +portion, or that in which the power of the storm seemed to be +generated, did not appear to be more than 50 to 75 feet in width. One +person towards whom it was approaching, and but a short distance off, +thought it about the size of a large balloon, though trees, buildings, +and other objects, were prostrated for the width of 150 to 300 feet.</p> + +<p>The tornado of July 1st has assumed so much importance because<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> of its +novelty, and of the scientific points involved in its movements, that +its history would be incomplete without some reference to the events +which followed it, and which had direct connection with it. The +suffering among the poorer classes in the village of Ercildoun was of +so decided a character, that a meeting was organized and a committee +of relief was appointed, composed of the following persons, viz: +Abraham Gibbons, Margaretta Walton, R. B. Ramsey, David Young, William +Webster, Charles Huston, Jr., and B. Fredd. This committee undertook +the task of raising a sum of money to repair and rebuild the houses of +those unable of themselves to do so. After considerable effort, in +which the people of the borough of Coatesville, and also of West +Chester and other places, made generous contributions, the sum of +nearly two thousand dollars was raised for that purpose. This amount +of money was generously distributed among the sufferers in sums +varying from one to four hundred dollars, and most of the dwellings of +the class referred to have been repaired, or are in course of +erection, and erelong the desolate appearance of the place will not +exist, and these people will be placed in a position as favorable as +they were in before the storm. No relief has been rendered to any of +the sufferers from Insurance Companies, or from any public +corporation.</p> + +<p>After the storm had passed through the village of Ercildoun on that +Sabbath afternoon, a tide of visitors set in, entirely unprecedented +in this part of the country. The sun shone out beautifully; a terrible +scene of desolation was spread out in every direction, buildings on +every hand having been either blown away or overthrown; fences +nowhere; the grass apparently parched and destroyed; trees filling all +the roads and pathways; the <i>debris</i> of dwellings spread over all the +fields; animals gasping for breath or dying; crops shorn to a level +with the ground, and human beings running in every direction. Before +evening had come, upwards of a thousand people were gazing with +astonishment at the scene; carriages and vehicles of all descriptions +were to be seen. On the following day, in fact, during the whole of +the next three weeks, the number of visitors did not seem to diminish. +On July 8th, the Sabbath after the storm, it is estimated that the +number was swelled to five thousand. All the roads leading to +Ercildoun were absolutely obstructed with vehicles. Reporters for the +press, artists for the illustrated papers, and photographers, were +busily attending to their duties. Some of these visitors came in the +interest of science, others to extend sympathy and aid to the +sufferers, but the great mass of them came with no such purpose. They +gazed upon the scene<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> as they would upon a great natural curiosity, +and gave the subject little profound thought. They regarded it as a +grand "show," and were certainly well repaid for their many miles of +travel thither. The citizens of the village kept watch for a few days +to prevent pilfering, but were not entirely successful, as many +valuables were stolen.</p> + +<p>It is estimated that about fifteen thousand people visited the ruins +in and around Ercildoun. The damage done to the Seminary property at +Ercildoun—amounting to one-fourth of the injury along the whole track +of the storm—was so great, and the general outlook upon the lawn—in +which most of the trees were either overthrown, broken off, or +otherwise injured—was of so unfavorable a character, that it was +deemed best by the proprietor to change its location. He purchased a +valuable property containing twenty-six acres of land and very fine +improvements, in the vicinity of the borough of West Chester, twelve +miles east of its former location. Additional buildings of the most +approved character were erected thereon, and its capacity for a Young +Ladies' Seminary or Boarding School, is greater than it was at +Ercildoun, and it is believed that some advantages of a decided +character will accrue to it in consequence of it being more easy of +access, and of its close proximity to one of the most beautiful towns +in the State of Pennsylvania.</p> + +<p>The story of the great storm seems now to be fully told. It is one of +the phenomena of the century. It has no rival or parallel in this +latitude. Its track was extremely narrow, not more than two hundred +yards in width, yet it destroyed nearly forty thousand dollars worth +of property, principally in buildings. We may never see the like +again, but those of us that endured its terrors and suffered its +losses, will never forget it. The storm-cloud, in its long journey of +twenty-two miles, killed but one person and severely injured three +others, but it imperiled the lives of several hundred, who are justly +thankful for their narrow escape from death. We have not been +accustomed to fear much the thunder, the lightning and the storms of +heaven. That calm Sabbath July afternoon has, however, reminded us +that a passing cloud may be lashed into the wildest fury and deal out +death and destruction on every hand. Whilst we cannot foolishly regard +this storm as a dispensation of Providence, as some have said, but +rather the wild fury of the elements, acting according to fixed laws, +we are, nevertheless, impressed with the dangers to human life on +every hand, and with the power of God as he carries out his laws, +irrespective of man's wishes or expectations.</p> + + +<hr class="section" /> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> +<h2>ESTIMATED LOSS FROM THE TORNADO.</h2> +<hr class="quarter" /> +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Estimated Loss from the Tornado"> +<colgroup><col width="60%" /><col /></colgroup> +<tr><td align='left'>Jos. D. Pownell,</td><td align='right'>$ 300 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Elwood Pownell,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Robert Johnston,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Thos. Bonsall, Jr.,</td><td align='right'>300 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Building Association of W. C.,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Frank Paxson,</td><td align='right'>2000 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Madison Irvin,</td><td align='right'>100 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Wayne Woodland,</td><td align='right'>1500 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Robert Bradford,</td><td align='right'>50 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>William Cephas,</td><td align='right'>100 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Henry Miller,</td><td align='right'>50 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Michael McGuigan,</td><td align='right'>50 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>John Murphy,</td><td align='right'>50 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Ezekiel Young,</td><td align='right'>2000 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Geo. Paxson,</td><td align='right'>1200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Mrs. Fulton,</td><td align='right'>800 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Chas. Hennings,</td><td align='right'>100 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Vincent Rice,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Samuel Jackson,</td><td align='right'>2000 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Dr. Murphy,</td><td align='right'>600 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Penn'a & Del. R. R.,</td><td align='right'>600 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>William Hamill,</td><td align='right'>700 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Joseph Brinton,</td><td align='right'>2500 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Elisha Phipps,</td><td align='right'>1000 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Thomas Shields,</td><td align='right'>1200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Richard Darlington, Jr.,</td><td align='right'>9500 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Cyrus Coates,</td><td align='right'>2200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Elizabeth Meredith,</td><td align='right'>800 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Lewis Miller,</td><td align='right'>100 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Junius Richardson,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Jas. & Wm. Long,</td><td align='right'>300 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>William Harvey,</td><td align='right'>400 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Fallowfield Meeting House,</td><td align='right'>300 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Geo. Walton,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Priscilla Walton,</td><td align='right'>300 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Jacob Carter,</td><td align='right'>700 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Susan Pierce,</td><td align='right'>200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Richard Bailey,</td><td align='right'>1200 00</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Joseph Marshall,</td><td align='right'>1600 00</td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="2" align='right'>—————</td></tr> +<tr><td colspan="2" align='right'>$36000 00</td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="pg" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT TORNADO IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA.***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 25970-h.txt or 25970-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/9/7/25970">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/9/7/25970</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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b/25970-page-images/p0026.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c6de9f --- /dev/null +++ b/25970-page-images/p0026.png diff --git a/25970-page-images/p0027.png b/25970-page-images/p0027.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..58fc679 --- /dev/null +++ b/25970-page-images/p0027.png diff --git a/25970-page-images/p0028.png b/25970-page-images/p0028.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..56af147 --- /dev/null +++ b/25970-page-images/p0028.png diff --git a/25970.txt b/25970.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0624357 --- /dev/null +++ b/25970.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1471 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Full Description of the Great Tornado in +Chester County, Pa., by Richard Darlington + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: A Full Description of the Great Tornado in Chester County, Pa. + + +Author: Richard Darlington + + + +Release Date: July 4, 2008 [eBook #25970] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT +TORNADO IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA.*** + + +E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading +Team (https://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 25970-h.htm or 25970-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/9/7/25970/25970-h/25970-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/9/7/25970/25970-h.zip) + + + + + +A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT TORNADO IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA. + +by + +RICHARD DARLINGTON, Jr., +Principal of "Ercildoun Seminary." + + + + + + + +West Chester, Pa.: +F. S. Hickman, Printer & Publisher. +1877. + + + + +The unprecedented destruction of property by the tornado which passed +through the western part of our county on the first of July last, +created in the minds of many a desire to have a full account of the +movement, conduct, and origin of the storm cloud, together with such +scientific explanation as would throw some light upon this remarkable +phenomenon. After some weeks had elapsed, I gave the subject +considerable attention, and have prepared this pamphlet, which I trust +will meet some of the wants of intelligent inquirers upon this +subject, and will also be the means of enabling the people to have a +better knowledge of the loss sustained by those living along the route +of the storm. This account has been prepared at the suggestion of a +number who are interested in the subject. + +R. D. + +_West Chester, Aug. 15, 1877._ + + + + +THE GREAT TORNADO. + + +The Summer of 1877 has been remarkable in some localities for the +severity of its storms. These, in several instances, have partaken of +the character of tornadoes. Mt. Carmel, in Illinois, was nearly +destroyed about the 20th of June last; Pensaukee, in Wisconsin, was +nearly ruined on the 8th of July, and Pittston, in Massachusetts, +suffered terribly from a tornado on the same day. While these great +moving storm-clouds occur occasionally in some of the Southern States, +they generally move through sparsely settled districts, and the damage +inflicted excites but little attention elsewhere. In the West Indies, +and in other tropical regions, these tornadoes are of frequent +occurrence, and the damage is often fearful, whole towns being +completely swept away. In the East Indies, and on the coast of India, +these storms are known as Cyclones, because of their rotary +motion--the Greek word _Ruklos_, from which "Cyclone" is derived, +meaning "_a whirl_". A cyclone frequently extends across a great belt, +and is from fifty to five hundred miles in width. It may last for +hours, and if it occurs on the ocean it destroys most of the vessels +within its reach. In the dreadful hurricane that fell upon Coringa, in +India, in 1839, the town was destroyed and twenty thousand people lost +their lives. + +Cyclones or hurricanes of this class, do not occur in our northern +States; tornadoes, however, do in rare instances. These extend in +width not more than a few hundred yards, or even feet, and come and go +within the space of one or two minutes. In power and violence, +however, they are as destructive as the cyclones. In tornadoes the +storm-cloud, in nearly all instances, has a rotary motion; the wind +also sweeping forward progressively at the rate of from five to twenty +miles an hour. Science has shown that in the latitude where these rare +visitors come, they nearly always proceed from south-west to +north-east. In the great Illinois hurricane in May, 1855, that passed +over Cook county, it is said that a family of nine persons was carried +up in the air in a frame house, four of the nine being killed outright +and the remainder severely injured. The house went to pieces amid the +fury of the storm. Generally these great storms are accompanied by +peculiar electrical phenomena, though not in all instances. Rain and +hail often go with them. The storm-cloud of a tornado is nearly always +funnel-shaped, the small end of the funnel extending downward. It +looks like an immense balloon, and revolves on its axis with fearful +rapidity. The air beyond the limits of this cloud is also in rapid +motion, but merely partakes of the character of a very high wind and +is not particularly destructive. The death-dealing and destructive +power of the storm is confined to the limit of the conical cloud. All +movements for personal safety must extend entirely beyond the +circumference established by the rotary motion. The primary cause of +these tornadoes is probably due to a low barometric condition of the +atmosphere accompanied by a high temperature, and spreading over an +area of very irregular shape. An area of high barometer, accompanied +by a low temperature, encroaches upon the former, and then comes the +mighty effort to equalize these two different conditions of the +atmosphere and restore the equilibrium, which is the constant effort +of nature. The more diverse these two conditions are, the greater will +be the struggle of the giants in the contest. Of course the electrical +condition of the atmosphere existing at the time may form a very +important factor in the tornado which may follow. What was the +character and condition of the atmosphere on the memorable first of +July last, when the storm-cloud which spread desolation over a narrow +belt of not more than two hundred yards at most, swept across the +western half of Chester county, Penn'a? The middle part of the day was +hot and oppressive; the thermometer stood at about 92 and the +barometer about 29.6. The atmosphere seemed very close, and the +inhaling of air in the lungs was attended with rather more difficulty +than usual. I remarked to a friend that there was a peculiar condition +of the atmosphere, and yet who could have foretold the terrible +results of that afternoon? The oldest inhabitant had never heard of a +tornado in this section of country, and yet one was at hand. To give a +faithful and accurate description of the movements and conduct of this +storm-cloud, made it necessary for me to pass over the route of the +moving mass and observe critically its results, and also to inquire of +those living along and near its track what was its appearance, what +was the direction of its sweep through the forest trees, how far the +_debris_ were carried, what amount of life was destroyed, what was the +width of its track, and how the rotary motion of the cloud seemed to +affect the buildings and obstacles that vainly attempted to resist its +march in a direction a little south of east. + +The first point of interest in connection with the tornado was about +one mile south-east of the Gap station, on the Penn'a Rail Road, and +about two miles west of the boundary line between Chester and +Lancaster counties. From this point the storm-cloud proceeded for +about two miles in a direction south 70 degrees east, or about 20 +degrees south of a line running due east. About three-fourths of a +mile east of Sadsbury Meeting House a slight change of direction +occurred in the movement of the cloud, and it took a direction a +little to the north, running south 75 degrees east. It proceeded, with +slight local variations, for about eight miles in a direct line, and +cutting a track about 200 yards wide, until it reached the property of +William Hamill, in East Fallowfield township, near Newlin's Mill, and +here it widened to about 300 yards, destroying the fences, crops, +etc., on his property. At this point a slight change of direction +occurred towards the south, bringing it into contact with the timber +tracts of E. Phipps and Thos. Shields, in which a terrible destruction +of forest trees occurred. It now veered to the north about ten +degrees, and passed through the southern half of the village of +Ercildoun in a line south 83 degrees east, or in a direction nearly +due east, and continued thence until it arose in the air about +half-a-mile east of Ercildoun, and proceeded, at a higher elevation, +for about seven miles, relieving the farms and property of the +intervening country from destruction. As it approached Broad Run, +about a mile west of Marshallton, it descended sufficiently long to +unroof and almost destroy the barns and out-buildings of two +properties, owned respectively by Richard Baily and Joseph Marshall, +of West Bradford township. Here it came to an end in its mad and +reckless career. The two opposing currents of air had no doubt now +become thoroughly blended and partook of the character of a high wind, +fully relieved of its devastating properties. The storm-cloud was +dissolved, or had permanently taken a higher elevation over a still +greater amount of territory. The whole route of the tornado, as +measured by its effects, was about 22 miles. The width of its track +was from 100 to 300 yards, averaging generally about 200 yards. The +following points also have been pretty clearly established by the use +of the compass, and also by careful observation along the route of the +storm: + +_First._ That the general direction of the storm-cloud during the +first half of its journey, to a point near Newlin's Mill, one mile +west of Ercildoun, was south 75 deg. east, but at that point it +changed and its course afterwards was south 83 deg. east, or nearly +due east. _Second._ That the destruction of property was generally +greater as the cloud moved across a valley. _Third._ That the velocity +of the moving mass varied at different periods from 5 to 15 miles an +hour, but twelve miles an hour would be considered a fair average. +_Fourth._ That the trees along the southern side of the track of +desolation were generally thrown with their tops towards the north, or +at right angles to the direction of the progressive motion of the +cloud, while those on the northern side were thrown in the opposite +direction. _Fifth._ That in some instances houses and buildings near +the _centre_ of the track were but slightly injured. These cases, +however, were rare. _Sixth._ That from local and other causes, the +lower part of the conical cloud frequently moved out of a straight +course, while the upper or larger part of the cone kept in a line very +nearly direct. _Seventh._ That as soon as the cloud was formed, a +roaring sound commenced, which continued without interruption during +its entire course. This sound was not unlike continuous thunder. +_Eighth._ That the movement of the storm-cloud was unaccompanied with +much rain or hail, though one or the other fell at some distance north +or south of the track, the sun frequently shining at the time. To +explain some of these phenomena, even with the aid of science, is +difficult. The storm-cloud itself was an entirely exceptional +phenomenon in this latitude. Such an event had never occurred before +in eastern Pennsylvania, and we are without the benefit of previous +observation and experience. The great destruction of property in +crossing valleys has excited marked attention. The cloud undoubtedly +required an immense amount of air to feed it as it went along. Persons +near its track say that they breathed with the greatest difficulty. +The surrounding air must have been very rare; in fact, a partial +exhaustion must have resulted from the absorption of air by the moving +mass. In crossing a valley at right angles, or nearly so, the dense +air up and down on either side, would be at hand to furnish it with +the necessary material, thus increasing its power and devastation; +this is one explanation. Another theory, which is probably the correct +one, could safely be advanced upon plausible grounds. Supposing +electricity to be the primal cause of the cloud itself, in passing +across deep and irregular valleys with rugged surface, more +electricity would be developed, and greater power would be infused +into the revolving cone as it moved forward. When passing over a +smooth, level plateau, it would excite less of the electrical fluid, +and would hence be disarmed of a portion of its ability to destroy +buildings and fences. + +The second important point that we must consider is the increased +destruction of property and great violence exhibited on the right side +of the centre of the revolving axis of the storm-cloud, and a +corresponding diminution of destructive power on the left side. The +movement of the whirl was undoubtedly from right to left; the fallen +trees indicate it. The forward motion of the hurricane would create a +great inrushing of wind on the right side, and greater damage would +result than upon the other side where the wind was returning to +complete the rotary movement. While it is true the trees were +overthrown to some extent in all directions, yet they mostly fell in +the direction in which the wind struck them as it moved around in its +whirling motion. The southern side of the track of desolation, +however, presents evidence of the greatest power. The maple and other +forest trees were frequently twisted entirely off, showing +conclusively, that while they were first struck by the progressive +motion, the rotary motion was sufficiently quick to locate the falling +trunk. The great power of the storm-cloud was due to its revolution. +In fact, this marks the difference between the high wind and the +hurricane or tornado. The phenomena observed in connection with the +storm of July first, are almost identical with those of similar +character in the Southern States and West Indies. + +The third subject presented for our consideration is the upward and +downward currents which seemed to exist within the cloud. Objects were +thrown upward to an immense distance, and the distance to which some +objects were driven into the earth must convince us that there was a +force downward of great power. It is true that a falling body, when +influenced by gravity alone, will descend with great force, especially +if started from a high point, but the deep excavations found in the +track of the storm can only be accounted for by a downward current. +The funnel-shaped cloud enlarging its circumference towards the top, +would, with its centrifugal force resulting from its revolution, hurl +bodies to a great distance, and we find the _debris_ of this tornado +hundreds of yards outside of its track, proving that when an object +was carried up in the whirl, it was often thrown off, laterally for a +great distance. A remarkable feature in connection with the tornado +is the preservation of buildings in the track of the storm. Property +on both sides of a house was sometimes destroyed, and yet the building +itself was scarcely injured. This gap in the storm must have occurred +from local causes, and from the gradual elevation and descent of the +progressive movement of the cloud, thus carrying it over and beyond +some of the objects in its track. Some cases of this character will be +mentioned in the subsequent pages of this book. + +The color and appearance of the storm cloud is worthy of +consideration. By some who viewed it as it passed along, it is +represented as being an immense balloon, extending to the height of +several hundred feet, spreading out at the top, forming a funnel. It +moved along at times with great rapidity, and at other times it seemed +to halt, as if gathering strength for another effort. The color was +variegated, the whole presenting rather a luminous appearance. +Missiles of every kind could be distinctly seen in and through the +body of the cloud. At first sight it seemed to be a barn on fire--the +burning embers flying in every direction; but a closer inspection +proved it not to be fire, but dirt and hay and timbers, intermingled +with leaves and other light substances, giving it the appearance of an +immense wind storm, which was the correct conclusion. Those who had a +side view of the cloud state that it was quite light in appearance as +it passed over grass fields and timber tracts, but when it reached a +plowed field or a potato patch, it gathered up the dirt and loose +material and became a very dark mass of matter, and presented a +frightful appearance as it traveled forward with a velocity of a mile +in four or five minutes. Such was its character as it approached the +village of Ercildoun. + +Jos. Brinton, who resides at Newlin's station, on the Penn'a and +Delaware Rail Road, states that he observed the storm carefully as it +came from the west. He was standing on his barn bridge at the time, +and on looking over the high hill at the west of his residence his +eyes were directed to a point just above the funnel of the cloud. He +saw the clouds rise up at the circumference to a great height, and +then pour over into the central cavity from all sides; this continued +for some time. The funnel next appeared in full view, after the space +of ten minutes. Then the body of a tree appeared above; it appeared +motionless, and grew larger and larger as the cloud approached--the +tree being carried with the storm; finally it disappeared. The body of +the storm-cloud was now full of missiles, having the appearance of +millions of birds sailing through the air, the whole moving mass being +of a very dark color. As it moved forward these missiles were +discharged in every direction. The conical column now became very +tall, and was of a white color, in appearance not unlike the under +cloud of a great rain storm. As clouds of smoke and dirt rolled up +through the mass and were carried around by the rotary motion, the +appearance was that of an immense building on fire. He pronounces the +sight to have been awfully grand, and terrible beyond description. + +[Illustration: APPEARANCE OF THE STORM-CLOUD WHILE MOVING THROUGH +JOSEPH BRINTON'S FIELD.] + +With a view of having correct data of the tornado, and placing the +same upon record, in company with my friend and schoolmate Edwin +Walton, of Highland township, I passed along the route of the +storm-cloud. The first point of observation was near the residence of +Jos. D. Pownell, Lancaster Co., Pa. He gave us a short account of the +cloud, and of the movement of the currents of air which formed it. As +he sat upon the front porch of his residence, he saw a strong current +of air blowing from the south-west. To the north a storm had just +passed, and a powerful current set in from that direction and blew +directly across, coming in conflict with the current from the +south-west. The whirl commenced on their coming together, and was set +in motion about half-a-mile from his house and one mile south-east of +the Gap station. This rotary motion or "whirl" probably resulted from +the resistance encountered by these opposing currents of air, in their +attempt to ascend vertically, there being less resistance in a lateral +than in a vertical direction. The first movements of the cloud thus +formed were of a decided character. Some children that were playing in +a field near by, saw the danger ahead and fled to a lime-kiln, thus +saving their lives. The cloud now reached a stream of water, and Mr. +Pownell says the water was taken up and carried into the funnel of the +cloud, leaving the bed of the stream dry. + +It now approached his house with a continuous roaring sound, and he +fled within. It passed along the north side of his house, overthrew +his orchard, destroyed part of his corn crop, carried an apple tree +fifty yards, and cut a track 150 yards wide and proceeded in the +direction of Sadsbury Meeting House. His loss was about $300. The +first building struck was a tenement house on the property of Elwood +Pownell. It was located on the top of a hill that overlooked the +surrounding country; an old colored man named Robert Johnston occupied +it. The building was leveled to the ground. He stated that he was +coming up the hill as the cloud approached, and sought safety by +leaning against the bank and holding firmly to the fence; he was not +injured. He is now living in the _cellar_ of the house and crawls out +into daylight when it is necessary; no movement is being made towards +rebuilding his dwelling. Loss, $200. The storm-cloud next passed over +Elwood Pownell's property. His wagon shed and carriage house are gone, +and a large number of his apple trees was overthrown. His farming +utensils were swept away, and the barn itself was moved fourteen +inches from its foundation. The fences on the property were more or +less demolished, but his whole loss was not very great. He states that +his father-in-law was paying him a visit on that afternoon, but was +unable to get home in the evening as his carriage was seized by the +storm and carried away. Mr. Pownell further states that he saw the +wind coming, and with the greatest difficulty reached the house, being +unable to find the door-latch after he got there. He also experienced +great difficulty in breathing. His loss was estimated at about $200. +The storm now passed in the direction of a property on which Thomas +Bonsall, Jr., resides, distant about one mile from Christiana. +Two-thirds of the roof of his barn was carried off, and the eastern +gable end fell with a crash, as the wind struck it. His orchard was +destroyed, and also many of the fences on his property. The loss +sustained on this property was about $300. + +About a mile distant from Mr. Bonsall's buildings was a barn, said to +be owned by a Building Association of West Chester. The roof of this +building was carried off, and about $200 damage was sustained. The +storm-cloud had now acquired rapid motion and passed with great +violence over the property of Frank Paxson, who lives almost directly +east from the other properties mentioned. Mr. Paxson is quite an old +man, and told his story with considerable frankness. He was lying down +on that Sabbath afternoon and had his attention suddenly called to a +great roaring sound without. He had scarcely time to go to his front +door and examine the situation, when his large stone structure +encountered a tremendous blast of wind, and all was over in a moment. +He then looked out upon the scene: his barn was entirely demolished, +and also all his out-buildings. The trap door of his house was carried +off, and all his carriages and farming utensils were gone. The trees +near his dwelling, strange to say, were saved, while his orchard was +uprooted from one end to the other. I observed one of his large apple +trees, not only blown over, but carried about fifty feet from its +proper place. Mr. Paxson evidently felt his loss deeply, but was +cheerful. We asked him if he had received assistance from any source? +He replied--"not any." He was slowly beginning the work of +"reconstruction," but his place looked desolate indeed. His grain was +stacked, and bore evidence of having been severely handled by the +storm. His loss was estimated at about two thousand dollars. The next +property in the track of the storm was that of Madison Irvin. Part of +the roof of his barn was gone, and his wagon shed was overthrown; a +few fences and trees also were swept away. One hundred dollars would +probably cover his loss. + +We were now beginning to advance up the North Valley Hill, and were +about three miles from Parkesburg. This hill, on its north side, is +heavily wooded, and a great number of small properties is located +along that section. Some of these men are poor, but had succeeded in +securing for themselves small homes and residences. Stables here and +there dotted the hillside, and a long line of forest trees extended in +a northeasterly direction as far as the eye could reach. The great +storm-cloud, in its onward movement, traveled over several of these +properties. Wayne Woodland owns a farm of about seventy acres as the +rise of the hill was reached. He had a full force of mechanics at work +on a new barn, the old one having been a victim of the storm. The roof +had been carried off his house and fifty-one of his apple trees were +prostrate. The spring house had lost its roof, and his carriages and +wagons were not to be found; in fact, the work of destruction had been +nearly complete. His house, it is true, was standing, but he informed +us that sixty panes of glass had been swept out of it. Mr. Woodland +was about one hundred yards from his residence when he saw the storm +approaching; he ran for his life and barely saved it. He estimated his +loss at fifteen hundred dollars, and the estimate did not appear +unreasonable. + +Some small properties were now encountered, in the following order, +viz: Robert Bradford, stable down, loss about fifty dollars. William +Cephas, roof off his house and stable, loss one hundred dollars. Henry +Miller, stable destroyed, loss about fifty dollars. Next came Michael +M. McGuigan and John Murphy, whose losses were of a similar character, +amounting, respectively, to about fifty and one hundred dollars. + +We were now at the top of the North Valley Hill, and on looking over +the broad expanse of country to the east and to the south, we could +distinctly see the track of desolation, as it extended across fields, +over dwellings and barns, and through forests. The line of its course +was almost direct, and no obstacle seemed to sway it much from its +direct track. We traveled slowly down the hill, and then along the +road that leads to Parkesburg. The farm and residence of Ezekiel Young +gave conclusive evidence that he had not been spared from the terrors +of that July day. His land was made fenceless, his barn destroyed, (a +good stone structure,) his slaughter house, wagon shed, and three +tenement houses were unroofed, three stables were overthrown, his +spring house was uncovered, and his carriages, wagons, and farming +implements were wrecked. Part of the orchard was destroyed, and on +looking over into the meadow, towards the south, a huge tree, about +eight feet in diameter, was prostrate. Mr. Young is a good farmer, +keeps his buildings in fine repair, and was thoroughly overmatched for +once by this monster that traveled over his premises. He was cheerful, +but was deeply impressed by the immense mischief it had done him. His +buildings were all being repaired. His loss may safely be put down at +two thousand dollars. + +A remarkable incident occurred on the Strasburg road, near Mr. Young's +buildings. A German by the name of Jacob Eisinberger, was leisurely +walking along the road; he was almost unconscious of the approach of +the storm; on looking around he saw the fence blow away, and +immediately found himself in the whirl. He was carried along for about +two hundred yards in an unconscious state, and was then left in an +adjoining field, his jaw being broken, his shoulder blade fractured, +and various minor injuries were experienced. He was taken to the +hospital at Lancaster, and remained there for a time under treatment. +This was probably the only instance in which the tornado carried a +human being along with it. In all other instances personal safety was +sought within dwellings, and in most cases with good success. + +The track of the storm now extended through the southern part of the +borough of Parkesburg; only the extreme south-western portion of the +village, however, was destroyed. First came the new residence of Mr. +Geo. Paxson, Superintendent of the Penn'a and Delaware R. R. This was +a building of rather modest pretensions, long and narrow, and +constructed of frame. It had been finished, and his family were +preparing to move in on the following day. The dwelling was said to +have been erected by contract, the cost to be about fifteen hundred +dollars. The cloud on encountering the building, entirely demolished +it; a pump stood on the north or kitchen end, solitary and alone, and +it was evident that the structure had been near the centre of the +storm track. Several dwellings were now encountered towards the east +in the following order: First, was Mrs. Fulton's; her house was so +badly injured that it will probably have to be built again from the +foundation. The loss, which it is said falls partly upon the +Parkesburg Building Association, cannot fall much below eight hundred +dollars. Next was Charles Hennings's residence; the east end of it was +destroyed, with the loss of between one and two hundred dollars. +Vincent Rice, who came next in order, and had a house in course of +erection, sustained a loss of probably two hundred dollars. This +includes, I believe, most, if not all the destruction within the +immediate limits of Parkesburg. + +We now saw ahead of us, and a little to the south of the main road, +the residence of Samuel Jackson. His barn was gone, his house unroofed +and otherwise injured; his orchard was overthrown, and all his +out-buildings, some of which contained a large amount of grain, were +entirely missing; his fences were nowhere to be seen, and there was +the usual story of the destruction of farming implements, carriages, +etc. The injury done to Mr. Jackson's property was very great indeed. +He informed us that he was standing next to the door in one of the +front rooms, and the great blast of wind blew the door off its hinges, +striking him a blow which fractured several of his ribs, and left him +entirely senseless. For several hours he remained in that condition, +finding himself, eventually, in one of the neighbor's houses, and +under medical treatment. Mr. Jackson's buildings were again in course +of erection, though he stated that he hesitated considerably when he +came to consider the question, whether or not he should re-erect them. +He seemed very much surprised that _he_ should have received such an +unfortunate overthrow, while his neighbors, of some of whom he spoke +very highly, were passed by entirely. His loss will amount in the +aggregate, to about two thousand dollars, which will fall upon +himself, as no assistance, up to the time of his repairing, had been +rendered him. + +The track of the storm-cloud now extended along the southern side of +Buck Run Valley, mounting the hill as it approached Stottsville, and +cutting a road through the forest trees south of the buildings on the +property of Mr. Thomas Hoffman. It then came down squarely into the +valley, which turns abruptly to the right south of Stottsville, and +struck the track of the Pomeroy and Delaware City Rail Road, removing +the rails for a considerable distance; the substantial bridge that +crosses Buck Run, near the same point, was then demolished, the water +in the bed of the stream being raised up _en masse_ by the whirl. The +loss to the Rail Road Company is probably six hundred dollars. The +storm, on its northern border, had caught the barn, orchard, etc., of +a property owned by Dr. Murphy, of Parkesburg; it ran through a +portion of his farm and did damage to the amount of six or seven +hundred dollars. + +The next property that felt the fury of the hurricane as it proceeded +in its course towards Ercildoun, is owned and managed by William +Hamill, and is within the limits of East Fallowfield township. Here +the storm-cloud widened to about three hundred yards, extending across +the valley, running east and west through his farm, reaching his barn, +and on its northern border, unroofing it and destroying the gable +ends, inflicting a damage to the extent of three hundred dollars on +the barn, and on the property itself of about twice that amount. + +We now approach the locality known as Newlin's Mills. These were not +quite reached by the southern border of the storm track, but the +timber tract of E. Phipps, a quarter of a mile north, was absolutely +destroyed, and as the cloud poured into the valley that divides the +properties of Mr. Phipps and Thos. Shields, a destruction of timber +occurred that absolutely beggars description. Forest trees by the +thousand were overthrown, many of which were broken off about half-way +down the trunk, and others were uprooted; others again were twisted +and interwoven in every conceivable shape. This mighty mass of +material lies there to-day untouched, and thousands of people have +visited the spot, amazed at the immense power which wind exerts when +under the influence of rotary and progressive motion. Such a sight was +never before seen in this latitude. In the valley that divides these +tracts of timber, was a humble frame dwelling two stories high, +occupied by a family of colored people named Hopkins. They heard the +roaring of the storm as it approached from the west; the mother of the +family, Mary Hopkins, rushed up stairs to close the windows, and as +her hand was upon the sash, the house was overturned and the joists of +the upper floor fell upon her, and she was found dead, having been +crushed to death between the joists of the upper story and the +rafters. The children below, or rather above her, as was the case at +this time, were uninjured. This was the only person whose life was +taken by the tornado, though a great number of narrow escapes was +made. The loss sustained by Messrs. Phipps and Shields would amount to +about twelve hundred dollars each. The entire amount of timber +destroyed on these two properties, and also on the property of Joseph +Brinton, south east of them, is about thirty acres. + +From some cause not fully explainable, the cloud of wind, after +striking this forest tract, changed its course about eight deg. to the +north, proceeding in a line south 83 deg. east, or nearly due east. +This change brought the storm directly into the southern half of the +village of Ercildoun, one mile distant. Before reaching that point, +however, the property of Joseph Brinton had to be traveled over. His +loss was heavy. His barn, carriage-house, and the north porch of his +dwelling were destroyed; the house, from some cause, was not much +injured. This was rather a strange circumstance, as the large trees on +both sides of it were overthrown, and also the fences. There appeared +to be two storm tracks at this point, but it was probably the same +cloud that had divided for a few moments from some local cause. The +hurricane also went through the orchard and wheat field on this +property, destroying the trees, the whole of the wheat crop, and the +fences in every direction. Mr. Brinton estimated his loss at +twenty-five hundred dollars, and his estimate was not an extravagant +one. + +I now come to that locality over which my own observation extended, +and concerning which--"_Haud ignota loquor_"--I can speak with a good +degree of accuracy. The southern half of the village of Ercildoun came +next in the track of the storm-cloud. As this is the only village over +which the tornado traveled, a brief description would not be +inappropriate. + +This village contains about twenty dwellings. Twenty-five years ago it +had considerable reputation as a manufacturing locality--large +quantities of agricultural implements being made every year, and in +addition a foundry was kept in full operation. It had at that time a +daily mail, a valuable library, and many other attractions not then +found in many villages of like size. Two Friends' Meeting Houses are +located here, one in the centre and the other at the western extremity +of the place. In the days when the anti-slavery agitation was +beginning to rouse the people to a sense of the great evil of our +country, and when it required something akin to heroism to feed and +protect the fugitive slave on his road to the north, this little +settlement of Friends did its whole duty in the cause of humanity, and +was pretty widely known as a safe place for those fleeing from +bondage. A public hall was erected in 1847, and dedicated to free +discussion. The motto, "Let Truth and Error Grapple," was emblazoned +on its front in bold letters, and the lecturers and leading reformers +of the day often held discussions there which would have been a credit +to towns and villages of much greater pretensions. In 1851 "Ercildoun +Seminary for Young Men and Boys," was established, with Smedley +Darlington as Principal. It was a four-story structure, of good +dimensions, and could accommodate about fifty pupils. As such, it was +conducted for about three years, when the proprietor changed it to a +boarding school for girls, and continued it thus for seven years, when +it passed into the hands of its present proprietor, and afterwards was +known as "Ercildoun Seminary for Young Ladies," and was kept in full +operation to the present time. This Institution was remodeled in 1870, +and additional wings were added to it. Nearly two thousand pupils have +received instruction here, and its patronage extended over a wide +extent of country, including all the adjoining States, and many +others. Almost unvarying success attended the school in its efforts to +promote the cause of education. With this brief description of the +place and of its leading features, it will now fall to my lot to +tell the story of the terrible damage inflicted upon it by the great +tornado of July 1st. + +[Illustration: SEMINARY BUILDINGS OF RICHARD DARLINGTON, Jr., AT +ERCILDOUN, AFTER THE TORNADO.] + +My school had been vacated three days before, and all the pupils, +together with their baggage, had gone. We felt, on that Sabbath +afternoon, a full sense of relief from responsibility and care. About +3 o'clock in the afternoon, while engaged in reading, I was informed +by my wife that an unusual rumbling and loud noise could be heard in +the west. I remarked that it must be a thunderstorm and nothing more. +The loud roar, however, continued, and became clearer and more +distinct. I arose hastily, took a position and listened to the sound. +In a few moments my mother-in-law, who resides with us, called to me +in a loud voice to come to the west window on the main hall of the +second story. I hurried thither, and on looking toward the west saw +the great storm-cloud approaching, distant at that time perhaps half a +mile, and coming over the level plain of the intervening fields. It +was a novel and terrible sight to behold. The great conical mass +seemed to be carrying along with it the timbers and burning embers of +a barn on fire; vast masses of dirt and other dark objects appeared to +be also in motion and coming directly towards my school buildings. No +time must be lost; the whole establishment _might_ blow away, but in +any event the safest place seemed to be the basement story. Thither I +asked my family to go immediately; they did so. On reaching the story +immediately above the basement I halted, passed to the front porch, +and took a position for observation, thinking that possibly our plans +for safety would have to be modified. In a few moments the cloud +struck the building; it came apparently with the force of two or three +batteries of artillery, and the question was about to be decided +whether the brick walls could stand the shock; if they could not, our +lives must be sacrificed. It was all over in less than one minute. I +had withdrawn to a front room on the first heavy fall of brick through +the porch roof, for the upper story seemed to be coming down bodily +upon the lower floors. After it was over I stepped to the east end of +that part of the porch which was remaining, and viewed the situation; +it was enough to sadden the stoutest heart. Not a solitary building +without was standing; the fourth story of the Seminary was completely +gone. Our new dwelling house was in course of erection and was nearly +completed. Although it was a large structure, thirty-six by fifty +feet, not a vestige of it remained above the cellar walls; even these +were partially overthrown. My barn, carriage-house and stable, +together with every other out-building, were nowhere to be seen. Such +a sight was never witnessed in this part of the country. The horses +were still alive, though one of them, which had been in the barn, was +gasping for life more than fifty yards from the building, and was +badly mutilated; the other appeared unhurt, having kept just outside +of the storm track. The cow, which had been grazing in the pasture +field adjoining, had been lifted up bodily by the revolving mass and +was thrown over a hedge twenty feet high, and was dead--the fall +having probably killed her. The three hogs upon the premises looked as +though they had crawled out of the earth, for they were covered with +dirt; they seemed to breathe with the greatest difficulty and one of +them soon died. About fifty chickens were lying around dead. The +beautiful lawn in front of the Seminary, containing thirty varieties +of trees and ornamental shrubbery, was badly damaged, more than half +of the trees being either twisted off or uprooted. Not a fence could +be seen anywhere. I turned away from the sad and sickening scene. The +storm had broken nearly everything; the ground in all directions was +covered with timber and with the _debris_ of buildings and of trees. + +Some strange incidents occurred in connection with the destruction of +property. Three carriages within the same building had their wheels +deposited at different points of the compass, more than one hundred +yards distant from the building and from each other. The spokes and +axles were mostly gone. The buildings had been covered with tin, and +this tin roof was found in every direction at an almost equal radius +from its former location. In several instances the roofing material +was interwoven with the branches of trees, and was wound around the +same two or three times. A large apple tree had been carried more than +one hundred yards. A chestnut tree of huge dimensions in the front +lawn had been stripped of nearly all its foliage, but had not been +overthrown. Over a hundred quilts and blankets from the Seminary were +lodged in the neighboring forests, torn into shreds. The upper section +of a pump at the new dwelling had been lifted bodily into the air and +deposited without the building. The grain in the barn, used for +feeding the horses, was sown by the storm over more than half an acre +of ground, and asserted its presence by a new and rapid growth. Most +of the evergreen trees on the lawn were broken off and the tops +carried away. The apple trees in every case, however, were uprooted. +The growing potatoes in one of my fields lost their green tops, the +bare ground alone remaining. Five hundred dollars' worth of school +furniture in the upper story of the Seminary, was carried away and +entirely destroyed. An immense quantity of letters that had been +stored, immediately under the roof of the building, were blown away, +many of which were read by persons living ten miles distant. A hedge +along the northern side of the Seminary property, nearly twenty feet +high, had the appearance, after the storm, of having been overrun by +an immense flood. About a hundred loads of material of every character +and description, were strewn around the premises, and were gathered up +after the storm. Several tons of hay that had been stored away in the +barn, were blown away, and not a vestige of it could be seen anywhere. +The timbers of the new dwelling were not only scattered around, but +were shattered so effectually that an entire piece of lumber could +with difficulty be found. Pillars of brick weighing several tons were +rolled out of their places near the top of the Seminary, and were +buried in the earth to a considerable depth. Some of the school books +were carried away for four miles or more, and were safely deposited +near the farm houses in the surrounding country. + +Other incidents might be given of the effects of the storm on this +property. But it is unnecessary. The damage was immense. The loss in +real and personal property, and every kind of damage inflicted upon +the Ercildoun Seminary property, cannot fall much below ten thousand +dollars. + +Let us now consider the injury done to the remaining part of the +village. Cyrus Coates resides immediately to the north of the school +buildings. He owns a small farm, and a very fine orchard is located on +the southern side of it. The northern part of the storm track passed +over a portion of his property. His barn was demolished. A good wagon +house was carried away, and all his carriages and wagons went with it. +The greater part of his farming utensils were either missing or +destroyed. Two-thirds of his orchard, including about fifty trees, +were overthrown. The fences in the track were carried away, and a +large quantity of old grain that had been stored in his barn, was +missing. Mr. Coates estimates his loss at over two thousand dollars. A +house and barn, and a small lot of land immediately to the east of the +Seminary, are owned by Elizabeth Meredith, an aged woman, who resides +there most of the time in company with her grand-daughter--a little +girl of eight years. With some difficulty this young girl induced her +aged grand-parent to descend from her room to the lower floor, as the +storm was approaching. She accomplished her purpose and the lives of +both of them were thus saved. The house was a stone and frame one, +one-half being built of each. The storm-cloud passed almost directly +over this dwelling and completely dismantled it. The slate roof was +carried off, and the upper story went with it--the eastern part of the +frame structure being blown forward into the adjoining road. The barn +was completely blown away, and the fences shared the same fate. Her +loss, including house, barn and fences, cannot fall below eight +hundred dollars. + +A row of houses, owned and occupied by several families of colored +people next encountered the fury of the storm. Lewis Miller, who +resides at the southern extremity, sustained a loss of about one +hundred dollars. James Richardson, who is next in order, had his house +badly damaged, and was himself struck by missiles, and disabled for +several weeks. His property was damaged to the extent of about two +hundred dollars. A double building belonging to James and William +Long, shared a similar fate. It was unroofed and nearly torn to +pieces. Their loss will be near three hundred dollars. The last +building, at the north end of the row, belongs to Wm. Harvey, a +blacksmith. It encountered the full force of the northern track of the +storm, and was unroofed, and fearfully injured. The shed adjoining was +nowhere to be found. His whole loss was about four hundred dollars. +The Fallowfield Meeting House property was now reached. A beautiful +grove of trees in the western part was nearly destroyed, the trees +lying in every direction. Some of the oaks were very large, but were +completely twisted off by the furious blast. The sheds for the +protection of horses were all overthrown, and the upper part of the +grave-yard wall was blown away, roof and all. The damage sustained by +this property was not less than three hundred dollars. George Walton, +who owns a farm to the south of the Meeting House, sustained some loss +in the destruction of a portion of his oats crop, and of his fences. +He estimates the damage inflicted upon him at near three hundred +dollars. Another property located on the south side of the road, +passing through the place from east to west, was that of Priscilla +Walton. Her buildings were untouched, but nearly every tree of a +thriving young apple orchard on the premises, was destroyed beyond +reparation. Her fences in the track of the storm were overthrown, and +her loss cannot fall short of three hundred dollars. On leaving the +village the tempest of wind made a complete wreck of all the buildings +on the property of Jacob Carter, a colored man residing thereon. He +was absent from home at the time of the storm, and on returning found +that his new house, erected of gravel and cement, was nowhere to be +seen. He loses by the storm about seven hundred dollars. We now leave +the village of Ercildoun, the damage to which I have enumerated with +considerable care. We are also reaching a point at which the +storm-cloud arose to a higher elevation, and passed above the farms +and buildings, extending from Susan Pierce's property to a point near +Broad Run, one mile west of Marshallton. Mrs. Pierce was also a loser +by the tornado. The east gable end of her barn, and also part of one +side, though built of stone, fell to the ground when the cloud struck +it. Her loss, including fences and growing crops, amounts to about two +hundred dollars. + +We now find that the storm-cloud passes to a higher elevation, or +disappears, and for eight miles no buildings are touched. It descended +in a modified form near Broad Run, and overturned and destroyed the +barn of Richard Bailey, and leveled his fruit trees, inflicting a +damage of about twelve hundred dollars. Only one more property was +encountered. The buildings of Jos. Marshall to the north of the +Strasburg road, were struck. His barn was destroyed and a portion of +his house was demolished. He sustained a loss of near eighteen hundred +dollars. + +The end of the track of desolation is now reached. The storm is at an +end. The cloud has disappeared, and the story is nearly finished. The +loss of property sustained by the persons living along the route of +the storm-cloud is put in tabular form at the end of this work. It +amounts to over thirty-five thousand dollars. + +Edwin Walton, of Highland township, who had a good lateral view of the +movement and appearance of the tornado, gives the following account of +it: + +As the cyclone or tornado is a phenomenon of such rare occurrence in +this part of the country, and having an excellent opportunity of +witnessing the one which commenced in the eastern border of Lancaster +county, and passed through portions of Sadsbury, Highland, and East +Fallowfield townships, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on the +afternoon of July 1st, 1877, I will endeavor to give as correct a +description of it as possible, as it appeared to me. About two o'clock +on the afternoon above mentioned, after arousing from a nap, I +observed that clouds were gathering and distant thunder was muttering +to the north-west. The day was warm, the thermometer indicating a +temperature of about 90 deg. Fahrenheit, though no heated term (as it +is sometimes called) had been experienced; the weather for several +days previous having been rather cool and moist for the season. A +strong wind was blowing from the south-west, producing (as I have been +accustomed to term it) an active condition of the atmosphere, when +storms quickly gather, move rapidly, and are apt to be severe, though +not of long duration. + +I walked out into one of the fields and occupied an elevated position +that afforded a good opportunity of witnessing what was, unexpectedly, +soon to take place. I had been there from a half to three-quarters of +an hour, when the gust, which had been gathering to the north-west +presented a threatening appearance, a heavy rain apparently passing +round to the northward. Suddenly, a dark cloud made its appearance to +the south-west, forming rapidly from the atmosphere, and moving with +the lower current of air, to the northward. As soon as it reached the +vicinity of the gust, the usual play of electricity commenced, which +is frequently observed when clouds of unequal temperature meet. My +attention was soon directed to a constant roaring or boiling noise +that suddenly commenced at a point in the heavens to the north-west of +me, and near the western extremity of the two clouds, a noise not +quite resembling thunder, which, however, I supposed it to be, and +said to myself, "can it be that the main body of the storm is in that +direction when it looks so much darker and more threatening farther to +the north?" for the clouds in the immediate vicinity of the noise were +of a light appearance. The constant roaring, however, continued for +probably five to eight minutes, when I first observed in the direction +whence it proceeded, a dark cloud of smoky appearance rising from the +earth and whirling in a terrible manner, with streams of lightning +darting in quick succession from different directions into it, and a +whitish, funnel-shaped cloud suspended over it. I was considerably +startled, remarked that a cyclone was coming, halted a moment to +ascertain the direction in which it was traveling, which appeared to +be towards me, and started in haste to the house. I soon found that it +would pass a little to the north, and would not strike us, though the +air was thick with objects nearly overhead, many of which, to an +observer at a considerable distance, closely resembled buzzards +sailing round. I immediately took my stand on the upper porch at the +east end of the house, when an almost uninterrupted view could be had +all the way to the village of Ercildoun, and here the grandest and +most terrible sight that I ever beheld, suddenly burst into view, as +the tornado passed from behind the hill north of the house, and +crossed the narrow-wooded valley near Brinton's Mill, on the road +leading to Coatesville. This spot was heavily set with white-oak +timber of good growth, but the moment it was struck by the whirlwind, +the sturdy oaks, which had been standing for probably a century, were +instantly thrown to the ground, many of them raising tons of earth +and stones upon their roots, while others, not willing to leave the +soil that had nourished them so long, were broken off at different +heights and scattered around in confusion, or carried up in the +winding funnel to be dashed from the earth far from where they grew. +It is needless to attempt a description of the power exerted by the +storm at this point, as many visitors who have been there declare that +no description they had of it previously, conveyed any clear idea of +the reality, and the mind is utterly powerless to conceive how any +force can be generated to move an element so light and soft as the +atmosphere we breathe, with such tremendous velocity as that required +to produce the effect seen here, and many other places along its line +of travel. As it passed from this valley over the hill, in the +direction of Ercildoun, at a distance of about three-eights of a mile +from where I stood, I could distinctly see the branches of trees +flying rapidly as they were thrown off by the centrifugal force of the +whirl, the center being so densely filled with dust, leaves, etc., and +the motion so rapid, that in it nothing could be recognized. It now +moved across a cornfield but lately cultivated, belonging to Joseph +Brinton, and here the most terrible-looking sight yet beheld presented +itself, for the astonishing quantities of dust rolling upward, +together with the dreadful roaring, and the sun almost shining, +presented the appearance of a great moving fire, and such many +supposed it to be. Our nearest neighbors left their house +terror-stricken, and came towards ours, believing, the world was on +fire and the Judgment Day had surely come, a belief maintained by +others as well as by them, while the horses ran as far as they could +get from the frightful object. + +It could now be distinctly seen that Ercildoun lay directly in its +pathway, and I was almost horrified to think of such a destructive +power moving through a village, for it seemed to a beholder as though +no structure erected by human hands could, for a moment, stand before +it, and it seems marvellous, considering the destruction done at this +place, that not a single human life was lost, and only one in its +whole line of about 20 miles travel. The new dwelling house being +erected by Richard Darlington, was about the first in the vicinity to +share the fate of destruction, and the moment it was struck the +timbers could be seen flying high in the air and scattering in all +directions. The next instant the school building was obscured from +view, but in a moment reappeared again, showing it to be on the +outside of the center, and not in the full force of the storm. + +After passing through the town and completely destroying many of the +buildings, the cone or funnel, which had accompanied the Tornado like +a dreaded omen, disappeared, showing that the whirling motion of the +air had ceased, and the storm for the time being was spent. The rotary +movement was to the left, which may be shown by standing upon one heel +and turning around in that direction. This was evident from the fact +that being on the south side, objects flying off from the center were +thrown forward, while to a beholder on the north side, as the storm +moved eastward, they were thrown backward. The cone appeared to be a +cloud of vapor, nearly white, connecting at the base or upper end with +a smooth surface of cloud somewhat darker, and tapering in a slightly +concave manner for about two-thirds of its whole length, terminating +in a tail of nearly equal thickness, about one-third of the whole +length and at a height varying, probably, from 100 to 200 feet from +the ground. The upper portion of the cone appeared to move nearly in a +straight line, and at a uniform rate of speed, while the tail or lower +end was frequently seen to bend considerably in different directions, +showing that the storm was somewhat swayed from its true course in +passing around the hills or crossing valleys at oblique angles, a fact +verified by observation. Sometimes it would seem to stop entirely for +a few minutes, and then move on faster than before, and was quite as +destructive on low ground and in narrow valleys as elsewhere. The +appearance of fire frequently spoken of, especially by those toward +whom the storm was approaching, I am satisfied was produced by the +sunlight against the constantly rising dust, the light being partly +transmitted and partly reflected. No rain fell in the track of the +storm, but hail stones of large size and in considerably quantity fell +in some localities on the north side of it. + +One remarkable feature observed by those near its passage, was the +difference between the wind then blowing and that of ordinary winds, +the tornado acting with a drawing or sucking force, trees and other +objects seemed to give way more readily than if acted upon by the +pushing force of the wind behind them. The size of the central +portion, or that in which the power of the storm seemed to be +generated, did not appear to be more than 50 to 75 feet in width. One +person towards whom it was approaching, and but a short distance off, +thought it about the size of a large balloon, though trees, buildings, +and other objects, were prostrated for the width of 150 to 300 feet. + +The tornado of July 1st has assumed so much importance because of its +novelty, and of the scientific points involved in its movements, that +its history would be incomplete without some reference to the events +which followed it, and which had direct connection with it. The +suffering among the poorer classes in the village of Ercildoun was of +so decided a character, that a meeting was organized and a committee +of relief was appointed, composed of the following persons, viz: +Abraham Gibbons, Margaretta Walton, R. B. Ramsey, David Young, William +Webster, Charles Huston, Jr., and B. Fredd. This committee undertook +the task of raising a sum of money to repair and rebuild the houses of +those unable of themselves to do so. After considerable effort, in +which the people of the borough of Coatesville, and also of West +Chester and other places, made generous contributions, the sum of +nearly two thousand dollars was raised for that purpose. This amount +of money was generously distributed among the sufferers in sums +varying from one to four hundred dollars, and most of the dwellings of +the class referred to have been repaired, or are in course of +erection, and erelong the desolate appearance of the place will not +exist, and these people will be placed in a position as favorable as +they were in before the storm. No relief has been rendered to any of +the sufferers from Insurance Companies, or from any public +corporation. + +After the storm had passed through the village of Ercildoun on that +Sabbath afternoon, a tide of visitors set in, entirely unprecedented +in this part of the country. The sun shone out beautifully; a terrible +scene of desolation was spread out in every direction, buildings on +every hand having been either blown away or overthrown; fences +nowhere; the grass apparently parched and destroyed; trees filling all +the roads and pathways; the _debris_ of dwellings spread over all the +fields; animals gasping for breath or dying; crops shorn to a level +with the ground, and human beings running in every direction. Before +evening had come, upwards of a thousand people were gazing with +astonishment at the scene; carriages and vehicles of all descriptions +were to be seen. On the following day, in fact, during the whole of +the next three weeks, the number of visitors did not seem to diminish. +On July 8th, the Sabbath after the storm, it is estimated that the +number was swelled to five thousand. All the roads leading to +Ercildoun were absolutely obstructed with vehicles. Reporters for the +press, artists for the illustrated papers, and photographers, were +busily attending to their duties. Some of these visitors came in the +interest of science, others to extend sympathy and aid to the +sufferers, but the great mass of them came with no such purpose. They +gazed upon the scene as they would upon a great natural curiosity, +and gave the subject little profound thought. They regarded it as a +grand "show," and were certainly well repaid for their many miles of +travel thither. The citizens of the village kept watch for a few days +to prevent pilfering, but were not entirely successful, as many +valuables were stolen. + +It is estimated that about fifteen thousand people visited the ruins +in and around Ercildoun. The damage done to the Seminary property at +Ercildoun--amounting to one-fourth of the injury along the whole track +of the storm--was so great, and the general outlook upon the lawn--in +which most of the trees were either overthrown, broken off, or +otherwise injured--was of so unfavorable a character, that it was +deemed best by the proprietor to change its location. He purchased a +valuable property containing twenty-six acres of land and very fine +improvements, in the vicinity of the borough of West Chester, twelve +miles east of its former location. Additional buildings of the most +approved character were erected thereon, and its capacity for a Young +Ladies' Seminary or Boarding School, is greater than it was at +Ercildoun, and it is believed that some advantages of a decided +character will accrue to it in consequence of it being more easy of +access, and of its close proximity to one of the most beautiful towns +in the State of Pennsylvania. + +The story of the great storm seems now to be fully told. It is one of +the phenomena of the century. It has no rival or parallel in this +latitude. Its track was extremely narrow, not more than two hundred +yards in width, yet it destroyed nearly forty thousand dollars worth +of property, principally in buildings. We may never see the like +again, but those of us that endured its terrors and suffered its +losses, will never forget it. The storm-cloud, in its long journey of +twenty-two miles, killed but one person and severely injured three +others, but it imperiled the lives of several hundred, who are justly +thankful for their narrow escape from death. We have not been +accustomed to fear much the thunder, the lightning and the storms of +heaven. That calm Sabbath July afternoon has, however, reminded us +that a passing cloud may be lashed into the wildest fury and deal out +death and destruction on every hand. Whilst we cannot foolishly regard +this storm as a dispensation of Providence, as some have said, but +rather the wild fury of the elements, acting according to fixed laws, +we are, nevertheless, impressed with the dangers to human life on +every hand, and with the power of God as he carries out his laws, +irrespective of man's wishes or expectations. + + + + +ESTIMATED LOSS FROM THE TORNADO. + + + Jos. D. Pownell, $ 300 00 + Elwood Pownell, 200 00 + Robert Johnston, 200 00 + Thos. Bonsall, Jr., 300 00 + Building Association of W. C., 200 00 + Frank Paxson, 2000 00 + Madison Irvin, 100 00 + Wayne Woodland, 1500 00 + Robert Bradford, 50 00 + William Cephas, 100 00 + Henry Miller, 50 00 + Michael McGuigan, 50 00 + John Murphy, 50 00 + Ezekiel Young, 2000 00 + Geo. Paxson, 1200 00 + Mrs. Fulton, 800 00 + Chas. Hennings, 100 00 + Vincent Rice, 200 00 + Samuel Jackson, 2000 00 + Dr. Murphy, 600 00 + Penn'a & Del. R. R., 600 00 + William Hamill, 700 00 + Joseph Brinton, 2500 00 + Elisha Phipps, 1000 00 + Thomas Shields, 1200 00 + Richard Darlington, Jr., 9500 00 + Cyrus Coates, 2200 00 + Elizabeth Meredith, 800 00 + Lewis Miller, 100 00 + Junius Richardson, 200 00 + Jas. & Wm. Long, 300 00 + William Harvey, 400 00 + Fallowfield Meeting House, 300 00 + Geo. Walton, 200 00 + Priscilla Walton, 300 00 + Jacob Carter, 700 00 + Susan Pierce, 200 00 + Richard Bailey, 1200 00 + Joseph Marshall, 1600 00 + --------- + $36000 00 + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE GREAT +TORNADO IN CHESTER COUNTY, PA.*** + + +******* This file should be named 25970.txt or 25970.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/9/7/25970 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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