A Full Description of the Great Tornado in Chester County, Pa.Darlington, Richard
History
A Full Description of the Great Tornado in Chester County, Pa.
Darlington, Richard
Chester County (Pa.) -- History; Tornadoes -- Pennsylvania -- Chester County
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.
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