Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Daily National Intelligencer
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
A severe hail storm hit Salem, Massachusetts on August 2, lasting 20 minutes and causing widespread damage including broken windows in nearly every house, destroyed crops and fruit, and fallen chimneys. One house in Marblehead was struck by lightning but no lives lost. Surrounding towns reported no hail damage.
Clipping
OCR Quality
Full Text
Salem, Mass. Aug. 2.
After an uncommon succession of warm days, with repeated appearances of wild and irregular clouds, we were yesterday afternoon visited by a hail storm, which continued for twenty minutes with great fury. The stones were of an oblate figure, and many of them upon their broader surfaces were an inch in diameter. They appeared in a solid form, and such as fell under our own observation were detached from each other. We were notified of the approaching change by the movement of the clouds in different densities, while they were thinnest in a vertical direction.
The continued rumbling of distant thunder in the south-west, and the darkening sky, prepared us for a heavy thunder storm. But we had no remarkable lightening or thunder, but soon after the rain began to fall, the hail began. The barometer was unusually low, and the thermometer uncommonly high, and the air thro' the day had the most sultry heat. We have not had an opportunity to learn in what extent destruction has appeared. Much glass has been destroyed in the town. What damage has been done to the fields, or cattle, is not yet known, but we expect great, if the hail storm extended around us. The noble willow which waved at our door was sacrificed to the blast, and only one solitary branch reminds us of its rich and spreading foliage.
From Marblehead we learn that the hail did considerable damage to the windows, and one house was struck with lightning, and much shattered, but no lives were lost.
We have heard from all the other neighboring towns, and they received no damage from the hail. Some of the hail stones which fell in this town we learn measured from 4 to 6 inches in circumference, and weighed from 1 1/4 to 2 ounces. The destruction of Window Glass is immense. Scarcely a house in town escaped the destructive effects of the hail stones, and in many of them more than 250 squares of glass were broken. Many fields of corn, potatoes, &c. in the neighborhood are destroyed, having been literally torn up by the roots, and the destruction of fruit torn from the trees in our gardens, has been very great. Several chimnies were blown down.
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Salem, Mass.
Event Date
Aug. 2.
Outcome
no lives lost; immense destruction of window glass (over 250 squares in many houses), fields of corn and potatoes torn up by roots, fruit destroyed, several chimneys blown down; one house in marblehead struck by lightning and shattered.
Event Details
A hail storm visited Salem after warm days, lasting twenty minutes with fury; hail stones oblate, up to an inch in diameter on broad surfaces, 4-6 inches circumference, 1 1/4 to 2 ounces; preceded by thunder and rain, low barometer, high sultry heat; damage to glass, fields, cattle expected; willow tree sacrificed; Marblehead had window damage and lightning strike; other towns unaffected.