Lewis & Jefferson Counties, NY Tornado Damage, June 1889

A CYCLONE IN THIS STATE.

GREAT DAMAGE CAUSED IN LEWIS AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

Turin, Lewis County, N.Y., June 10. -- A cyclone accompanied by terrible thunder, lightning, and rain, passed over a portion of this town at 5 P.M. yesterday. A barn on the WHITTAKER place, two miles north of here, is a total wreck. It was carried a distance of 375 feet. Acres of ground are covered by broken timber. A tenement house was so badly shaken that the plastering fell. Near the WHITTAKER residence ten immense trees were uprooted. Upon the sidehill (for this is at the foot of what is known as Tug Hill) fruit and forest trees were swept clean. MR. HOVEY, the tenant, compares the appearance of the cyclone to clouds of black smoke, whirling and coming nearly to the ground. A horse and calf were in the barn. The horse escaped, but the calf was killed.

Utica, N.Y., June 10. -- A terrific windstorm passed through Port Leyden, Lewis County, and the lower portion of Jefferson County, about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, unroofing houses, overturning trees, fences, and buildings, and doing much damage. The steeple of the Catholic church in Port Leyden was blown down and the Methodist Episcopal church steeple was moved in such a manner as to make it dangerous. One house was picked up and carried about one hundred feet. An old gentleman and lady who were in the house were both injured. The most damage was done in a path about eighty rods wide, though trees and fences were overturned in a wide territory. The telegraph wires are all down.
The cyclone was caused by storms coming from two directions and uniting north of this city. From its point of uniting its direction was northeasterly.
MRS. SPAIN, who resided in the town of Florence, was killed by her house falling upon her.

New York Times New York 1889-06-11

__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!