tion 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; h