A new article has been added at Newspaper Abstracts > United States > Delaware > Sussex http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=642 Also visit our new sister site: http://www.Genealogy101.com Direct link to article: http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/link.php?id=43104 Submitted by: Harrison H Howeth Article Title: The Pennsylvania Mercury Article Date: September 3 1789 Article Description: Early September Storm at Lewes, Sussex on the Delaware Article Text: Lewes, Del., Sussex on the Delaware: 3 Sept 1789: A remarkable tornato, hurricane, whirlwind or water spout, with storms and hail, discharged itself, in the neighborhood of Lewes Town, between four and five o'clock in the afternoon of the 2d intlant. What I observed and have learned concerning it, is as follows: That a very black cloud arose at S.W., the wind having been southerly all that day, this cloud was slowly carried to the east, till it reached the sea when it began to move rapidly toward the north or northwest, possibly by a trade wind. After it had passed Lewes going up the bay it seemed to meet a strong north wind from the land, when by the meeting of various winds in almost opposite directions, a tornado ensued which seemed to raise much water high into the regions of eternal frost and ice. The whirlwind then took to the land and seems to have made an arch, at a mile and a half or two miles distance from Lewes. At least as to the nucleus, vortex, center or axis of it, perhaps the length of the line or half circ! le which it ran would measure 5 miles. Its course is effectually marked by great devaluation, the whirlwind breaking the most flourishing green oak trees, often in the middle, and some near the tops. Fences were leveled with the earth, fields of Indian corn totally stripped of their leaves, even the humble Irish potatoes were torn up and strewed in the dust. These things were done in the middle of it. Where the hail lasted about four minutes, as large as musket shot, some birds were found dead, some old houses blown down but by the kindnest of heaven no human lives were lost. But for a mile or two around its internal furious whirl what I saw most remarkable was that sheets of solid water fell instead of rain. The blast followed in quicker succession, then waves in the sea, and every blast brought a wave so quickly that though my prospect was from a hill yet on the descending ground, the water could neither sink nor run off, but flood over the whole ground like a pond. Some ! hail also fell for a few munutes but with less fury, but it left few p anes of glass as they were more or less exploded. Very sharp thunder also attended it which probably broke the whirl and shortened its duration. . The warmest gratitude is due the "Glorious Ruler of Nature" that the town was spared and in the country so little damage suitained. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ DE-Old-News ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ NewspaperAbstracts.com - Finding our ancestors in the news! TM http://www.NewspaperAbstracts.com