[Rarebooks] FS: 1878- The Wallingford Tornado

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

TITLE: “History of the Wallingford Disaster”

By John B. Kendrick.
Published in Hartford by The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co. in 1878.

DISCUSSION: On Friday, August 9th, 1878 a tornado passed through
Wallingford, Connecticut, ripping a large portion of the town to shreds
and killing 29 people. Although one runs across 19th century chronicles of
tornadoes from time to time, one rarely finds an account as detailed as
this account, nor one which spends so much time describing the aftermath
-the rescues, the cleanup, the visits by dignitaries and sightseers, and
so on. Nor does one often come across an account illustrated quite like
this one. There are 8 full-page woodcut plates showing the destruction,
from ruined houses and buildings to a giant elm snapped like a toothpick.
The plates' style is a very stark and sharp, almost modern, or reminiscent
of the 1930s. The effect is quite startling and dramatic. A most
interesting tale and illustrations of a disastrous storm and its
aftermath.

"The Wallingford Tornado struck the town of Wallingford, Connecticut, on
August 9, 1878. The violent tornado destroyed most of the town, killing 34
people and injuring at least 70, many severely. This was the deadliest
tornado ever to strike the state of Connecticut, and the second deadliest
ever in New England, after the Worcester tornado of 1953. The storm system
that eventually spawned the Wallingford tornado produced damaging winds
and at least one tornado far before it reached the town. The first tornado
from this storm system touched down in South Kent, unroofing houses,
blowing down barns, and uprooting and tossing trees into the air. It moved
steadily southeast for 12 miles, moving just south of New Preston, and
then through Washington, before turning north and dissipating. The next
path of damage started further north along the Shepaug River. It is
unknown whether this was a tornado or straight-line winds, but the damage
path continued southeast for three miles before disappearing again. More
damage was reported near Waterbury, where a house was unroofed two miles
west of the town. In the town itself, branches and chimneys were damaged.
As the storm approached Wallingford, observers described a black, rolling
funnel, with clouds blowing in from all directions. This system passed
directly over Cheshire, producing a strong wind at the surface which
caused some minor damage. The storm then moved directly towards
Wallingford. In Wallingford, the day prior to the tornado was clear, and
said to be "one of the loveliest [days] of the season". At around 5 p.m.
the sky began to get dark, and by 5:30 p.m. the air was very black. At
around 6 p.m., the air at the surface was calm, but lightning began to
fill the sky, and the clouds began moving at a very rapid pace,
frightening some residents into shelter. The tornado started as a
waterspout over Community Lake, just west of town. It then moved through
the center of town along Christian Street, damaging almost every structure
as it went. The tornado tore houses from their foundations, throwing some
more than 600 feet. A receipt from the town was later found 65 miles east
in Peacedale, Rhode Island. Large trees were uprooted and snapped, and
those that were still standing were stripped of small limbs and leaves.
The Catholic Church was blown to bits, and heavy tombstones in the nearby
cemetery were tossed around. The brand-new brick high school building was
almost completely destroyed. The tornado's path through town was only two
miles long, but the damage path was up to 600 feet. A district schoolhouse
was converted into a temporary morgue immediately after the storm; 21
bodies were discovered and placed there that night. One person was found
dead 3300 feet from where he had been standing. The tornado brought down
telegraph lines and poles around the area, so assistance from physicians
in nearby towns took more than an hour. More than 50 special police were
sworn in to prevent looting, and to control the crowds of curious
onlookers who had come by train from surrounding cities. Tornadoes are not
very uncommon in the state of Connecticut, but tornadoes of this power are
rare. Though tornadoes have only been officially rated on the Fujita scale
since 1950, this tornado has been estimated to be of F4-intensity on the
scale."

DESCRIPTION: Hardcover. 6"x9", 76 pages, 8 plates.

CONDITION NOTES: Covers with some wear and soil, some internal soil, pages
7-8 detached but present (see the next to last photo, below), and with
some chipping along the edge.

PRICE: $125-

SOME PICTURES =>
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