Jan 5, 1839

There is a book "The Night of the Big Wind" by Peter Carr ISBN 1 870132 505 Published by White Row Press 1993 and available through Kennys@iol.ie andprobably other book stores, too. The book gives descriptions from newspapersof the time about the ravages of the storm.

These two excerpts from the book came from the "Kerry Evening Post" for theweek of Jan 5, 1839:

'KILLARNEY" County Kerry In Killarney and its neighbourhood the hurricaneraged with terrible fury. The town sustained much damage and many houseswere shattered. Mr. James Goggin's chimneys were blown into the street, andcaused that gentleman and the whole neighbourhood much alarm - Mr. MichaelMcCarthy had a similar cause of terror, the roof of his house being laidquite bare. The windows of the Victoria Hotel were shattered to pieces andmany aged tress...were laid prostrate, in every quarter and in all directionsand at PALLAS in County Kerry. "The house of an opulent farmer, named JohnSullivan, at Pallas, near Killarney, was blown down, and having taken fire,was totally consumed together with a valuable haggard, three cows, and twentyfirkins of butter destroyed..."

and in GALWAY in County Galway. "Never, probably in the memory of man hasthis town been thrown into such awful consternation as on Sunday Night last,and had the storm been accompanied as on a former occasion with a springtide..the inundation and destruction of at least half the town would havebeen the consequence. Seven lives have been lost, and there are four lyingdangerously wounded.

From eleven o'clock at night to five in the morning the streets were impassable,as slates and stones were flying in all directions in rapid succession, chimneysfalling, the roofs of houses giving way, windows smashing, men, women andchildren screaming and crying, seeking in vain, in many instances for a saferetreat, and ....."

Note: When people were applying for Old Age Pension, it was a "test"they gave; if someone could remember the "night of the big wind" then theywere old enough to qualify for the Pension. Hope you enjoyed this excerpt!Waterlilys@aol.com

Thanks to:
Mary Ann Schloegl
Grand Blanc, Michigan
for contributing this!