Long Branch, NY Tornado

September 15, 1912

How Fatalities Occurred

The one man instantly killed by the storm was Wilson Mathewson.  He was a farmer, 53 years of age, and lived about three-quarters of a mile from Long Branch.  With his wife, Mr. Mathewson had stepped from a car that had carried him from the city to Long Branch.  They were both in the trolley station at Long Branch preparing to go to their home.  When the wind caught the trolley station in its grasp, Mr. Mathewson was carried along with it.  He was struck by the timbers.  His body was caught in the grip of the tornado and carried a distance of about 100 feet from where the station had stood.  He was found on a hillside and died before help reached him.

G. W. Dopp of Fulton and Charles Chapman of Pitcher hill died in hospitals, the former in Genesee hospital and the latter at St. Joseph's.  Mr. Dopp was employed as a motorman on the Syracuse, Lakeshore & Northern railroad.  Dopp was in his car, which was at the Long Branch shop.  When the storm came he was engaged in cleaning the front window in order that he might have a better view of the tracks when the trip was resumed.

The car was close beside the waiting room, and when it crashed down the roof of the structure crashed into the car.  Dopp had no chance to escape.  His chest and skull were crushed.  He was rushed to the city in an automobile and then taken to the Genesee hospital, where he died at 10:30 o'clock.  Dopp was 22 years of age.

Charles Chapman died at St. Joseph's hospital.  Mr. Chapman ran a store at Pitcher Hill.  The house and store were under the same roof. When the storm hit the building Mr. Chapman tried to get to a door to close it.  As he did he was caught beneath the falling timbers of the house and crushed.  His chest was crushed and he received internal injuries that proved fatal.  Mr. Chapman was 45 year of age and is survived by his wife and several children.

Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, NY 16 Sept 1912

TORNADO WRECKED SUMMER COTTAGES

Sunday's Storm Played Havoc Along Seneca River

Visitor is Badly Hurt

Reuben Dudley said to have sustained fractured skull -- Union men offer their services to rebuild damaged buildings.

Reuben Dudley, a visitor at one of the cottages on the Seneca Road is said to have suffered a fracture of the skull as a result of the tornado of Sunday. Reports of the damage to the cottages along the Seneca river today showed that the tornado played great havoc there and many persons escaped death and injury only by good fortune.

Robert Prager [?] a cottager near Long Branch, had tied his motorboat to a tree near his cottage.  The tornado uprooted the tree and [illegible] upon his cottage, carrying the motorboat ten feet in to the air where it hung by the rope.

A cottage owned by Clarence Dunn was completely wrecked.  This cottage was about 100 feet from another cottage where Mr. Dunn's family were huddled in fear as trees crashed down in the woods about hem.  Trees along the river, leaning over, were hurled over in the opposite direction.

Mr. Dudley was struck by an iron flag pole which broke into three pieces while he was trying to fasten a motorboat.

Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, NY 18 Sept 1912

A fatal accident to Samuel Smith, who lived at Park and Center streets, is directly attributable to the tornado.  He started to walk from Long Branch to this city, was hit by a trolley car near Pleasant Beach and when brought to St. Joseph's hospital several hours afterwards, it was found that his skull was fractured and his right arm had been severed at the shoulder.

Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, NY 16 Sept 1912

North of Liverpool the storm first struck the farm of Bartholomew Smith, blowing the roof off the barn, blowing in windows of the house and whirling furniture about.  H. M. Younglove's greenhouse across the road was blown to pieces.  Mowing machines were carried [illegible] feet by the wind.....

The home of Thomas E. Bennett was torn from its stone foundation and carried at least twenty feet.  Mr. Bennett and his wife were unhurt.  He tried to protect her from heavy beams and boards that fell about them and his shoulder was dislocated and his chest injured, though it is not thought seriously.  Across from the Bennett's Lewis Keith's home was destroyed and the aged man and his family narrowly escaped death or serious injury.  Several tons of coal in a woodshed were moved several feet, woodshed and all.

At Pitcher Hill among the wrecked buildings are the house and barn of Mr. Chapman, the home of H. U. Wendell, home and barn of William Michaels, the schoolhouse and other buildings to say nothing of those that are unroofed or twisted.  The farmers there are stared in the face by ruin. 

Mr. Chapman was the only one downstairs when his home was demolished and he was killed. His family and friends were upstairs and were only comparatively slightly hurt.  He was crushed by heavy timbers under one corner of the store.  He had evidently been trying to close the door when the wind tumbled the building down. Mrs. Chapman, who was slightly injured by falling bricks and timber was frantic.  Girls upstairs were hurled down with the house and cut and bruised.

After the building fell Miss Laura Hazelmyre, a guest at the house, climbed out and was seen standing on the roof covered with blood.  She had saved the life of Edna Odin, a girl of 12, by throwing her out of the window though how or why she did it she does not know.  Miss Hazelmyre was bruised and lacerated all over her body an a large piece was torn from one of her limbs but she was able to be up this morning and to limp along the road.  Miss Hazlemyre is only about 18 years old and other in the house, excepting Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Louis Haber, were all children.

All were upstairs save Mr. Chapman.  Mrs. Chapman crazed by the terrible disaster, managed to get out of the wreckage that was once a home an tried to find her husband.  He was found crushed and died in St. Joseph's hospital.  It was necessary to saw away several [illegible] before Mr. Chapman could be gotten out.

Jacob Kronder, and employee of William Merrell at Pitcher Hill, is likely to die.  He and Merrell were in the barn when the cyclone came.  A beam struck Kronder and he went down.  The wind seemed to pick up the barn and carry it and Mr. Merrell rode in the storm, praying to God as he was carried along.  Wagons were driven pas him by the wind.  In an instant it was over, but it seemed like years.  Merrell's home and furniture and several barns were destroyed.

John Wilkinson was between his house and barn when the cyclone struck him and he was knocked down by flying timbers.  His injuries while not apparently serious may develop seriously.

William Michaels's house, just south of the Chapman's place, is twisted out of shape and his barn is completely demolished.  In the wreckage of the barn lies a white horse, killed by the falling timbers.  The house outside does not look so bad but inside it is a wreck.  It is twisted out of shape, plastering is fallen everywhere.  Mr. Michaels was going from the barn to the house and the wind blew him against the house with great force...

The homes of Earl Benz and Albert Jewell are in ruins.  Fred Zwicki lost part of his house and all of his barn.  A big wagon was hurled through his henhouse.

Willard Davis lost the roof from his house and not a shred was left together of his barn.  In his [illegible] are dead chickens by the score.  His family of children were in the house but were not hurt.  Mr. Davis was in a lot near his home and was knocked down by the wind, while flying timbers were carried over his head.  He was not injured. 

The home of Sidney Price and his barn were wrecked.  One cow as left in the cellar of the barn this morning and neighbors and friends tried to get it out.  Another cow was hurt and spectators begged that it be killed. It is said that it would be.  The front of Mr. Price's house was torn off and only two rooms were undamaged.  From the front upstairs a little picture could be seen this morning evidently hurled from the wall and fastened by the wind across the end of a partition that it had torn off.

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