Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-07-09
Letter from Michigan.
BY REV. N. PIERCE.


to communicate to your readers, my
friends East.
You know that the first word we say
after the "Good morning." is about the
weather. 1t would not answer to depart
from the custom, and therefore few SEN
fences.
| never have seen so much cold and
exceedingly wet weather as during the
past three months, in this section of the
country. 1t rains almost continually,
and when it rains, 1t rains
The storms are not confined to any
particular locality of the West. Reports
from different parts of this State confirm
what | have said and more.
The city of Flint was visited by ter
rifle rain storm on Saturday evening last,
accompanied by thunder and Legitimacy,
which literally flooded the city and caus,
ed some damage to property. At 10
o'clock the volume Of water in our streets
was pedestrians who were COM
PEELED to ford the streams informing us
that they were from two to three feet
deep. Planks and foodwood were swept
toward the river in the First Ward at
tremendous rate of speed. The plank
walks on either side of Saginaw street
bridge, at the north end, were under
mined, and rendered impossible. The
damage done in that locality is estimated
at from $500 to $1,000. Portions of the
sidewalks in the First Ward were loosen
ed from the timbers beneath, and many
of the planks displaced. The cellar be-
tween the Ladies Library Building was
filled with water, and approximations of
danger to the building were entertained
until the stermer was brought into requi-
sition on Sunday morning, and the main
portion of the water drawn out. The
earth was washed from beneath the rail-
road track in several places near the de-
pot, and little north of the city two
culverts were washed out, and the earth
washed away to the depth of fifteen or
twenty feet. By timely exertions on the
part of Superintendent Kimball and the
employees of the road, however, trains
passed over it on Monday, as usual.
During this storm many buildings were
struck by lightning, and great damage
was done to mills and other property
The storm vaxed into tornado and
sweptacross the country with unexampled
fury. Considering the violence of the
storm, and the vigorous playing of the
lightning, the escape of the citizens of
this vicinity with so little injury to life
and property was almost miraculous
Reports from towns south of us, however,
show that the tornado swept across Gaines
and Grand Blanc with almost irresistible
fury, leaving rain and desolation in its
track. 1t is reported that in the town of
Gaines several dwelling houses were
blown down, and large forest trees either
uprooted or snapped in two as if they
were but reeds in the blast. We learn
that the inmates of one tenement, seeing
the tornado approaching, left it Just in
time to escape rough treatment, as the
tenement was caught up by the furious
blast, and made to execute several somer
saults before it was dropped from the gil
ant hand. We are also informed that
persons were partially suspended in the
air and carried eight or ten rods before
regaining their natural position on terra
f'ma.
On thesameday the city of Fon du Lac,
Wisconsin, was visited with storm and
Hood that threw all former enterprises of
the kind in the shade. Before and of
ter the time the icebergs came down. it
ralned torrents on the top of fully sat-
urated soil, so that the rising streams
suddenly changed into rivers, and in
some places swept all before them. It
is estimated that $4,000 will be required
OF the city alone to put the bridges back
INTO shape. The private damage to in
dividuals was much more.
The city was the scene of the most
intense excitement. The sky lights of .
photograph establishments were broken
IN by the hail, and the car shops alone ,
suffered to the number of 1000 lights of {
glass, besides countless others. {
1t was sudden and great dash of rain ,
that went nearly as quickly as it came
but left its destructive footprints on its
pathway. As might be expected. the {
crops are in critical condition.
The corn crop has seldom presented a {
more unpromising appearance than now
1t is backward and yellow, having sick. !
ly look apparently needing n bottle os ,