The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-07-15
The Detroit Cyclone.

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The destroyer scemedto be whirlwind
ern limit of the city. It was first seen in
that direction in the shape of a dark,
smoky'looking spiral mass, shaped like an
inverted tunnel of enormous dimensions,
and whirling with inconceivable rapidity.
Its forward movement was also very rapid
in a course north Of east, but it did not
strike the earth until it reached the vicin
ity OF Williams avenue and Ash street,
There the first evidence of its awful power
was seen in upturned sidewalks and de-
molished outbuildings, but no dwellings
seem to have been caught in that immedi-
ate neighborhood.
The greatest destruction was south of
Grand River avenue, from and including
Fourteenth street to Eighteenth, between
Magnolia and Linden streets Its track
was perhaps $50 feet wide, and within
that limit nothing could resist its tremen-
dous force. Houses were taken up high
in air, shaken into fragments and, in many
instances, scattered over territory a mile
in length. Indeed, flying pieces of tim
Der were seen whirling aloft and flying
about fully two miles from the place
where the work of demolition began.
Where at one moment, stood row of
substantial houses, the next witnessed
scene of devastation impossible to realize,
with scarcely vestige of the buildings in
sight, so utterly were they swept off the
face Of the earth.
1t is not difficult to conceive that such
a remOrseless monster carried death and
mutilation on its wings. Everywhere
whose bleeding and mutilated bodies were
| raSfi To orI pofn
aged eleven years, was caught up and
carried into the topmost branches Of tall
elm which stood on the commons near his
mothers house, at the corner of Fifteenth
and Linden streets. His violent contact
with the limbs tore the clothing from his
person and he fell dead to the ground,
distance of fully fifty feet.
A little babe seven months old, the
child of Carl Peca, who lived on Four
teenth street, was found dead in the street.
Its father and mother were both injured
and removed to Harper Hospital.
Mrs. Van Duzen, widow with two
children, on Fifteenth street, had gone up
town to visit her father, and when she re-
turned her house was nowhere to be found.
1t had been carried bodily at least 200
feet, torn to atoms and scattered far and
wide. The only recognizable portion of
the building found was the front door.
Frederick Rademacher, who lived at
74S Sixteenth street, was sitting at home
with his wife and two children, when he
suddenly felt himself hurled through the
air and saw the walls and timbers of his
dwelling flying in every direction. He
escaped with a slight scalp-wound, but
his wife was more seriously injured. The
children were also considerably bruised,
but their hurts are not dangerous.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bates, the parents of the
lad whose frightful death has already been
recorded, and younger son were badly
wounded.
The house of Martin Schneider, at the
corner of Sixteenth and Linden streets,
was totally destroyed, but both Mr.. and
Mrs. Schneider were miraculously saved
by cupboard which protected them
from the falling timbers. When they
were rescued both were found to be quite
unhurt.
Joseph Bully, of 712 Sixteenth street,
house when a portion Of the roof was
wrenched off and hurled to the ground,
grazing him in it's descent and inflicting
bad wound on the side of his head.
Two vacant houses on Seventeenth street,
near Linden, were demolished, and
third, adjoining, was partially torn down.
| The names of the owners could not be as
certained, but as no person was injured
there it is not so important.
| August Seaman, who lives on Twenty
third street, and his wife were visiting
friend on Fifteenth street, and were caught
in the track of the destroyer. Seaman
has shocking wound extending from the
| forehead across the crown to the back of
his head, his right arm is shattered, and
his collar bone is broken. Mrs. Seaman
has terrible cut under her left eye
Herman Mike received two fractured
arms and severe body bruises. He is con-
:cious, but his condition is extremely crit
ical.
Many others were more or less injured;
seven were taken to Harper Hospital, but
Il majority of them were cared for by
friends and neighbors in the different parts
Of the city, 50 it is not possible, at the
present writing, to furnish a complete list
Of the victims.
Incident upon incident illustrating the
peculiar action of this stOrm-clOud, whirl-
wind or whatever it was might be related
if time and space were at command.
Two horses were carried over a barn and
flung to the earth dead, and numerous
smaller domestic animals were made to
perform some most astonishing gyra:ions.
Houses on the outer edges Of the track of
the storm were punched full of holes by
huge timbers that were whirled along end
over end; shade and fruit trees were up
rooted and carried long distance; bricks
from topping chimncys rattlel down and
struck fleeing men and women, and through
the roar of the storm came the most aprall
ing shrieks.
The house on the corner of Twelfth
and Brigham streets was occupied by
Henry Ford, his wife and five children.
ing sound caused Mr.. Ford to turn his
head, when he saw, as he says: "An inky
black cloud coming toward his house, the
air being filled with the debris of build
ings." Scarcely knowing what he did lie
gathered his family about him and started
for the back door, He reached the door
of the kitchen which opened into wood
shed just in time to see the shed lifted
bodily away from the main building and
dashed against his back fence, completely
demolishing both structures. Standing
there in amazement the family were still
further affrighted by seeing the roof of
their dwelling arise and sail away, fol-
lowed by wardrobe, articles of clothing
and household furniture, until the rooms
were literally bare of everything movable.
Strange to say not one of Mr.. Ford's fam
lily was injured.
Charles Louys, Il teamster, lives at No.
1893 Twelfth street, and his barn is Just op-
posite the extreme north end of the path of
destruction. He had piece of stove-pipe
stored upstairs in his barn, one end of
which projected through a hole in the side
of the barn. In that piece of pipe was dis
covered, tightly wedged, the body of a
duck with its head cut off. The head was
found upon the barn floor by the side of
the pipe.
The surface of the ground beneath the
trees where the cloud lifted presented
terrible scene. Sticking into the ground
at all angles were pieces of wood, from the
size and shape of a single to the doors,
sections of roofs and walls of houses.
Piled promiscuously were trunks, kettles,
stone Jars and broken furniture. Curious
| w intcrmingled were the mangled bodies