The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-07-15
A Western Tornado.

occurred III various parts OF the country.
One of the most destructive of these passed
over a portion of Detroit, some of the
incidents of which are furnished by the
Free Press of that city, and will afford a
pretty good idea of the hurricanes so COM
mon in the West.
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 one hundred and fifty feet
wide, and within that limit nothing could
resist its tremendous force. Houses were
taken up high in the air, shaken into frag-
ments, and in many instances scattered over
territory a mile in length. Indeed, flying
pieces of timber were seen whirlipg aloft
and flying about fully two miles from the
| place where the work of demolition began.
! Where at one moment stood a row of
substantial houses, the next witnessed
| scene Of devastation impossible to realize,
with scarcely a vestige of the building in
! sight, so utterly were they swept off the
face of the earth. Everywhere were heard
the cries of the wounded, whose bleeding
and mutilated bodies were pitiful to look
upon. Richard Bates, 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 his
clothing from his person, and he fell dead
/ to the ground, distance of fully fifty feet.
| \ little babe seven months old, the child
of Carl Peca, who lived on Fourteenth
street, was found dead in the street. Mrs.
VanDuscn, widow, with two children, on
Fifteenth street, had gone up town to visit
| her father, and when she returned her
house was nowhere to be found. 1t had
been carried bodily at least two hundred
feet, torn to atoms and scattered far and
near. The only recognizable portion of the
building found was the front door
! Frederick Rademachcr, 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 where also
considerably bruised. 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 1t said that six or
seven persons were killed.
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 gyrations. 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 tress were uprooted and
carried long distance bricks from top
ping chimneys ratified down and struck
fleeing men and women, and through the
storm come the most appalling shrieks.
The two-story frame honse on the north
side of Grand River avenue, second house
west Of Twelfth street, was occupied by
Mrs Goodhue, with four children. The
inmates of the house at the time of the
storm were at tea, and, hearing its ap-
proach. went to the door. Mrs. Goodhue
comprchended the situation at glance
and directing her companions the house
hold crouched down in the corner of the
dining room before the base Of the brick
l chimney, where they remained until the
danger was over, escaping unhurt, although
pieces of lumber were flying promiscuously
through the building. The house on the
corner of Twelfth and Brigham streets wa'
occupied by Henry Ford, his wife and fiv'
children While at the supper table ;
horrible kissing sound caused Mr.. Ford t.
: turn his head when he saw, as he says
e ''an inky-black oud coming toward hi
:. house, the air being filed with the deGri
: of buildings" Scarcely knowing what h
/ did, he gathered his family about him ant
q q started for the back door. He reaches
the door of the kitchen, which opened int
n. a wood-shed, just in time to see the she
lifted bodily away from the main buildln
and dashed against his back fence, con
pletcly demolishng both structures Stanc
inc there in amazement, the family wer
81 still further affrighted by seeing the roc
of their dwelling arise and sail ava.
followed by wardrobe, articles of clothin
and household furniture, until the room
were literally bare Of everything movable
Strange to say not one of Mr.. Ford
: family was injured The surface of til
; ground beneath the trees where the clou
=, lifted presented terrible scene. Stickin
a a into the ground at all angles We're piec'
of wood, from the size and shape OF
shinele to the doors, sections of roofs an
walls of houses. Piled promiscuously y we
r, trunks, kettles, stone jars and broke
an furniture. Curiously interminsled We
&c the mangled bodies of chickens, duck
aa ,a;1rs aud innumnrahle small wi