Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-09
THE DETROIT TORNADO.

We take the following account Of the
recent whirlwind In Detroit from the Free
Press of the 2Sth ult.
The destroyer seemed to be whirlwind
which rose apparently near the southwest.
ern limit of the city. II was first seen in
that direction in the shape of dark,
smoky-looking spiral mass, shaped like an
inverte tunnel of enormous dimensions.
and whirling with inconCeivable rapidity.
Its forward movement was also very rapid
In q course north of east, but il did not
strike the earth until il reached the viCin-
ity of Williams avenue and Ash street
There the first evidence orits awful power
was seen in upturnCd 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 lis track
was perhaps t50 feet wide, and within
| that limit nothing could resist its tremen-
| dOus force. Houses were taken up high
in air, shaken into fragments aud, in many
Instances, scattered over territory mile
in length. indeed, flying pieces of tim
Der were seen whirling alOll 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 a
| scene of devastation impossible 10 realize,
with scarcely vcslige 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 rcmorselcSs monster carried death and
| mutilation on its wings Everywhere
| were heard The cries of the wounded,
whose bleeding and mutilatcd bodies were
| pitiful TO look upon. Richard Bates,
| aged eleven years, was CAUGHT mp and
carried into The tOpmost branches OF Il tail
elm which stood on the commons near his
mothers house, at The corner of Fifteenth
and Linden sire 'ts. Ills Violent contact
with the linbS tore The clothing from his
person and he fell dead to the ground, n
distance of fully fifty feet.
\ little babe seven months old, the
child of Carl Pcca, who lived ON Four
| tt6nth street. was found dead in the street.
! Its father and mother were both injured
and removed to Harper Hospital.
Mrs. Van DuZcn, wiCow 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 20C
feet, torn to atoms and scattered far and
wide. The only recognizable portion OF
the building found was the front door.
Frederick RadcmachLr, Who lived at
74S Sixteenth street, was sitting al home
with his wife and two children, When hc
| suddenly felt himself hurled through the
air and saw the walls and Iimbcrs of his
dwelling flying in every direction. IIC
escaped with slight sralp-wound but
his wife was more seriously injured The
children were also col sidcrably bruised
but their hurts are not dangerous.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bates, the parents of the
lad whose irightlul death has already been
recorded, and younger son were badly
wounded.
The house of Martin Schneider, at III,
corner of Sixteenth and Linden streets
was totally destroyed, but both Mr.. anC
Mrs. Schneider were miraculously savct
by cupboard which protected then
from the falling timbers. When they
wore rescued both were found to be quit,
unlnut
Joseph Bully, of 712 Sixteenth street
was standing in vacant lot adjoining hi
house when a portion of the roof wa,
wrenched off and hurled to the ground
grazing him in its 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
ccrtained, but as no person was injuret
there 1t is not so important.
August Seaman, who lives on Twenty
third street. and his wife were visiting
friend on Fifteenth street, and were caugh
in the track of the destroyer. Seaman
has a shocking wound extending from tn
forehead across the crown to the back o
his head, his right arm is shattered, AM
his collar bone is broken. Mrs. Seaman
has terrible cut under her left eye.
Herman Mike received two fractures
arms and severe body bruises. He is con
scious, but his condition is extremely crit
ical.
Many others were more or less injured
seven were taken 10 Harper Hospital, bu
Z a majority of them were cared for b.
! friends and neighborS in the different part
1 of the city, so il is not possible, at til
T present writing, TO furnish Il complete lis
of the victims.
, Incident upon incident illustrating tn
G peculiar action of this stOrm-cloud, whir
= wind or whatever it was might be relate
r if time and space were at command
W. ttVlotS htlt ONCl u
flung to the earth dead, and numerou
a smaller domestic animals were made I
r perform some most astonishing gyrationi
}, Houses on the outer edges of the track /,
= the storm were punched full of holes b
n huge timbers that were whiHled along en-
over end shade and fruit trees were NJ
r rooted and carried long distance; brick
o from tOppling chimncys ratified down an
4 struck fleeing men and women, and thrOug
S the roar OF the storm came the most appal
@ Ing shrieks.
The house ON the corner of Twelll
. and Brigham streets was occupied b
" Henry Ford, his ifc and five childreI
= While at the supper table horrible his
% ing sound caused Mr.. Ford to turn II
' head, when he saw, as he says; "An ink
black cloud coming toward his house, u
air being filled with the debris of built
n ings" Scarcely knowing what he did
y gathered his family about him and startC
II for the back door. He reached the do,
y of the kitchen which opened into WOO
q shed Just in time 10 see the shed lift
bodily away from the main building al
1t dashed against his back fence, complete
ii demolishing both structures. StandiI
1t there in amazement the family were st
p further atiriglred by seeing the roof
D. their dwelling arse ana SAIL away, Il
lowed by wardrobe, articles of clothil
Y. and household furniture, until the roou
n were literally bare Of everything movabI
b Strange to say not one of Mr.. Ford's fan
4. lily was injured.
" Charles Louys, teamstcr, lives at n
= 798 Twelfth street, and his barn is Just q
m positetlie Extreme north end Of the path
u Destruction. He had piece of stove-pi
20 stored upstairs in his barn, one end
N %GIeh 6a bS ase n hP9 DiIa in "s S6s s.
p covered, tightly wedged, the body of
duck with its head cut Oft The head W
n found upon the barn floor by the side
u the pipe. e. pae
ef The surface of the ground beneath /
u trees where the cloud lifted presented
5, terrible scene. Sticking into the grou
le at all angles were pieces OF wood, from I
size and shape of a shingle to the doc
20 sections of roofs and walls of hons,