Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-07-08
4 Hurricane in Detroit.


ern limit OF the city. 1t 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 Whlrling 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-
10y OF Williams avenue and Ash street.
There the first evidence fits awful power
was seen in upt1Irned sidewalks and de
mollshed outhuildings, 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 mile
in length. Indeed, flying pieces of TIM
Der were seen whirling aloft and flying
about fully two miles from the piece
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
remorseless monster carried death and
mutiiatiOn on its wings. 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 a 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, a
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.
feet, torn to atoms and scattered far and
wide. The only recognizable portion Of
the building found was the front door.
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 a 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 a 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,
was standing in vacant lot adjoining his
hOuseawhen a portion Of the roof was
wrenched off and hurled to the ground,
grazing him in its descent and inficting a
bad wound on the side of his head
Two vacanthOuses on Seventeenth street,
near Linden, were demolished. and a
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 a 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-
scious, but his condition is extremely crit
ical.
Many others were more or less injured;
seven were taken to Harper Hospital, but
a majority of them were cared for by
friends and neighbOrs in the differently parts
of the city, so it is not possible, at the
present writing, to furnish 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 barn and
flung to the earth dead and numerous
smaller domestic animals were made to
perform some most astonishing gyratiOns
Houses on the outer ges 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 chimneys ratified down and
struck fleeing men and women, and through
the roar of the storm came the most appall-
ing shrieks.
The house on the corner of Twelfth
and Brigham streets was occupied by
Henry Ford, his wife and five children.
While at the supper table horrible hiss
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 he
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.
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