Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-04
gHE DETROIT yyHIRLWIND.
A Few Incidents attending a Scene Of
Terror ard Disney.

The hurricane which swept over pOr.
ton of the city Cf Detroit on Sunday
evening last seems, by the details which
reach US by mail to have been more Sc
we're than was indicated by the dispatch
es. The following incidents are fur
nished by the Free Press: 1.-THE greatest
destruction was south of Grand River
avenue. from and including Fourteenth
street to Eighteenth, between Magnolia
and Linden sueets. Its track was per-
haps one hundred and fifty feet wide,
and within that limit nothing could re-
sist its tremendous force. Houses were
taken up high into air, shaken into ffag-
ments, and in many instances scattered
over territory mile in length. Indeed,
flying pieces of timber were seen Whirl-
ing aloft and flying about, fully two
miles from the place where the demOl-
ton began. Where at one moment
stood a row Of Substantial houses, the
next witnessed a scene of devastation
impossible to realize, with scarce y ves-
tige Of the buildings in sight, so utterly
were they swept eff the face Of the earth,
Everywhere were heard the cries of the
wounded, whose bleeding and mutiiated
bodies were pitiful to look upon.
Richard Bates, aged eleven years, was
caught up and carried into the topmOs.
branches of tall elm which stood on
the commons near his mothers house,
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, dis
lance of fully fifty feet. A little babe,
seven months old, the child CT Carl Peca,
who lived on Fourteenth street, was
& H. 4 : hoc n pa-N
a widow with two children, on Fiji
teenth street, had gone up town to visit
her father, and when she returned her
house was nowhere to be found. Ii had
been carried bodily st least two hundred
feet, torn to atoms and scattered far end
wide. The only recognizable portion If
the building fund was the front door
Frederick hademRcheT, ; who lived al 74S
Sixteenth street, was sitting at home
with bis wife and two children, whel he
suddenly felt himself hUT.e / through the
air and saw the walls and timbers OF his
dwelling flying in every direction.
He escaped with slight scalp wound,
but his wife was more seriously Injured.
The children were also considerably
bruised. The house Of Martin
Schneider, ct the corner Of Six
teenth and Linden streets, WIS
totally destroyed, hut both Mr. and Mrs.
Schneider were miracuiously saved by a
cupboard, which protected them from
the falling GmbeIs. When they were
rescued both were found 70 be quite IN
hurt. II is said that six or seven persons
were killed. Incident upon incident IL
Illustrating the peculiar action Of this
stoTm-cloud, whirIwind. or whatever it
was, might be related If time aud space
were at command. Two horses were
carried over barn and flung to the
earth desd, and mum srOus smaller de-
nestle animals were made to perform
some most astonishing gyratiOns.
Houses on the outer edges Of the trsck
of the storm were punched full Of holes
by huge timbers that were Whirled along
end over end; shade and fruit trees were
upTOOted and carried q long distance;
bricks from topping chimEeys lattled
down and struck fleeing men and
women, and through the roar Of the
storm came the most appalling sluieks.
The two-story frame house on the north
side of Grand River avenue, second
house west Of Twelfth street, was Occu-
pied by Mrs. Goodhua, with four chill
dren. the inmates of the house at the
time of the storm were at tea, and, hear
ing its approach, went to the door
Mrs GoOdhue cOmpreheBdsd the situa-
ton at a glance, and, directing her
companions, the household crOuched
down in the corner of the dining-foOm
before the base OF q brick chimney,
where they remained until the danger
was over, escaping unhurt, although
pieces of lumber and furniture were fly
ing prOmiscuously through the building.
The house on the corner Of Twelfth aud
Brigham streets was occupied by Henry
Ford, his wife and five children, While
a. the sUpper-table a horrible hissiEg
sound caused Mr.. Ford to turn his head,
when he.isaw, as he says, IAN inky-
black cloud coming toward his house,
the air being filed with the debris of
buildings '==ScaTeely knowing Whist he
did, he gathered his family about him
and started for The back door. he
reached the door OF the kitchen, which
OPENED into q wood shed, just IN time e.
see the shed lifted bodily away from the
main building and dashed against his
back fsnee, completely demolis hing both
structures. Standing there in amaze
ment, the family we're still further af-
frighted 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 liter
ally bare OF everything movable. Strange
10 say, not one Of Mr. FOrd's family was |
Injured. The surface Of the ground be- ,