The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1896-05-30
IICHIGAN'S TORNADO
|ayes a Scene of Death and Dis
ISOLATION in It's Wake,
RtE COUNTIES FELT ITS FORCE,
n In Some Cases Entire Villages Were
Literally Blotted out-The Loss
Of Life is Large, But Figures
Are Not Definite.

DETROIT, Mich, May GA terrible
|pado by which probably over 100
Is we're lost and fully 100 persons
hired more or less seriously, swept
II oakland, Leeper and Macomb
lnties Monday evening. The towns
hick. so far as meager telegraphic
4 telephone communication can as
|tain, are Ortonville, Thomas, Meta
|ra. Mount Clemens. Oakwood aud
| |Clair. The town of ortonville re-
Ms list of dead that aggregates II.
Fhe towns of Thomas, Oakwood and
|onville were wiped off the face of
earth.
|rom Thomas, which was practically
Hroyed, and Metamora, which was
ktly destroyed, no list of names has
been obtained.
he tornado first gave indications of
presence about seven o'clock in the
|theast portion of the state. 1t
be up from the southwest in the
pc Of q black funnel-shaped cloud,
struck the earth near the village
|Drtonville in Oakland county. A
b house occupied by Wm. James
his family OF six was the first
5ding struck. The house was lifted
b It's foundations and carried near
en rods, striking the earth n total
|ck. Two children were killed and
rest of the family injured, but not
pusly.
he telegraph operator at 0rton-
is the only person found who
a supply a consistent story, prac-
lly every other person in the viii
being either killed or injured. He
fhe tornado struck here a few min.
after seven o'clock. 1t was pre-.
ii BY terrific electrical storm,
ch shook the earth and made the
i as light us day almost continu-
h. Fifteen minutes later, with a
ifc roar. the black funnel-shaped
d came sweeping along carrying
b its wild embrace houses, barns,
J, sidewalks and everything else in
rack.
Two streets in the village were
pt as clean as though burned away
Ire. When the storm had passed an
ll scene of desolation presented it.
There was not a house left stand
dead were lying in the streets and
single person was left unnamed
mmoned aid from the neighboring
b of Southfeld, and four doctors
a corps of rescuers, were soon at
&"
ter passing through Ortonville the
ado struck Thomas, a small sta
on the Detroit & Bay City division
be Michigan Central, tearing dowr
lings, including the Hotel John
the McDermott and the larg,
e-dryer and many dwelling house.
destroyed. Many farm buildingl
destroyed, but no news can be OBJ
ID from the country on account o
loads being blocked with fallei
etc.
pm Thomas the tornado leaped t,
mora. Up to this writing IL ha
impossible to secure any detail
there, as telegraph and telephon,
are down and the roads are 81
ted with debris that travelling b,
lie Is impossible. From Metamori
tornado travelled on to Noun
ems, and from there passed through
Lake st. Clair. No damage Il
ping has been reported, but marin'
5 are apprehensive of seriou
|ge. A conservative estimat
the number of dead at so an
1ured at 200. The property dam
Ill not fall short of $500, 900.
lakewood fire added its horrors T.
levastation, and when the trail
2 through late Monday night no
son could be seen, but the dir
Of the flames and wind could b
on every hand. All the building
peen destroyed, leaving scarce |
OF anything. Many were report
led, but it was impossible to ge
eulars.