The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-27
IN The WAKE OF
THE MAD CLOUDS.
Death and Devastation Mark
the Track of the
Cyclone.
ITS FURY IN MICHIGAN.
More Than Forty Persons Killed
and Many Injured in
the Storm.
SCENES OF HORROR REMAIN.
Hundreds of Homes Reduced to
Splinters During the Franks
of the Winds.
SCENES OF HORROR REMAIN.

DETROIT, MICH, May 26.-The cyclone
which devastated the northern portion of
Oakland County last evening swept q path
half a mile wide and sixteen miles long
from west to east, clearing the earth of
nearly everything movable. About forty
persons were killed outright and fully
| that number were injured, some of whom
will die.
| The cyclone first struck earth six miles
west of OrtonvilIe and passed half mile
north of that village. In these six miles
of devastated country before Ortonville
was reached fifteen persons were killed
and about twenty injured, some fatally.
| The first house to feel the effects of the
storm was that of Joshua Johnson. The
storm had not obtained all of its fury and
the building was partially demolished, Mr..
johnson escaping injury and his wife and
baby being only slightly injured.
A mile further east stood the home and
barns of William Mitchell, not trace of
which is left but the foundation walls.
Mrs. Mitchell, her son, Claude, and baby,
Jay Mitchell, nine months old, were in
stantly killed. The father was seriously
bruised and internally injured, and will
probably die. A big silver was driven
square into the center of his forehead. All
of his stock was killed. Don, another
son. is seriously hurt
| There is nothing but foundations to show
where the home of Abram Quick, who
lived across the way, stood. Six occupants
of the house were killed and one was seri-
ously injured. Prescott wilkins, one of
those killed in the Quick home, had
reached there on visit but an hour be-
| fore the cyclone tor its way through.
The home of Henry Flamboy was next
destroyed, and himself, his wife and two
children seriously injured. A mile east of
Flamboy's the cyclone demolished the
house of John Porritt. The death list in
| in this home reaches four. The wind
cloud passed on and next wrecked the
home of Benjamin Westby. Mr.. Westby,
his wife and two children were buried in
| the ruins. but az were got out with
| severe injuries.
John FROST was the next victim of the
storm. His house was completely wrecked
and his wife seriously hurt.
The home of John Mike, on line with
Ortonville. was unframed, but his barns
were wiped out. Mr.. Mike and his son
John, aged Is, were In a barn when it was
demolished The son was instantly killed
and the father is in a critical condition.
The list of killed and injured in this six
miles is as follows: Mrs. William Mitchell,
Claude Mitchell, her son; J. Mitchell, a
baby son; Abram Quick. Glen Quick, six
year-old son; Myrtle Quick, four-year-
old daughter; Ross Quick, a baby son;
Mrs. Henry Quick, mother of Abram
Quick; Prescott Wilkins of Mayville, so
! years old; John Porritt, rs years old !; Mrs.
Joseph Porritt, his daughter-in-law; Mrs
Lewis Porritt, a daughter-in-law; Mrs.
William Kitchen, Abram Kitchen, John
Mike Jr.
Injured: Mrs. Joshua Johnson, leg
| broken; Baby Johnson. not seriously in
| iured; William Mitchell, fatally; Den
Mitchell, his son, will recover; Mrs.
Abram Quick will recover; Joseph Por-
rift, fatally; William Kitchen, seriously:
John Mike, seriously; Henry Flamboy,
wife and two children, not seriously; Ben
| iamin Westby, wife and two children, not
serious; Mrs. John FROST, seriously; John
Mike may die; Oscar Granger. fatally;
Mrs. John Whipple, seriously.
In the next half-dezen miles between
Ortonville and the little settlement of
lakewood the cyclone seemed to lose some
of its force, or the farmers living in that
section were particularly lucky. The cy-
clone travelled the road as straight as an
arrows fight, spreading out or contract.
ing as it went along.
About eighteen farmhouses were de-
stroyed in the path of the storm from Or
tonville to lakewood, but only two persons
we're killed. Four others were probably
fatally injured and eight or ten more or
less seriously hurt. The names of the
dead in this section are Mrs. Clark Eaton
and Ed Fitield.
Fatally injured: Harvey Francis, Mrs.
Ed Fiheld, Nelson Chapman. Injured:
Mr.. and Mrs. Sylverton Smith and two
children, Mrs. Green, John Clark, Mrs.
Francis and children.
| The cloud struck lakewood almost with
out warning and there is little left of that
| village. The Methodist Episcopal and
Congregational churches, the Town Hall.
practically all the business houses and
most of the residences were left in ruins.
| Nine persons were killed in the village and
many injured.
| Those who met death were: Mrs. N. B.
Wolverton, Mrs. Ed Howe, Miss Nina
Howe, Orrin Howe Ga two-year-old baby),
Mrs. Wells, Eugekia Fifeld, Mrs. Jessie
May Fifield, Labbie Davidson, Mrs. Stew
art, Baby Davis.
Those seriously injured are: Mrs. Kate
| Davidson, may die; Bertram Davidson,
may die; George Fifield, leg broken and
knee cap torn off; viii Carr, arm broken
and back wrenched; James Brush. arm
broken; Mrs. Anna Tinsey of Pontiac,
several ribs broken.
The three-mile stretch from lakewood to
Thomas is scene of heartrending desola-
ton and wreckage. Everything in the
path of the cyclone was Ieyeled. In and
around Thomas the death list is large and
many are injured. The dead and injured
between lakewood and Thomas and in the
latter village are:
Dead-Mrs. Vanwagoner, Charles Hicks,
Rev. G. M. Pretchyplano, Andrew Petit
| grew, M. Bremeyer.
InIured-Leroy Hicks, skull crushed;
William Althouse, intern al injuries; Mrs.
R. Coppeman. internally and seriously;