Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-07-24
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL STORM.
Windows Broken, Gardens Cut
Down, Crops Destroyed and
Much Damage Done I'm this
CITY md NIcInitY

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city and vicinity.
LastSunday afternoon between the
hours of one and two O'Clock a very
severe storm passed over this city
which i'm the north part was accom-
panied by rain of hail stones which
beat the record for size and destruc-
tiveness. 1t came up rather suddenly
and there was nothing to Indicate
that it would be more than common
rain storm with perhaps some wind
until the hail stones began to come
down of a size almost beyond belief
and impelled with much force by the
high wind. 1t covered strip about
40 rods wide, and passed from west to
east, the river forming the south
edge. Most of us have heard about
hail stones as big as hens eggs, we got
them Sunday by the hundreds and
many larger yet. Window glass
could not stand the bombardment and
almost everyone in the section men
toned that faced the west, if unpro-
tected by shutters, screens, trees or
some other manner, was broken. Gar
dens were cut down and absolutely
ruined. Fruit was knocked from
trees and the young trees themselves
killed or as good as killed. 1t beat in
through the broken windows and broke
lamps on tables, and dishes, marred
pianos and furniture, and the rain
drove in and added to the trouble and
damage. Fortunately it did not last
great while but passed on over and
east of the city swung of to the south
east.
1t was peculiar in many respects,
jumping and lodging around 1t is
reported in some places to the west
of us they got it quite severe then
other sections that were in the direct
path escaped with slight damage. On
the west side of many buildings in
the north part of the city hail stones
had collected to such an extent that
they could be gathered up by scoop
shovels, and it is an actual fact that
one family used hail stones to freeze
ice cream for dinner and for ice tea.
Those who had farms adjoining the
city and were in its path had their
crops ruined completely. G. ID. Ellis
suffers severely. He had 40 acres of
rye ready to cut, 10 acres of beans
besides other fields, all gone. Ellis
Ranney says he had that morning
twenty acres as fine looking
beans as he ever saw, and after
the storm, not a leaf was TO be seen.
He estimates his loss on crops, fruit
and everything at close to $1,000.
James Granger, Chas. Wright, M. j.
Demorest and Eugene Edmunds also
suffered heavy losses. Jos. Martin
was doing nice business in market
gardening and had fine one, but he
is nearly out of business now.
Ellis Ranney ran to his barn to
close the doors and was compelled to
remain there until ii ceased. He
says that he noticed the cattle COM
ing from the field did not reach shelf
er before the storm broke and it was
that severe that they turned and
faced away from it and backed to
shelter, something he had never seen
done before. One Grattan farmer
had 30 young chickens killed. A
farmer east of the city says he saw
one extra large stone strike a post
and break into three pieces, one of
which pieces he could not get in a
teacup.
Some nineteen years ago there was
a hail storm struck this section of
equal severity, breaking windows and
doing similar damage. At that time
there was only one hardware store
here and they did not carry very big
stock, consequently late corners had to
wait until fresh lot of glass could
be procured. Many thought this time
that there was danger of exhausting
the stock but they did not know what
heavy stocks are carried here, for
there was enough to supply all and
plenty left over at that. The hard
ware men we're called to their places
of business Sunday afternoon and
kept busy until after dark. II. f.
Ireland alone put out 500 worth that
afternoon
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