The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-11-17

ton OF the storms freakishness thar
the damage to the store building OF
A. I. Thomas on. the south p side OF
Main street, between Michigan ave.
nue. and the river. This is q large
brick building, two stories high. /,
Is about 100 feet long. A triangular
piece OF the west wall, probably 80
Feet from top to bottom, and so feet
along the triangle, which points
north, was sheered off. Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas live over the store, and the
section OF interior exposed is that or
the pantry and a bedroom. The
dishes, piled neatly on the pantry
shelves, and not disarranged
In the slightest degree, are plainly
visible from the street. 1t looks like
carefully arranged stage setting 80
feet from the ground. The bedroom
Is considerably mussed, as one rail
is torn out of the bed. The roof OF
this building was not damaged. nor
was the other sides except a few
panes of glass on the Main street
front.
A badly frightened man, whose
name was not learned, came into the
Arcade restaurant on Washington
street after the worst of the storm
had passed. According to his state
ment, and his appearance certainly
bore 1t out, he had been in the center
OF the storm when it crossed Main
street. and escaped with his life.
One shoe had been torn from his
foot, and his trousers legs were split
to the knee. He had been drenched
and almost smothered by the fierce
rainfall, but strangely enough was
not thrown down.
Darkness and Rain
The hours that followed after the
storm had spent its fury were hours
of terror and confusion. The city
was in absolute darkness, a darkness
SO intense that there were frequent
collisions between pedestrians. A
water main had broken somewhere
in the city and there was no pressure
at all. The wind continued to blow
with considerable velocity, and the
rain to fall. Many people worked the
whole night through, splashing about
In mud and water, attempting to
rescue their household goods from
the elements, or to put their battered
homes to rights.
Others, who had been fortunate
enough to escape without injury or
loss, fastened to the relief of their
light finally came, they were appalled,
by the extent of the loss, which was
much greater than anticipated.
The whirlwind seemed to have a
grim humor all it's own, since it
spared one landmark that the city
in general would gladly have seen
| fallen. This was the squat frame
structure which serves as depot al
Owosso Junction, and which has
stood on it's present sight for nearly
half century, monument of incon-
venience and discomfort. The bay
window built on the front, by which
| operators may observe passing
trains, was peeled up as though by a
huge rasp, and several patches OF
shingles were blown off. Aside from
the fact that these scars leave the
squat little station looking like a
small boy with skinned nose, it Is
as good as ever. The Junction House
standing across the Michigan Central
tracks, also a very old building, los,
part of its roof.
| All around this part of the city
the yards of three of the four steam
roads entering the city, were plenty
of evidence of the strength of the
hurricane. Single cars in lone
strings that stand on the siding were
capriciously picked out for attack
all tipped over. Some we're loaded
and some were unloaded, but wher
the wind urged, they let go. Some
are on their sides, and others went
completely over on their roofs.
A billboard formerly stood on the
east side of the bridge, and on the
south side of Main street. The whirl
wind picked that up and sent it fly
ing for so yards before 1t crashed
through the big plate glass front o.
the X. p. roller rink, which is own
ed by Owosso Lodge, Knights o
Pythias. A plate window in thu
clothing store of former Mayor Wal
lace ID. Burke; another in the Fostei
company's store a few doors away
and several smaller windows in d
M. Christians store and Byerly
grocery store. most of the latter il
the upper stories, were broken in
other glasses at apparently the sam,
angle and in the same exposed pc
sitions, were not even cracked.
The Heavy Losses
The Bell and Union Telephon
companies and the Consumers
Power company are very heav,
losers. Hundreds of poles all owe
the city are broken off, and the wire