The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-04-01
CYCLONE SWEEPS COUNTY

GeneSee county was swept iaSI
Sunday eevning by what was un-
questionably the most destructive
wind storm in it's history. The dis
aster occurred at about 1880 o'clock
and while it lasted in its intensity but
few minutes, it covered a large
territory and besides killing four per-
sons resulted in property loss of ap-
proximately quarter of million
dollars.
The tornado made its first appear
ance about mile northeast of Fen
ton, where it, did $4,000 of dam
age to the plant of the Aetna Ce-
ment Company. Then it swept
along the Flint-Fenton road, demol-
ishing three farm houses with all
their barns and out buildings and
left four persons dead in its wake.
The dead are Mrs. Brush Nash, Mrs.
James Farley and three year old
daughter and Mrs. James Boughner.
The latter with her husband and
friends were motoring in a heavy
Packard touring car which the. wind
picked up and rolled over three times
as though it were as light as feath-
er.
After this the storm tore across
the south end Of Long Lake, wiping
fourteen cottages entirely % the
map and barely missing the well
known Log Cabin Inn. The cottages
of ID. ID. Meeks and Chas. w. Taylor,
of Clio, were fortunately little out
of the cyclones path. Mr.. Meeks,
who visited the scene says it is
impossible to describe the havoc that
was wrought. The cottages were
simply sucked from the earth in their
entirely, not stick nor stone re-
naming to tell of their former exist
ence, while the few trees remaining
standing were stripped of every twig
and limb and left bare as poles.
Locally, the hurricane first made
its appearance near the West Vienna
church, which was moved ten feet off
its foundation and badly wrecked.
| The church shed was also unroofed.
At the home of David Eaton, just
across the road from the church,
fourteen windows were broken by
the flying debris, the roof of the barn
partly blown off and the roofs of the
granary and tool shed carried awey.
The destroying tail of the twister
next lashed the earth in the vicinity
of the Waldo school house. Here it
whipped the belfry and bell from
that building and crossing the road
tore down a new gambrel roof, base
ment barn on the farm of Chas. La
Due. The latter had all of his horses
and cattle in the basement of this
building, and while it took force of
neighbors a good share of the next
day to extricate them none was SER
iously injured. The family was at
supper at the time and the noise of
the wind was such that they did not
hear the crash of the falling barn
and did not know it had been
blown down until Mr.. LaDue went
out to look after his stock a little
later. He carried only $500 in
surance and is certainly to be SYM
pathized with in his loss, especially
so considering that he fell from this
barn while it was being built last
summer and sustained fractured
leg.
In this neighborhood, also, large
barn on the farm of William Halli-
gan was unroofed and another large
barn on the farm of Mrs. Isabella
Mongold was practically demolished
We are also informed that a fine
new barn on the Smith farm, north
of town, now owned by Mr.. Sproul
was blown down. A silo was des-
troyed on the farm Of John Court
ney and wind mill blown over or
the farm of Fred Kent.
Sorry havoc was made by the storm
in the beautiful timber tract of E. l.
Powers, where many fine trees, in
cluding large number of sugar
naples were blown down.
Friends, Romans, citizens, lend us
| ,yo,,r o,vast Dad about tbo ,,onJ or