The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-05-26
CYCLONE SPREADS RUIN

A destructive wind and rain storm
passed over this locality Tuesday
evening, between 2 and 8 o'clock,
buildings, silos and windmills being
blown down, barns unroofed and
orchards and timber lots badly dam
aged. Charles Dyball, who lives one
mile south of Clio probably suffered
the greatest loss. The wing of his
house was unroofed and the upright
badly damaged. His large new
gambrel roof barn was completely
destroyed, also the tool shed, gran
ary, garage, silo and windmill were
demolished by the storm. The farm
tools, which were in the tool shed
were badly damaged. Three horses
and one calf that were in the barn
at the time almost miraculously es-
capped injury. The loss is between
six and ten thousand dollars, said to
be nearer the latter figure.
He carried $4,000 cyclone insur-
ance on buildings and contents.
On the farm of James j. Jones,
(the old B. M. Beemean farm) the silo
and windmill were blown down and
the orchard and wood lot badly dam
aged. "A large tree in front of his
house in the village was blown to
pieces and one of the limbs blown
through a large window.
The roof on the south side of the
barn on the Fred Jones farm was
blown off and the orchard badly
damaged
Elmer Taylor's silo was also blown
down and other buildings damaged.
On the farms of Lloyd Hill and Wal
ter Franklin the silos were destroy
ed. On the Horning and Ernest
Hitler farms the barns were badly
damaged.
Several silos were blown down in
the northern part of Vienna town.
ship and several in Birch Run town.
ship.
The large red barn on the Chas.
Best farm was moved from eight to
ten inches on its foundation, the
gable ends and the large double
doors, both front and rear, blown
off.
Besides the foregoing there were
doubtless many other instances
where the storm did damage of a
more or less serious nature. 1t was
a regular "twister" and exhibited
many of the freakish tendencies for
which tornadoes are famous. as the
following will illustrate. At the
Dyball place, large base burner
coal stove which was stored in the
garage was hurled distance of many
feet, and while the building itself
was demolished, a couple of hens
which were setting in it were left
wholly undisturbed on their nests
and amidst all the havoc that was
wrought a pig pen and another small
building were left uninjured.
Mr.. Jones happened to be at his
farm when the storm broke and
tells of some strange things it did.
For example, it twisted off a green
maple tree growing at the corner of
the house, shaving it close to the
ground as neatly as can be imagined.
1t also seized upon a large maple,
growing near the barn, and twisted
the tough green trunk apart in three
different places. Mr.. Jones was also
alarmed, when the blow was at its
height, to see big tree flying high
in the air and headed straight for
the house. 1t sailed cleanly over
five fences and dropped in the
yard. 1t is big enough to fur
nish several cords of wood, In ad-
dition to the orchard trees destroyed
on this farm, about two hundred
fifty forest trees were laid low.
Our readers will remember the
little item appearing in The Messen-
ger, a week or so ago, in which We
referred to weather forecast ad-
vising people to protect their lives
and property during the period from
the 10th to the oath, and they will
now be able to assure themselves that
the forecaster, Mr.. Foster, was sur
prisingly accurate. Furthermore. if
such storms continue, with the fire.
quency which has characterized them
for several years past our joke
about the "cyclone cellars" will
cease to be a joke and become a
stern reality. (We wish we had one
now, as we realize what novice we
should be as an aviator.)
The ,ain which accompanied the
windstorm did an immense amount
of good throughout a wide section
of the state, and yet it fell in
streaks and in some nearby localities
the parched earth was barely
sprinkled