People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1896 — UPSET BY THE WIND. [ARTICLE]

UPSET BY THE WIND.

ELEVEN PERSONS DROWNED AT CAIRO. ILL. Ferryboat Overturned in the Ohio Blver —Forty Believed to Have Been Killed by the Cyclone in Eastern Michigan— Loss of Life at North McGregor. Cairo, 111., May 27. —Eleven lives were lost by the capsizing of the ferryboat Katherine during the cyclone that swept this vicinity Tuesday morning. There were sixteen persons on board the boat. Seven passengers were lost —three white women, a colored woman, two men and an infant. Four members of the crew went down —the superintendent, fireman, deck hand and a laborer. The dead are: MRS. WILLIAM SHANNON, ot Birdspoint, Miss. BERTHA MAY JONES, Cairo. CHARLES GILHOFER, Cairo., RICHARD L. THURMAN, Cairo. WOOD RITTENHOUSE, Cairo. INFANT CHILD of Mrs. Shannon. MRS. LOU MASSEY (colored) of Villa Ridge. GEORGE DAVIS (colored), laborer. The Katherine, Captain J. T. Hacker, as usual in command, left Birdspoint at 7:15 for Cairo, and left Cairo at 8:15 o’clock for Wickliff, only a minute or two before the storm burst forth in all its fury A . It was not over five minutes after the boat left the ferry landing in Cairo before she capsized. Captain Hacker, wljen asked about about the accident, said: “The boat was caught in a twister, which blew her all to pieces. Nothing could be done to save her. It was not storming when I left the ferry landing.” Five miles of telegraph poles were blown down on the Mobile & Ohio railway. It is impossible to tell the extent of the damage south of here, but it is believed to be very great. In this city a terrific wind blew and torrents of rain fell. The opera house and union depot were unroofed, trees were destroyed and signs blown down, but no houses were destroyed nor lives lost.

LONG LIST OF VICTIMS. Forty Killed by the Cyclone in Eastern Michigan. Detroit, Mich., May 27—The cyclone which devastated the fairest farming section of Oakland, Lapeer and Macomb counties Monday first made its appearance in Groveland, Oakland county. It was about 7 o’clock when the inhabitants of Groveland were surprised by incessant flashes of lightning unaccompanied by thunder. Off in the west they saw a yellowish black cloud, and in the east another of the same tint. In a very short time it swept down upon Groveland arid in the twinkling of an eye had wiped out the settlement. Abram Quick and his family of six were at supper and the next minute were all dead in the ruins of their little home. The only other fatality there was in the family of Mrs. William Mitchell, where three persons were killed. The storm swept on eastward and next struck Ortonville. With a spiteful twist it jerked off the Methodist church steeple and then laid in ruins every building In the little hamlet, including the church. Libbie Davidson, whose house was wrecked, was carried fully 200 feet and when picked up dead in the fields was almost unrecognizable. Ed Field’s home was brought about his ears almost in an instant and his little daughter Mary blown into a neighbor’s field. After razing the biggest building in the village, Belton’s drug store, and setting fire to the ruins, the cyclone grew ugly for a time and swept out everything within reach. The following is the corrected list of dead at Groveland: Abram Quick, Glen Quick, 6-year-old son; Myrtle Quick, 4-year-old daughter; Boss Quick, baby son; Mrs. Henry Quick, mother of Abram; Mrs. William Mitchell and her sons, Claude and Jay. At Oakwood—Mrs. Susan Stewart, Mrs. E. A. Wolverton, Mrs. William Davidson and daughter, Ida; Ed. Fifield; child of Alfred Fifield; Ed. Howe is fatally injured. At Thomas —Charles Hicks and son. At Maysville—Prescott Williams, Joseph Porritt, John Porritt, Mrs. Louis Porritt. Between Maysville and Ortonville — Mrs. William Kitchen, Abraham Kitchen, T. E. Gleason, Mrs. C. E. Eaton, Trest Wilkins. East of Thomas—Mrs. Oscar Slate, unknown tramp, Andrew Pettibone, Thomas Bishop, Joseph Smiley, sr., Joseph Smiley, jr., Frank Laidlaw’s infant son, Mrs. Thomas Bennett, unknown woman. At Whigville—M. Bremyer. The death list may reach forty, and the list of injured will surpass the 100 mark, No one was killed in the secondary cyclone between Utica and Mount Clemens. Following are the names of the injured: At Ortonville —Joseph Porritt, rib fractured and bone driven into lung, will probably die; Oscar Granger, gash on head, dislocated shoulder and chest, will probably die; Mrs. Abraham Quick, injured internally, recovery doubtful; Henry Quick, old man, badly bruised; William Mitchell, skull fractured, recovery doubtful; H. C. Lamfiambby, internally injured; was found burled under timbers; Elmer Lamflamboy, bruised by falling timbets; William Kitchen, hand crushed; Sylvester Wells, shoulder and back injured ; Louis Porritt, cut about head and face; T. C. Eaton, injured internally; Arthur leg broken; R. Kent’s 10-year-old son, leg broken; Mrs. Horace Grossley, badly bruised; Archie Woodruff, leg bruised. Many others '

were injured, but not dangerously. At Oakwood—George Fieldfield, leg broken and scalp badly torn; condition critical; Kate Davison, badly bruised; Wesley Davison, internally injured; Mrs. Nelson Copeland, badly bruised; Harvey Francis, rib broken and injured internally. At North Oxford —Oscar Slate, leg broken; Mrs. Pettibone, seriously injured about head; Mrs. Frank Laidlaw, internally injured; Mr. and Mrs. Bessey, cut and bruised; Baby Slate, leg partially scusbed; Miss Arnold, cut and bruised; Archie Mathison, spine and hips injured. At Thomas—Mrs. Sidney Copeman, badly bruised about hekd and body and internally injured; recovery very doubtful; M. L. Kidder, arm broken; man. employed by Dr. Suiter, arm broken and torn; Will Carr, back and arms injured ; George Kibbler, leg crushed; had to be amputated; Will Althouse, ribs broken; Myron A. Johnson, leg broken; Mrs. M. I. Kidder, cut and bruised; David Althouse, head gashed; A. Reed, injured Internally; T. P. Knapp, leg broken and cut'on head. At Thornville—Mrs. Joseph Smiley, sr„ injured internally, may die; Thomas Bennett, cut and bruised and ribs broken; John Peters, badly bruised. At Mount Clemens —Mrs. Anna Pohl, injured internally and not expected to live; Mrs. Julia Ormsby, arm crushed; Miss Annie Bell Teabo, skull fractured and arm broken; Mrs. Annie Peltier, back slightly injured; Mrs. Starbeneau, - ankle crushed; Henry Adolph and William Pohl, bruised and crushed; doubtful if Henry will recover and William has a leg broken; Ed Mosher, arm dislocated; Mrs. Haider, injured internally; Mrs. Russell Carter, face and head cut; Boy Carter, cut on head; Augustave Authe, right arm and head injured. of Life at North McGregor. Dubuque, lowa, May 27.—Passengers from North McGregor gave particulars of the deluge there but very little different from those sent from here' Monday. The bodies of seven of the town people have been recovered; also those of six canvasmen attached to Kirkhart & Ryan’s circus. The canvasmen had been at South McGregor, and as everything connected with the circus had been made ready for the going of the company to Winona, the six men went up to North McGregor and entered a box car, and they were caught in there when the storm came. W. W. Robinson says the most conservative estimates place loss of life at North McGregor at twentyseven, and that it will be several days before names of all can be learned. Damage in Tuscola County. Mich. Bay City, Mich., May 27—The windstorm that swept over the city Monday night developed into a cyclone in Merritt township just before, it reached Tuscola county. The cyclone struck the earth four miles east of Munger’s station, killing lon Edwards and seriously injuring several other farmers. Schoolhouses and farm buildings were destroyed, giant trees were uprooted and much live stock killed. In Tuscola county a great deal of damage was done and many persons were injured, but none seriously. The estimated damage in both counties is SBO,OOO.