Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== SOURCE: History of St. Clair County, Michigan A. T. Andreas & Co., Chicago - 1883 [Page 165-166] THE STORM OF JULY 6, 1879 In Port Huron the destruction of the new Methodist Episcopal Church overshadowed all other disasters and damages. The building was one of the handsomest in the city, and to-day presents a sad picture of shattered timbers and windows, and fallen brick, stone and morter. The front is better preserved than any other part of the building, but most of this, with the exception of the main tower, will have to come down. Most of the basement walls can be saved. We give elsewhere an engraving of the church as it stood previous to the storm, with a historical sketch of the society. C. J. Rathfon had a very narrow escape during the storm. He was in the shed in the rear of the Graham Block with his horse, when the tin roofing of that building gave way and was precipitated upon the shed in such a manner as to make his escape impossible. It was necessary to remove a part of the shed wall to let him out, and for more than ten minutes he was in danger of being crushed or kicked to death by the frightened horse with which he was confined. D. McKenzie, the blacksmith, had a very similar experience in his shop, immediately adjoining, the door being barred by the debris, and the lives of the inmates endangered by the rearing and plunging of three horses, which he was engaged in shoeing at that time. Fortunately no one was seriously injured in either case. Fred Marontate, who was employed in S. L. Ballentine & Co.'s store, had a narrow escape from serious injury. He went out in front of the store to prevent the awning irons from striking the windows, when the storm was at its height, but got a rap from one of them, and was under the immense sheet of plate glass when it was broken and fell outwardly. Fortunately the glass struck him flat, and did not cut him; but he acknowledges that he thought the whole front of the building was coming down, and was very thoroughly scared. Indeed, the number of people who were thoroughly scared during the storm was nearly as large as the whole population of the section through which it passed. Mr. Bottomley's family had a narrow escape. Their residence is immediately east of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and before the building fell they saw it swaying, and ran to the barn, which they reached just as it came down. Fortunately the debris fell mostly in the yard just west of Bottomley's house, which was not greatly damaged. Mrs. P. B. Sanburn was driving a horse and carriage on Military street, when a large tree blew over, striking the back part of the carriage with some of its smaller limbs, but doing no damage. At the Port Huron Marble Works on Butler street, a beautiful marble cross, worth $125, which stood in the shop yard, was blown down and broken in three places. T. S. Goodman, the photographer, suffered some loss, his photograph stand being demolished and a portion of the large sky light torn from the roof of his gallery. At C. D. Horton's residence, a large number of shade trees were blown down or broken, and the orchard suffered severely, many trees being blown down which were loaded with green fruit. The roof of the blind factory of E. B. Taylor & Co., on River street, went off just as the workmen in the building were trying to prop it up. The loss was about $250. At Brooks & Joslyn's mill, there was a swaying of timbers and flying of lumber that threatened destruction to life, limb and property, and a man named Line was struck by a piece of lumber and suffered the fracture of the small bone in one of his legs. One of the chim- neys on the Second Ward school building was blown down, and made a hole through the roof. E. R. Seely lost several peach and cherry trees, and a chimney from his house. The body of a two-seated buggy at Johnson & Figg's shop was car- ried about 100 feet and smashed into kindling wood. A large catal- pa tree, the only one in the city, which grew on Dr. Mills' pro- perty, was blown down, and also the large elm tree which stood on the place for almost a century. A large and valuable wild cherry tree in front of the residence of C. G. Meisel, was blown across the front fence, and a large elm tree was twisted in two about ten feet above the ground. No very close estimate of the total loss in the city can be made, but it is thought $25,000 will more than cover it. The storm does not seem to have been severe in the northern part of Clyde, and did very little damage at Fort Gratiot. A few shade trees were blown down in the village, but no buildings suffered to any considerable extent. On the Lapeer Plank, Harrington's elm grove was almost entirely demolished, the trees being twisted off and uprooted, and the barn on the Harrington place unroofed. On Mr. Linabury's five acre lot, some thirty or forty fruit trees were destroyed. On the Kendrick place, occupied by Jarvis, a barn built the previous year was lifted five feet off its foundation, and badly wrecked, and a new barn in process of construction was nearly demolished. The whole rear portion of Jacob Denlar's house was blown off. On William Atkin's place, a falling tree put out one of the eyes of a yearling colt, and broke its leg. Prosper La Duke's barn was moved eighteen inches and badly wrecked. On V. E. Crane's place, nine fruit and three shade trees were destroyed, a small out building was upset, the roof carried twenty rods away, and 100 rods of fence blown down and scattered. At Jacob Wakefield's place eight or nine shade trees were blown down, one of them striking a corner of the house and crushing it in. All the chimneys were blown off the Kimball house at Wadhams, and a house occupied by Van Camp was unroofed. On the Wadham's farm, north of Black River, three barns were unroofed and 200 rods of fence scattered. On Frank Kinney's place, one barn was unroofed and another somewhat damaged. Barns belong to Wilkie and Mrs. Slingerland were also up- roofed. John B. Kendall, who resides in Fort Gratiot Township, related that he lost sixteen apple and two pear trees, loaded with fruit. He also had half a mile of fence blown down. His wheat was blown flat, but came up again all right for harvest. His oats crop was ruined. Corn was blown flat, but came up again all right. In Clyde barns belonging to Archie Campbell, James Bean and John Welton were unroofed, and a granary belonging to Daniel Merritt also lost its roof. Clark's cattle-shed, in Fort Gratiot Township, was carried four feet off its foundation. In St. Clair Township, barns belonging to John Curry, Walter Hills and Nelson Mills, were unroofed, and a dwelling house in process of construction a mile north of St. Clair was destroyed. Frank Jackson and another man were caught in barn doors and seriously injured. Grain and fruit trees were blown down, torn up by the roots or stripped of fruit. Erastus Brewer, a laborer on the C. & L. H. R. R., on Section 3, was killed between Thornton and Emmett. He went with another man into a sugar bush near the road, and was struck by a falling tree. He lived at Thornton Station and left a wife and two children to mourn his loss. The Catholic Church in Kenockee was unroofed. Barns and out- houses between Port Huron and Imlay City were nearly all damaged, many being either unroofed or blown down. At St. Clair, the roofs were blown off the house and barn of E. T. Solis, and scattered about his grain field, doing several hundred dollars' damage. A man named Stein was killed by a falling barn a few miles from St. Clair City. At Emmet, two barns were unroofed, and the smoke stack of the flouring mill was blown down. The roof of the house of Ennis Worth, near Thornton, was blown off. Mrs. Worth had an arm broken, and two children were reported killed. At Capac, a terrible storm, with a great fall of rain, hail and lightening, accompanied by a frightful gale was experienced. In the village the new Methodist Episcopal Church was blown down, the spire and belfry of the Union Church was blown off, about half of the town hall was leveled to the ground, and part of the livery stable un- roofed. Allen's hotel barn, and also Caswell's were minus their roofs. At Walker's house, the lightning entered the roof, passing through the chamber floor, tearing off plaster and lath, and passed thence to the cellar. Half of the shade, ornamental and fruit trees were destroyed. Cavanaugh's stable and storehouse were completely destroyed. The brick walls of the new schoolhouse were blown down. Probably more than twenty dwellings were more or less injured, and about two-thirds of the houses deprived of chimneys. To the north the cheese factory and Downey's saw mill were un- roofed, and a large wagon shop half a mile north was completely destroyed. The roof of Downey's barn was carried fifteen rods and thrown upon the kitchen, crushing it into a mass of ruins. Reports from parties further north state that barns and dwelling houses were down and unroofed. The wheat was badly broken, and in some places beaten into the soil. Fences and stacks were leveled to the ground. Such a storm never visited this section before; so says the "oldest inhabitant." ===========================================================================