The Cyclone's Fury

Ypslanti was devastated by a cyclone, Wednesday evening. The majority of the people of Washtenaw had never seen a cyclone, and dreamed that we were free from this kind of elemental danger. Consequently the cyclone found Ypsilanti without a cent of cyclone insurance, and the heavy loss inflicted falls entirely upon local capital. It is hanl to describe just what happened or how it happened. At about half-past seven o'clock, without previous warning, there was a heavy rush of wind, a minute of flying tiraber, bricks, roofs, trees, and total darkness. The cyclone had bounded away and the damage was done. It was all over in about a minute, but to some of the tenified people that minute was a long one. IN YPSILANTI TOWN. Before reaching Ypsilanti city the cyclone tore down a barn belonging to Supervisor John L. Hunter, on the Saline road, killing two horses, three cows, and some sheep. Mr. Hunter's loss was about $2,000, the barn being a total wreek. The cyclone came from the direction of Saline, traveling from southwest to southeast in a somewhat zigzag course. The greatest damage was done in the very heart of the city. DEMOLISHED THE OPERA HOUSE. Draper's opera house is a complete ruin. The front wall is standing but badly damaged, all the rest of the building is completely demolished. The roof was carried some distance, and part of the brick walls were carried against the other buildings. The opera house, one of the prettiest for its size in the state, was built at a cost of $20,000. The loss is practically total, and it is very doubtful if it will be rebuilt. Happily the opera house was closed Wednesday evening, or there would have been great loss of life, as it. was the most completely demolished building in the city. Before striking the opera house, the wind had played havoc with CLEARY'S BUSINESS COLLEGE. The tower and the roof were carried away aud a hole forced in the center of the building, and the back part of the building was demolished. The remaining walls of the building are somewhat injured. The loss on this building is estimated at from $12,000 to $15,000. Men were at work clearing away the debris yesterday. Af ter wreaking its fury on the opera house, the cyclone turned its attention to THE HAWKINS HOUSE, which was damaged about $6,000. The entire back part of the house is a wreek, the brick part and office being uninjured. The dining room is filled with the debris of thewooden part of the building, which feil in with the weight of brick falling upon it. In the rear yard the roof of the building rests. Here almost miraculous escapes are recorded, which are described later on. Before reaching the business portion of the town, the cyclone had DESTROYED MANY RESIDENTES. Among these is the residence of C. P. McKinstry, 011 West Congrcss street, the west side of which is gone. Adjoining Clcary's business college is, or rather was, a handsome doublé brick residence owned by Mrs. S. A. De Nyke. The loss on this house will reach about $5,000. It will have to be built anew. The family narrowly escaped here, having just left the dining room, which was at once filled with heavy timber. A bedridden son in an upper story had a miraculous escape from injury. East of the river among the losers are Milo Gage, Jonathan C. Voorhees, George A. Cook, John Ross, and William A. Moore. But before crossing the river the cyclone had damaged many of the business blocks, olher than we have mentioned. Next in total amount of loss to the opera house and Cleary's business college, is the loss sustained by h. m. curtís' carriage shop, opposite the Hawkins' house. The shop, a brick building, is badly wrecked, the entire top being blown off and the side walls on both sides completely demolished. The finished stock of carts were dumped outside the building. A fine hack standing in the building was unscratched and undisturbed, while all around were broken wagons and masses of debris. The loss here is about $7,000. THE OTHER BLOCKS DESTROYED. Yost's livery stable was unroofed, sorae of the timbers being carried through the plate glass front of the Dobson building. The Wortley and Post blocks are badly damaged, the roofs were tossed off as i f they were featherweights. The .building across the street occupied in part by the Chinese laundry is a total wreek. Cook & Brown's, Holbrook's and Mrs. Daniels' suffered heavily, as did also Fairchild's meat market. The Occidental hotel is damaged about $ 1,500. Among the residences damaged in addition to those previously named, are the Knisly house and Mrs. Leach, on River street, and the Gilbert house, on Park street. QUEER FREAK AT THE 13OX FACTORY. The box factory owned by Mr. Glover was considerably damaged. The chimney was totally destroyed. An eye-witnesses of the catastrophe says tnat the tall chimney was lifted up entire and carried up about 200 feet, when the wind twisted the top off dropping the lower part, the top disappearing with the wind. TELEPHONE COSIPANY LOSES $IO,OOO. The poles of the telephone company were down in all directions and the wires twisted and torn in an indescribable fashion. The telephone manager estimates the loss of the company at fully $10,000. THE CITY A LOSER. The city also finds electric lights poles down, and electric light wires badly torn. No one, yesterday, bad attempted to malte any estímate of the city's loss, but it cannot be light. Following the cyclone or rather accompanying it, came TOTAL DARKNESS. The breaking down of the electric light poles and the twisting off of gas lamps put an end to light. The gas had to be shut off from the mains. Then came the heavy rain which follows and does not precede the cyclone. The frightened people began to creep out of their homes, lanterns in hand, only to run up against the debris which the wind had strewn in their path. It was remarkable how many lanterns were found by the people, and in all directions could be seen the little lights twinkling out in the darkness and the rain while every one was seaching for his friends to see if they were uninjured. NO FATAL INJURIES. Strange as it may seem no lives were lost, and no one was fatally injured, in fact, so far asdiscovered, no bon es were broken. The revival meeting at the M. E. church had called out a crowded house, and so taken many out of the track of the storm. The stores were closed and many people had just gotten out of dangerous places. The most narrow escape was at the Hawkins' house. The porter in the upper story of the destroyed part of the building feil with it and was pinned down so that he had to be released, but was found whole and only slightly bruised. Two young vvomen employed in the building frightened by the waring sound rushed into each others arms and went down together uninjured. One of the girls in the dining room at the time the walls feil in, Josiè Cogill by name, was imprisoned in the room, and although thus buried in the debris was not much injured. In rescuing her, Frank Kirk had his eye injured by a brick striking him. A traveling man asleep in his room awoke to find himself in the room below amid the debris but unhurt. The office of the Hawkin's house was filled with guests. A wild time ensued. Men whirled around roaring to get hold of some thing to cling to. One traveling man was blown up against W. H. Lewis, both falling down cellar, Lewis being the under man. He was somewhat injured, bnt not seriously. The wind played many freaks. lOnebarn on Congress street was turned completely upside down. The horse which was tied in its stall was found grazing in an adjoining grass plat in the morning. Another horse was found jured in its stall, although the roof and walls of the barn had been carried away. THE TOTAL LOSS. The total loss cannot be less than $100,000. There are hundreds of small losses that will never be computed. Many barns are gone and many houses are off their foundations, other than have been mentioned. A few horses vere killed. Yesterday, Ypsilanti was filled with sight-seers. The debris was rapidly being cleared up, but enough was seen to cause every one heartily to desire that Washtenaw county may never again be visited by a cyclone.