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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ============================================================================= Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ============================================================================= Detroit Free Press Saturday, 26 June, 1869 The Lansing Republican says: A terrible tornado occurred in Clinton County on Saturday afternoon, the 19th inst., which resulted in serious acci- dents to several persons, and the death of a resident of Watertown, while the damage to property in the Towns of Eagle, Watertown, and Dewitt in the aggregate mush reach $50,000. From information received from residents of Water- town, we give the following particulars: About four o'clock in the afternoon, two immense masses of clouds were observed rising in the heavens, one from the north and the other from the south, in the Township of Eagle. These clouds rapidly approached each other, meeting at about five o'clock. Before they came together it was especially noticed that the clouds were whirling rapidly, as if agi- tated by a whirlwind. As they came together, about a mile west of the house of W. F. JENISON, in Eagle, a tornado commenced its work of destruction, its pathway, from sixty to eighty rods in width, taking a course a little north of east through the Townships of Eagle, Watertown and Dewitt. In Watertown, the timber upon the farm of PHILO DOTY was damaged to the extent of $800. Another farmer had ten acres of wood standing on the west side of a field of wheat. The entire forest was prostrated, half of the timber being left upon the wheat, the damage being estimated at $500. The windows of a log cabin in the track of the tornado were taken out, and all the bed-clothes in it were taken out of the house and carried away. The roof of a large barn was taken up bodily, turned half around, and left upon the barn. The storm swept onward, the forests being leveled in its path, until it reached Wacousta, a small village in Water- town. The storm did not pass over the whole village, and many lives and much property were thus saved from destruc- tion. As it approached the village, the woods for sixty rods in width were leveled, and a haystack disappeared like magic. The first building in its course was the store occupied by GEO. W. LEWIS, which was taken up bodily, re- moved eight or ten feet from the foundation, the windows all taken out, and the walls badly shattered. Passing thence through the fine orchard of MR. COUSINS, it tore up by the roots, or wrested off the bodies, of all the trees except five or six. It then struck the barn of MR. COUSINS, tearing it all to pieces. Directly opposite the barn, and across the road, was the office of N. I. DANIELS, who was at the time engaged as Justice in the trial of a suit, and quite a number of witnesses and spectators were present. As the barn was struck by the whirlwind, all rushed out of the office. OSCAR HART, one of the parties to the suit, saw a fragment of the barn coming toward him, and attempted to escape by running, but finding this im- possible, he dropped flat upon the ground, and the timbers passed over him. Others were less fortunate. ELISHA SHATTUCK was struck by a falling timber in the side and small of the back, and so severely injured internally that he died at ten in the evening, about five hours after the accident. He was sens- ible most of the time, but able to talk only at invervals. His age was about thirty years, and he leaves a wife and child. HON. DAVID I. DANIELS, formerly a member of the Legislature, and one of the leading citizens of the town, was also injured in the same manner as MR. SHATTUCK. The attending physician, DR. TOPPING, of Dewitt, considers the injuries serioius, and at the time of writing, it is impossible to state whether they may not prove mortal. GEORGE WEST was struck by a fallinig timber upon his back and left shoulder, and a gash about four inches in length penatrating to the skull, upon the right side of the head, and his right ear nearly severed from his head, were in- juries suffered by him. FRANK E. DAVIS, merchant, had a leg broken at the ankle and also just below the knee, and the entire bones between the ankle and knee are badly shattered, and the leg may have to be amputated. MR. DAVIS formerly resided in this city, and is a brother of ALDERMAN DAVIS, of the Third Ward. DR> GUSTAVUS MILLER was struck on the left cheek and left side of the neck, and also on the arm, his face being badly bruised. MR. LOVE and others were more or less injured. The barn is entirely demolished. (Transcriber's Note: Michigan Death records & 1870 Census Mortality Schedule give the name of ELLIOTT SHADDUCK, age 31, killed by tornado.) The storm passed onward, demolishing the horse barn of MR. TOWNSEND, which was taken up and dashed to pieces. There were two horses in the barn, neither of them being injured. Two wagons were torn to pieces, the box of one being taken into the air to the height of one hundred feet, and carried a distance of thirty rods. The kitchen of the dwelling house of MR. ROSENBOROUGH was also torn to pieces. Leaving the clearing, the tornado again leveled the forest beofore it, passing through Dewitt a short dis- tance north of the village. The citizens saw the limbs of trees whirling in the air at a great height, and could only thank a kind Providence that they escaped. The track of this tornado through the forests will be visible for many years to come. Much valuable timber was destroyed. The storm was about seven miles distant from this city. Had its course been through the city, the de- struction of property and life would have been immense. ===============================================================================