USA > Ohio > Henry County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 35
USA > Ohio > Fulton County > History of Henry and Fulton counties, Ohio : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 35
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The average rain fall, including melted snow, for all the months from 1870 to 1887, was for January 2.20, February 2.77, March 2.99, April 2.52, May 4., June 4 29, July 4.05, August 3.03, September 2.53, October 2.95, November 3.05, December 2.37 inches ; the annual average was 38.07 inches ; the aver- age from December Ist to February 28th was 7.42, from March Ist to May 3 Ist was 9.68, from June Ist to August 3Ist was 11.37, September Ist to No- vember 30th was 8.53, and from April Ist to September 30th was 20.86 inches.
The average monthly snow fall from 1870 to 1887, was in January 11.9, February 8., March 11.6, April 2.9, May .4, October .2, November 6. and in December 10.9 inches. Average amount per year 52.9 inches ; average depth per winter 51.5 inches.
From January, 1870, to July, 1887, the latest killing frost occurred June 1, 1883, the latest frost June 30, 1871, the earliest frost August 3, 1886, the earliest killing frost September 2, 1885, the latest snow of one or more inches April 28, 1874, the latest snow May 22, 1883, the earliest snow October 6, 1871, the earliest snow of one or more inches October 21, 1873, the carliest thunder storm January 17, 1870, the latest thunder storm November 21, 1883, the latest freeze May 29, 1884, the earliest frecze September 2, 1885.
Highest barometer from January, 1880, to September, 1887, was on Janu- ary 22, 1885, 30.784, February 4, 1887, 30.871, March 4, 1887, 30.651, April 8, 1887, 30.513. May 29, 1884, 30.376, June 27, 1887, 30.389, July 23, 1882, 30,247, August 9, 1884, 30.364, September 14, 1884, 30.461, October 16, 1883, 30.550, November 23, 1880, 30.727, December 12, 1885, 30.748.
The lowest barometer from January, 1880, to September, 1887, was Janu- ary, 11, 1885, 29.204, February 18, 1887, 29.179, March 20, 1886, 29.084, April 15, 1884, 29.148, May 14, 1883, 29,400, June 6, 1880, 29,446, July 12, 1883, 29.630, August 3, 1885, 29.454, September 8, 1885, 29.477, October 29, 1883, 29.236, November 17, 1886, 29.273, December 9, 1885, 29. 113.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
TORNADOES.
A tornado is that peculiar form of storm, characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud, small end down, whirling with immense velocity in the direction from north to west, and south, and east, and having a forward motion to the east- ward. Wherever it descends to the earth it destroys whatever may be in its path. It is generally very small, and the greatest destruction occurs at the center. It is not the same as a cyclone, which is a storm at sea, of from 100 to 1,000 miles diameter, whose center is a dead calm and the destructive winds toward the outside.
The first tornado in this county of which I have heard anything, occurred about the year 1824. This I get from Mr. D. L. Buler, who, in the winter of 1836-7 came upon the " windfall " over the line in Michigan ; and having a curiosity to know how long since it happened, cut some of the new growths and found them about twelve years old. Doubtless it was the same windfall which started in the north part of this county and extended to the northeast. The track was several miles long, but not very wide.
June 20, 1834, a tornado crossed the north part of York township. It first came down near the northwest corner of the township, about 2 P. M., and moved directly east nearly four miles, and then to the east southeast. The track was about three-fourths of a mile wide and six miles long. It was above the timber part of this distance. Near where it first descended Wm. Jones and others were camped. They ran into the open prairie, and, lying down, held on to the grass till the storm passed. They left their oxen tied to a tree, and after the storm found them completely hemmed in by fallen trees, but unhurt.
John King and his son, William, had arrived on the bank of Bad Creek, on the 19th, and made a shelter by setting poles against a large tree, and cover- ing them. They were in the track of the tornado, and after it had passed they found all the timber down around them except the tree their shelter was against. Only the providenee of God saved them. Settlers who came later were three days cutting a road through this fallen timber. The trees were turned out by the roots, tearing up great quantities of earth, which are not yet leveled down after years of cultivation. The storm (of which this tornado was a part), was felt in Indiana, in the forenoon of the same day, and by 4 P. M. it had reached Wayne county, O.
A separate tornado occurred the same day as the above, and about the same hour, about two miles to the north of this one. It was about one hun- dred feet wide, and took everything clean as it moved to the east southeast.
In June, 1842 (this date is uncertain), a tornado passed over this place at an altitude of three hundred or four hundred feet, making a loud, buzzing roar. It was almost clear at the time. The cloud was funnel-shaped, very black, and the tail hanging somewhat behind and some distance below the body of
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the cloud, which was not very large. It did not affect the wind at the ground, and there was no rain or hail from it here. It moved directly eastward about as fast as a man can run. It was not known to descend till it reached Maumee City, where it demolished a brick building that was not yet finished. Two lit- tle girls, one white and the other colored, who ran up to the building to get away from the storm, were killed. It is possible that this was the same cloud which A. S. Fleet saw pass over North German township about that time. He says it was nearly clear except this one small, black cloud, from which hail fell thickly while it was passing. The hailstones were nearly three inches across by over half an inch thick. It was going to the east.
About the first of June, 1844 (this date may not be correct), there was a tornado in the northwest part of German township, at about I P. M. It moved to the east-northeast, and cut a road about half a mile wide and three miles long. Sound white oak and walnut trees, three feet through, were twisted off or torn out by the roots. Everything was destroyed in its path.
About the middle of August, 1852, at about 5 P. M., a tornado descended on the prairie along Bean Creek, nearly west of where Peter Powers lives. On coming to the timber it leveled a strip about eighty rods wide. It destroyed the house and barn of John Martin, and carried a new wagon, belonging to Peter Powers, twenty or thirty rods, and dashed it to pieces against a log build- ing. Its last work was on the farm of Lyman Bebee, and as it rose it twisted off large trees twenty to thirty feet from the ground. The whole length of the track was about seven miles. It moved to the east-northeast, making a fear- ful roar, and was accompanied by heavy rain for several miles on each side.
In April (about the 19th), 1856, another of these aerial monsters visited this county. As it descended it struck the house of Nathaniel Jones, in the northwest part of Clinton township, and took everything clean to the upper floor,-roof, timbers, bedding and furniture. The bedding was scattered for half a mile to the southeast, in the woods. It destroyed a part of his log barn and took part of the roof off the frame barn. Continuing on its course, which was southeast, it raised and passed over a piece of timber and came down in Isaac Tedrow's field, tearing the fence to pieces and even carrying the ground chunks away. Further on it caught William Tedrow, and the horse he was riding, and turned them completely around and dropped them. Then it raised till it passed on to the York Centre road. At this place C. H. Lozer was in the road, driving a team of oxen. His wool hat was taken off by the wind and rolled along the road several rods, and then suddenly caught up and carried to the southeast about a quarter of a mile, where it was found wedged in the fence. Mr. Lozer was blown along for a short distance; and then a pail containing eggs, which he was carrying, was jerked from his hand and dashed to pieces against a stump at the side of the road (just in front of where I. E. Bayes now lives), and himself lifted and carried about five rods, only touching a foot to the
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
ground once in that distance. It then raised and passed over the timber, and when over Wauseon it descended low enough to unroof some buildings, and move on its foundation the warehouse of E. L. Hayes, which contained a stock of hardware and about two tons of iron. This was the last heard of it. It was about twenty rods wide, and the whole track was about three miles long.
The inrushing winds damaged several buildings and leveled much fence. On the left-hand side it took part of the roof off T. J. Case's barn ; and on the right, part of the roof from Isaac Tedrow's barn, part of Wright Bayes's barn roof, and racked Samuel Lozer's house. There was heavy rain with it.
Between 1 and 2 P. M., on the 2d of July, 1864, Dover township was vis- ited by a tornado. It crossed over the farm of L. C. Cook and came down on C. B. Carter's, west of Ottokee, destroying a strip of timber about twenty rods wide. Its course then changed from southeast to nearly east, and passed on, not doing much damage till it reached Ottokee, where it unroofed several build- ings, among them the court-house. It then raised and disappeared. It was followed by heavy rain.
June 5, 1867, one of these storms crossed Clinton township, about noon. It took the top off Barton's house, west of Lena, and east of this destroyed a barn. At Lena it scattered the lumber in the mill-yard. A boy at this place narrowly escaped being killed by the flying lumber. It leveled much valuable timber on John Miley's farm, and nearly all the fences for a mile wide, were blown down by the inrushing wind. The tornado track was about twenty rods wide and three miles long. It traveled a little to the north of east.
About 4 P. M., on the 3Ist of May, 1880, a tornado passed over the north part of Clinton township. It uprooted part of Colonel J. H. Brigham's or- chard, and going to the east, it destroyed part of Ambrose Clark's barn and moved the house on the foundations, having passed between them. At this place a calf was blown over the board fence to which it was tied. Clark's or- chard was nearly all destroyed. Further on it twisted large white-oak trees off and blew down much timber. A considerable timber and a great part of the north and south fences for over a mile on the south side, and some dis- tance on the north, were blown down. The wind blew at the rate of about fifty miles an hour here, a little over half a mile south of the tornado track. The barometer reduced, stood 29.844 inches. The track was about eighty feet wide and two and one-half miles long. There was heavy rain with it. The ranifall here was 1. 19 inches in less than one hour.
June 6, 1880, at about 3:30 P. M., a tornado passed to the east-northeast, a little south of the county line, in Henry county, straight south of Wauseon. It was about fifty feet wide and passed between Bogart's house and barn, tak- ing the end off the latter. A half mile east it destroyed the house and barn of Eli Zull, and further on another barn. The track was about two miles long. This storm passed about seven and one-half miles south of here, and the wind
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blew here at about thirty miles an hour. The barometer stood at 29.476 inches.
On the 24th of June, 1886, a tornado struck near the north line of this county. About 2:30 P. M. a cloud came from the southeast and another from the west, and when they met the tornado was formed. There was a thunder and hail storm a few miles to the west at the time As it descended it un- roofed the house of J. Stahl, south of Lyons, and crossing the road came to (). P. Barnes's house (which stood just north of the center of the track), and took the south side to the floor, but left the north wall standing. The house was made of plank, and the part taken off was dashed to splinters. A part of the roof of his barn was blown off. Mr. Barnes, who was in the yard, was jerked from the ground and carried about one hundred feet, passing over two apple trees, and falling in the third. A boy who was with him was thrown under a sled and a corn-crib dashed down over him. Another boy was lying on the lounge when the house was struck and was rolled off and the quilt carried over half a mile to the east. Mrs. Barnes was struck by something and seriously hurt. As it moved on it destroyed nearly the whole of Mr. Barnes's orchard, and then raised. The path of destruction was about ten rods wide by twenty rods long. Household goods were carried about four miles east and one mile north. The direction was a little north of east. It was funnel-shaped and moved for- ward with great velocity, being not over two seconds in passing a given point, and made a terrible noise. It was followed by rain and a little hail. The air was still till the tornado struck. It was about ten miles northeast of here. Barometer stood 29.698 inches.
About I P. M. on the 2d of May, 1887, the last of these terrible visitors came into our midst. It first descended about three miles southwest of Wau- seon, at the barn of Dr. D. W. Hollister. It did not get low enough to de- molish it, but lifted it clear from the foundation and swelled the sides out like a barrel. It passed over the house without damaging it. About half a mile north of here (the storm moved north 20~ east) it struck the brick school- house at the cross roads. This was completely demolished, the east, west and north, and bottom of south walls being blown outward by the instant expansion of the air inside the house when the tornado removed the pressure from the outside. The top of the south wall fell inward, and the roof was thrown from three to thirty rods to the northwest. The joists were dropped at the north end of the floor, falling on two boys, one of whom, Benton Gasche, was killed, and the other seriously injured. There were fifteen persons in the house at the time and the teacher and six of the children were hurt, besides the one killed. The tornado, at this point was less than forty feet wide. From the school-house it began to raise, and passed over Isaac Springer's barn, shaking it violently. A little further on it turned to the northeast, passing over Wau- seon high enough not to do much damage. 41
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
The inrushing winds did considerable damage on the right hand side, blow- ing down nearly all the fences for over half a mile wide, by about four miles long, which were standing across the wind (which blew the direction the tor- nado moved), while fences in line with the wind remained standing. Amos Turney was driving out of town at the southwest with a load of tile, and he and his son were blown from the wagon, which, with the team, was carried across the ditch at the side of the road. Part of the roof was blown off T. Ed- ington's barn, near the school-house, and John Haumesser's barn, just south of Wauseon, was blown from the blocks on which it stood, and crushed by the wind and fall, together. Northeast of town part of the roof was taken from Marion Fashbaugh's barn. On the left hand side very little damage was done. There was heavy rain with the tornado, and hail in some places.
This tornado passed about a mile south of my place of observation. As it passed the wind blew here at the rate of about forty miles an hour. It rained here, .36 inch. The barometer stood at 29.897.
NOTABLE METEOROLOGICAL EVENTS.
The following are some of the notable meteorological events of this county from the earliest settlement. In these some of the dates may not be correct, as it is very hard to get such things now, but so far as possible I have verified the dates from several sources. For this information I am indebted to many of the pioneers of this county, who have taken great pains to be as accurate as possible.
The first notable event, after settlers began to come into what is now Ful- ton county, was a tornado, which occurred June 20, 1834 (see account in " Tornadoes.")
The first day of March, 1840, was so warm that men came in their shirt sleeves from miles around to a meeting which was held at my father's house. Grass in the prairies was large enough for cattle to live out at that time.
The winter of 1842-43 was a long one. Snow fell the latter part of No- vember, and sleighing continued from that time till after the spring election, April 3, which day it began to thaw. It came came off warm then and spring set in at once.
The spring of 1844 was very early, and on April 12 peaches were blossom- ing.
On the 25th of April, 1845, a hail storm passed over the southern part of this county, the heaviest ever known here. For about two days there had been almost constant rumblings of thunder in the west, and when at last it came, it deluged the earth as it is seldom done. It reached here just after dark, and continued about an hour. Hailstones of all sizes up to the size of hen's eggs, fell to the depth of several inches, and the ground, where there was no water, was covered yet the next morning, They fell down the chimney of
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my father's house so thickly that they were scattered all over the floor. When the hailstorm slackened rain fell in torrents till nearly midnight, and low ground everywhere was covered with water. There was not much wind with this storm. Some stock was injured, and roofs were damaged. Jared Beebe, then a resident of this county, was out in the storm, and the horse he was riding was knocked down. There were marks made upon fences and logs that remained visible for more than a year. It is probable that a tornado passed at the same time as this storm, a few miles further south.
In June (about the 2d), 1845, there was a frost which killed the wheat which was then in head, and corn, which was ten to fifteen inches high, was frozen to the ground. However, the corn was not destroyed, but sprung up and made a good crop. At harvest that year, one morning there was so much frost on the wheat that men had to wait for it to melt before going to work. There was frost every month that year.
In 1848 there were eleven consecutive days of rain, beginning July 4. Some days the rains were very heavy, and the streams were all overflowed. Wheat harvest had just begun, and much of the wheat sprouted before it was cut.
The winter of 1854-55 was very warm till in February, and no snow. January 1, 1855, was a warm, pleasant day, like Indian Summer, and wild geese flying over. In February a heavy snow storm, accompanied by thun- der and lightning came, and then it was cold, and the snow remained on for several weeks. May 13, 1855, snow fell one-half inch deep. The summer of 1855 was so wet during July that very much of the wheat was so grown that it was nearly worthless. It made what was called " sick wheat." The month was very hot also.
The winter of 1855-6 was a long, cold one, snow laying on from Novem- ber till late in March. In the spring of 1856 there was a fearful hailstorm passed over the north part of the county. It came with a high wind from the northwest, in the afternoon. Hailstones as large as a watch fell so thickly that there was no escaping them, only by getting under cover. It was fol- lowed by heavy rain. The hail made dents on the siding of George Roos's barn, which remained there when the boards were removed thirty-one years afterward. Stock was badly injured, some animals being nearly killed. (The date of this storm I have been unable to fix, but it is very probable that it accompanied a tornado which passed across the county about the 19th of April).
About the 12th or 14th of May, 1856, a sleet and snow storm, with much rain, occurred, and corn planting was thereby delayed about two weeks.
The fall of 1856 was very dry and smoky. Muck beds dried out so that they burned from one to two feet deep. C. H. Lozer found fire in the muck on the farm he now owns as late as January I.
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HISTORY OF HENRY AND FULTON COUNTIES.
June 6, 1859, there was a frost which killed the early wheat. Many fields were not worth the cutting. Late wheat, and that protected by forests, was not much hurt. The whole month was rather cool.
The summer of 1862 was very dry and hot. Oats were hardly more than a foot high on the clay, and yet yielded about forty bushels per acre. Sep- tember was very hot at seeding time.
The great frosts of 1863, which killed the corn all over the county, oc- curred Monday and Tuesday mornings, August 31 and September I. The whole summer had been rather cool, and consequently corn was rather back- ward.
The cold New Year's day was January 1, 1864. The day before had been very warm (about sixty degrees), and raining, but toward night it turned cold, the rain changed to snow, and the next morning the temperature was twenty- four degrees below zero. This was a change of over eighty degrees in about eighteen hours.
April 22, 1865, about five inches of snow fell. It melted the next day. August of this year was rather cool, the mean temperature of the month being about three degrees below normal. The highest temperature of the month was ninety-six degrees on the 3Ist. September was very warm, about four degrees above normal. The first killing frost occurred October 4.
During March, 1866, there was almost continuous freezing and thawing. It froze every night except eight, and thawed every day except two. This was followed by a very warm and dry April, and, as a consequence, wheat was nearly all killed, and the crop that year was a failure. We had twelve bushels from twelve acres of good wheat land. July that year was warmer by about three degrees, than the average, and August was five degrees cooler than the average. Oat harvest was a little late, about the 5th of August.
On the 6th of August, 1866, there was a solar halo consisting of seven cir- cles, some of them almost as bright as any rainbow. It began to rain that day and rained every day for six days.
The fall of 1867 was very dry, and muck beds burned till about Christmas, when the rains flooded them.
July 4, 1869, there was a heavy rain in the vicinity of Wauseon, which flooded all the low grounds and floated some of the sidewalks away. October 23, 1869, about eight inches of snow fell and remained on the ground till about November I. The snow was very wet, and hung on the trees, breaking them badly. Many people had not taken care of their apples yet.
In 1870, April, May, June and July were about three degrees warmer than usual; August was nearly seven degrees colder than usual, and September about four degrees warmer.
The fall of 1871 was very dry, only 1.50 inches of rain in September and October. I sowed wheat on the 9th of September, and very little of it was to
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be seen till the snow went off, the next March. By the way, that wheat aver- aged twenty-six bushels per acre on thirteen acres.
July, 1872, was very wet,-7.26 inches of rain during the month. It made it very difficult to save wheat.
The 29th of January, 1873, was the coldest known here to that time, 29.2 degrees below zero. April 6, 7 and 8, 1873, there were heavy rains,-about four inches in the three days. Rain fell on nineteen days that month. Octo- ber 21, 1873, there fell about eight inches of snow, which melted the next day.
June 9, 1874, a heavy rainstorm passed over here, and 3.82 inches of water fell in less than seven hours. July 22, 1874, there was some frost on muck.
January 9, 1875, was the coldest day I have ever known. The mean tem- perature of the day was 16.4 degrees below zero, and the highest during the day was 10.3 below zero. To make it worse the wind blew from fifteen to twenty-five miles per hour all day. The whole month was very cold. The mean temperature of February, 1875, was only 11.3 degrees. The mean tempera- ture for the first twenty-one days was only 6.9 degrees ; and for the fifteen days ending with the eighteenth, 1.5 degrees.
October 29, 1875, a terrific thunder storm passed over here from 11:30 till about 12:15. It rained .66 inch in about half an hour. It was so dark that lamps had to be lighted to see to eat dinner.
December 31, 1875, and January 1, 1876, were days like May. The tem- perature ran up to 70 degrees on the 31st, and to 69.5 degrees on the Ist. The mean temperature of the whole two days was 63 degrees. Frogs were out in abundance, and so were the bees.
March, 1876, was colder, on the average, than either January or February. December 21, 1876, a large meteor passed over, a little south of here, going to the east, with great velocity. It made a noise like thunder, the sound con- tinuing to be heard about fifteen minutes. The agitation of the air shook houses, and the light exceeded the full moon, though it was cloudy at the time.
During February, 1877, there was only .8 inch of snow fell, and the rain and melted snow was only . 12 inch. The month was generally warm, having thawed every day except two. In March, 1877, 41.7 inches of snow fell, 13.5 inches of which fell on the 12th, and 10.5 inches on the 16th. This snow nearly all melted on the afternoon of the 30th. October 19, 1877, 2.77 inches of rain fell. Frogs were out the 19th of December, 1877.
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