Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

ALAIEDON TOWNSHIP AND ITS HISTORY

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cyclone. It came through Delhi, Alaiedon and Wheatfield. It
blew my stepfather's barn down, part of his log house and took all
we had upstairs, so it left us destitute of bedding. I lived in
Alaiedon at the time with my mother.
A few years ago when Mr. Tallman was some younger than now
(1920) he gave a fuller description of that same cyclone, which he
said occurred on Monday, June 22, 1854:
The storm came from the southwest and traveled to the northeast. Its approach could be heard before it could be seen. The
white clouds appeared to be rolling and tumbling like the waves
of the sea. The black cloud looked like a balloon, having a long
tail resembling an elephant's trunk. This cloud would lower
almost to the earth and then shoot upward. darting here and there,
tearing up trees two or three feet in diameter, and scattering them
over the cleared fields. The path of the hurricane was a quarterof a mile wide.
When it reached the home of John Pierce a barn 40 x 60 feet
was blown away. It left the ground like a bird and passed out of
sight.
The storm next struck the house occupied by the Pierce and
Tallman family. Mr. Pierce was working in the field with his
son James. They started for the house but were blown to the
ground. Mrs. Pierce, her daughters Susan and Jane and son
Harlow Tallman were in the house at the time. The upper portion was blown away down to the chamber floor, and with the
contents of the chamber carried away.
The west door was torn loose, blown through the house and out
of the east door, the east door and window disappearing at the
same time. Hail stones of immense size fell and the rainfall was
like a cloud burst. Two big balls of fire rolled across the floor and
out through the east door. The family went into a bedroom
about fifteen feet away and the darkness was like that of midnight.
The storm traveled at the rate of 40 or 50 miles an hour with the
bladk cloud taking the lead.
After the storm passed Susan Tallman was missing. The floor
of the living room was torn away. The wind had entered the
cellar by an open hatchway and the floor went out through the
window and doorway made into kindling wood. The young
woman was found in the dooryard, covered with mud and dirt,