Ypsilanti home struck, damage to crops heavy

This story was published by The Ypsilanti Daily Press on Saturday, August 3, 1935.

Enormous quantities of water fell on Ypsilanti and vicinity Friday accompanied by electrical disturbances in the intermittent storms which swept the city. Lightning, which had tragically visited the family of Joseph Bock Friday morning, was again felt in homes here to a lesser degree.

Neighbors observed an object resembling a ball of fire which seemed to enter the Alfred Augustus home at 501 N. Hamilton St. An enveloping cloud of smoke followed. The bolt tore off boards at the southeast corner of the house, melted an aerial, shredded a radio extension cord and destroyed all the electric fuses.

Mrs. Augustus was alone in the house at the time and a pan she was holding, was torn from her hand. A number of light bulbs were blown from the sockets and pictures were knocked askew.

The house which belongs to A. E. Lewis is covered by insurance.

Sewers were taxed and there were minor catch basin obstructions but no damage resulted.

Farmers’ outlook on the rye crop is very disheartening as but little had been cut and much of it was down in the fields. It is possible that the continued damp weather will cause the wheat in the shocks to sprout. It is estimated by Frank B. Wilson of the Ypsilanti Farm Bureau that but 10 per cent of the wheat had been harvested and that the grain is mostly of poor quality.

Corn benefited in places where it was not blown down and the rain aided the second crop of hay.

Instruments at the Normal College Science building show that a temperature of 80 degrees was reached at 2 o’clock Friday afternoon and since 7 o’clock this morning the temperature has ranged around 76 degrees.

There was little electrical service interruption on the whole and few customers were affected. Repairmen were finishing temporary jobs west of Saline where a pole was broken by the wind, and near New Boston where one was struck by lightning.

Fewer than 20 cases of telephone trouble were reported, all of which were caused by trees and lightning. There was no cable trouble.