A wind storm of unusual severity accompanied by a deluge of rain and an incessant flashing of lightning and roll of thunder, struck Bemidji Tuesday afternoon at about 4:30 pm. The storm moved from the southwest to the northeast, and the wind must have traveled at a high rate of speed as it had some of the earmarks of a tornado. During the storm, Freeman Doud’s house was struck by lightning, and Mr. and Mrs. Doud had a narrow escape from instant death. The lightning came down the chimney and made its exit out the front door. “Wolf,” Mrs. Doud’s pet dog, who was lying in front of the stove, was killed instantly. Both Mr. and Mrs. Doud were in the room at the time, and were stunned. The greatest destruction seems to have been done to trees. Trees were blown down on the lakefront and in the surrounding country, and in several places the roads leading into the city were blocked. (Pioneer, Aug 6, 1896)
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