Have you heard of the Great Tornado of 1873? It was so powerful that the U.S. Congress sent an investigator. One account states that two sons of "Mr. Hamis" were injured. Could these have been sons of Michael Hammes, Jr.? The information with the photo of the Hammes house in 1873 says that the Hammes house was destroyed, though I find no mention of this in the news accounts. Interesting reading.
Congressional Investigation of the Great Tornado of 22 May 1873
The complete report to Congress of the Great Tornado, submitted by Sergt. Jas. Mackintosh, Observer, Signal Corps, U.S.A.
This is a pdf file which will download on your computer.
