The Litchfield County post., 1828-02-14

Dreadful and unprecedented Storm On
Sunday evening last, commenced a gale,
more in character Of tornado, than any
thing else. which continued undated through
the night; and it did not finally fall until the
middle of the next day. We have resided
in this town sixteen years; and our opinion
is, that there was a gale in 1912 or IS, which
raised the water within few inches as high
as that of Sunday night; but NO winter storm
has ever before had the same effect. The
wind came from the S. w. and the waves
covered the whole of the south or up3ermost
pier, which forms and protects the entrance
to this Harhor, for ten or twelve hours.
The whole extent of the old pier. construc-
ted by Judge Wilkeson about 8 years since,
has been broken, carried away, or timbers re
moved. Nearly the whole extent of the bot
tom of the Pier is supposed to be sound. It
will be recollected. that the general govern
ment two winters since, made an appropria-
ton of some $4,000, for the repair of the
old, and for the putting down of new pieces.
for the protection IF this Harbor. Baker g.
Merrill, put down last summer a new pier, &
put some repairs on the old one. The new
part does not appear much damaged ; but
the foundation of the new Lighthouse. in
tended to be erected al the end Of the Pier,
appears to have settled considerably The
water entered all the warehouses except that
of I. S. Smith, Esq. The consequence of
which WAS some damages to salt, ashes, &c.
have been sustained to the amount OF, per.
haps 5 or 600 dollars this however is mere
" coniectural. The whole Of the lower vii
lage was one extended sheet of water; much
wood. lumber, timber, &c. shifted its posi-
ton, and much is doubtless lost. There
we've also numerous cases Of suffering during
the storm, from the water surrounding a
great many dwelling houses. The Steam
boat Superior, schrs. Commerce aud Supe-
rlor, together with the packet Lafayette, were
driven from their fastenings, and ar now a
ground, or high and dry-it is stated that they
can all be got off without difficulty.
The fury of the storm also visited Niagara
river. Fraser and Co.'S. horse boat, tOgeth-
er with the pier and wharf where it was fas-
tened, at Waterloo, opposite Black Rock.
were all swept away; and the horse boat
lodged on the west bank of Squaw Island.
1t can be got of. The Steam boat Henry
Clay and niagara, parted their fastenings in
Black Rock harbor, but they brought up 40 or
SO r0os below The warehouses, without iniu-
ry. The aperture at the west end Of the
dam, was not materially enlarged: hut the
sloop-lock sustained some injury in the gates,
Sc. The water rose in the river, ii is stated,
as high as the pier, was uninjured. The
towing path, on the harbor near where the
Buffalo Canal leaves the same, was injured,
by removing some of the top timbers.
We learn that the water was two or three
feet higher in the rapids above Niagara Falls,
than was ever before known. Drift wood
~ HIGH has lain on the rocks ever since the
settlement of the country, was swept off.
One length of string pieces of tine bridge to
Goat Island was carried away, and some dam
age done to Judge Porter's mill race--the
bridge has been replaced.