Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-24
prsrRUcTIve sToR!I- AND LOSS OF LIFE

The Boston papers of Monday evening inform US
that that city and the neghbourng towns were, on
Sunday night and Monday morning, visited with the
tremendous gale that has occurred in that section
of the country for many years The destruction Of pro-
pcrtv immense and il is already ascertancd that
more than FIFTY LIVES WERE LOST
Of6D vessels in the outer harhor Of Gloucester, 81
were driven ashcroft which latter, only was moi
a total loss Three sunk, and the crews are probably
lost.
A letter in the Mercantile Journal dated Cape Ann
says:
tsAt the commencement of the gale, great many
coasters entered the harbor and the most of them
compelled anchor the Abon 90 of these
coastiIg vessels were driven ashore, of which 10 went
TO pieces and many Of the individuals board proba
| by fourth part, were drowned Our informant saw
| II dead bodies lying the beach, among them was
the body of woman, found dashed to the windass
bits of Castinc schooner; two of the crew Of this
schooner lost.
! yeserdlv were truly Leart-rending The vessels
which arted ashore lay within 80 yards of terra rma
between which and them dashed the formidable waves
breaking with great fury, nsomuch that assistance BY
means of boats could not be rendered. Some were
washed ashore and escaped with l!te-and others or
RATS. o. by ropes reached the shore much exhausted
Eighteen or twenty sail of vessels, by cutting away
their masts rode out tie gale.
sat Sandy Bay schooner, Eame unknown, loaded
with -four struck reef while entering the harbour
and went Instantly TO pieces IL is thought mat al. OF
hoard we're drowned.
The accounts from Cape Cod ere looked for with
much anxiety.
From the Boston Traveller Of Tuesday.
Sercre Gale at the Observation-Disclosures among tht
Skippmg-.uelancholy loss Of Hfc
The SronN.-Thc uDcommonly pleasant and delight
fol season. which, for the past three months, has snct
upon us with its loveincSs, has hccn broken by
the scverest storms which we have experienced 70,
years The heavens began to be clouded at sunset or
Saturday and during the night the snow began to fal
thick and fast Soon after sunrise the wind began t.
rise and the snow continued falling thickv. Before
noon il had increased TO gale-the waves commenced
their furious contest with the Shore and the afternoon
tide driven in BY the strong eaStcry wind, to ar
astonishing height. 1t extremely difficult for pc
destrans walk against the furious gale in the oper
country and to pass carriages next to impossible
Hats and umbrellas flew before it, sometimes beyond
the recovery of the owners, and the leaves tori
from tie trees and whired through the mir like feathers
1t continued to rage with unabacd violence through
Sunday night raining the afternoon, and in the nigh
changing again to a binding
Yesterday the severity of the gale had abated
what though it continued showing through the day
with high wind The gale felt most severely in
the city from II to IL o'clock Sunday night; and pro-
baby the like has not been experienced here since the
memorable September gale in 1915. The most compact
blocks Of brick houses the central parts of the town
shook 10 their centres; many chimneys and parts o.
chimncys were blown down. sky-ghts were forced of
and dashed in pieces, and many pancs of glass were
pressed in by the mere force of the wind. The Bap
list Church, at the South end, building for the Rev
Mr.. Sarreant suffered considerably, we understand
from broken glass: and the the Rev Dir Mott
church. being rusty, or from some other cause, rcfus
inc to turn, was bent nearly double.
Three houses were blown down in Chelsea, many
fences Frustrated and trees uprooted At East Boston
the Railroad depot and carhouse unroofed; chin
ney of the new brick school house Frustrated;
blacksmiths shop destroyed, and other similar da-
mage done to buildings in exposed situations. At
Charestown the gable ends of the new brick school
house. erected on Summer street, were blown down.
But the most sad disasters occurred the water and
we fear many days will elapse before the tale of suffer
ing of property lost and lives destroyed will be
p!ete In our own harbor, may vessels dragged their
anchors parted cables broke away from their fasen
inps and received serious damage One schooner and
two sloops filled and sunk.
The schooner Catharine Nichols, from Philadelphia,
for Boston, was wrecked on the rocks at Nahant two
of the crew were washed off and drowned at once, and
third was so greatly injured by being dashed against
the cliffs, that he survived but short time The cap
tain and one man were saved
In Gloucester fewer than 20 sloops and schooners
were driven ashore and all but four went to pieces
Seventeen dead bodies had been picked up on the
beach, which lined with the fragments of the
wrecks. Eighteen other schooneis rode out the gale,
by cutting away their masts.
report was current last evening that large ship,
supposed TO be the Martha Washington, for Mobile,
driven ashore upon Ipswich beach, and all on board
perished with the exception of three persons, one
female. As it is known that Capt Stevens (who was
married but few days previous to his ssiling) was
companed by his lady, there is reason to fear that the
above may prove true.
Schr Favorite, Of Wiscassett 2 lost aud 10 saved.
One of those lost Mr.. Mann, Of Boston, pas
seage.; another was Mrs. Hilton, Of Wssasset, eyed