The Portland daily press., 1864-06-22
COMMUNICATIONS.
IFor the Portland Daily Press
KirkWood's Neck---Scarboro'


But few localities on the magnificent coast
OF Maine, offer greater attractions to the nat
uralist, or the wanderer in search of the pic
turesque, than this, from which | write, and
none is of easier access: as il lies within sound
OF the railroad whistle. Some OF my iottings
may interest your readers, and IL glance at
she objects of interest, here scattered about
with a lavish hand, should draw the steps of
the summer tourist, or idler, hitherward, he
will, l feel well assured, fully endorse this say
Ing.
Wandering about the shores of this rocky
peninsular this morning, discovered a re-
markab.e demonstration Of the power of the
Atlantic waves. This debris detached from
the rock bound coast by frost and storm lies
scattered about in grand and chaotic confu-
sion. One of these blocks, of oblong shape,
and Of abodt 5 tons weight, has been lifted,
and thrown inland twelve feet. The outline
OF Its base corresponds exactly to that OF its
original site; this huge mass as it was dropped
BY the sea, caught a log beneath, and there
holds II by its ponderous weight. The spot
lies behind Straiton's Island, yet exposed TO
the open sea from the south east, but it fronts
the south, so that the force was exerted obi
quely, at an angle OF about 40 degrees, and of
course, not with full power. The rock pre-
sents front of about 80 square feet, and the
force of the wave must have been about $50
pounds TO the square foot of surface. The be-
holder can scarcely credit that such an enor-
nous mass OF rock, could have been moved By
water, and yet must yield to the palpable de-
monstraiion OF the fact.
i happeI to have at hand observations OF the
Messrs. Stevenson, father and son, the archi-
tects OF those triunphs OF sc cntiilc skill. the
light houses on Bell rock, in the German ocean,
built 1S06-1Sll-aud the Sherryvore. or
Great Rock light, built 1S3S-1S44--on the
stormy west coast of Scotland, about 80 miles
from the main land. The experiments in the
velocity and pressure Of waves, are Of great
interest here, TO enable us TO appreciate this
phenomena on our coast, in comparatively
sheltered spot II was ascertained that the
average pressure OF the waves on that coast,
expose TO the full force of the great Atlantic
sweep, to be in summer Gil pounds on square
foot Of surface. and in winter, 20S6 pounds,
while in the storm OF March 1915, it was 6023
pounds, a tremendous velocity and power,
perhaps seven or eight times greater than that
exerted on the rock on this Neck.
10 November lS2g the spray rose II feet,
and the pressure was computed by the elder
Stevenson, TO be nearly three tons on square
foot of surface. Probably the most remarka-
BILE Illustration on record oil the power Of the
sea, occurred 10 the Hebrides, where rock Of
forty two tons-more than eight times the
weigh; of that on Kirkwood's Seck-was
moved several feet, by the force Of the waves.
BY information from two aged inhabitants
OF this town. / learn that the date of the storm
watch left the singular evidence OF Its fury was
about 1872. Capt. Moses Libby now 10 bis
9th year, Well remembers the time OF the in
cident, and the speculation of the good people
as to show the log could have got under the
rock, aud he fixes 1t at this date. Mr.. Thorn
as Libby, the present owner and occupant OF
this beautiful promontory, remembers the log
10 its present position in 1894, and says Il was
then an old story, the people had ceased talk
Ing about il. As the storm must have been OF
unusual violence, very probably Mr.. Willis may
have some account OF it among his memorable
Ia; but certainly ii left nowhere more curl
Gus or permanent record OF It's fury, than that
or the log uadsr the rock at Kirkwoods Neck
The wood being protected from the sun by the
rock, aud daily washed By the Atlantic, may
las. hundreds Of years, silent witness Of the
force of the winter wave.
Among ths notables of Black Point, know
OF none more worthy of mention than the
rare exam pie of llne old age in the person OF
Capt. Moses Libby. HIS memory is excel
lent, his sight aud hearing unimpaired, aud
his interest in afairs quite beyond that OF
many of his Juniors. He reads with facility
the newspapers OF the day. He was born in
1869, aud has lived to soc seven generations OF
his family,-his grandfather dying in 1902
and has seen his descendants OF the fourth
generation.
On the walls o! the parsonage OF Black
Point,--ihe ancient name Of this part OF
Scarboro hangs portrait of Robert Rich,
the great Earl OF Warwick, whose nephew
was the founder Of the town, and brings US to
q bit of romance OF the Englsh Peerage with
which we may begin our next.
l. VT.