The Portland daily press., 1869-11-22

Our city was visited by storm on Saturday
morning last which resulted in more damage
to our wharves than any previous one since
1860. 1t is true that the gale of September 9th
of Ibis year was far more violent, but it was oil
much shorter duration and occurred at nearly
low tide. The storm of Saturday commenced
about A. NJ. talthough the wind had been
blowing quite heavily since 10 O'Clock Friday
EVENING" but at that time it rose to the dignity
of gale, and was accompanied by terrific
rain, which poured down in sheets, until about
10 o'clock, when it diminished to drizzIe, al
though the wind seemed as violent as ever.
By P. NJ the gale was over, although the
wind was quite strong during the remainder of
the afternoon. The scene from the end of At
lantic wharf was one that would have delight
ed the eye of the marine artist From "Bug
Light the great waves would rush upon the
Breakwater, leaping over it in clouds of foam
and dashing way up upon the shore, while
within the inner harbor the pillows tossed and
seethed and boiled, rushing upon the wharves
as if seeking something to devour, and then
sulleny Withdrawing for another fierce charge.
You could hardly say that they wore their
white caps, for the ocean was mass of green
and white as far as the eye could reach, while
over all hung the leaden canopy of the heavens
At the end of Atlantic & st. Lawrence
wharf lay the fine bark Geo. S. Hunt, and she
crashed into the piles pretty well, but at last
she was got round into the dock and secured
with no other damage than smashing of the
port bulwarks and a chatting of the hull
Franklin wharf was injured in the same way,
the brig John B. Brown crushing some of the
piles. The steamer Forest City crushed up
the piles and planks at the end of Atlantic
wharf pretty handsomely, getting well chafed
in the operation. A tug was employed to get
her out, but the line broke. At last she sue.
ceeded in getting out into the stream, where
she anchored not far distant from the steamer
Katahdin, which plies between Bangor and
Boston, and had put in here for refuge. The
roof of one of the coal sheds of the M. o. S.
S. Company, ON Atlantic s. st. Lawrence
wharf was blown off. At Long wharf the
damage was greatest, and some marvellous es
capes took place. At high tide the waves
made a clean sweep from dock to dock, leaving
the warehouses standing like Venetian resi-
dences in the midst of the flood, the wharfn
gers office, however, little one story woode1
building, being moved to the very edge of the
dock. A lumber schooner the Ella, lying al
the end of the wharf tore up the piles by which
her stern was made fast, and came swinging
round into the dock, narrowly escaping a
number of fishing schoopers. The bark
George Roosevelt danced about like a two veal
old colt luckily without injury. A pile Of
lumber got loose and probably some was swept
nlaJ H. H.. :. L..
heavy. Steamer Chesapeake, which arrived
at o'clock in the morning, was sent up t'
Browns wharf, where the gale and waves wer,
less violent.
At Vaughan's bridge the water, at one time
swept clear over It leaving pieces of eol-gras
behind. No damage, we believe, was done t.
the bridge.
Hundreds of people awaited themselves 0
the opportu lily TO visit the Cape, both Port
land Light and the Two Lights coming in TO
their share of patronage. The view at Port
land Light and further along the coast wa
magnificent in the extreme. The waves cam
In eleven feet high and tossed their spray
the teIght OF thirty feet, while the gaps be
tween the rocks were boiling chaldrons. w
were informed that it was the finest view
the ocean in storm that has been wltnesse
by residents of the Cape for years.
In the city, we were informed by perso
living in the vicinity of Free street Baptis
Church, that the steeple shook and they feare
1t would fall The others, it is said, stood firm
The telegraph lines East aud West wer
down, but the International Company mar
eyed to get the price of gold in New York j
the afternoon. 1t was extremely fortunat
that the gale did net continue another hour, G
that the tide ebbed as it did, or that there wa
not more shipping at the wharves, OF the de
structon would have been great.
" ------
SEBAGo WATERING understand that c
and after the fest of.December but one tunne
of about six hundred feet, will remain to cor
plete the conduit to Lake Sebago, which vii
this exception will be finished its entire lengt
This six hundred feet will be bridged by
wooden conduit supplying the city with wat
during the winter. The gate house is finisbe
and by the middle of January, despite yex
tious delays and the sneers of MANY. this ore
work will be completed. 1t is advisable III
for few days after the reservoir is filled. viii
I