The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-20
NUMBER AZ.
The Sinking of St. John Harbor.
PHENoMENON-DIss
APPEARANCE OF wHARvEs AND FER
RY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
CHANGES.

APPEARANCE OF WHARvES AND FER
CHANGES.
Yesterday morning, just before the
commencement of the snow storm, and
as the wind was rising SO as to bs
heard within doors, q strange noise,
similar to that accompanying the earth
quake on the morning of the 22d Of
October last, was heard by the resi-
dents IF the LAWYER end of Protection
street, Carleton. The storms of last
fall and those of the winter have mado
great havoc in that vicinity, and not
only has the breakwater been carrieds
away and buildings removed from their
foundations, but the sea has washed
away land and encroached SO much
upon property as to make the resi-
dents of the neighborhood display moro
than usual interest in each approach
ing gale. The noise referred to, as its
rumbling ceased, reused many fronI
their beds, who, on going down to the
harbor, found that
A STARTLING CHANGE
had taken place in the appearances Of
the land and wharyes. The tide was
nearly down, and, though it was quits
dark, it could be seen thai the old fer
~ landing, which should be several
feet above. water, had vanished
Messrs. Littlehale & Coram,s wharf
better known as Coram's wharf-had
nearly disappeared. It had been piled
with deals, which belonged to Messrs.
Scammell Brothers, and that part eff
the wharf on which the deals were did
not break down as though the bottom
on which it rested had been washed
out, as at first supposed, but piece
about 20x7O feet broke off and settled
squarely down into the water, and the
whole mass, with the top of the wharf
beneath and the deals remaining upon
I it, foated away into the harbor, where
it was picked up yesterday by Mr.
James Stackheuse and his men. A
frontage several hundred feet in ex-
tent, running from the line of the de-
molIshed wharf toward the breakwater,
has gone down, leaving steep en-
bankment sloping towards the harbor.
About midway along this new en-
bankment, and less than one hundred
feet from it, into the harbor, is the
place where the old ferry landing was.
| On this spot
| sOUNDINcs
were made by Mr.. Joseph O'Brien, Mr..
Clark and others last evening, and
where the old ballast or reef was the
the day before, rising above the water
eight feet, they found six fathoms Of
water, showing that even SO near the
shore as that the bottom had settled
Just tliirty-two feet. Near where the
portion of the wharf settled away, or
where q moderately sized vessel used
to ground at low water, there is now
between six and seven fathoms at low
tide. One of Messrs. Adams buoys,
moored about four or Eve hundred feet
from the shore, has disappeared, and
last evening, when the tide was at its
lowest level, the current was just show
ing ripple over the top Of it. AS the
tides rise and fall about thirty feet in
st. John harbor, and the chain Of this
buoy had several fathoms of scope, it
may be inferred that the bottom sank
as much as nine or ten fatlioms at this
point.
AREA AFFECTED.
| So far as could be ascertained yes
terday, after the binding snow storm
subsidized, it was thought that at tho
surface of the harbor- bed, a portion ex-
tending over an area Of, perhaps, three
acres, had been affected. It would not
Re surprising If, with the swift current
of the harbor, the breakwater on tho
east side would be affected in time.-
There will also be a falling away of
additional portions Of Sand Point for
some time to come. It was thought.
before soundings were made, and tho
filling tide revealed the extent of the
changes made, that the "sliden was
caused by the shifting of sand which
had washed over the bar, but that the
DRY is now exploded, and the fact fully
established that the phenomenon waa
caused by some subterranean action
beneath the spot affected SO material
s ly.-[St. John IN. By Telegraph,
0 March I8.
1--WE have in town a colored man,
: Leon Gardner by name, who is emf.
nently sound on the Southern ques.
ton. Lem keeps a restaurant on Mar
D ket street in the rear of the Metrnpoli.
: tan exchange. The other day or night
a couple of fastidious gentlemen wen,
2 in and took seat and ordered theil
d meals. Immediately thereafter, how.