The union Democrat., 1870-04-16
The sinking OF Ss. John Isarbor-Extraor.
binary Phenomenon.


Yesterday morning, just before the CON-
mencenent of the snow storm, and rs the
wind was rising so as to be heard within
doors, strange noise, similar to that accom-
panying the earthquake on the morning of the
22d of October last. was heard by the residents
of the lower end of Protection street, Garlic
ton. The storms of last fall and those of the
| winter have made g-eat-havoc in that vcini-
ty, and not only has the breakwater been car
ried away and buildings removed from their
foundations, but the sea has washed away
land and encroacbed so much upon property
as to make the residents of tho neighborhood
display more than usual interest in each ap-
preaching gale. The noise referred to, as its
rumbling ceased. reused many from their
beds. who. on going dowr to the harhor.
! found that a startling change had taken place
in the appearance of the land and whcrves.
The tide was nearly down, and, though it
was quite dark, it could be seen that the old
| ferry landing. which should he several feet
above water. haG vanished. Messrs. Littlehale
& Coram's wharf-better known as Coram' $
wharf-had nearly disappeared. 1t had been
piled with deals. which belonged to Messrs.
Scammell Brothers, and that part cf the
wharf on which the deals were did not break
down as though the bottom on which ii rest
ed had been washed out. as at first supposed,
but a piece about 20xT0 feet broke off and
settled squarely down into the water, and
the whole mass, with the ton of the wharf be-
n cath and the deals remaining upon it, float
ed away into the harbor, where it was picked
~ yesterday by James S'ackhouse and his
men. A frontage Of several hundred feet in
extent, running from the line OF the demol-
ished wharves towards the breakwater, has
gone down, leaving steep emhankment slop-
ing toward the harbor About midway
along this new embankment. and less than
200 feet from it, into the harbor, is the place
where the old ferry landing was. On this
srot soundings were made by Joseph o Brien,
MIR. Clark and others, last evening. and
where the old ballast or reef was the day be-
| fore, rising above the water s feet, they
| found 6 fathoms of water, showing that even,
so near the shore as that, the bottom had set
tied Just 50 feet. Near where portion OF
the wharf settled away, or where a moderate
| ly-sized vessel used to ground ut low water,
there are between and fathoms at low tide
One of Messrs. Adams buoys, moored about
400 or 500 feet from the shore. had disap-
peared, and last evening, when the tide was
at it's lowest level, the current was just show
ing a ripple o7er the top of it. AS the tides
| rise ana tall ABOUT oU Ieet IN St. JOBn mar
hor, and the chain of this buoy bad several
fathoms of scope. it may be inferred that the
bottom ssnk as much as 9 or 10 fashoms at
this point.
So far as could he ascertained yesterday,
after the binding sncwstorm subsided, it was
thought that at the surface of the harbor bed
portion extending over an area of, perhaps,
three acres had been affected. 1t would not
be surprising if. with the swift current of the
harbor. the brcakwater on the east side
would become affected in time. There will
also be falling away of additional portions
Of Sand Point for some time to come. 1t was
thought, before soundings were made, and
the falling tide revealed the extent Of the
changes made, that the "slide' was caused
by the shifting of sand which had washed
over the bar /; but that theory is now explod-
ed and the fact fully established that the
phenomenon was caused by some subterrar,-
can action beneath the spot affected so mate
rialy.-!&. John (N. b. Telegraph, March
! 18th