, 1875-04-01

Yesterday dawned brightly and calmly.
The wind, which had ragged for several
days from every point of the compass
had died away during the preceding
night, and was replaced with light
zephyrs from the south. The sun came
out warmly and people as they met each
other on the thoroughfares exchanged
congratulations upon the prospect thus
afforded of better weather ahead. A
few invalids who had been closely cons
fined during all the long hard winter
ventured out Of door and their well
know forms and faces though shrunk-
en- and pinchsd by the keen suffering
they had undergone-were accepted as
bright ausury of near-at-hand
Spring. These favorable indications
continued until about IL o'clock, when
the barometer quickly showed signs of
falling and within an hour SINK to
2S:S5, an exceptionally low stage Soon
great masses of wind-ladeu clouds were
observed to scurry across the sky, the
bright sun and the poor invaiids retired
from observation and the wind veered
TO the southwest and gradually fresh
ered until O'Clock. when it became
what wonld be called q stiff blow.
Gathering renewed vigor at 10 minutes
to 8 clock it attained the proportions
of gale, and by o'clock fierce, re-
lentless hurricane, that shook the
strongest buildings and caused the de.
struction of Vast amount of property,
broke over the city and vicinity. The
mighty wind bore on it's pinions heayy
rain-charged clouds, which torn into
shreds, reached the earth in great sheets
of water that drenched the few persons
who remained out Of doors to the skin
in moment. The wind came in great
long gusts, that roared and shrieked,
and then swept on to continue their
madcap career elsewhere, to be followed
in quick succession by other gusts
equally strong and vicious. Soon the
effects of the pitiless pelting upon
buildings. fences, &c, became apparent.
Among the first structures on Govern
ment street to succumb was the veran-
dab in front of the old Postofice, which
came down with crash, crushing il
part of the front of the next building,
and creating panic in the glass market.
Next folio ed the tin roof of Carswell's
Block on Fort street, owned by Mr.
Lowenberg. which was rolled up like a
scroll and deposited in the next lot,
breaking the telegraph line and expos
ing stock of valuable goods belonging
to Oppenhelmer Bros. to damage from
the rain. Next the glass doors of the
present Custom House were driven inr
and the Collector and his clerks driven
out. About the same time the lumber
piled in Sayward's and Moody & Nell
sons yard became instinct with motion
and about 10000 feet waltzed away in
company with Old Boreas. In some
cases inch planks were caught up,
whirled in the air and broken like pipe
stems, and the lots for several blocks
are covered with them. The schoone,
Industry, Capt. Jones, which arrived
the day before from Nanaimo with ia
cargo of coal for Capt. Clarke, was lying
at Rhodes wharf alongside the bark
Clifton. The schooner sunk at her
moorings at 3H o'clock, Capt. Jones
narrowly escaping with his life. The
Clifton was chafed against the wharf,
but sustained no damage. The Otter
and other. steamers escaped injury.
About this time the sea rolled into and
across the harbCr in great waves and
broke with laundering roar upon the
beach, threatening destruction to any
small craft that might yentured upon
its bosom. The roof of the Occidental
Building and part of the firewail were
carried away at O'Clock. and tremen-
dous crash in the vicinity of the new
Postofiice revealed the fact that Hea-
thorn's verandah and firewall had gone
by the board, crushing in part of Nut
tails building. A chimney from Sehl's
furniture wareroom next fell, crashing
through into Fawcett &, Co.'S workroom.