The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-12-18
TIE GREAT BLOW.
The Gale Of Saturday Night-The DAM
age TO Buildings and Shipping.

ouOW squdl. 1uo ouOW ldogcu boV ~
short time but as it ceased The force of
the wind increased. Swinging signs ratified to
and fro while scuttle windows were at the mer'
| cy of the wind if not very strongly secured
The whole afternoon was breezy in the extreme
| and it was with difficulty that persons could
make any Roadway against the force of the
| wind. Where the sidewalks were icy, as was
the casa 10 many places, the walking was ex-
tremely dangerous. From four o'clock to five
the wind was the heaviest. and at times it W as
nothing short of terrific. The thermometer
dropped down to Zero, and many who tried to
navigate out of doors were even lower than
that. One lady on Brown street was thrown
fiat upon her facs by the wind, and it was with
great difficulty that she arose, as her head was
cut badly. The only extensive injury reported
is the damage to Music Hall. When the gale
was at its height, at about 4 &c. loud crash
was heard by those in the vicinity, and slate,
boards and sheathing were seen flying in every
direction. A. great many wers n the street at
the time and the excitement caused was in
tense A horse Car filed with passengers was
passengers uninjured. To make the excite
ulGuJ IuOEe luGeuSt SUIl6 VI ualefldlITOul tQ6
roof struck the telegraph alarm wire causing
an alarm OF fife. 1t was then supposed the hall
was on fra, and people came focking to the
place as fast as the gale would permit. Upon
investigation it was found that part of the
roof on the front side of the hall had gone.
How the wind had got under it is not known.
1t was said that gas explosion in the hall had
Started the roof, but this was not so. The gen
eral theory is that the wind went down the
ventilators aud forced hole through The
timbers of the roof were undisturbed, only the
covering coming off. Mr.. Fassett examined the
building and considered the damage only what
was apparent, and yesterday morning Mr.
Whitney put on large force of men to repair
the injury, which cannot exceed 800. An en-
tirely new roof was put on less than year
ago. A piece of slate crossed the square and
went through the window of s. Winslow's
meat market. Another strnck a little girl cut
ting her cheek quite badly. Oas of the work.
men engaged in examing the roof was thrown
from ladder about ten feet from the ground,
and struck his head on a loose board, inflicting
wound over his right temple an inch and
half long. The sidewalk on Congress street
WAS d mass VI WToChEu tlmUeIS, duQ tut StlE6t
was quickly roped in to prevent accidents. The
hall was considered safe from further accident
and the Buskin Club were allowed to gvs their
entertainment. The hall was extremely cold,
however, the stage being entirely open to the
weather, as the roof was off overhead. A can
vas was stretched across, but owing to the
piercing cold did but little good.
The wires of the fire telegraph alarm were
generally disarranged but were promptly re-
paired by Mr.. Cummings despite the weather.
The tin roofing over the brick block occupied
by Twitchell, Champlin & Co., and George A.
Hunt on Commercial street, was stripped off
slightly, as it was on the store of Mari, True &
Co., Oh the same street, and Locke, TWitchell
& Co., on Middle street. The slate on the
store of Woodman, True & Co., was scatterel
to the wind. The sign of Chenery Brothers on
Congress street blew down, smashing the win
dows. The awning was alss carried away. A
chimney blew down on State street and mar
rowly escaped some children who were pass
ing. The chimney on the house of L. Cliff
ford Wade on Park street, was taken
among others on the block.
At the Rolling Mills, Ligonia, big chimney
boiler, and one end of tie building was blown
in.
A barn belonging to the Oriental Powder
Company at Gambo, on the Ogdensburg, was
blown down and a large quantity of pressed
hay destroyed.
The big funnel on Thompson & Fowler's
slaughter house, near the old trotting park,
was blown over.
A stone cap on the chimney Of W. FL. Mill
ken's house on High street, was blown over,
doing considerable damage to the roof of the
ell
buggy was overturned and demolished at
the head of High street. A man named Hem
ry Hill, who was pilling lumber on Sturdvant's
wharf, was blown off the pile and somewhat
injured. A valuable show case filed with
pipes, in front of Tuero's cigar store on Con-
gress street, was demolished, causing consid-
cradle loss. A car belonging to the New York
Central railroad was unroofed on Browns
wharf, and the roof carried some distance
AMI laid down carefully bottom side up. The
lumber piles on this wharf were somewhat dis
turbed.
A horse was frightened by piece of paper
blOWluS dClOsS GASnduSO otAcCe, aho Aod ahcJ
with hay rack. The diver, Mr.. Fields of
Cumberland Mills, was thrown out and severe
ly bruised. He was taken into Loring's apoth-
ecary store where his wounds were dressed.
About forty feet of the big sign which ex-
tends along the top of the Eastern depot was
carried away. A portion of it fell upon one of
Robinson's hacks, standing below, and marred
the carriage considerably
A chimney was blown down upon Walter
Corey & Co. s building on Free street, crash
ing through the roof and damaging the furni-
ture on which it fell.
A large scuttle was blown across Exchange
street, from Wilson & Co.'S to Hooper &
Eaton's.
An innumerable number of chimneys, signs,
awnings, and skylights we're demolished in all
parts of the city. Windows we're also smashed
in every direction.
In the afternoon when the wind was blowing
quite briskly man appeared on Commercial
street with bran new hat which he had just
bought. Just then train came along and the
hat was blown under the tender and one of the
wheels neatly cut off the rim. Then the man
swore.
ton Block had started is untrue. 1t was exam
ined yesterday and found to be unmoved 10 the
least.
The shipping in this vicinity received little
or no damage, but it is feared that some YES
sells were blown to sea and If so they must
have suffered severely. A large feet of vessels
went out Friday 1t was thought that the
schooner Margie would 60 ashore on Hog Is
land Ledge, but an extra anchor saved her.
She sailed yesterday. Upon a carefol invest-
cation it seems certain that no damage was
done in the harbor, and the rumor that four
men were capsized in a dory is unfounded.
The pilot of the steam er Elenora, which ar
rived here at O'Clock Saturday afternoon, re-
ported a very heavy sea outside. He saw a
bark off Cape Cod in the morning, but she
was in good condition to weather the storm.
When off Boon Island he saw British brig,
but she was in good condition and when the
gale come up put in towards the shore. he
considers the gale the severest he has seen dur
ing ten years he had been on the New York
steamers
Mr. Parsons, who piloted the Sandman out,
endeavore to return in small boat. When
the storm came I'D the Express steamed down