The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
A NORTHER' s" FURY.
Fifteen Vessels and Scores OF
Lives Lost at Panama.
The Scene of Davaltation Described
by an Eye Witness.

The Pacific Mail steamer Acapulco, which
has arrived at New York from Aspinwall,
brings advices which tell terrible story Of
disasters to shipping and the loss of life
caused by the hurricane of December q
When the gale BEGAN there were eighteen YES.
sells of all rigs and natonalities laying in
Navy bay at Aspinwal. At its cessation on
December only three of them had escaped
destruction and many lives had been lost.
Purser Henry Emerson, of the Acapulco,
said to a reporter: 81 was witness of the
terrible norther that visitel Aspinwal on
December . The town had been partially
rebuilt since its complete destruction by the
rebel Prestan, lately hange |, and commerce,
which had been frightened away during
those troubles, had returned. Vessels of all
kinds and many nations lay at anchor in Navy
bay on the morning which ushered in the
hurricane Situated in the tropics, the barom-
eter acts imperfectly and a norther generally
comes in unannounced, except by a squall.
At this season of the year the weather
is always uncertain; but at that
particular time there was nothing to indicate
a storm which would induce careful skip
per to put to sea. Navy bay is shaped some
thing like horseshoe, the opening being
toward the northwest, so it is impossible for
are from that quarter.
Ate p. NJ, although the wind was not
strong, heavy rolling sea set in. This in
creased to such an extent that at o'clock
all steam vessels were forced to slip their
cables and go to sea. The first to attempt
this was German steamer, and
so great was the force of the
waves that she found it impos-
sible to get her head TO the wind and drifted
sideways against the dock of the Royal Mail
Packet company, damaging it considerably.
After time she succeeded in heading sea
ward and passed out of danger In the mean
time the fleet of sailing craft were using
every exeruion to keep from being
driven ashore. The first one to part her
cable was the little sloop Mark
Time. manned by two men, Then followed
the Norwegian bark Holden, British brig
Evclina, American brig Ortolon all hands
lost, French bark Ocean, American bark
Veteran, British bark Douglas Castle, Nor
wcgian bark karnau, British bark Lynton,
Austrian bark Tigri, Norwegian bark
Blanche, Colombian brig Catalina, Coon
bian brig Stella American schooners Frank
Atwood, Arts and Rio Grande and sloop
Mark Time. 1t is remarkable that each
hour of the gale was marked by the loss of a
vessel
1.-The loss Of life is variously estimated and
not yet ascertained few, however, placing it
below fifty and many above a hundred. The
thrilling scenes which took place during the
storm would ill book On the afterno) IN
of Thursday three men were seen Clinging to
a buoy not far from shore. 1t was i'm
possible to get them through the surf
When night closed they were still there In
the morning they We're gone. The most
heartrending incident of the storm was that
of the captain of the bark Lynton. With
his vile and two children, one babe in
arms, he was seen clinging to the wreck
of his vessel The chief officer of a French
steamer and four sailors volunteered to go
to their rescue. When near them an enor-
nous wave broke over their Loaf and the
mate was swept of and drowned Discour-
aged the men put back to their vessel, and
the chief engineer took the place of the lost
mate. He shared thu fate of his brother oili-
Ger The boat 5 crew Kept on and succeeded in
saving the woman and her babe The father
was drowned before assistance reached him.
The total loss is said to be not less than
Sl,00000O, most of which is covered by in
surance 1t it seven years since ntrther
visited Colon, and it is fortunate that the in
tervals are so long, else traffic with that port
would be greatly reduced. The schooner
Frank Atwood OF New York, which was
lost, is notable as being the vessel on which
Boss Tweed effected his escape."