The Portland daily press., 1888-11-27
TALES OF WRECK AND DEATH
Massachusetts Shores Lined With
Storm Beaten Wrecks.
Many Lives Lost in the Fury Of the
November Storm.
Sad Stories Of the Perils Of Life on
the Ocean.
Fifteen Men Drowned by the Capsizing
Of Their Schooner.
Three Washed Overheard While Try.
ing to Make Port.
Maine Vessels Among The Lost and
Maine Men Drowned.
Brig Jennie Phinney, Of Portland a
Total Wreck.
Heroic Work by Hardy Life Savers at
NantaSket.
Twenty Eight Sailors Owe Their Lives
to One Boats Crew.
A Detailed Account of the Work of the
Terrific Gale.
A Detailed Account of the Work of the
Terrific Gale.

BOSTON, Nov. 26.-Boston and New Eng
land were visited Sunday and today by one
of the severest November snow storms
known for years. Here the snow began
falling at about 8 a. M, and continued unin
terruptedly until gabout p. m, when
turned into pouring rain. During that
time five inches of snow fell. The storm
came from the northeast, accompanied by
a strong wind which ran as high as AZ miles
per hour. On Sunday the wind averaged
about 36 miles, and today it increased in We
locity, and bowled along at 80 miles an hour
The gale was accompanied by heavy gusts of
rain. The total rainfall up to noon was a n
inches. This, when mixed with the snow,
formed slush that was anything but agree
able to pedestrians. The gale caused much
serious damage to shipping, and sad reports
of disasters at sea come in today. The sig
nal service reports the storm centre not yet
passed, and predicts that the gale and flood
will continue until Tuesday, and possibly
until Wednesday. The storm in its area en-
braces the greater part of New England and
the eastern part of New York State.
In Boston, The severest part of the storm
was between and 8 o'clock Sunday. The
snow was damp aud blocked badly, greatly
impeding foot and horse car travel. No
serious damage resulted, however, though
trains were late. White caps covered the
Charles river between Cambridge bridge and
the tide running very high, brought the
water to within foot of overfowing the
piers and park embaDkment. Occasiona,
splashes of the waves even threw the water
upon the bridge sidewalk.
Broken Telegraph Lines.
The great damage to telegraph and tele-
phone wires occurred after dark last night.
The city suffered less than the surrounding
country. The Western Union had only one
through wire to New York and none at all
North of Manchester, none to Maine and
communication with Massachusetts, points
was meagre. The New England Telephone
and Telegraph Company and all other COM
panies suffered severely. Connection with
Portland and points North and East
was entirely cut off today and
the suburban divisions were badly demoral-
lied. Poles were down and wires tangled.
A week will be required to get them in order
again. Up to noon today the Western Union
had not single wire to New York out of a
total of sixty. At p. M, however, dozen
were working. The Mutual Union lost many
poles at the New York end, and at noon only
two or three wires were working. At the
United Lines Office the cross on the electric
light wire. about $50 this morning, burned
out the cable in the cupola over the Devon
shire office, and for time stopped all COM
munication. By 10 o'clock the wires and
cables had been laid down outside the build
ing, and the instruments were clicking away
as busily as ever. The New York connec
tion is the only one with which the company
had trouble. Wires are down west Of New
Haven, but at noon three quadruplex wires
were working to New York, and all the leas-
ed lines and connections to other parts of the
country were all right. The Long Distance
Telephone Company suffered heavily. At
noon it had no connection with New York.
Gangs were sent after the breaks in the
wires at Sudbury and beyond New Haven.
The gold and stock tickers' wires were tick
ing merrily away in most of the brokers
Offices during the day.
IL On the Railroads by the Sea.
On the railroads all through trains were
late but the locals made fair time with extra
engines Off the North end South shores
the gale was one of the fercest ever expe-
rienced. The beach railroads all suffered
serious washouts. On the North shore a
portion of the great ocean pier was carried
away. Cottages along the crest all received
some damage and the whole crest at Ocean
Spray was washed away. All the cottages
on Shirley street were damaged; windows
broken, cellars filled, furniture and carpets
TuinPQ. The track of the Winthron ocd
Shore railroad was submerged in some
places and washed out in others.
The Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn rail
road also suffered from washouts and the
train service on both roads was greatly in
interfered with.
On the south shore, Captain Joshua
James and a volunteer crew of 12 men. all of
Hull, rescued betv cen Up. m. Sunday and
1890 p. m. today, 2s shipwrecked men from
vessels along Nantasket Beach and Hull
There are nine wrecks between Pemberton
Point, Hull and First Cliff, Scituate. a dis
tance of 20 Diles. Many small summer cot
tages along the lower end of Nantasket
Beach are entirely destroyed or badly dam
aged by the wind and sea.
The Nantasket Beach branch of the Old
Colony road was washed out in several
places and the train service abandoned. The
breakers yesterday and today off this shore
have never been equalled in gradeur The
beach is strewn with wreckage from Hull TO
Duxbury, distance of 40 miles. Similar
stories to the above regarding trouble with
the wires, with delays of trains and great
damage to trees come from all the interior
cities and towns, while reports from coast
points give some detail of the high wind.
furious breakers and wrecks.
GANEn TWEAYN.ElN