Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-29
THE AWFUL DETAILS.
Havoc Wrought by the Cyclone Almost Impos
sibIe TO Believe

t7ts LOUIE may Co. iit W iioit SUI
of the worst cyclone in the history of
this section, which struck this city,
last evening. is still untold. The
wharf on this side of the river is a
scene of desolation Steamboats,,
wharfboats and barges We're swept
from their fastenings almost in q solid
phalanX and east adrift. Some We're
overturned and sunk Others were
blown across the river and crushed
against the other side. The Anchor
Line wharfboat and the excursion
wharf We're the only things afioat left
above the bridge and Spruce street.
Both of these We're showed up on the
bank, indicating that the storm had a
rotary motion, as all other craft We're
blown in the other direction. Some
boats We're seen floating when the
brunt of the storm had passed, but in
nearly all cases the upper works were
torn away. The damage to shipping
alone will run up into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars.
Three boats of the Anchor Line were
in port. One of these was the City of
Monroe, which was ready to leave for
New Orleans. She had large crew
and about 80 passengers She was
badly wrecked in her upper works and
blown across the river, where she
lodged nearly opposite to the foot of
Choteau avenue. 1t is reported that
her passengers and crew are safe. The
other boats We're the City of Cairo and
the Arkansas City. They We're moored
at the foot of Choteau avenue and Car
roll street respectively. They were
torn loose and no intelligence was re-
ceived from them up to midnight. Be-
ing temporarily out of commission
they had but few employees aboard.
This company also had a number of
harges torn away and probably sunk.
The st. Luis & Mississippi Valley
Transportation Co had two boats, the
Exporter and the Harvester, the best
OF the line. set adrift. also the main
wharfboat and a number of barges.
The tug Rescue No. 2. belonging to the
Wiggin Ferry Co.. was reported to be
sunk at the foot of Olive street. The
Dolphin No. 2, belonging to the Dol
phin Transportation Co, John Loier,
president. was moored off Carr street.
She was turned upside down and sunk
in midstream nearly opposite the foot
of Olive street. The boat swung
against one of the bridges piers and
some members of the crew. including
the chambermaid, got off on a projec-
ton of the pier and We're afterward
rescued by one of the tugs.
Below Cass avenue to the bridge all
boats are gone except the Washington
avenue wharfboat, which hung to it's
moorings. There We're about the
bridge the Libbie Conger, the City of
Quincy. the Dolphin No. . the Belle of
Calhoun. the Bald Eagle, and the har-
Dor boat and tug. the Rescue. There
were also some barges and wharfboats
A. j. Crane. a wharfman on the Wash
ington avenue wharfboat, saw the Dol |
phin No. 2 go down. He said that she |
struck the middle pier of the bridge |
and hung for moment. The cook, |
chambermaid, two deckhands and two |
engineers climbed on the pier and the |
boat drifted away with the Waterman |
alone on board. About 100 yards below |
the bridge she turned sideways and |
capsized. Crane saw the watchmanson |
the forecastle holding to u lifeline just |
before the boat went down. and it is |
supposed that he was drowned. Moth |
ing could be seen of him on the water
or the wreckage after the boat cap
sized The LibDie Conger also went |
down sideways
The harbor boat struck the dump |
boat and was thus kept from striking
q pier. 1t passed through under the
bridge and was driven down stream
The Bald Eagle struck the middle pier
of the bridge as she went down, and
all of her crew except the Waterman
climbed on the pier and were pulled
up by ropes to the bridge when the
storm had passed. The Washington
avenue dump boat was torn from it's
wharfboat but was caught at the foot
of Locust street The wharfboat came
very near being blown off. too, and the
men on board of her jumped overheard
and swan ashore. One Derrickson
saw the Dolphin go under the bridge
and helped pull the people up who
climbed on the pier. The boat turned
over.
A large quantity of wreckage was
seen from Jefferson barracks, last
night. floating down the Mississippi.
A procession of wrecks seemed to be
borne along, sometimes singly, some
times in a tangled mass One large
steamship with only her bow ard pilot
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