St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-11-30
FURY OF GALE.


been such damage to the vessels in Bos-
ton harbor and bay as was caused by the
storm Of Saturday night and Sunday.
Vessels Of all sizes, from the great ocean
steamer to the little fishing schooner,
were dashed about, thrown on the shore
or smothered and sunk by the great
waves.
1t Is generally supposed that vessel
with strong ground tackle out Is safe
from any storm in the upper harbor at
Boston, yet dozen vessels dragged their
anchors, even in that haven, and were
dashed against the wharves or into one
another and thousands of dollars Of loss
was caused in this way alone. 1t is
known that many more are ashore in
every direction outside the harbor, and
when the news Of these disasters is all in
1t is believed that the damage done to
shipping will exceed the record Of almost
any previous storm.
1t as known definitely that over 70
lives have been lost in the wrecks of
tugs, schooners and coal barges, and II
the steamer Portland has also gone
down, as now seems possible, the work
of the storm will carry the casualties up
to 100, with over 100 vessels of all de-
scription ashore. two score of them being
total wrecks, and an unknown number
probably beneath the waves of Mas
sachusetts bay.
There Is scarcely bay, harbor or In
let from the Penobscot to New London
that has not on its shores the bones of
some craft, while along Massachus etts
bay. and especially Boston harbor, the
beaches are piled high with the wreck
age of schooners and coal barges. And
yet the record, although hourly length
ening is incomplete, for that ocean
graveyard of Cape Cod is still to be
heard from, and as it has never yet failed
to give up some grim tale at such
time, it probably will not be found lack
ing on this occasion.
The annoyance of the railroad and
street car embargo, covering the whole
of southern New England, sunk into in
significance before the story Of destruc-
tion wrought by wind and wave, yet
it will be many a day before the full
import of the disaster is known or even
realized.
The islands Of Boston harbor are with
out exception strewn with wrecks and
wreckage. No less than 20 vessels are
ashore at Gloucester, over 20 in a sup
posed safe harbor of Vineyard Haven
parted their anchor chains, and are
high and dry on the beach; Nantasket
Beach saw two sohooners and coal
barge dashed to pieces on it's sands; the
rocks of Cohasset claimed q staunch
fisherman; Scituate, well known pilot
boat; Manchester, a down-east lumber
man; while one tug and three barges
known to have been between Cape Cod
probably lost.
Even the upper harbors OF Boston,
Plymouth, Salem, Portsmouth, Portland
and other places where vessels were
supposed to be comparatively safe, were
the scenes of numerous collisions be-
tween ships and the wharves.
Every life saving crew performed
deeds of heroism in rescung frozen sea-
men from the stranded vessels, while
tug boat captains risked life and prop
erty in their endeaver to save life.
Though the work of gathering up the
| details of the effects of The storm on sea
| Is still unfinished, the history of the
| blizzard on shore Is about complete, fol
| nearly all the railroads succeeded ir
| breaking the embargo yesterday, ano
the street car lines were also PARTIAL,
successful in getting their systems aga /
| into operation.
1t will be many long day before the
| storm is forgotten, while its sad result.
will linger in the households of hundred.
of families throughout the land.
The managers of the Boston and Port
| land Steamship company state that Their,
are grave doubts as to the safety of tn,
steamer Portland, which sailed from
here Saturday night Every harbor be
tween here and Portland on the norti
shore has been heard from and one OF
the south shore, and in no case has tn
steamer been seen. The only remaining
harbor which she could have reached il
Pr0vincetown on Cape Cod, and new
from that point Is anXiously awaited, a
it is impossible to reach that place b,
wire. She carried 65 passengers and ;
crew of 80 men.
Arrangements have been made will
the government to dispatch the revenu
cutters Dallas from this port and Wood
bury from Portland to hunt up tn
steamer. The Dallas will cruise alon
the south shore as far as Provincetowr
while the Woodbury. will make lon
circuit from Portland around Cape AM
and If neither of these steamers succeed
in locating the missing vessel there
little hope of her ever being seen agar
A passenger list is aboard the Portlan
and at present there is no means of know
ing the names of those on board outsid
of her officers. The steamer had in a
81 souls on board.
The Portland was built in Bath in 1879
and Is a side wheel steamer of 1900 tor
, net burden. Her length is $50 feet, beal
AZ, depth Is feet. She was valued E
S250O00, and is fully insured.
The storm caused widespread destruC
tion at Plymouth but no lives have bee
reported lost, although seven vessels al
ashore and three are still to be heal
from.
Besides taking off the crew of the Coz
5 solidated coal barge No. / at Pemberto
r and portion of the crew of the Calv
= +. Baker at Boston light, the Hull lif
D savers also rescued from terribly e.
|, posed rock off Gun rock three membe
q of the crew of the barge Lucy A. Nichol
q which was wrecked at that point. r.
= Nichols was one Of the two barges whit
broke away from the tug Underwrit