The record-union., 1898-12-10

SAN FRANCISCO Dec. S.-The storm
which ragged adj over the Pacific Coast
last night and to-day was one of the
most severe ever recorded by the
Weather Bureau. It extended from the
northern border down to Texas, and
from the Pacific as far east as Nebras-
ka The wind in this city reached a
v,'ocity Of forty miles an hour. Con-
sidering the great velocity of the wind,
the damage done to shipping was but
very slight, and $4,000 will pay for
everything, including the charges of
tcwboat men for extricating vessels
from dangerous positions.
Reports show that all the region from
Utah west to the coast are feeling the
storm, and in the Sacramento Valley
yesterday the winds velocity was be-
tween twenty-five and thirty miles an
hour. In Nevada and Utah yesterday
and this morning the wind blew from
the northeast at the rate Of thirty to
forty-five miles per hour.
Local conditions show that the storm
reached here about 3 last evening, and
increased in force during the night
reaching a velocity at 8 a. m. to-day Of
forty-five miles an hour in San Fran
cisco. On Mount Tamalpais it blew at
the rate of sixty miles an hour from the
northeast all the morning.
The j. D. Bibb lumber raft, which
was brought into port two months ago,
after breaking loose at sea, went to
pieces during the morning. The bulk
OF the raft broke away, and was car
ried in all directions over the bay. The
ferryboat Piedmont on her $50 trip
from Oakland was delayed half an hour
by the floating debris.
The steamer South Portland and the
ship Jabez Howes had a narrow escape
from destruction at the Steuart-street
wharf. The steamship all through the
night bumped into the JabeZ Howes,
and at o'clock this morning the yards
Of the two vessels became locked. Two
tugs went to the rescue, and demanded
81, t,000 from Captain Daniels to tow him
TO place of safety. An hour was spent
in carrying on an argument which was
more forcible than choice, and eventu-
ally the skipper agreed to pay $4,000
for the services of the tugs. Steel haw-
sers were made fast, and the tugs
pulled the South Portland away from
the Jabez Howes, which lost some Of
her rigging. The steamer was take n
over to Oakland Creek to a place of
safety.
The only serious accident of the gale
was the drowning of two Italian fisher
r1en. They had been up river in their
boat, the Santa Ella, and came down
flying before the gale. When off Goat
Island they tried to come about and
run for Fishermen's wharf. The boat
~
wind had filled the sail, and their craft
was .capsized. Its occupants, Galetano
Balestrere, and his partner, known as
Giuseppe, We're drowned. Balestreres
son and brother, in another boat, made
heroic but vain attempt to rescue the
victims of the storm before they had
been swept into the sea.
The steamer H J. Corcoran did not
get in from Stockton until late Four
miles from Stockton she went aground
but got off again. At Antioch the full
force of the gale was encountered, and
there Captain McMurtie tied up until
the storm went down. She did not leave
for Stockton until midnight.
At section 2 of the seawall is the
British ship Miltonburn. The battering
she gave the grain sheds has left them
In such a condition that if another
storm comes up before repairs can be
made they will be carried away. Over
200 feet of the warehouse underpinning
has gone, and much grain has been lost.
AT the Oregon dock 400 feet of the roof
was wrecked. Considerable damage was
also done to section 3 of the seawan.
A rock barge at the Angel Island
quarry went ashore, but the tug Sea
Witch went over and towed it off and
to q place of safety under the lee of the
island
The steamer Orizba made port in
safety from Southern California The
City of Peking, from China, and the
City of Panama, from Central Ameri-
can ports, are both behind time. The
State of California went out on her
way to Oregon.