The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-02

harbor that the waves were running
mountains high and the vessels lying In
the docks were badly damaged by smash
ing against the wharves while all the
piers were more or less damaged by the
vessels and the heavy seas.
The fun began about two O'Clock when
the gale was at its height. The crews OF
the vessels lying in their docks inside the
breakwater were turned out by the pitch
ing and rolling of their floating homes.
When they got out on to the decks they
found that the snow was heaped up SO
deep that it was as much as q mans life
was worth to move about. Everywhere
the crews of the steam boats and schooners
lying about the wharves were hard at
work trying to save their vessels from be-
ing sunk by contact with the piers.
Fendersywhich were placed over the sides
to prevent the vessels from pounding
themselves to pieces were ground into
splinters, The wharves were smashed
and pound oil until it seemed as if every
one of them must be knocked to pieces.
1t was the worst night any Of the people
along the water front. ever experienced
and the total amount of damage done to
vessels and wharves will amount to hum
dreds of dollars.
But If the vessels in the docks had a
hard time of it, those out in the harbor
riding at their anchors were much worse
of. They feared that with every blast OF
the gale their anchor chains would part
and send them careenlng about the har-
Dor. To make matters worse the scoWs
which were tied up to their mourings in
various places broke adrift and went
whirIing about threatening to sink every
schooner in the harbor. With daylight
the condition was somewhat improved for
the men on the ships could see what was
taking place around them and work more
effectually, but the waves continued to
lash themselves to pieces against the piers
with savage fury and on all sides was
wreck and confusion
One of the widest scenes was about
Portland pier somewhere between one and
four O'Clock Tuesday morning. Frank
Girard, the engineer of the fire boat was
awakened by the bowling of the wind and
the rocking and tossing of the boat. He
Thought at first that she had broken adrift
and was tossing about . the mercy of the
waves in the harbor. Engineer Girard
turned out and on reaching the deck of
the fireboat found that one OF the Dig
hawsers which held her to the wharf had
parted and THAT the boat was trying to
knock the underpinning from under the
wharf. Girard sounded the whistle of the
fire boat and brought Captain Goud and
Fireman Davis to his assistance. When
they reached the dock they found that 1t
was no small job to board the fireboat, as
she was rolling and pitching about SO
that they could not jump to her. At last
they got on board and soon were at work
getting out tenders and hawsers to hold
her in her position and prevent her from
being smashed by the wharf or from pull
ing the wharf to pieces. Hardly had they
got the fireboat we'll in hand and safel y
moored when the fishing schooner Fannie
Hayden, whicf was lying across the dock
alongside Commercial wharf parted her
forward hawser and the bow of the
schooner swung around towards the fire
boat. The men on the tireboat thought
that the boat would surely be sunk by the
collision which it was impossible to
avoid. The Hayden swung round and
smashed into the starboard rail of the
fireboat splintering the heavy timbers for
distance of five feet, but fortunately did
not damage the hull of the staunch little
boat any The schooner plunged into the
side CT the pilot house or the tireboat and
did some damage to it and then for a
little while it looked as if either one YES
sci or the other would be smashed to
pieces and be sent to the bottom of the
dock The Fannie Hayden wabbled back
and forth about the dock now threatening
tt. fireboat and now Commercial wharf.
Size would rise up. on the top of a big
wave and rush forward towards the fire.
boat while Captain Goud and his men
held their breath expecting to be sent to
the bottom in an instant. Then another
wave would catch her and send the little
schooner flying towards Commercial
wharf again. Then she would come at
the fireboat again. The crew of the
Fannie Hayden were doing their best to
keep her from smashing Commercial
wharf to pieces and being smashed her
SELF The heavy cap sill on Commercial
wharf was splintered and broken and the
planking torn up. The fish house of j.
W. Trofethen & Co.. was also somewhat
damaged After q half hour or SO of this
sort of thing which seemed much longer
than this, the fishing schooner parted her
remaining hawser and went out of the
dock into the harbor. The f1reboat men
were glad to see her CO. AS she left the
dock the schooner banged into the end OF
the ferry slip and for a minute those on
the fireboat thought she was goner sure.
| But she weathered the terrible buffettine
she received all right and having taken
off some of the ferry slip as souvenir OF
| her wild nights work she drifted out
among the floating anchor ice and came