The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-12-21
EFFECTS OF
The STORM
The Seyerest Gale for Many
Years.
-s
DAMAGE AROUND ASTORIA
LlghishIp at Mckenzie Head Carried Farther
Inshore Vessels Report Roaghsa
Weather Ever Experienced,
DAMAGE AROUND ASTORIA

The storm which has been raging for
several days on the coast Is one Of
the most severe that has visited this
section for several years. While the
tedaI extent OF damages to shipping can
not be known for some time II cannot
fail 10 be very large. The storm seems
20 be- general all along the coast and
vessels that arrive in report the rough
est weather ever known along the coast
The steamer Centennial. from Seattle
10 san Francisco. arrived at the lat
ter place Tuesday afternoon after the
toughest trip In her history. She was
several days overdue and fears for her
safety have been frequently expressed
The Centennial was In the storm at
Nome during the past season. but the
officers state that that storm was as
a gentle zephyr compared with the one
through which they have Just passed.
The steamer Willamette also arrived
az San Francisco Tuesday in a c0ndi-
tlon that plainly told OF her expert
ences High seas washed over her.
shifting the after house and carrying
overheard the forward house. A half
dozen old life-bOats were crushed to
kindling wood and swept away. OF
Point Blanco the downpour OF ralR-was
terrific. The cabins and cooks gall
ley were Hooded and the occupants
forced 20 the upper deck rooms for
shelter. The forecastle was knee-deep
in water and the sailors were compelled
70 leave. During the height Of the
storm a huge wave swept Captain
Bridges from the bridge.
In Astoria the damage was light
compared with the terrific force OF the
gale. and no really serious damage
was dore. A few fences, sidewalks and
signs were the principal sufferers from
the wind. About 50 feet OF the sidewalk
on Twenty-thlrd street was picked up
bodily and turned up against the Clat-
sop mill.
The house Of J. K. Writ on the hill
was moved about six inches on its
foundation early yesterday morning,
considerably alarming the family and
barely escaping wrecking the building.
His barn was also slightly twisted.
Several windows along the north side
Of Commercial street were flooded with
rain that beat through the interstices
and the window displays OF P. A. Stokes
and OF the A. Dunbar Company were
quite badly damaged.
The tide made rise to about an elev-
en-fo0t stage and flooded several ware
houses etc. The basement Of Foard
& Stokes store had about six inches Of
water In and caused some lively work
in protecting the go6ds
In the harbor the shipping was mixed
up with the middle sands little but no
very serious damage was done. The
French bark General Millinet dragged
her anchor and fetched up broadside
on the sands lust inside the spar buoy
about even with Smiths Point. She
seems TO be hard and fast on the sand
although uninjured II Is the opinion
OF the pilots that she will have to be
lightered before she can be hauled off.
The British ship Muskoka was more
fortunate. She dragged nearly half
mile and stuck her stern on on the
sands in eighteen feet Of water At this
jUpcture her anchor held and she
hauled In on the cable and when the
tide came in. fioated safely.
The stranded lightship on Mckenzie
Head was carried back early yester-
day morning over the ground she had
been worked of and now lies nearly
so feet fGTsher inshore. harder aground
than ever. Although she had lines
running out to anchors the force Of
the gale was such that she was picked
up and carried like Q chip.
The roof Of the school house at New
Astoria was bloCwn Off and at Fort
Stevens the latest reports received stat
ed that the velocity of the wind at
that place was over 100 miles an hour.
All communication with the outside
world by wire has been shut of as
there is not a telegraph or telephone
line working outside Of the city.