The daily Alaskan., 1911-12-02
AIDED THE REVOLT
The Destruction ot Portland, Ne,
 In cOlIsnIaI Days.
ACT OF AN ENGLISH OFFICER.

A RsyaIiss wsmhn'5 WiIss Caused the
 Annihilatieu ol the City and Saved
 Perssmoufh, N. R.. For Which Port
 lands Face Has essa Plannsd.
 ope of The causes og tbe Revolution sry war, and quite as important one as tbe gtarnp act. was the wanton de Structiou of the city of Portland, Me. ,hqp nart of the town of FalmOuth
 It was said that the patriots might hgre forgiven Lexington and Concord, bnt thst the raging of this town. which had been peaceally inclined uutn then, jpcensed the colonies beyond measure. One prompt result was the immediate formation of Maine regiment whieh o,ss gsded Co theI meaeer forces of the Continental srmJL
 Not SD generally known. however. is tbe tradition thsIt it was dae Co the fsscinatlons of beautiful woman tbst Portland vas destroyed and an other town presiTveJ.
 When the British commander. Cap ts,n Ntowatt. on board his laeship. the C.pcaau anchored with his fee in porstavs's inner hsrior. he dl8 hot re ,csl fo her citizens that the unscrupu Iona Ritle god of love had been his nUot Instead pn a bright October r.orpipr in iTT5. he ran up the royal ensign on his fset and at 9 o'clock harop bou,hartment that lasted un- 5Dtarr,ntedlr until 6 o'clock at night. Portland was urIprepared for such a visitation end tlsere was no attempt st sefopsn the inhabitants simply sworo,ing t,,s streets with their ox carts and horss' and attempting 70 ssat safety hv asEht Co the open coun- trv back from The uater tront-
 s, elose did the. nssalline vessels sp- ,r,,cb that ,nsdtr cover of the bonn h,,,2,,o,t ,l,av landed sailors who per ro5.d inc town setting lire fo such bpilaipcs as bad escaped damage from h,,, sh,t and erph,dirtc bombs Before rsrtsip Nowatt lad completed the sac rj8co be desired to lay before loves sbrino tbree. .ouatiers Of the town wss ,otsJlv dearoved in n-iWlsnR Che mu- ,Jc;nsl buildings. churches. public h- brary, fire engine houses. warebouses' vrharfs and shipping.
 All that be ieft was a handful of the poorer novels. every residence oi l''i' ,,,rtorco beinr tomharacd og sct on e., .,,5 sno0 inhabitants left shel- teflcss at tho approach ot writer. .'. TO make it practically certain that a'a ,,r,s r,s come d, the seaport by VII for l.. destroyed sli but one wharf and t,,r yvss3, him on his departure ail the vessels anchored in the harpor to'' had becr spsrrl i'rom the torch
 rr-,,,v l,e asa q glorious boBfre and &, oxrlona-,sp he exhibited instruc- tio,s which sssd, Come opposite the town with a1i s,cssf6ie eNpetiithoa, hna t,,,re t,,D siul and destroyr but the ,-,ssl,,s of fine fiBse said that these or Sors or,,sosur reIatsd Co Portsmouth, n aud that st yvny due lo a woman 4b,t fl,ev were not carr'l,d out as writ Een
 Csptaip Nowati and us feet had ,,cb,rsd on pcrtisrnouth hcrbor some yyua prpviouslv to his aasNult upon T,c-7Ispd. and while there he bad gone svseslv on shore and secretly fisiteo inc fsm,ly of the royalist tor TelUs as ,j,e cnlonisfs called thsml. NathanAel S,.rh,vt Nathaniel bad n dauEhteg, a girl eC eighteen, famed the county round for her beauty as Der fatSer was famed for his oisnoxious loyalty Co Eiur George. ard when the sailor cap faiu saw her he proved an easy con ourst dike most taHors where pretty women are concetnedl. and he found st necessary to be rowed from his sbip many times ln order 10 spend the eveh- inrs with attractive Mary SparhaWk'
 Her wit haaufy and brilliancy Of conversation fasrsnafcf him and through her influence, C is said. the Intentson of bomlariiRe Portsmouth was abandeued. aid Portland suffered fin the stead of the town whiee held the charming Bttia loyaist-
 So what one historian termed "a wspton. indeFeRsstae assault upon oE undefended and peaceful city caase about through s ,roman's smile, and every volley fruu the fifty guns of Nowstfs feet deubtiess carried his thoughts back to the lass who had won his heart. The sm,,i8ering whsrfs and the flaming houses wpre his burnt Of fering to his ladyiove
 The Sparhawk house. where the emp tain lost his heart stili sthBds; but alas, the romance ended as so many romances do, for after the Revolution was over the fair and fascinating belle .,,.,--s-a r ,,hxgFs.t.,s, ard a r,s frfaf -.