The Republican journal., 1913-09-25
Annals of Belfast tor Halt a
Century.
BY AN OLD SETTLER
Hon. VIM. G. Crosby.)
CHAPTER XXXIU. 1889. }

IL 1Or year only anu WHO Hdu pdieiy pe-
gun to learn how to nibble the kernel
from the cob, were loath to give it up;
but there was no escape from the clutches
of party destiny. George Thatcher was
removed from the office of Sheriff and
James Y. McChntock was appointed in
his place; Bailey Pierce from the office
of Clerk of the Courts and William II.
Burrll appointed; Webster Kelley from
the office of County Attorney, and
Charles R. Porter of Camden appoint
ed; Soyman Heath from the office of
Register of Probate and William ii.
Goldman Of Camden appointed; Belfast s
share of the corn was smaller than 1t
was the year preceding; but her teeth
were longer and sharper ard could gnaw
deeper into the cob.
this year, but no one of magnitude. In
the night of January 18th the shoemak-
er's shop of Mr.. George Durham, on the
east side of the river, was entirely con-
sumed by fire. On the night of Septem-
Der Both the barn of iona. Durham, with
all its contents, hay and grain, was burn
ed; it was without doubt the work of an
lncendiary. On the fourth of November
an old building known as the Quaker
House. standing on premises now own
ed by Hon. w. H. Mcclellan, was burn
ed; it was of triling value, but the hurn-
ing of it afforded sport for the boys and
stimulated the men to look into the con-
dition of our Fire Apparatus;;' which
was found to be in a very unfit condition
for a contest with the consuming ele-
ment.'
Early in this year measures were
adopted by the Universalist Society pre-
liminary to erecting their meeting house
on Court street. The work progressed
so rapidly that on the fifth day of Sep
TENDER the vane was placed in position
on the splre, and on the 3Oth of October
the house was dedicated. The Dedica-
ton Sermon was preached by Rev. Fred
eric A Hodsdon, then of Levant in the
county of PeroDscot He was subse-
uuenty settled as Pastor of the Society:
more particular mention will be made of
him hereafter.
There were two very heavy and de-
structlve gales this year; one in the
month of January, the other in Deem
Der. The January gale was said by our
Oldest inhabitants at the time to be the
heaviest ever experienced here. There
was large number of vessels at our
wharyes and in our harbor, some of
which We're seriously injured and barely
escaped shipwreck. The new ship Lau-
same, on whose account there was con-
siderable anxiety, rode out the gale no.
bly, in the middle of the Bay. More dam
age was sustained in neighboring ports
than in this.
The December gale was almost un-
paraIeled for violence and the amount
of damage done to shipping on the coast
Among the vessels totally lost was the
schooner Deposite of this place, Simon
u. Cottrell, Master. She was driven
ashore on Lakeman's Beach in Ipswich
Bay at midnight. OF the seven on board
Of her, four rerished, VIZ. Capt Cot
trell, aged about twenty-eight, Albert.
son OF Mr. William Durham of this
place. aged about nineteen, a man by the
name of Doyle, of Blcksport. and a
negro, name unknown. The three saved
were Mrs. Cottrell, wifi of the captain,
George Emery, son Of the late Jonas
Emery, Esq, and Chandler Mahoney, all
residents here. The sch ooner Boston of
this place, Charles Thomas, Master,
laden with wood and timber, bound to
Salem, was totally lost. A letter from
the master to the owners, received soon
afterwards, informed them that call on
board We're saved except one, and he was
lost"
The schooner Mary Frances, of and
from this port, Frederic Worden, Master,
bound to Boston, was driven on to a
ledge in Gloucester harbor where she
laid nearly all day showing signals of dis
tress. Towards evening, while the gale
was at its height, she was boarded by
the Custom House Boat and her crew
and passengers taken off. In few min
utes afterwards she parted her cable and
drove to sea; she brought up on beach
in Marshfield then owned by Daniel Web
ster. Her cargo was landed in good
order and in the Spring following she
was got off and brought to this place.
Captain Worden, whose pie asant face is
still seen daily in our streets, informs
the compiler that while the schooner
laid there and he and others from this
place were engaged in getting her off,
they were often visited by the great
statesman, who loosely remarked to
them that he should "have to charge
pasturage for the schooner" He adds
that one of the party employed, whose
political notions did not coincide with
those of Mr.. Webster, was wont to
discuss with him the great questions of
the day; but that in all their discussions
he invariably came off second BEST