When a storm is brewing and extremely high winds are predicted to blow in from the notheast, that is when Hamilton residents brace for problems.
Such was the case on April 1, 1886 when a combined wind and snow storm, of significant proportions, reached Hamilton during the morning hours of the day.
The Times coverage of the effects of the storm carried over two days. The first day's coverage was rather hastily pit together by a Times reporter who gathered in as much information as could be obtained before the afternoon edition of the paper had to be assembled.
The reporter did produce a lengthy column using reports that he had received about the effect of the storm in various parts of the city. This coverage was added to by his own gathering of information, obtained when he walked through the wind and snow to the waterfront to assess the damage that the storm was causing.
The following day the Times was able to give full details of the effects of the storm with an emphasis on what happened on the Beach Strip.
The Weekly Times of April 8, 1886 reprinted the two columns together.
That report, in full follows:
“The most
destructive storm that has raged in this neighborhood for many years began to
blow before seven o’clock this morning. The wind was then from the northeast,
and it began to freshen and bring a little snow. All morning it increased in
strength and before noon had damaged or destroyed almost everybody abutting the
bay. The water rose several feet above the ordinary highwater mark and the
howling wind beat it into great raging seas that overwhelmed with relentless
force everything in their way. The muddy churned into foam under the lash of
the wind and the rush of the seas at every dock along the bay, was a
magnificent and terrible sight. A person uptown could have no idea of the
tremendous force of the gale. Down at the bay, where it had swept the full
length of Lake Ontario and broken only by the Beach, its real strength was
felt. The wind there was violent enough to throw a man down and what was snow
uptown was down there fierce, biting hail cutting the cheeks like flying
pebbles.
Around the Docks
RAILWAY
DOCKS AND SIDINGS GONE.
“The
Grand Trunk docks suffered severely and all the way above the elevator not a
plank on it is left on the dock. The huge seas ripped off the planks fastened
by six-inch spikes as though they were shingles. Lumber in piles along the
docks and on flat cars flew about like straws. The old wharf at the west end of
the yard was nothing but a row of spiles and a few straw timbers after the
storm had worked it an hour or two. The siding nearest to it was undermined by
the encroaching waters and the track fell into the bay. The Toronto branch
track, which is at the water’s edge going out of the city to the junction was
also washed out at one point and the trains going west went slowly and
carefully till they had passed the exposed part of the line as far as the
canal. Chief Engineer Hobson faced the storm all morning at this point, and
everything was in readiness to repair any damage the storm might do to the main
line, which so far has escaped injury.
A FLYING ROOF
“About
9 o’clock a large section of the roof of Walton’s big ice house at the foot of
Strachan street was torn off and sailed away towards the railway track. As it
fell it knocked down about twenty feet of the fence and smashed through the
side of a new freight car just out of the shop. Beside the wrecked car stood a
horse car containing the valuable trotting horse Rifleman, owned by Frank
Martin, of Toronto, and bound for Philadelphia. Rifleman’s car was uninjured.
The roof of the ice house was torn off for about sixty feet, and about twenty
feet of the north end disappeared before the gale, which continued to rip off
planks and shingles all day.
A WRECKED BOAT HOUSE
“Lake
Thompson’s boat house at the foot of the big ice house was also badly wrecked,
and his loss will amount up to several hundreds dollars. The walk by which the
boathouse is reached was washed away shortly after the storm rose, and his last
addition to the house, built a couple of years ago, was carried off and broken
into fragments. About a dozen rowboats and canoes were fished out by friendly
hands and hauled ashore badly damaged. As many more were dashed to pieces
against the railway wharf.
BATIEN’S AND MARTIN’S
“Massie’s
boathouse lost the front landing, but otherwise is not damaged, as it is in a
sheltered position. At Bastien’s there is a great scene of wreck and disorder.
The big standing keel yacht Idler lay at the west side of the wharf during the
night, and when the storm arose she tugged and strained at her fastenings and
dashed at the dock until she tore it down and continued pounding until she
stove a hole in her hull and sank. The waves rushing in under the floor of the
big boathouse ripped it off completely, but most of the boats were got out on
the dock, which, with the Leander Rowing Club house at the head, is expected to
withstand the storm. The first boat house after passing the shop where the
boats are built was badly wrecked by 10 o’clock, and communication with the big
boat house was cut off. In the first house were stored a number of new boats
which were got out amid much danger and carried ashore. The Nautilus Rowing
Club’s quarters at the further end of this building were reached and all the
oars and one boat got out. Though the floor is gone, the building is thought to
be able to stand the gale. The lapstreak four-oared boats and two old shells
could not be got out, but are not likely to be damaged. All the oars and sculls
belonging to the club were removed, and the new shells are safe in the big boat
house.
STEAMERS AND SCHOONERS
“The
steamer St. Magnus is lying snugly at her dock in the shipyard, though the
water is higher than ever before known. The pier belonging to Zealand’s dock
where the steamer Lake Michigan was tied up, disappeared before the waves, and
the Lake Michigan drifted about a hundred feet to the west, where she is now
hard aground. Unless she is got off before the water goes down, it will be a
job of very great difficulty to get her afloat again. At Browne’s wharf, the
schooner E.H. Rutherford is lying unhurt, but the North Star and the Undine
lying at McIlwraith’s did not escape. The North Star was made fast to the dock
and the other schooner to her. The Star broke away and tore out three spiles to
which her lines were attached. Then she pounded against the Rutherford until
she carried away jibboom and the bowsprit as far as the knight heads. The
Undine tore herself against the stone work of the crib where the facing was
worn off. About 100 feet of the roof of one of Mr. McIlwraith’s coal sheds were
blown away, but the dock is little damaged. The propellor Canada, lying at the
same dock, was not hurt, but her stern is very close to the wharf, and her
rudder in danger.
THE GULNAIR ASHORE
“The
schooner Gulnair broke from her fastenings at Myles’ dock and went ashore a
hundred feet away. She is held by her big anchor, and while the wind holds in
the present direction will not suffer any damage.
“The
schooner Ella Murton, at Murton & Reid’s wharf, is pounding against the
uncovered spiles, and is the wind shifts will be stove in and sunk.
COAL WHARVES SUFFER
“Murton
& Reid’s wharf, at the foot of John street, being the most easterly of the
city docks, received the first shock and suffered the greatest damage. ‘I saw
$1,500 worth of dock disappear before the waves in half an hour,’ said Mr.
Murton to a Times reporter this morning. Great planks and heavy timbers are
piled up in the slip, grinding and tearing everything to pieces. The water is
up in one of the coal sheds flooding the floors two feet deep, and but for the
piling that protects it to the east there would not be a vestige of a dock
remaining. Myles’ wharf is less damaged, but the roadway to the coal sheds was
washed away and the wagons reached the shed only be knocking out the side and
going in by way of Murton’s. All along the bay shore is ruin and desolation.
Every slip is filled with floating timbers and planks, which threaten the
destruction of the docks that remain.
IN THE EAST END
“Very
little damage has resulted from the storm in the eastern portion of the city.
Fences have suffered pretty severely and gates have been blown off their
hinges, but that is about the extent of the damage.
“At
Victoria Avenue School a few of the classes of the younger scholars were
dismissed during the forenoon, owing to the cold and discomfort of the rooms.
At West Avenue School, the scholars were able to stay it out until noon, but
were told to stay at home in the afternoon, if they desired, should the storm
not abate.
“At
the corner of West avenue and Cannon street, a large picket fence was blown
into the middle of the street.
IN THE WEST END
“Several
casualties are reported. The roof of Mr. Joseph Faulkner’s house, corner of
Napier and Pearl streets, was lifted off by the wind, but fortunately none of the
inmates of the house were injured. The premises are three stories high and
pretty old.
“The
chimney of Mrs. Thos. Gillespy’s residence, No. 139 York street, was blown
down. Several boards, carried by the gale from a neighboring lumber yard,
lodged on the roof.
“The
fence at the corner of Queen and Napier street has succumbed to the blast.
“A
number of shutters in Sharpe’s block, York street, were torn from their
fastenings and fell with a crash.
“A
small portion of Dundurn fence is down, and the willow trees in the park have
suffered.
AT THE BEACH
“Residents
at the Hamilton Beach say that there never was such a storm for years. The
waves of old Ontario are rolling fully as high as the lighthouse at the end of
the piers, and at times the latter on both sides of the canal are completely
covered with water. Considerable property has been destroyed along the Beach,
as the inhabitants had taken no precautions, not having been advised of the
approach of the gale. The N. & N.W. Railway track has been washed away on
both sides of the swing bridge, and the morning train from the north managed to
cross the bridge, but has to remain on this side, owing to the washout. The
passengers, about fifty in number, spent several hours at the Lakeside Hotel
and Ocean House, awaiting the arrival of a special train from Hamilton to bring
them on their journey. They were obliged to walk up to Dynes’ crossing to
embark on the special car.
NOTES
“The
bridge over the Desjardins Canal appeared so shaky this morning that people
driving into town were diffident in crossing it.
“Wild
ducks and geese by thousands have sought shelter in Dundas marsh. The gulls are
perfectly at home.
“The
Valley Inn cellar is flooded, and the barrels are swimming around on the
surface.
“Boathouses
on the bay shore near the Desjardins Canal suffered severely.
“Fences
were torn down on Burlington Heights.
“Many
of the telephone wires are down, and the Chief of the Fire Department has
considerable trouble with his system.
“The
Great Northwestern Telegraph Company have had their repairers out all day
mending breaks in the city. The damage outside is also considerable.
“A
number of shade trees in various sections of the city have been completely
ruined.
“A big
ventilator on the roof of the Alexandra Arcade caused a good deal of anxiety to
passers-by on James street this morning until it was blown over on the next
roof and secured there.
(From Wednesday’s DAILY TIMES.)
“The
great storm subsided last evening and time was given today to the sufferers to
look over the damage to their property. The wind still holds from the
northeast, but abated very much during the night, and today, though there is
still a heavy sea on Lake Ontario, the storm has spent its fury. About nine
inches of heavy snow fell during yesterday and last night, and today the
traffic in Hamilton, including that of the street cars, was on runners. The
snow gave promise of disappearing in twenty-four hours, and the roads will be
almost impassable.
At the Beach
“Great
damage was done at the Beach, the Northwestern Railway Company being the chief
sufferer. The train from the north due in Hamilton at 11:45 yesterday morning
reached the Ocean House, when the engineer discovered that the track ahead of
him was gone before the assaults of the fierce waves. The train backed up and
crossed the bridge only to find that the track was washed away on the north
side of the canal. The bridge was recrossed and the train pulled up on the high
bank in front of the Ocean House. Raging waters were in front and behind and on
all sides. The train had about 50 passengers, who had to content themselves at
the Lakeside House, looked after by Mr. John McNeil. Conductor Darche walked
down in the mud and water to the Beach Post Office and telephoned to Hamilton
that the train was unable to move in either direction. A special train was made
up and sent to the Beach, but could only get within about a mile of the delayed
train. Two teams, all that could be raised on the Beach, were utilized to
remove the passengers and their baggage from the regular train to the relief.
Mr. W.J. Grant, city agent of the Northwestern, had an involuntary bath while
engaged in furthering the transfer of the delayed passengers. He and Mr.
Webster, whose team was drawing a load of baggage over the gap, sank into a
gully made by the waters crossing the Beach and got chilled but unhurt.
The Transfer Was
Completed.
about half-past eight, and the relief train
started for Hamilton. Progress was so and cautious, and before the end of the
Beach was reached two stops were made to allow the section men who came down
with the relief train to strengthen so suspicious-looking places in the roadbed.
The train reached Hamilton about five hours behind time, but the passengers
were glad to get here at all. There is little or none of the road left from
John Dynes’ hotel to the Ocean House, a distance of
OVER
A MILE AND A HALF
“Mr.
Grant says that it will be two or three days before regular traffic across the
Beach may be resumed. For the present, Northwestern trains for the north go
from the King street station to the Grand Trunk and then by that road as far as
Burlington. This will continue to be done until a large force of trackmen now
at work on the Beach have that work finished.
A HOUSE IN DANGER
“A
house belonging to Mr. J.B. Bishop, which stands on the lake shore road below
the Beach, narrowly escaped destruction, though it had been expected all day to
be demolished by the waves. The veranda was carried off and the house
undermined in part, but it still stands. The house was unoccupied. On the same
road, the sea washed out a gully about twenty feet wide, and Mr. David Fitch
estimated the cost of repairing the damage at about $200.
SCHOOL CLOSED
“The
school east of the Beach was closed early yesterday morning when a stream began
to make its way across the road and threatening to cut off the children from
reaching their homes. The stream rose very rapidly, but the larger children
carried the little ones across and very soon the water of the lake was pouring
into the bay.
BREACHES ON THE BEACH
“At
several places on the Beach, breaches were made so that the lake and the bay
were joined by channels four and six feet deep. A little distance south of John
Dynes’ the whole beach for a hundred yards was two or three feet under water.
76 MILES AN HOUR
“Old
sailors and fishermen put the velocity of the wind at from 60 to 75 miles an
hour. The force of the seas was tremendous, and the waves rose at the end of
the road beside Fitch’s until one sea knocked down John Dynes’ ball room and
Mort. Corey’s ice house, not leaving a pound of ice.
AT THE WATERWORKS
“The
filtering basins of the Waterworks are on the lake shore just where the Beach
joins the main land. The old basin, about 1,500 feet in length, suffered somewhat
from the furious assaults of the waves. About the middle a small breach was
made in the sand, and towards the northern end the sea carried away about 75
feet of the bank and fence surrounding the basin. The sand, however, poured in
quickly and filled up the breach made by the waves.
