191 1] The Saxby Gale 353 



THE SAXBY GALE. 

 By D. L. Hutchinson. 



{Read i8th November, igii.) 



On the fourth of October, 1869, New Brunswick and its western 

 border was visited by an unusually destructive and violent storm, ac- 

 companied by a tide which rose to an extraordinary height. 



This great storm was called the "Saxby gale" for the reason that 

 Lieut. Saxby, R.N. made a prediction (subsequently described) nearly 

 a year before, that at 7 a.m. of the 5th of October the earth would be 

 visited by a storm of marked severity, attended by an exceptionally 

 high tide. From old records and various reliable sources the following 

 account of the storm has been procured. 



On the day preceding the storm the weather in St. John was foggy 

 in the morning followed by partly cloudy in afternoon becoming over- 

 cast at night. 



On the day of the storm (Monday, Oct. 4th) the early morning was 

 foggy, then part clouded and by 7 a.m. fine and warm, in the afternoon 

 the heat was particularly oppressive, while to the southward the sky 

 assumed a dull leaden colour becoming completely clouded by 5 p.m. 

 As the afternoon advanced the wind blew in fitful angry squalls and the 

 rising tide was noticed to be coming in unusually early. At 5 p.m. the 

 wind had increased to a gale and rain began falling at 6 p.m. The gale 

 continued to increase, about 8.30 p,m. it was blowing with hurricane 

 force from S. by E. reaching its maximum velocity about 9 p.m. when 

 the rain almost ceased. About 10 p.m. the wind began to subside shifting 

 to S.W. 



The night is said to have been exceptionally dark with shingles, 

 slates and other debris blown about in a most dangerous manner. When 

 the gale was at its height (about 9 p.m.) the tide was much above any 

 preceding mark, was rising rapidly and had an hour and a half to come. 

 In St. John harbour and along the water front the waves were coming 

 in from the Bay of Fundy to a tremendous height dashing over every 

 wharf along the whole harbour line, while the vessels moored at them 

 seemed as if they must be rolled over upon the wharves by the next 

 swell. Vessels broke away from moorings, some were driven ashore 

 and many badly damaged. 



