1883-11-12wa

 “Sunday night’s storm at Burlington Beach was one which residents there do not wish to see repeated in a hurry.”

Hamilton Spectator.  November 12, 1883.

A storm in mid-November was not uncommon in the Hamilton of the 1880s, but the one on November 11, 1883 was particularly intense.

The Spectator carried two articles about the storm, the first using information gathered along the Beach Strip, including an interview with the lighthouse keeper, Captain Campbell :

“Speaking of the evening’s experience, Capt. Campbell said to a reporter :

“ ‘The Schooner Gulnair got in the piers about 5:30 last night from Cleveland, just ahead of the storm. No storm drum was up at 1:30. The schooner made fast to the piers, and at 7:30, a terrific squall came up from the west, the wind blowing at least 50 miles an hour.’

“The force of the wind as may be imagined was terrible, and the chimney was blown clean off Captain Campbell’s residence at the Beach. A large willow tree on the lake side of the Beach was blown down and carried the fence with it.

“Early in the evening, the captain of the Gulnair remarked of the beautiful sunset, that he liked its appearance, because it was a sign that there would be no wind at night. Captain Campbell replied that storm drum No. 4 was not for nothing, and he had better put out some strong lines. The commander of the Gulnair took the captain’s advice, and when the squall struck the boat, and she careened almost on her beam ends, and the water was blown out of the canal, so that she grounded for the time, he was glad he had done so.

“The propeller Canada had passed through the piers at 5 o’clock bound down the lake. The boat was probably off Toronto at the time the squall reached her. If she had passed Toronto, she would have a hard time of it, more especially as the wind had veered to the northwest.

“Three gentlemen, who were anxious for a Sunday evening constitutional, started to walk from the Ocean House to John Dynes. One of them is rather inclined to corpulence, owing possibly to his peculiar occupation, which, however, is not crooked. A friend advised them not to go, but they laughed at him to scorn. When they returned after the squall had got through with them, the laugh was on the other side. One was hatless, a second covered with mud, while the fat man had a rent in his inexpressibles, got while going over a fence in front of the wind. They tell it for a fact that the fat man was blown over the fence, another blown down the middle of the road, and the third lost his hat and only saved himself by clinging to a verandah at Glassco’s house. “¹

¹  “A Beach Scene : The Story of a Windy Evening – A Fat Man’s Fate”

Hamilton Spectator.   November  12, 1883.

Across the bay, the wind was somewhat lessened in velocity as the city was sheltered by the escarpment. Nevertheless, the wind did cause some damage:

“The high wind which struck the city suddenly yesterday evening, caused considerable damage to property in the city.

“The storm carried away the awning in front of M. E. Thorner’s bookstore on James street, and smashed the plate glass window of the store. Two brick houses on Erie Avenue, near Main street, being built by Mr. Thomas Evans, were struck by the storm and razed to the ground. One of them was nearly finished, the shingling only remaining to be done, the other was in an unfinished state, the brick work not being completed.

“About 8 o’clock, the fire department were informed a tower on the Ontario Cotton mill had fallen and crashed on a house; at the same time, a violent ringing of the alarm was heard, and the hook and ladder truck proceeded to the scene of the accident, but the men found it not so bad as reported. The flagstaff and roof of the northeast tower had blown off, and struck the fence adjoining Richard Williamson’s house. The wires of the department were found broken, which had evidently caused the alarm. The breakage was quickly remedied by the men.

“The wind caused a great many alarms to be sounded, which kept the firemen on the alert.

“The wind finally brought on a violent storm of sleet, which was very disagreeable to pedestrians.”²

² “A Violent Storm : Damage Done to City Property Last Night”

Hamilton Spectator.   November  12, 1883.