It looks like the worst is over

Conditions at 6:00 am: 4' and light rain
Expected later: 7' and light rain but the winds have diminished to only 60 km/hr

It was a wild day yesterday and all through the night but the worst seems to be over. We experienced very high winds all day and night and very heavy rainfall. I heard there were all kinds of accidents on the roads in town yesterday but miraculously, we never lost power, either in town at work, or at home although there were some outages in isolated pockets. On my way home last night I saw a dump truck with the trunk of a large tree in the back that had probably fallen somewhere. Driving home was a challenge as you were fighting the wind all the time and once in a while a heavier gust would hit the car and physically move it so you had to really focus on keeping on the road. But I made it home safely and everything was still standing so we can't ask for more than that.  I lit the stove and turned on the fireplace and Cooper and I just curled up on the couch and caught up on some TV. But by the weekend we should be back into the sun and up to 20' again.

On my way home I actually thought about going out to Lakeside so see the beach but I wanted to get home to make sure everything was okay. I heard Brenda and Bernie went out to Savage Harbour to see what was going on.

When I was talking to Brenda, she told me about she'd seen something on the news about a historical event that occurred in 1851 called 'The Yankee Gale' that was a devastating storm that was almost the exact date as this storm.  I suppose today because we have weather forecasting, mass communication, etc we know in advance when a bad storm is coming. In those days it would have just happened without any advance warning. It's ironic that it's almost the exact same day. I did some searching online and there's all kinds of articles about it containing newspaper reportst, but American cities wouldn't have received the information for several days.

From the collection of T.W Stewart

An old painting depicting "The Yankee Gale"

The Third of October, 1851, brought perhaps the greatest marine disaster in P.E.I. history. The afternoon was warm and still..... the sky heavily clouded. The north and north west had a lurid, glassy appearance about sunset. It was a Friday, perhaps the best remembered Friday in P.E.I. history. A violent gale and wind arose from the East-North-East, which continued for two terrifying days. Before it was over, the New England fleet, fishing off our shores was devastated - nearly 100 vessels were wrecked or stranded, and hundreds killed.


It is a story of Island compassion, and of Islander's rallying to help others. Islanders flocked to the shores to aid in any way they could, homes were opened to the survivors, and Island graveyards became the final resting place for many an unknown mariner. For many years, the wreckage dotted our shores, some surviving well into the 20th century. Many a New Englander lost family members to the gale.

From Hazard’s Gazette of Tuesday last.

(Note by T.W.Stewart.: October 7, 1851).

On the night of Friday last, and throughout the whole of Saturday and the following night, we were visited with a gale of unusual violence, from the E.N.E., and violent storm of rain, almost unparalled in the history of this Island; from the loss of ships accompanying it, and altogether so far as loss of life which has taken place. Owing to the difficulty of procuring accurate information from all the Districts on the North side, we are unable to give anything like a correct account of the extent of havoc occasioned by this terrific visitation, but as far as we have been able to do so, will give the results of our enquiries.

THE ISLANDER, Friday, October, 10, 1851.

Violent Gale

On Friday night, the 3rd inst., a most violent gale of wind and rain arose from the E.N.E., which continued varying at intervals, the following two days. The loss of life and property among the shipping is almost incredible. The whole of the coast on the north side of the Island is strewed with wrecks and dead bodies! Our present number contains a list of some of the wrecked vessels. We are unable as yet to give a correct account of the whole; indeed there are many that will never be heard of, having ran into each other and foundered at sea. The wrecks are chiefly American vessels fishing on the North side of the Island.

N.Y. DAILY TIMES, October 13, 1815.

Further Particulars of the Storm and Marine disasters on the Coast of Nova Scotia
The latest telegraphic despatches from Pictou, and letters from the scene of the late fearful storm in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the coast of Prince Edward’s Island, state that the whole shore is strewed with wrecks of vessels and the dead bodies of their crews.
At the village of Cavendish, (P.E.I.) the bodies of twelve persons had floated ashore. The body of a man with a boy lashed to his back came ashore at Rustico. There is reason to believe that over 100 bodies have already floated to the beach.
Between three and four hundred sail of American vessels succeeded in getting safely into harbor just before or during the gale.
The schrs. Florence of Gloucester, Oceana of Hingham, Lake of Cohasset and Hannah Branch of Newburyport, arrived at Pictou subsequent to the storm to repair damages. One and all give the most dismal accounts of the storm.
(Here our correspondent gives the names of a large number of "vessels ashore - crews saved," which vary from previous accounts only in a slight degree) he, however, adds to the list, the following: "Golden Gate, of Kennebec; Forest, of Newburyport; Triumph, of Cape Elizabeth."
In the list of Vessels ashore, with loss of life," our correspondent says: "A vessel grounded to the westward of Cohead [Covehead], and immediately after, went to pieces. All on board perished. Sixty barrels of flour and some dry-goods floated ashore from the wreck."
Two vessels were sunk, near Stanhope - names unknown; crews, doubtless, all perished. Five of the crew of the schooner Harriet, of Castine, were saved - six lost.
The schooner Franklin Dexter, of Dennis, lost her crew often men. Subsequently, five persons, perfectly naked were picked off her sides.

THE MASSACHUSETTS GLOUCESTER NEWS, October 23, 1851.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND - We mentioned in our last, that the Lieut. Governor of Prince Edward Island, had issued a proclomation directing all officers of the Revenue, Magistrates, and other subjects of Her Majesty, to render all aid in their power to the unfortunate fishermen of the United States who were wrecked on the Northern coasts of that Island, and especially to exert themselves for the preservation of property, and its restoration to the rightful owners; but it appears from what we learn of our fishermen who have returned from the scene of the late disaster, that the proclamation, though evincing the generous humanity of the Lieut. Governor, was unnecessary; for they all speak in the warmest terms of gratitude, for the universal hospitality and kindness they and all the ship-wrecked men received at the hands of these generous and humane Islanders. In the midst of the storm they were on the beach to render every aid in their power to save life. After it had abated they cheerfully offered their services to assist in the preservation of property. They bore from the wrecks the bodies of those who had perished, at their own expense prepared them for the grave, and administered to them the last sad rites of humanity. Nor was this all; they opened their doors to those who had no shelter, fed and clothed the destitute, and bestowed upon the sufferers generally every possible assistance which could alleviate their misfortune, and every possible attention that humanity could devise. At the instance of many of our returned townsmen, our exchanges in Halifax, and the P.E. Island papers are requested to make known to their readers the feelings of grateful remembrance in which the wrecked fishermen of Gloucester will always hold the generous hospitality extended to them in their misfortunes.





Another piece of Island history I didn't know before.