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New England Weather

1827 Gale and Freshet • of April

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1826 Avalanche

1827 Wreck of the Almira

AT about two o'clock on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 24, 1827, a severe southeast storm of wind and rain came suddenly upon the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. It was accompanied by lightning in some places, and continued through the night with great violence. Vessels were driven on shore at Portsmouth and Portland, and other places on that part of the coast, being wrecked or greatly damaged. Much injury was done to the shipping in other ways, especially in Portland harbor, the vessels parting their hawsers at the wharves and being driven about, colliding with other crafts, sinking some, and greatly damaging others. The bowsprits and jib-booms of a number were carried away, and several vessels were so strained that they became bilged.

The greater damage, however, was caused by the rain, a severe freshet resulting, which carried away many bridges and mills. At Cape Neddock, in York, Moses Nason's woolen factory and a grist-mill were carried down stream, sweeping the bridge entirely away, and a bridge at Pettigrew's hill was also damaged. About five miles up the Cape Neddock river Cotton Chase's clothing mills were swept away, carrying with them four bridges and everything else on the river, with the exception of Norton's grist-mill near its mouth, which was strongly supported by stone.

On the Kennebunk river, a fulling- and a grist-mill were carried down against the bridge at Kennebunk, and stove to pieces. A large quantity of lumber, logs and general debris collected at the bridge, and for a long time it was thought that the bridge would be forced off its foundations, but it withstood the onslaughts of the mad waters. Most of the lumber was saved, and the bridge was injured but slightly, though two small bridges below were carried away. How much lumber was washed into the stream cannot be stated, but many piles of boards, which contained from ten to thirty-five thousand feet each, were taken from the wharves, many of them being saved by pulling them on shore by means of oxen and long ropes. On the Mousam river, a house was nearly undermined by the water.

Saco river, of course, was raised by the rain. In the town of Saco all the roads in the woods were much gullied, and in the river the water was very high. Fifteen families were taken off the island above Spring's bridge, the water being above the first-story windows, and at Poor-house island three families were carried off on men's backs. At Biddeford, a bridge was carried away. The Presumpscot river was also greatly flooded, and mills and bridges on it were destroyed. Nonesuch bridge, just outside of Portland, was covered by the water to the depth of three feet, and Black point causeway was five feet under water. The eastern mail-stage driver had to go through the water at that depth for half a mile. At Scarborough, a grist-mill was so flooded that it fell ten feet on one side, and the bridge at the end of Storer's lane was undermined. The mail carrier's horse narrowly escaped drowning there while fording the stream. There was no passing at Milliken's causeway, and the water on the turnpike was nearly three feet deep. Pride's bridge at Portland was entirely covered by the flood, and somewhat injured, but remained upon its piers. Winslow's bridge at Falmouth and Congin bridge at Westbrook were carried away. The bridge and Cutler's grist-mill at Saccarappa were swept away, and two saw-mills were much injured, one having its machinery broken.

On the Androscoggin river a great amount of properly was destroyed, about two-thirds of the bridge between Brunswick and Topsham being carried away, and also two saw-mills belonging to Doctor Page. The great boom that was located a few rods above the bridge broke away, and two hundred thousand dollars' worth of logs went down the stream, none of them being recovered. Damages were occasioned by the flood all through that section of the country. The rain continued to fall and the rivers to remain very full for several weeks after the water began to lower and the worst of the freshet was over.

Source: Historic Storms of New England by Sidney Perley, 1891

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