British Whig (Kingston, ON), 21 May 1897

p.2

BY WIND AND WAVE.

The schooner Fabiola went to Oswego today to load coal for the penitentiary.

The schooner Albatross, Cleveland, timber, passed through the Welland canal yesterday bound for this port.

The schooner Kate, after discharging 275 tons of coal for James Sowards, cleared last evening for Oswego to reload for this port.

The tug Bronson arrived last evening from Montreal with three light barges. She cleared again this morning with five, grain laden.

The steamer Bannockburn cleared today for Chicago to load corn for this port. Her last cargo of wheat from Fort William amounted to 75,690 bushels.

p.4 Wind Wafts - This morning the steamer Outhwaite, of Cleveland, bound up, light, carried away three gates of lock No. 7 of the new Welland canal. As this level is one and a quarter miles in length the surrounding country is badly flooded and great damage will be done.

N. Henderson, marine artist, may sell his steam yacht Sophie and go to Paris, France, to further his knowledge of his chosen profession.

p.6 Rescued The Crew - Port Huron, Mich., May 21st - The steamer G.W. Roby has arrived here with the crew of the steamer Florida sunk in a collision with the Roby at eight o'clock on Thursday morning in Thunder Bay. The Florida was struck amidship and sank ten minutes after the Roby backed off. It was very foggy at the time of the collision.

FLOODED THE COUNTRY.

St. Catharines, May 21st - The first serious accident of this season on the Welland canal occurred this morning about 6:30 o'clock, when the American steambarge J.H. Outhwaite, commanded by Capt. J.E. Burke, crashed into the two head gates of lock 7. As the boat struck the gates they opened and allowed a small amount of water to enter.

When the impetus given the gates by the steamer was spent the force of the water in the one and a half mile level above caused the gates to rebound. Those who witnessed the accident hoped that when the rebound came the gates would fall into their places simultaneously and cause them to metre, but instead the right gate was forced back before the left. The water rushed through the opening between the two gates and in a twinkling the immense gates were torn from their iron fastenings as though they were ribbons, and carried away.

The water broke over both banks, tearing out almost the entire clay banks on the outside of the stone walls on the south-west side, rushing over farms and property and backed up as far as the city limits. The banks and adjacent property now present a delapidated appearance. Trees lay torn out by roots and gas mains are disconnected and washed out; fences carried away, etc.

A Mr. Draper, of this city, was sitting on a fence near by when the accident happened and was washed seventy-five yards away. Although bruised, he managed to scramble out. It is expected navigation will be resumed in two or three days.