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[Source: Photocopy of newspaper clippings which appear to be from: Machias Union (Machias, Maine), Tuesday, October 12, 1869. Sent with cover letter (dated 06 August 1997) from Alan Ruffman (President, Geomarine Associates, Ltd., P.O. Box 41, Station M, (5112 Prince Street), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 2L4), to Carola Nickerson (Wesley Historical Society, Wesley, Maine, U.S.A. 04654). This large amount of material includes newspaper clippings related to the hurricane (at first called "The Tornado", but later called "The Saxby Gale") which hit eastern Maine on 04 October 1869. L. Austin Gray, Junior sent a photocopy of this material to Steve Robbins. In Steve's "Sharman" file. Below are excepts of general information, as well as data specifically related to Wesley, Maine.]
THE TORNADO!
The evening of October 4th will be long remembered by the inhabitants of this section of Maine
Commencing Sunday a heavy gale of wind prevailed from Southwest. The gale increased and became violent in the late afternoon of the 4th. By five o'clock the clouds thickened and rain commenced, the wind changing to Southeast increasing in violence till seven in the evening. To this hour little or no damage had been done in this vicinity. Between seven and eight the wind changed to South and Southwest, and in that hour was the tornado, never before equaled. For half an hour it seemed as though no building could resist its force. . . . .
. . . . Wesley.
G C Gray's barn was partially unroofed. Henry C Munson's, Wm Coleman's, Wm Miller's barns were dsteroyed [sic]. Charles Stanchfield, Sanford Torrey, Jotham Munson, Wm Fenalson, Harlow Thompson barns unroofed or badly blown to pieces. Wm Miller's house partly blown down. Charles Guptill's house and Harlow Thompson's house blown down flat. Joseph Gray's shed blown down; Albert Foster's long shed unroofed.
But few buildings escaped damage in Wesley. No lives were lost, no cattle killed. The tornado made the forests look desolate.
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Granville Clifford Gray was called "Clifford". He died on 04 July 1890 in Wesley, Maine as the result of an accident involving his horse. The accident occurred near the Mill Road below Munson Hill, on the "Commons" flat between two hills, in "Lower Settlement" at Wesley, Maine. Clifford's horse became frightened by a canvas-topped meat-peddlar's cart. When his horse balked or had some kind of a fracas, Clifford got out and took the horse by its head, to try to control the horse. He should not have done this. Clifford was knocked to the ground and struck his head, which caused his death shortly afterwards. This happened not far from the location of the 1859 accident in which Clifford's father was thrown from a wagon and mortally wounded.
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