Introduction

On the night of January 6, 1839 Ireland was hit by a fierce storm. The storm is known as The Big Wind, and that terrible Sunday night is known as The Night of The Big Wind. My cousin's father told his doctor that he had been born on The Night of The Big Wind. The doctor replied that midwives were busy that night, meaning, I believe, that the occasion had become a natural reference date.

That cousin asked me about the Big Wind. I had been casually aware of it from my reading of Irish novels. I began a search for information. A cousin in Ireland sent a popular paperback novel called The Big Wind, but I learned nothing of substance. Then I met Mr. Peter Gunning, the Irish Consul General to Chicago. He sent me a photocopy of The Freeman's Journal of Tuesday, January 8, 1839. The copy was difficult to read, but I transcribed part of it in December of 1985, and sent copies to my cousins and to those who had helped me in my search. I continued the transcription in May of 1994, and finished it in February of 1995.

The condition of the photocopy necessitated omissions as well as guesses in a number of places. These are entered as 'unreadable' or as a guess followed by '(?)'

I do not know how a meteorologist would classify the storm, whether it spread beyond Ireland, or how it compares with recent storms in Ireland.

NOTE: A recent book, The Night of The Big Wind, by Peter Carr, discusses the conditions that spawned the storm and estimates its intensity. The book contains many news reports from all over Ireland. This interesting and valuable book is published by:

White Row Press Ltd., 135 Cumberland Road, Dundonal, Belfast BT16 OBB, Northern Ireland, Europe

The reader will be struck, as I was, by the flowery writing ("Ossian's heroes"), and by some unintended implications exemplified in the following excerpts:

"...the immediate death of two of Mr. Collins's servants, one a female domestic, and the other a young man of the most sober and industrious habits and the most excellent general character." Oh, could I tell you stories of that female domestic.

"...the house occupied by a respectable stationer ..." (emphasis mine .)

And as a footnote, it turns out that what my cousin really wanted was a copy of the novel, and that the author of the novel is a friend of my cousins in Ireland.

Harry Arundel Ward

Glen Ellyn, Illinois

March 17, 1995

THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL Dublin: Tuesday, January 8,1839

Awful and Destructive Storm

The storm with which this city was visited on Sunday night was one of the most violent which has blown from the face of Heaven within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. At an early hour on Sunday evening the wind freshened to a degree that seemed to promise a rough night, and about half-past ten it rose into a high gale, which continued to increase in fury until shortly after midnight, when it blew a most fearful and destructive tempest. Not a soul dare venture into the streets; the lamps were, without almost any exception, extinguished; and amidst the roaring of the hurricane, which threatened to sweep every obstacle before it from the surface of the earth, the pealing of fire-bells -- the sounds of falling chimneys -- windows breaking, and slates and tiles flying through the streets, were fearfully audible; and sometimes the still more dreadful shrieks of the inmates of the tottering houses reached the ear, while the rocking walls and falling roofs threatened them momentarily with destruction.

Few persons dared to take any rest during the night, and people huddled together in the corners of their houses which they judged most secure. When the storm commenced, it blew almost directly from due west, but changed about three o'clock to the southward, so as to be nearly W.S.W., carrying with it, at intervals, showers of rain, which was driven with such violence as, in some instances, to break the glass of the windows. In the streets, however, it was impossible to tell in what direction the storm was, for it came in sudden gusts, sweeping sometimes up, and sometimes down, the street, and occasionally two contrary blasts meeting and forming a whirlwind, which made the strongest houses tremble and rock to their foundations. At intervals dense clouds obscured the sky, and added to the horror of the scene by the gloomy darkness which they produced; but when they were driven by, the heavens did not appear less ominous, for the Aurora Borealis burned brightly a great portion of the night, mantling the hemisphere with sheets of red, and corresponding well with the lurid gleams which ascended to the zenith from the flames of burning houses that the tempest threatened to fan into a general conflagration.

After four o'clock the storm sensibly diminished, but continued to rage with considerable fury until daybreak, when it sank back into a steady and heavy gale from the S.W. that continued throughout the remainder of the day.

The Shipping. - In consequence of the position of the wind, which blew directly from the land, we are happy to say that neither in the river, or in the harbour of Kingstown, did any vessel suffer any material injury, but we have not yet heard of what was sustained by the shipping along the coast. The effect of the storm was to render it totally impossible for any steamer or other vessel to approach the coast, and any which might have been in the offing in the early part of the night must have been driven out to sea, where it remains yet to be told how they weathered the horrors of the night; or, if carried on the Welch or English coast, what frightful tales of human suffering we have yet to hear. About twelve yesterday a steamer (we believe from Belfast) was seen to double the Howth light, and worked up the bay into the river with great difficulty; but no sail was visible on the horizon, and up to the hour of dusk yesterday evening no vessel entered the harbour of Kingstown. The Liverpool and Holyhead packets were, of course, among those which had not arrived. The only accidents worth mentioning which occurred at Kingstown were, a boat belonging to a man, named Edwards, having gone adrift, and been carried out to sea, and another boat belonging to a fisherman, named Daniel O'Connell, having been sunk in the harbour. The roofs of several houses in Kingstown and Blackrock were stripped of the slates and tiles, and several chimneys were thrown down; but we hear that the storm made itself much more seriously felt at Bray, and along the coast. The same cause which preserved the shipping on this coast was also the protection of the Kingstown railroad, which did not suffer the slightest injury from the fury of the elements , the waves, instead of being washed against it, having been carried to lash their foam in the opposite direction over the lighthouse causeway.

Melancholy Loss of Life. - One of the most lamentable occurrences of the night was the falling in of the chimney of Mr. Collins's house, in Sydney Avenue, near the railroad, causing the immediate death of two of Mr. Collins's servants, one a female domestic, and the other a young man of the most sober and industrious habits and the most excellent general character. So dreadful a calamity has produced the greatest affliction in the family, but we have not heard that any other person in the house was hurt.

Another Life Lost. - At the house, No. 23, Clare-street, a chimney fell in, and carrying the roof and some of the ceilings with it, buried in its ruins a lady and her husband, named Whiston; the former, we regret to say, was killed on the spot, and the latter has received such wounds as render his recovery very precarious.

As the whole city is, at this moment, a scene of general devastation, houses unroofed, and windows broken in every direction, it would be an endless task to attempt enumerating the individual instances of loss and injury. The roof of the house, No. 9, Nassau-street, a china and cut glass warehouse, belonging to a Mr. Lawrence, fell in and carried with it all the floors of the house to the very bottom; but, with the exception of loss of property, no injury was inflicted. The roof of the house, No. 40, Dawson-street, also fell in, and buried the family beneath the mass of ruins, but, by the prompt exertions of an inspector of the B division and two policemen, two individuals were extricated from the rubbish, severely, but it is hoped not dangerously wounded. A portion of the front of the house, No. 23, Hollen-street, fell into the street. At No. 15, Erne-street, the entire house fell in, and also a portion of the adjoining house, No. 14, but we have not heard that any of the inmates suffered personal injury. A large pile of chimneys belonging to the house occupied by a respectable stationer at the corner of Merrion-row and Baggot-street was hurled down, and fell into a bed room occupied by some of the family, who had, providentially, not retired to rest, at least a ton weight of brick and beams of timber falling over the very bed which, in a few minutes more, might have been occupied by indiviuals, who were thus preserved from a most horrible and awfully sudden death. A large portion of the front wall of No. 9, Kildare-street fell into the street, and the roof was greatly shattered.

Mr. Nicholas Hickey's house, 23, Dawson-street, has suffered serious injury by the falling of a stack of chimnies; they fell on the roof of the house, which was shattered to pieces. His children were only removed from the apartment into which the chimnies fell a few minutes before.

In Stephen's-green, Merrion-square, and Fitzwilliam-square, there were few houses which escaped the general desolation. Those of the two former localities suffered in particular, stacks of chimnies being thrown down in every direction, and crushing the roof beneath them, the streets below being literally covered with slates and brick. But it has as yet been impossible for us to ascertain the remotes approximation to the extent of the damages or the unreadable injuries which must have been inflicted in the interior. Baggot-street, Leeson-street, Dawson-street, &c., had each its share of the calamity. The stately trees which ornamented the lawn in front of Leinster-house, in Merrion-square, were almost all torn from their roots, leaving but a few of the smaller ones standing, and that enchanting spot has lost its beauty for ever. It was a melancholy scene to see those magnificent trees, with their wide spreading tops, laid low, and the green sod torn up about their roots. Their gigantic forms reminded the spectator of some of Ossian's heroes on the field of death.

A part of the steeple of Donnybrook church was thrown down, and the ball which surmounted the spire of St. Patrick's Cathedral was blown away, but providentally without doing mischief. It had been out of perpendicular a considerable time, and fell within the railing in the North Close. About twenty-seven years ago the former ball fell, carrying with it several feet of the spire.

The Fire at the Bethesda. - Many and various are the rumours circulated through the city as to the cause which led to the burning of this house of worship. Certain it is that, were it not for the awful and ever-to-be-remembered hurricane, of which so much has been already observed in our journal, the fire would very soon have been extinguished, or, at all events, very little of the serious consequences which every one must deplore would have occurred. On Saturday evening, about half-past ten o'clock, a fire was discovered in the building, but was apparently very soon got under, and every thing remained in comparative security - indeed, so much so that the congregation assembled on Sunday evening, as usual, to assist at the religious ceremonies usually performed. About half-past eight, or a little before nine o'clock, sparks were seen coming out of the building, and the storm was so terrific at the time that, what would only be, on another occasion, deemed trivial, soon spread into a most awful conflagration. Nothing could exceed the awful, the horrible sublimity(?) of the scene. In a few moments the surrounding neighbourhood seemed in one vivid blaze of light, and, coupling with this the howling of the tempest, the unreadable whirlpool of slates and broken glass, which were hurled through the air like so much sand the eyes of those who were obliged to abandon their dwellings, and seek refuge even in the storm - the ringing of bells and the rattling of unreadable - all seemed to denote a city in a state of seige, the inhabitants of which had given themselves up to the most wretched despair. Unreadable half-past ten o'clock the Lord Mayor and the High Sheriff arrived on the spot, when an order was instantly despatched to Island-bridge Barracks for a company of artillery, with directions that they should bring with them a few pieces of ordnance, to use them if it should be deemed necessary. These gallant fellows soon arrived, and commenced operations to prevent the fire communicating with the other buildings (for that on fire was evidently doomed to destruction), but in vain. The engines, and the fire men from the different insurance companies, also made their appearance, among whom we perceived our active fellow citizen, Mr. Fiffe; but all their efforts proved useless, for in directing the unreadable in order to extinguish the flames, such was the height to which the hurricane had arisen, that the water was driven and scattered in the air, mixing in the torrents of rain which then poured down with unceasing violence. It was then suggested that, in order to insure the safety of the dwelling-house attached to the church, as well as the other houses in the street, the pieces of ordnance might be directed against the smoking ruins; but, as we understood, the officer commanding the party felt unwilling to incur so heavy a resposibility without an order from Town Major White, or from some person connected with the government; and despatches were accordingly sent to the Royal Barracks, and Dublin Castle, for that purpose. Subsequent events, however, proved that such a proceeding, even if adopted, would be totally useless, for the house had already caught the flame, and was shortly after enveloped in a cloud of fire. Never was witnessed such a scene as at this moment. Every attempt was made to preserve the furniture from the destruction which threatened it, and for this purpose a number of persons had been employed to bring it out of the house.; but such was the fury of the tempest that chairs, tables, looking-glasses, everything, together with those who conveyed them were driven along like chaff - so awful - so supernatural, in fact, wass the strength of the boisterous element. - Again, in the upper part of the house, which was composed chiefly of bed-rooms, it was found necessary in consequence of the spread of the fires, to fling the beds, unreadable, pillow-cases, and other bed-room articles out of the windows into the street; but no sooner was it done than they were carried on high, and whirled about in the storm like so many feathers, and many carried off, none knew whither. About one o'clock a house, nearly facing the Bethesda, came down with a horrible crash, filling the air with broken planks, bricks, and dust of every description; and, when to this is added the livid flame ascending on high, the cracking of glass, and the rustling of slates, the cries of the spectator, the reader will admit it was a scene more easily conceived than described. Owing to the continued exertions, in spite of every difficulty, of the engines and the artillery, the fire toward morning was considerably got under, but not without leaving the church and the dwelling-house of the Rev. Mr. Gregg a total ruin. It continued, however, until three o'clock yesterday, the wind still continuing with unabated fury, but happily was then extinguished without communicating to any of the adjoining houses. We regret to add that three men belonging to the Artillery have been seriously injured - indeed one of them has, we understand, since expired in hospital in consequence of the injuries he received. Every vestige of the Bethesda is destroyed - the schools, the church, the clergyman's residence; and although fears were entertained that the adjoining house in Granby-row, belonging, we believe, to Surgeon Peebles, would also take fire, yet, fortunately, it escaped - that gentleman suffering no injury but the loss he sustained in the removal of his furniture. Would we could even stop here in our detail of the many awful calamities with which our fellow-citizens have been visited. Scarcely a house in the city that has not been injured, nor will the terror which was erected in the minds of all be soon forgotten. Windows have been burst in, and whole parts of houses are left without a pane of glass. Sackville-street presents to the view of the beholder one continued succession of houses, without a single slate on the roof of the greater part of them. In Rutland-square stacks of chimnies (sic, chimneys below) have been blown in on the roofs, and they again in many instances have given way, the consequence of which is that injury to an enormous extent has been inflicted, though we are happy to observe that few accidents have occurred. Many trees in the Gardens have been blown down and, what is still more remarkable, the old trees in Portland place, on the Royal Canal have not only shared the same fate, but have actually been as it were dug out of the unreadable and unreadable to the opposite side of the canal. It would be almost unreadable for us to recount the different streets where the storm has done its worst. Not one house has escaped uninjured, and although in many instances the storm has only stripped the roofs, yet others have not been so fortunate. The stair-case of Abbott's Hotel in Prince's-street, has been seriously been injured by the falling-in of some chimnies, but happily no personal injury was sustained by any of the inmates. The suburbs in like manner present one scene of devestation. - In Finglass the trees have been blown across the road. In Phibsborough every house is almost a total wreck, and at Glasnevin a portion of the wall at the Botanic Gardens is forced out, and crushed to death a policeman, who is supposed sought shelter under it. A great quantity of timber was also blown down on Lord Charlemont's demesne. Phibsborough church has also been much injured by the cut stone of the belfry and ridge stones falling on the roof. Stones, upwards of two hundred weight, were blown a considerable distance from the church; but again we feel great pleasure in stating that no individual has been maimed or hurt.

A large stack of chimneys belonging to a house in Cork-street, near Dolphin's barn, was thrown down and carried with it the roof and the several floors, until it reached the ground. The inmates had sufficient warning to escape, with the exception of a poor woman, who was unfortunately buried beneath the falling mass, and killed on the spot. An inquest was held during the day by Dr. McCarthy, county coroner, and a verdict returned accordingly.

The house inhabited by Mr. Geraghty, of No. 81, Aungier-street, was unreadable unreadable ruined, the chimney having fallen in and broken through the roof and floors.

The families had a most extraordinary escape, and all got out without receiving the slightest injury.

The house, No. 12, Essex-gate, was partly thrown down by the violence of the storm, but no material damage was inflicted.

The old houses in the neighborhood of Francis-street, the Coomb, Dolphunreadable-lane, the Black Pitts, and the entire south western end of the town, were, in general, dreadfully damaged. The chimneys in many places having fallen in, and the roofs being in a great measure stripped of the slating and tiles, but no material accidents occurred to the inhabitants.

Guinness's Brewery.--In James'-gate, the wall of Mr. Murray's building yard, which has been left standing since the premises were consumed by fire about twelve months ago, were blown down into the adjoining yard of Mr. Guinness, and a range of stabling which extended along the wall was completely demolished, and nine valuable horses that were inside were killed on the spot.

One of the large vitriol chambers in Mr. Jones' chemical works, Military-road, was split asunder by the violence of the wind, and fell. The damage, however, is computed to be less than 100 pounds, as the chamber was nearly empty at the time of the accident.

The Canals.--Considerable damage was sustained on the banks of the Grand Canal , in the vicinity of Portobello and James-street. A great part of the finest trees along the banks were blown down or torn up by the roots, and completely blocked up the road. Crowds of poor people were engaged during the day carrying off the branches for firing, as well as on the banks of the canal as in the surrounding country, where the trees had, in general, been demolished. The packet boat from Ballind(?), which should have come in at half-past ten o'clock in the morning, had not arrived at three o'clock in the afternoon. However there were but slight apprehensions entertained for its safety, as it was generally supposed that the captain stopped in some of the intermediate stations during the continuation of the storm. A unreadable boat was foundered at the harbour in Portobello, but was, fortunately, empty at the time. Though the weather continued most tempestuous during the day, still all the morning boats proceeded on their passage from Portobello, a number of carpenters being employed from an early hour in clearing a passage for the horses. The Royal Canal was in a similar manner partly blocked up by fallen trees, and the packet boats were all delayed for several hours.

Kilmainham Hospital.--The splendid avenue of lofty elms, which was so long the pride and admiration of the venerable inmates of Kilmainham Hospital, is no more! From the exposed situation of the hospital grounds, the storm had a greater effect on the neighbourhood than for any other locality in the environs of the city. The fallen trees lie piled over each other, and form a long impenetrable mass of desolation; all the finest trees were levelled and torn up along with their roots--in many unreadable unreadable mounds of earth and unreadable. The veteran unreadable of the hospital might be seen during the day looking on, and, with a melancholy smile, telling the passers-by that the unreadable of their home were gone forever. The trees which still remain standing unreadable-sentences.

Prussia-street.--A number of trees at Mr. Jameson's demesne were torn up by the roots, and several have fallen across and injured two houses. The entire of this street, from the oldness of the roofs, has suffered greatly.

In Thomas-street the roofs were unreadable off three houses, but providentially the inmates suffered no injury. Several houses in the street were more or less damaged.

Rutland-square.--The house in Rutland-square, formerly the house of the Dowager Countess of Mountjoy and still occupied by her servants and Irish suite, was very much injured. The whole of the roof was blown away, and a large portion of the upper part of the brickwork tumbled on the square. In the unreadable Gardens, several of the finest trees were blown down--nay, so violent was the effect of the hurricane, that a large portion of the iron palings which enclose the gardens was torn away, and much other damage was done to the locality.

Great Britain-street.--Two doors from the corner of Sackville-street, turning into Great Britain-street, and nearly opposite the Rotunda, the roof was completely blown off a house, and a considerable quantity of brick-work strewed the ground in front.

Gloucester-street.--A large portion of the wall surrounding Aldborough-house, late the Feinaglian Institution house, was blown down, and the building suffered other injuries of a serious character.

George's Church.--The roof of this extremely elegant building was uncovered to a great extent over the porch, but it received no further injury that we could ascertain.

The National Schools.--Some of the ancient trees in the yard of this institution were blown down, but the buildings have not, we believe, been damaged--at least not to any considerable extent.

Injuries to police and military.--Inspectors Prenderville and Murphy, of the C Division, who were on duty at the fire at the Bethesda, have been badly scorched, particularly about the head and eyes, in consequence of having ventured in their zeal too near the burning buildings. Many of the men on duty were slightly, but we are happy to learn, none were seriously injured. Many of the military suffered seriously--some to loss of life, as we state elsewhere.

The Bethesda.--Twelve o'Clock Last Night.--So early as nine o'clock this evening the smouldering ruins showed symptoms of again blazing forth, and Inspector Fitzpatrick dispatched some of the police for the fire-engines -- but, up to twelve o'clock, none of them arrived, and at that hour, though the flames did unreadable raise high, yet the ruin was entirely a blaze, and it was even suspected that some of the timber, leading to the adjoining and dismantled houses were on fire.

The Mails.-- The arrival of the mail coaches was greatly retarded: the Cork coach at the usual hour; the Waterford coach at 8; the Limerick coach at 10; the Galway coach at 12; the Belfast coach at 2; that of Enniskillen at 3 o'clock; the Derry coach at 4; the Wexford coach at half-past four. The Derry and Wexford mails were brought by the guards on horseback, and arrived shortly after. The Sligo coach came into town at 5 o'clock. The Dungannon and Ornagh(?), which were due at half-past six, and the Free Trader at half-past seven, were not arrived at a late hour in the night. The most awful devastations are said to be visible about the country. The cabins of the poor people were, in many places, swept away, so as scarcely to leave a trace behind. Stacks of hay and corn were literally lifted up, and strewed over the surrounding country, and trees in every direction torn from their roots, or snapped in two, and lay in so many places across the roads as to be the principle obstacle to the progress of the coaches. A great fire broke out in Kells, so as to destroy a great part of the town; and seven houses have been burned to the ground in Killkenny, besides the gasometer, which was destroyed by the falling of the chimney into the building. The accounts of desolation from the Cork and Belfast roads have been equally dreadful. Great numbers of trees have been torn up in the demesne of Colonel Bruen in Carlow, of Sir W. Coffe in the county Kilkenny, and Lady Bellingham, of Castlebellingham. The postmaster of Dundalk and his clerk were waiting up for the arrival of the mail, when the chimney fell and carried them with the ruins into the cellar, from which they were extricated much injured.

Such are a few of the particulars of this disastrous and awful hurricane, but we expect to have fresh accounts of injuries, losses, and deaths unreadable in every unreadable. About three o'clock yesterday unreadable it began to snow heavily and from that hour the wind, though not entirely abated, became gradually more and more calm.