November this year, 2006, has shown what problems heavy rain and flooding can cause in Portland and St. Mary. The items below show the problems in 1869-70, and again in 1891.

Daily Gleaner, November 26, 1869

In the usual course of events, as to newspaper writing, I generally observe silence; leaving per that work to be done by those who may have more time and more inclination for it than I have Nevertheless when I observe that very unusual events have taken place in the district where I labour, and that they manifest the wonderful works of the Lord, are well authenticated, and have in them a loud voice to the general public; together with that perhaps they may not be made known by anyone else, should I continue silent I willingly break through that silence for the sake of the public good. In the course of my ministry I yesterday visited the small town of Buff Bay, and certainly, what I myself saw of the terrific devastation, and what was related to me by several eye-witnesses and sufferers from it to a considerable extent, I was convinced that a flood had occurred in what called the Parish of Saint George, such as has not happened for the last fifty years, if not more. In what was called the Parish of Metcalf, we had a very heavy overflowing of the rivers, doing very much damage to the roads and other things; but what we had was but small in comparison to what they had in the parish of St. George. This fearful visitation took place on Tuesday, the 2nd instant, between two and four o'clock in the afternoon, or thereabouts, I will now relate personal cases of losses and suffering on account of those losses, as I said before, well authenticated, and testified to me by several witnesses of the awful scenes. The names which I mention are all members of our Baptist Church at Buff Bay.

At a place called Shady Grove one Mary Giscombe, a widow, has had her house and nearly all things in it carried away by the flood. There was nothing saved but one box. Patrick Burgess had his house flooded to the height of full five feet; four of his fowls were found dead under the house, 30 fowls took refuge on a tree in his yard, the water rooted up the tree and carried it and all the fowls away. Out of 44 fowls he had up to that day, since he has only 10 left. He also lost a pig and a kid, 2 of his bearing cocoanut trees were rooted up. Robert Moore lost 25 fowls, one cane mill, which had cost £3 4s, and his boiling house, nearly a barrel of clean coffee and a bushel of green coffee just picked, all the knives and forks and spoons, cutlasses and baskets he had; four of his cocoanut trees were rooted up, half an acre canes spoiled, half an acre of bearing coffee trees destroyed; his house flooded full six feet high, and he had from two to three days' work to clean the mud which the water left in his house. At Reform, Thomas Watson had a piece of canes, which for some years had given him £5 a year, and would soon be fit to cut, but were all carried away, and the place where they were is now bare rock. A piece of coffee, which yearly gave one cwt. of coffee, is now a bare rock. Nine fowls were carried away from under his house, which had in it water four feet deep. The water also carried away some picked coffee and half-barrel of tobacco. Janet Watson, a widow with five children dependent upon her, lost two large pigs and one smaller one, the three were worth £3, and about half an acre of very good canes, fit for cutting were all destroyed. Selica Harrison had the water in her house five feet high, and it took away everything out of the house; some few articles were picked up outside, but these were nearly spoiled, eight persons of her family, and five of a neighbour's family, in all 13 were obliged to take shelter at the top of the house in the utmost peril of their lives, and if the downpouring of the rain continued but a short time longer, they all should have been swept away, but mercifully the water soon drew, and they were released from their perilous position Had this very extraordinary flood taken place in the night instead of as it did in the day time, no doubt many human lives had been lost. I am thankful to be able to say that all the sufferers that I have seen evidently bore their losses with commendable submission to the Divine will, and said it was the Lord's doing, and that they should be thankful that their own lives and these of their children were spared. Hoping that the relation of these very serious facts may be a blessing to the public generally, I may just add that the

roads are so destroyed in most parts of the parish that horse cannot travel.

Annotto Bay, Nov 15 1869

Daily Gleaner, November 30, 1870

A correspondent in Buff Bay writes as follows on the state of the weather in his district:- This parish has suffered seriously from the very heavy rains and overflowing of the rivers, particularly in the St George district. The roads on the banks of the Swift River, Spanish River and Buff Bay River, have been so much destroyed , from the encroachments of the rivers, and from landslips, that in some parts it will be impossible to re-open the road. The river changed its course on Friday the 18th instant, and was running within one hundred feet of the Mill House on Woodstock Estate. It has carried away several acres of canes and destroyed the gutter which conveyed water to the mill. The damage on this estate cannot be estimated at present. In the interior, about seven to twelve miles up, the injury done is fearful. Landslips, spring courses and other dangerous obstructions have made their appearance. At Balcarres the road is completely washed away for several chains. At Birnam Wood, the road is entirely intercepted by formidable landslips, and from Birnam Wood to the parish line on the several roads it is as much as the people on foot can find passage. With the exception of goats, no other four-footed animal can pass the roads at present. The people are compelled to be paying tollage to a person who lives at a place near Balcarres, and who unfortunately lost his house on Friday, the 18th instant, the day of the flood. Means are being used for the re-opening of the roads – but it will be for some time before the injuries can be permanently overcome. Some of the damages done on the 2nd November, 1869, are still unrepaired. The expense in making good the damages to the roads will be considerable, and must be met by the Parochial Road Commissioners.

Daily Gleaner, November 9, 1891

Buff Bay has been having a fairly good time through the weather. Not very long ago, the government built a handsome and substantial bridge warranted to withstand the ravages of time, over the Buff Bay river. During the recent storms the river, evidently disbelieving the old adage that the longest way round is the shortest way home, made a short cut for itself and left the bridge standing high and dry some considerable distance away. The amusing spectacle was then witnessed of government officials waltzing round the neighbourhood singing, parodying the Dutchman's refrain "Oh vere and oh! vere, has mine little rill gone." Eventually they discovered it some three hundred yards away and all that now remains is to put a string around its neck and lead it home. I understand that this time they intend, the steed having once been stolen, to lock the stable door, and they propose to build high embankments so that when they call and leave their visiting cards, there will be no fear of the invariable reply in such cases "Not at home."

Daily Gleaner, February17, 1892

The Portland Bridges

The Buff Bay River Bridge was opened to the public again last week, and the course of traffic once more resumed its normal way. It will be remembered that during the heavy rains in October last, this river deviated from its ordinary course and left the bridge standing high and dry. The efforts of the engineers of the Public Works Department, however, succeeded in bringing the river to its normal bed.

The White River Bridge of which the centre portion sank during the floods, is now being lifted up to its normal level, and has been raised three feet on one side and two feet on the other. It is now open for traffic.

An account of Christmas 1892, after more heavy rains, shows that the season was celebrated whatever the weather!

Daily Gleaner, December 30, 1892

Christmas at Buff Bay.

As though it were the will of Providence to permit all who were so inclined to enjoy outdoor sports, the long rain that we have been having since the beginning of October, gradually ceased and the most beautiful weather ushered in Christmas. There was, however, a few showers of rain on Christmas morning, and although the several churches were fairly attended, yet still perhaps they did not present that overcrowded appearance that they otherwise might have done had there been sunshine instead of rain.

The usual festivities of the season came off on Monday and Tuesday. Among other things there was a Christmas tree in the Town Hall under the auspices of the Rev. W. J. Dewdney of the Episcopal Church. Left to the care of this genial clergy man the good people in and around Buff Bay will never die of ennui. In the country districts there were social meetings, shooting at the Bullseye, and cricketing. Upon the whole the most social feeling and good order prevailed amongst the masses