The Great Storm of 1891
A brutal coastal gale batters Grays Harbor, destroying the uncompleted Angell Brothers building and scattering ships across the coast.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
One of the most severe wind storms ever known visited the coast last week, the velocity of the wind reaching the highest pitch on Saturday night. Telegraphic dispatches show that the damage to shipping along the coast was very great. On Grays Harbor, several small boats were upset and one little sloop was capsized with a party of Quiniault settlers aboard. The harbor itself is so well protected by the hills on either side that the full effect of the wind was not felt, but on Summit Avenue in Grays Harbor City, which is high and sightly, the wind was furious. The only damage, however, was the destruction of Angell Bros.' building, which they had in course of construction and which was not in shape for a storm. The building came down Sunday morning at 2:30, and characteristic of the energy of the Angell Bros., they were clearing away the debris Monday morning preparatory to starting again at the building.
“The only damage, however, was the destruction of Angell Bros.' building, which they had in course of construction and which was not in shape for a storm.”
Coastal storms remain a defining feature of life in Grays Harbor, though modern weather forecasting and building codes have significantly mitigated the scale of property loss experienced by 19th-century pioneers like the Angell brothers. The rapid recovery mentioned reflects the relentless 'booster' mentality that defined Aberdeen's founding era.
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