Fut présent M. Francis Bellet demeurant en sa maison, rue sous le Fort, en cette ville, lequel en vertu de la procuration ci-dessus et précédentes pages reconnaît et déclare avoir vendu et vendre à M. Thomas Lee du dit Québec, la nommée Rose, négresse, dénommée et désignée en la dite obligation, pour prix et somme de cinq cents livres de vingt sols et de la lui délivrer incessement le dit Sieur acquéreur déclarant la connaître et l'accepter, et a payé les dites cinq cents livres au dit Sieur vendeur en billet de la dite somme, ordre du dit sieur Bellet, lequel acquitté, la présente vente le sera aussi, Québec, neuvième septembre en l'office de M. Dumas, Notaire, l'an mil sept cent quatre-vingt seize et ont signé, lecture faite avec les dits notaires
FRANCOIS BELLET
THOMAS LEE.
CHS. VOYER,
N. Public.
A. DUMAS.
Not. Pub.
[See page 200.]
THE ICE-SHOVE. APRIL, 1874
WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY—A SAD SPECTACLE
"At the very moment of its departure, and when the entire city was rejoicing in the longed-for event—at the very time when the glad news was flashing over the wires to Montreal and the West, that Nature's barrier to the uninterrupted navigation of the St. Lawrence was so slowly floating away—we regret to say that the ice-bridge of 1874 was making itself memorable yesterday to Quebec in a shape more formidable than its perverse tenacity or its injurious effects upon trade. It was rioting in a perfect orgie of destruction, crushing man's handwork in its passage like so much frail glass in the grasp of a giant. At 3.20 p.m., when the glad announcement passed from mouth to mouth that the ice was moving, it began its destructive work. The scene was at Blais Booms and the immediate neighborhood, where the Government steamers Napoleon III and Druid, the Gulf Ports steamers Georgia, Miramichi and Hadji and a large number of tug steamers and other craft belonging to the St. Lawrence Tow Boat Company and other parties were in winter quarters and have been in the habit of so doing for years on account of the superior facilities and safety offered by the place. Nearly a hundred craft of all kinds, steamers, ships, schooners, and barges, were here congregated, moored in many instances together and extending over a line of nearly 300 yards. The floating ice as it came down, struck the outside craft—a sailing vessel, we believe—driving it against its neighbor, the Georgia, and then hurrying both of them against the others, jamming them against each other and against the wharves in inextricable confusion and causing a tremendous amount of damage, if not irreparable loss. Some were stove in, filled with water and sunk, only leaving their bows or masts above water to mark where they had gone down, while others disappeared from view altogether. Fortunately no lives were lost. The loss and damage to property cannot fall far short, we believe, of a million of dollars. The following is a summary of the accident:
Government steamer Napoleon III driven against the Mariner's Chapel wharf had her side completely stove in; full of water and almost keeled over, very badly damaged, and will cost a heavy sum to repair. She had steam up at the time, but could not move out. Broke her cables and lost her anchors.
Gulf Ports steamer Georgia—Hole stove in her side; hold, full of water. Damage easily repaired.
Gulf Ports SS. Hadji—Singular to say, though the boat was in the very middle of the confused mass, it received no damage worth mentioning.
Gulf Ports SS. Miramichi—very slightly damaged. Will be extricated to-day and proceed to her wharf, to sail for below on Tuesday next.