There was fearful destruction of property all through the New England states … doing great damage to the Sackville Marshes, and also all of the Bay of Fundy coast; destroying hundreds of tons of hay, washing away cattle of all descriptions, horses, oxen, sheep and pigs. Barns full of hay were taken on the water for miles. Sunken Island was literally covered with haystacks, cattle, sleepers, fences, telegraph poles, gates, boards, and numberless other articles, used by farmers on the marsh … In the morning all was quiet but rather foggy; the farmers looked towards their marshes in silent amazement.
Source: W. K. Bowser diary in the Mount Allison Archives
Barns and even small schooners were driven up on high land and dykes were torn down in all directions, necessitating a heavy expense. Farmers lost nearly all their hay which was in stack (there being few barns on the marsh at that time) along with cattle and sheep pasturing on the marshlands. One particular incident happened in which a mare and her nursing colt floated on a haystack bottom across the Bay of Fundy to Rockport, alive and well. With extra work and expense, the farmers got the dykes rebuilt and gathered enough hay to get through the winter and stock came out well.
Source: http://heritage.tantramar.com/WFNewsletter_10.html
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