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[ ANOTHER GREAT STORM.
TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. I
[From the Liverpool Albion.']
What we are accustomed to call " had weather
" has now prevailed for so long in this
district, and there is so little appearance of
change, that the matter really begins to assume a
serious aspect even from the narrow stand-point
of personal comfort. " Rain ! rain ! pitiless rain
!" fell again continuously on Tuesday
as on the two preceding days, and the statement
is true in a nearly equal degree of
almost every past day of the year. Indeed,
unless a certain well-known Scotch seaport
has degenerated of late years, we are in
a worse plight than the town that heretofore has
enjoyed the reputation of being the wettest
within our home dominions. In Greenock, we
are told, it sometimes snows, and the snow is
occasionally of such a consistency as to lie,
giving the earth a well-clad comfortable appearance
; but in Liverpool we have apparently
ceased for ever to experience any similar change.
I Once or twice, certainly, within the memory of
some even of the youngest of us, the weather
has shown a degree of indecision, and attempted
| to change from rain to snow and there traditions
that on one or two nights, frost was
present and left evidences of its visit in the form
of thin ice, but these brief visitations vanished
like the " baseless fabric of a vision," leaving
scarcely a memory behind. Rain in short, has
been the staple of our weather for long months
post-varied in the way we have indicated, and
also-truth compels us to admit by occasional
Scotch mists of the waterless kind, and fogs of
varying density. What Liverpool has specially
done to be visited in this way is too deep a
question for us to enter into, and therefore we
confine ourselves to a very superficial glance at
the way in which we are inconvenienced by a
condition of weather which, if not peculiar to
our own locality, is none the less a grievance.
All the pleasure that people, who have nothing
else to do, derive from gadding about is at an end,
or nearly so, and even business people venture out
just as little as they cannot avoid. The streets
and the river are equally suggestive of misery.
Mud underneath and fog overhead, with appear
ally descending drizzle, is the condition in which
the pedestrian finds himself, while our numerous
river passengers perforce sit down gloomily
within the saloons of the ferry boats to escape
the descending rain that renders the exposed
dock uncomfortable in a superlative degree. Even
in those former times-now long gone past
when there were alternations of fine and bad
weather, it seemed stupid enough when
acquaintances met for the one to inform the
othor-probably in the same breath that it was
a wet day or a fine day, but it seems absolutely
ludicrous now when man meets his brother
man, either on the street or on 'Change, for
the one to inform the other that it is wet
weather. Of course it is wet ! We have
almost given up looking for anything else, but
yet we have still lingering recollections of
slightly better days, and sigh for a return of
the times that have apparently gone past.
NORTH LANCASHIRE - SNOWSTORM TELEGRAPH
POSTS BLOWN DOWN STOPPAGE OF TRAINS
HOUSES BLOWN DOWN.
During Monday night a very violent storm of
wind, accompanied by falls of snow and sleet,
visited the higher parts of Lancashire, east and
west, and many of the districts further north.
The wind swept over the Fylde of Lancashire
with great violence, and along the western coast
the night tide came up with much vehemence. At
Preston and the adjoining districts the storm was
very keenly felt, and fears were entertained as to
the safety of some of the older buildings, but fortunately
the wind passed over without doing
any material damage Some of the low lying
lands situated between Garstang and Preston
were completely covered with water, and the
higher districts, ranging from Bleasdale right
along eastwards to Clitheroe, were swept over
as if by a hurricane. Between ToDay and Low
gill, on the Lancaster and Carlisle section of the
London and North-Western Railway, a large
number of the telegraph posts were blown down
on the line, and the havoc caused in this direction
was so great that many of the trains running
north and south were detained for a considerable
length of time. In some places the posts gave
way singly, and by falling brought others down
with them. The wires were twisted into all
shapes. A large staff of men were immediately
sent to clear the line, and the work was one of
great difficulty. Between Lancaster and Preston
the wires also suffered, some of them being
badly damaged, and the communication was
thus nearly stopped. On Monday night the
wind blew a perfect hurricane over Blackburn
and the neighbourhood, and was accompanied
with rain, sleet, and snow. The streets were
next to impassable, and the weather was
exceedingly cold. Soon after midnight the
telegraph wires communicating between the
railway station and the telegraph office in Town
Hall-street were blown down. About the
same time the telegraph wire between Messrs,
Hornby's mills at Brookhouse and Bank Top
were blown down on Blakoy Moor. Shortly after
two o'clock yesterday morning, a house in course
of erection in Shear Brow was blown down level
with the ground. It is many years since the
town was visited by so violent a storm. A
terrific storm passed over Hanley and Accrington
on Monday night. The wind blew a perfect
hurricane, and the gravest apprehensions were
entertained as to the safety of property. At
Accrington, Crouosto and Nolla's Circus was
unroofed, and several stacks of timber smashed ;
but beyond this we hear of no further damage
in the two places. A great deal of snow fell.
A furious gale, accompanied by rain and sleet,
blow over the Chorley district early on Tuesday
morning, and lasted for several hours, causing
much destruction to property, but happily without
serious injury to life or limb, although
several narrow escapes are reported. Three
houses in course of erection in Railway-street
were almost destroyed. The property belongs
to Mr. Brownlow. The gables, about twelve
inches thick, at each end of the building,
were blown down to the ground, the second
floors were entirely destroyed, and the cross
wall were partially blown down. A new corner
house in Carlisle-street had the gable blown
out, the joists of the flooring were displaced, as
well as the roof, and it seems almost a 'wonder
how it stood the immense strain to which it was
subjected. Several yards of hoardings were
blown down in Market-street, as well as a
number of signs, and the glass of bay windows
has suffered much in different parts of the town,
especially from the south-east, from which
direction the gale blew.
SNOWSTORMS IN YORKSHIRE AND DERBYSHIRE.
A Sheffield correspondent telegraphed as follows
Nearly a foot of snowfall in Derbyshire
and Yorkshire during last night (Monday), but
a partial thaw set in this morning. All the
rivers are much swollen. The mail train from
Liverpool and Manchester had not arrived this
morning at Sheffield when this telegram was
despatched.
FLOODS IN MONTGOMERYSHIRE.
An Oswestry correspondent wrote Owing to
the very heavy rainfall on Sunday and yesterday
(Monday), the Severn, Verniew, and other
rivers in Montgomeryshire have risen to an
alarming height, and in the vicinity of Welshpool,
Machynlleth, Llanymyneoh, and Llanidloes
large tracts of country have been submerged,
and it is feared that much mischief has been
done. Heavy rain was again general in the
district on Tuesday.
FLOODS IN THE MIDLANDS.
' A Loanvington correspondent wrote The
heavy rains have caused serious floods throughout
the Midlands. At Warwick, from the Castle
Bridge to the Portobello, the Avon has ever
spread the adjoining meadows, and for a mile
and a half there is an immense lake, reaching j
in some cases up to the doors of the houses.
The Vale of Evesham down to Worcester is
flooded at different points and at Banbury
the Cherwell was running through the Great
Western Station, but, though the rails were
under water, traffic was not interrupted. At
Leamington the Loan has overflowed the meadows
around the town, and rose to shell a height
that the bridge over the stream at the mill was
submerged. The rain is still falling, and the
rivers continue rising.
A Coventry correspondent said Alarming
floods have accumulated in Coventry, Early
this (Tuesday) morning the inhabitants of the
west end of the city were aroused by police
men, and on their reaching the ground Moors it
was found that the river had risen very high,
in consequence of the rain having fallen up
cunningly on Monday evening, and had flooded
the gardens, washing down outhouses, drowning
pigs, and even flooding through the houses
aufhoiontly to make the streets impossible, with
a depth of water of about four foot. Many people
are in great distress through the water washing
through their houses. Many casualties have
been reported, and serious results are expected.
ISLE OF MAN. GREAT DAMAGE TO SHIPPING.
Our Douglas correspondent telegraphed : A
very violent storm broke over Douglas on Monday
night. The wind came in from the south-east,
increasing in violence as the tide rose, At
full tide the gale was tremendous, and was
accompanied by heavy rain. in Douglas Harbour
considerable damage was done to shipping. The
sea rolled in heavy waves, smashing heavy hawsers
like pack thread, and sending the vessels
careering up to the top of the harbour. The
Whitehaven brig Endeavour broke loose, and,
getting broadside across the harbour, her bowsprit
veered over the quay and knocked down a
lamppost. The Douglas, schooner, and the
steamers Kangaroo and Fanny also broke loose.
Marmora Bay there has not been such a sea in
Douglas Harbour for thirty years. The storm
was at its height about midnight.
NORTH OF SCOTLAND,
A Braemar correspondent reports a heavy
snowstorm in the neighbourhood of Braemar.
The depth of the fall on Wednesday was from
seven to eight inches, and at seven o'clock on
Wednesday night snow was still falling. The
traffic has been much impeded. On Wednesday
our Dundee correspondent telegraphed Over
the northern and eastern districts of Scotland the
storm has raged for the last three days with the
utmost violence, resulting in loss of life and
destruction of property. Telegraphic communication
was greatly interrupted in D'indoo yesterday
and railway traffic was much delayed in consequence
of the weather. Snow has fallen heavily
all over the country, and at Braemar the fall has
been continuous for two days, and the depth is
very great. As an evidence of the intensity of
the frost, it may be stated that on Thursday
morning the ice in the royal ice-house
at Balmoral Castle and Abergeldie was from
four to six inches thick.
A SHEPHERD AND FORTY SHEEP DROWNED.
The continuous and heavy rains of the past
few days have had the effect of inundating all
the low-lying lands in the neighbourhood of
Worcester. During Monday night the Severn
rose as much as nine feet, and all the adjacent
meadows are completely submerged. On Tuesday
morning a flock of about forty sheep in a
field belonging to Mr. Essex, farmer, Leigh
Sinton, were swept away by the river Time, and
the shepherd, in his attempt to save one of
them which had got entangled in the hedge, was
carried off by the flood and drowned.
GREAT FLOOD AT GHENT.
Captain Watkinson, of the screw steamer
Balmoral, belonging to the Grimsby Steamship
Company, writes from Ghent, as follows :-" I
am sorry to inform you that the water is
gradually rising, so much so that last night 2,000
beds were made up in the Town Hall for washed
out poor people. Captain Snowden and myself
went to the steamboat agent's office yesterday ;
we could not get through the streets with sea
boots on dryshod ; we hired a cart to take us.
There is also some danger of banks or locks
giving way. I moored the ship with bower
anchor in middle of dock with chains to the
shore. We have to-day fair weather, the first
time for six weeks, and the authorities are in
hopes that owing to the rain stopping there will
be no rise to-night. If so they say that in
about four days they will be able to open the
gates."
GREAT DAMAGE TO HARBOUR WORKS.
A Wick correspondent, telegraphing yesterday,
says We have had another dreadful
night of wind and rain, and the surf in the bay
is as high as ever. Great damage has been done
to the new harbour works. During the night a
large portion of the concrete building has been
demolished, and there are obvious indications
that the rubble work has also suffered great
injury. Many thousands of tons have evidently
been thrown into the basin during the night,
and the entire building is threatened with
destruction.
DISASTHOTJS SHIPWRECKS.
A CHESTER SCHOONER RUN DOWN.
On Thursday afternoon the barque Calderbank
arrived from Pernambuco, and landed at
Greenock the master and crew of the schooner
Hope, of Chester, which she ran down in the
stormy weather, between Holyhead and Dublin,
on Tuesday night. The men barely escaped
with their lives.
FLOATING WRECK.
As the result of the recent gales on the Atlantic
several of our large ocean steamers have been
disabled. Accidents have occured to the screw
propellers of several of them. This is chiefly
accounted for from the fact that the North Atlantic
is at present full of floating wrecks. The
captain of one of the New York steamers informs
as that the first day out from Queenstown on his
last voyage to New York large numbers of logs
of square timber were passed. What a terrible
story this tolls of the probable fate of Quebec
timber ships, many of which we understand
are still missing.
FEARFUL SHIPWRECKS ON THE NORTHUMBER-
LAND COAST.
ESTIMATED LOSS OF FIFTY LIVES.'
Between 4 and 8 o'clock on Wednesday
night five vessels went down near Amble, on
the Northumberland coast, and all the crews
have perished. The weather was thick, and
rain fell continually, and the sea ran mountains
high. The first ship showing signals of
distress was found to be the brig Father Mathew,
Watson master. She drove on shore, but before
reaching land a terrible sea engulfed her and
she was soon no more. Half an hour afterwards
another brig got amongst some broken
rocks at Hansloy, where the life-boat was launched,
but as soon as she got into open sea
she was driven on shore like a piece of straw.
The brig drifted rapidly behind the pier.
Rockets were fired, and the line was on the
point of being worked when a heavy sea broke
over the vessel, and she also was seen no more.
She was the Russell, bound for Littlehampton.
The third brig, the Ocean, from Sunderland, capsized
near the shore. The other two vessels were
the Matchless, of Whitby, and the schooner
Biacer. Both vessels foundered in sight of land.
Our Newcastle correspondent says it is feared
that two or three other vessels have gone down.
A board bearing the name "Rosebud," and
another having upon it " Eliza Cornish, Sunder-
land, known to be a brigantine, were picked upon
the coast on Thursday. A brigantine was
soon to founder off Cresswell Bay, and one of
the boards will probably belong to it. Two
bodies have been found and a great quantity of
ships' paper. A bottle, with the following note
in it was picked up alongside the barque
Russell "Whitby, bearing west nine miles.
Tuesday, 5 a. in Blowing a gale ; only topmast
staysail standing ; patents gone; crew worn out by
pumping. " The note is signed " T.B.," and the
name "Ann," supposed to be the name of the
writer's wife, is written at one side. There is a
very slight hope that some of the crew of one
vessel have arrived at CoquotIsland,which is near
Amble, but the weather is still stormy, and the
island cannot be reached. The number of lives
lost cannot be under 50. The coast is strewed
with wreckage, and to-night (Thursday) a gale is
blowing.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE AT SHIELDS.
On Wednesday, a tremendous south-east gale
continued to rage at Shields. The sea was running
outside Tyne Bar with most destructive
fury, and breaking in the harbour with great
force. No vessels ventured to sea, but several
ran in for shelter. Two Norwegian schooners
had a narrow escape in entering in the afternoon.
A sad occurrence took place in the harbour
by which four lifeboatmen and two sailors
were drowned. About two o'clock the brig
Gleaner, of Blyth, took harbour for shelter,
and while on the bar a tremendous wave
swept over the stern and carried away W.
Jackson, mate, and John Mould, seaman, who
were at the wheel, and jammed them against
the cookhouse. Both were killed. The brig
became unmanageable, and three Shields life-
boats put out to render assistance. The Northumberland
was manned by twenty-six men, and got
first to the brig, but a tremendous sea suddenly
forced the lifeboat completely under water, and
a second great sea swamped her, and washed
seven men out of her. Three men, after being
in the sea a quarter of an hour, were with great
difficulty got into the lifeboat again, but much
exhausted. Four men were unfortunately
drowned. During the scene the Shields pier and
beach were crowded with people, and the excitement
was intense. Thousands had full view of
the catastrophe, and the sobs of men and shrieks
of women were heartrending. The weather shows
no signs of abating. None of the bodies drowned
from the lifeboat Northumberland, and the
wrecked vessels Consul and Duff are yet recovered.
Anxiety prevails at Shields for several
vessels that left the Tyne a few days ago, and
were in the storm. Great fears are entertained
for the safety of the ship Dan MacIvor belonging
to Mr. George Otto, of North Shields, and
the ship Mediator, belonging to Mr. Edwards,
of South Shields. Both ships left Quebec, tim- ber
laden, and were out in the recent gales. No
intelligence has been received of them, and
they are overdue. No account has yet been
received of the Screw steamer Counsellor,
belonging to North Shields, with a crew of
twenty hands, and she is given up. Nothing
has also been heard of the steamer Chillingham
Castle. it is believed she is lost. She had 20
hands on board. In reference to the drowning
of four of the seven men who were washed
overboard from a lifeboat at Shields, MI
Wednesday, we learn that the boat was not
constructed on the self-righting principle, and
neither belongs to the National Lifeboat Institu-
tion nor is in any way under their control ; but
that, nevertheless, the Institution have promptly
subscribed 100 guineas to the local fund which
is being raised for the relief of the families of
the gallant men who perished in their efforts to
save the lives of others.
BARTLEPOOL.
A violent south-east gale was blowing on
Tuesday at Hartlepool. It exceeded in fury
any storm for the past two years, and was
accompanied by a deluging rain. There was an
interruption of telegraphic and railway communication.
Early in the morning a schooner,
after entering the west harbour safely, parted
from her anchors and drove ashore, staving in
her stem. The brig Isabella, of Seaham, entered
the old harbour after great peril, with bulwarks,
deck-houses, and boats washed away. While
crossing the bar a fearful sea struck her, breaking
the captain's thigh. On Wednesday night,
during the prevalence of a heavy sea, a Norwegian
brig, in attempting to enter West Hartlepool,
drove on to Seaton Sands two hours after dark.
The lifeboat was got out, as also the coastguard
rocket apparatus, the latter saving one man, and
the lifeboat the remainder, nine in number.
The vessel is driven so high up that she will
probably not be got off till next spring tide.
WRECK NEAR MONTROSE AND LOSS OF
FOUR LIVES.
During the fearful storm on Wednesday night
(our correspondent telegraphs), a vessel was
driven on shore near the mouth of the River
North Esk, about three miles from Montrose,
on the Forfarshire coast. Particulars are not
yet to hand, all that is known with certainty
being that four of the crew were drowned, and
that the vessel is totally wrecked.
FOUNDERING OF A VESSEL OFF STONEHAVEN.
A Stonehaven telegram says :- " A fearful
storm of wind and rain has been raging here for
the past three days. Yesterday (Wednesday) forenoon
the hull of a large vessel was observed by the
Coastguard at Muchnlls Station, drifting southwards.
The men followed and kept the wreck in
view till it was seen to sink in the bay of Limpet
Mill, about three miles to the north of Stonehaven.
The vessel must shortly afterwards have broken
up, for large quantities of wreck and battens
were thrown upon the beach. Nothing has yet
been cast up whereby her name could be learned."
SCARBOROUGH.
During Monday night and Tuesday, one of
the most severe gales that have ever visited this
portion of the coast was raging. Several ships
sustained very serious injury, and one vessel,
the General Lee, was driven right along the
harbour and pitched right on to the pave-
ment near the fish market. Many of the
' cables and smaller craft were stove in. During
the afternoon it was found necessary to warn
vessels off by fires, and other signals.
BEAT GRIMSBY.
At 2 a.m. on Tuesday the gale increased to a
hurricane, accompanied with torrents of rain
and snow. Hundreds of telegraph poles were
blown down, and the telegraphic communication
with London and other places stopped. The
Arethusa, schooner, of Hartlepool, laden with
wheat, drove from her moorings in the outer
basin, and, after coming into collision with a
smack and tug, she was blown on to the west
pier, stove her quarter, and sank, the crew being
rescued with difficulty. The brig Cornelius,
laden with coal, from Shields, also drove from
her moorings and ran on to the pier. Several
vessels have sustained damage by collision. In
the fishing dock during the storm, the master
of the William and Lydia, of Harwich, whilst
looking after a cod-chest which had broken from
its moorings, was blown overboard and drowned.
A SCHOONER ASHORE OFF LLANDUDNO.
The schooner Martha Jones, of Portmadoc,
went ashore off Llandudno on Tuesday night.
Her cargo consisted of guano in transit from
London to Whitehaven. The crew were saved
by a pleasure boat.
THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL ADELAIDE.
A brave fellow, named Albert Drayton, who
did conspicuous service in saving life when the
Royal Adelaide was lost, has died at Weymouth
from the effects of the over-exertion and exposure
on the beach.
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