The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-10-28 00:00:00

MORE DREADFUL WRECKS AND LOSS OF

LIFE.

Along the western coast up to Wedhegday at boon,
the wind in described to have blown with the force of a
hurricane from the RA, with a tremendous sea on and
breaking over the shore. In the course of the forenoon
Admiral Fitzroy communicated to the several stations
round the coast that another storm was probable-. The
barometer, which stood at 59 deg. 54., was falling on
Tuesday evening. Early oh Wednesday morning Lloyd's
agent at Bude,near Bideford,on the North Devon coast,
forwarded a telegraphic despatch to the city,aonouncing
the loss of a large ship off that place, and that most of
the crew had perished. She proves to be the Benooolen,
1,509 tons burden, bound to Bombay from Liverpool
with a cargo of machinery, railway iron, telegraph wire,
and other goods. It appears that sho loft the Mersey
last week, and in making her way out of the Channel
she encountered the gale, and becoming disabled put
hack, and in endeavouring to make Dude Haven struck
upon the rocks and became a total wreck,and unhappily
out of a crew of 27, only 5, it is reported, were saved.
The Bencoolen was built at St. John's in 1855, and was
a first-class ship. During Monday and Tuesday con-
siderable anxiety was felt for the safety of the Clarence
steam ship, belonging to the General Steam Navigation
Company, which left Hamburgh for London on Satur-
day, and was, therefore, some time overdue. On Wed-
nesday she arrived in the river, and by her report it
would appear that she bad a narrow escape from foun-
dering in the North Sea, having lost between 200 and
300 sheep which were stowed on deck, and sustained
other damage. On leaving Cuxhaven the weather was
fine, but on reaching Terschelling on Sunday afternoon,
bad weather was encountered, and two steamers, which
were supposed to be the Leo and tho Planet, and were
following in the wake of the Clarence, were lost sight
of, and it is thought they were lost. Tho gale gradually
increased, and at times with thunder and lightning, the
sea running mountains high. About eleven o'clock at
night a fearful 8011 struck the ship, sweeping the deck,
and carrying overboard 250 sheep, breaking away the
paddle-boxes, bulwark; galley, and other things on
deck, flooding the fore cabin and fore part of the vessel.
For a time it was feared the steamer could not weather
the storm in bur then condition, and that she would
founder. The chief officer, who was at the wheel, had
his thigh broke. The crew took heart and worked
courageously for the preservation of the ship, and by
active pumping cleared the vessel of a large portion of
water which she had made. Owing to the time, how-
ever, the ship had been kept buffeting about, the fuel
got short. The ship's spars, ike., were made available
for keeping up the fires, and at length, after much
trouble and anxiety, the English land near Lowestoft
was made, to the joy of all on board. The crew and
passengers were much exhausted, some of the former
having been on their legs more than ninety hours.
Another steamer which has arrived in the river reports
having lost seventy-five cattle out of ninety which she
had on board.

A sad list af casualties continues to be received from
the north-cast coast. The brig linbcrt and Margaret,
belonging to the Tyne, could hot weather the storm,
and fogndered a few miles from the month of the Hum-
ber. The captain, mate, and carpenter, were rescued
by tho smack Tartar, but the remainder of the unhappy
! crew (six it coven in number) were drowned. Another
collier brig, called tho Amity, from tho Tyne, for
Rochester, went down off the some lino of coast; but
the mow wire happily preserved. The crew of the
schooner Thrifty, of Goole, for Rouen, which struck on
the Lobg Sand on Sum* night, were not taken out of
Lime rigging until eight o'olock on tho following morn-
ing. Tile poor fellows suffered much by theses break.
hug over them. The captain's wife was drowned, and
tho matea wife, who was lashed to the rigging, died
from the severity of the weather. Many wrecks are
reported from the different coastgbrird stations.
The Transit steamer, from hull, speaks of having
seen a hrge shio, apparently an Austrian, of 1,000 tons,
with signals of distress flying. No person was seen
on board, and it was thought that a pilot boat, which
91119 near, would succeed in getting the ship into
Flushing.
The French coast appears to have had its share of
dTsastors. A large Dutch ship, called the Cuba, from
Surinam to Amsterdam, laden with a valuable cargo of
East India proilime, was stranded at Cape Urine; near
Boulogne, and in considered a total loss.