The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-15 00:00:00

THE RECENT GALE.

A terrific gale visited the metropolis on Tuesday
night and early on Wednesday morning, and seems to
have prevailed over the greater part of the country,
and reports from various quarters mention consider.
able damage done by its force. In London itself
several casualties of a minor nature are reported, but
no serious injury.

Early cn Wednesday morning the Swedish frigate
Vanidas, 14 guns, Commodore Logerberg, which put
into Sheerness harbour the previous day for coals,
commenced to drag her anchors and drift gradu-
ally down the harbour, together with two coal
lighters. Signals of distress were hoisted on board
the Vanidas, and these being observed on board
the fliphip Duncan, a signal gun was fired, which
had the effect of calling the attention of the
part authorities to the state of affairs. Fortunately,
her Majesty's tug Sampson was anchored off the dock-
yard with steam up, and she at once put off to aid the
disabled frigate. Before she could come up, however,
the Vanidas came into collision with her Majesty's
turret ship Hydra A coal lighter was seriously in-
jured, and a number of the Vanidas' crew on board
her jumped on to the Hydra for safety. The Hydra's
topmast was carried away, and her hull was also
damaged. The tug Sampson by this time arrived, and
towed the two lighters to a place of safety. The
Vanidas was subsequently secured. The Swedish
frigate, which is on a voyage round th 3 world, escaped
uninjured.
At Birmingham two persons were killed and one
was injured by the fall of a house during the gale. A
chimney also fell and smashed the roof, injuring a
man and his wife and child. The roof of a joiner's
shop was carried into a school playground, but no one
was hurt.

At Clayton, three miles from Bradford, a large
gasometer, holding a quarter of a million cubic feet,
was blown clean over. The gas caught fire from an
adjoining lamp and a tremendous blaze re,.ulted, the
whole district being brilliantly illuminated. No loss
Of life occurred.

At Manchester the wind increa.ed early on Wed-
nesday morning almost to a hurricane. A tall brick
chimney attached to Mr. Bishop's chair.making works
in Rochdale-road fell, striking the roof of a neighbour-
ing shop tenanted by Mrs. Pilling, picture deafer.
rho fall'.ng bricks crashed through to the ground kill.
ing Mrs. Pilling instantaneously. One son was extri.
cated from the ruins, comparatively uninjured, but
two others were afterwards found quite deal.
A terrific gale prevailed at Portsmouth all night.
Many small vessels ran to Spithead for shelter. A
number of boats broke adrift, and as the tide rose to
a great height many streets were flooded. Many
windows were blown out and chimneys destroyed. A
house wag blown down at Southsea, but the inmates
escaped.

Prospect House, Liversidge (Yorkshire) the rest
eence of Mr. George Kelly, was partly blown down
three women being buried among the ruins. One was
rescued alive, another was found dead, and search is
being made for the third. A chimney stack fell at
Fellmonger, killing five pigs, smashing a shed, and
doing other damage. Tile roofs of several houses, as
well as that of a portable theatre, were carried away,
and many railway signals blown down.

•
A gale of almost unprecedented fury raged at
Spalding on Wednesday morning, and an immense
amount of dama;e was done. Mill sails were blown
off, many huge trees were rooted up, blocking the
rcads, wale were lilown down, and a great proportiun
ot ttio hor.ses in ,ho town Fup3tailied iDjury.
A report from Pudsey 8.-•ys the &image done was
conaierable. Frees were torn up by the roots,
chimneys were thrown from the housetepi, spouts
were blown down, and nearly every house was in some
measure injured. A large mill chimney was blown
down, carrying with it the scouring and drying room.
The chimney was 100 yards high. A large chimney
belonging to Messrs. Winners ley and Son, woollen
manufacturers, was also blown do 7ln.

During the prevaler C 3 of a severe gale on Wednes-
day morning a barge, laden with stories, was swaluped
in the river Parrett, near Bridgwattr, and one of the
boat Len was drowned. Tw,p others swam ashore with
great difficulty.