The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-12-06 00:00:00

THE GALE IN PORTLAND.

Saturday and Sunday were disturbed by • sotith.
westerly gale of unusual severity, draining the ships
at theft' sachets, and lashing the West Bey lots
mountains of spray and giant waves. Saturday night
was passed through without noteworthy damage; but
at seven o'clock in the morning • stack of chimneys
belonging to • house occupied by M. Cox, Chill,
was blown down, and Fleetly fell on the roof. At the
back of the New Hotel in Chesil (Mr. J. hf. Reed's),
a wide extent of roof was blown off, exposing the
timbering, which also seemed to have euffored.
Shortly before 10 the sea piled against the Ch,yol
Beach commenced raftniag through the pebble ridge
in strums, and in half-an-boar there was a broad salt.
water river running throtult the street; the inundatios
spread to the railwsy station ystd, and cvered the
metals six or seven inches deep; the inundation we-
tland for six hours. About 11 o'clock a large steamer
was seen corning across the Bay, et:periwig; the full
force of the gale, mid labouring heavily ; shs eventually
came into the Roads, and proved to be H.ll. troopship
Orestes, which bed damaged her steering gear. 81s•
had made the effort to reach Plymouth; but the
captain decided to put beck to Portland. Oa board
were • few soldiers and 700 toes of stores fey the
troop at the Cape, whence the Orontes will proceed
te Bomber.—Feerful was the sound of the waves
beating on the beech, and the vibration was leo great that
it shook the houses, and the ceiling in the top room of Mr.
Beaty White fell with • creels. The storm of elesseate
attracted a good many people to the Wand, for the
the.. o'clock train from Weymouth bad extra coaches,
all of which were filled, it being estimeted that nearly
500 passengers came in. Most of them went directly
from the Ulan to the top of the beech, whom*
the West Bay presented a greed, and yet beauti-
ful eight. Clouds of spray were flyiag over the
'beach, and the ran shining through, formed
fr quest bows of all colours, which dissolved sad
re-formed It • truly charming manner. Below the
waves were clawing away at the pebbles, but the
effect of this IsenseslMhlgkte. Shortly before
nine at night sea again began running I. very
fast, although it was yet two Doors aad • half before
high water, and peat anxiety was felt as to the
extent the doodles would reach. A great deal more
welt came in that In the morning, and covered •
wider extent of land, lying sloe' the Us* as far as the
home signal' and • great deal of this water remained
till Monday manias, wises, greatly to the relief of
all, the gales had pretty w4l blown Itself out la
medians to • startling rumour at Weymouth, we are
Informed that no vessel was semi inside the Bey en
Sunday afternoon, sad if one had been map , it
would have been almost impossible be bee to have
lived. By Monday it was found that as iocalculable
number of tone of pebble. lesd bees am-rift., off be Oa
sea, the summer kerbs Wag eagulfed and totally est
of sight, go that • creed declivity swept from the
meet of the beach to the depths below. yet,
woftderhil is the repairing force ol the ordinary sal ,o
that oft Tuesday a/terse°. • can ridge or " kerb" bed
actually hems already thrown up, to the to.rprios of
those who saw the bete appearance of the Bench
that .Me.. Monday after ON storm. Burial; part of
the time the Bay softtaised acres of flostieg mimes l
In masses, emir eg which lively imaginatioos conjured
up death-pale bodies, and wild rumours and rushee te
the erater's edge were frequent I but nothing of more
import's°, than broken spars were found. Os
Tuesday the contrast was marvellous, between it end
Sunday, for on Tuesday it was almost like • samoser's
afternoon,