The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-14 00:00:00

THE TERRIFIC GALE OF SUNDAY.

On Sunday our shores were visited by a gale of un-
common violence from the west and west-south-west,
which did an immense amount of damage. In the
metropolis the wind played havoc with the tiles
and chimney-pots, the unfinished edifices suffering
most severely. In the parks and public gardens
much injury was done to the trees and shrubs.
This was particularly the case in Kensington Gardens,
which this morning presents I a singular spectacle.
In all directions mael-ive branches and great portions
of the trunks of trees lay scattered about; and even
from an early hour a large number of the poorer inha-
bitants of Kensington, to whom the storm must have
been • veritable godsend, were in the gardens collect-
ing and carrying away f,r fuel the fragments of trees
strewn about. Many poor families must in this way
have secured • stock of fuel which will materially help
them over the winter. The West-end experienced the
full yiolewte of the gale, but its effects in other parts of
the metropolis were far from being unimportant, result-
ing in several accidents.
Great destruction was caused on the Surrey side of
the river. Along Dulwich, Norwood, Nunheod, Cheam,
Epsom, and in the neighbourhood of the Crystal
Palace, trees were not only stripped of their limbs,
but some that have been in the ground for twenty or
thirty years were uprooted. The damage done on the
river Thames was alao very serious.
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The scene that took niece on Sunday night at Bed-
ford WWI such as probably has not been previously
witnessed during the memory of the oldest " inhabi•
taut." The ordinary stopping train to London left
the station at five minutes before seven o'clock,
having been delayed by the gale about fifteen
minutes. Shortly after leaving the station the
passengers experienced a singular oscillation of the
carriages, caused by the high wind beating against
them, and it WM with difficulty that the train could
get along. It however reached London in safety, •
quaiter of an hour behind its appointed time. Upon
reaching Kentieh Town station it was found that the
wind had blown the whole a the gmlights out.
Upon looking out of the western windows of the
carriages near the Bedford station, come slight concep-
tion of the strength of the gale could be formed, for
in some of the plantations stately trees c.onlel be seen
being momentarily torn out of the ground by their
roots, or split into pieces al if they had been mere
pasteboard. The standing winter crops have Alm
suffered to a similar extent in HMI district.
A most furious gale commenced at Oxford about
eight o'clock in the evenieg, and continued more or
less intensely until six o'clock so Monday morning.
Considerable damage was done in various parts of the
city. At Oriel College the wall and pinnacles of the
chapel were blown down, and at the Great Western
Railway the new goo's station in the course of erec-
tion was completely wee Aced. In innumerable in-
stances the hoarding erected around building. were
blown down. Great fears were entertained that the
spire of All Saints' Church, which is being taken down,
having been declared unsafe, would not escape, but
with the exception of the displacement of • few loose
stones, the ol t tower withstood the gale.
At Portsdovni the large tent, capable of holding
1.500 persons, in which the Princes. Christian had
laid the foundation-stone of the St. Mark's Schools on
the previous day, was blown down by the violence of
the gale.
At Plymouth the full fury of the gale was experi-
enced. The Cambridge (29), gunnery ship, at Devon-
port, Captain Herbert, parted from her moorings, and
was driven ashore. The Narmesue, flagship of the
detached squadron lying in the Sound, was driven
from her moorings in the afternoon. She had, appar-
ently, parted her cables. Fortunately she was brought
up again about a half mile farther to leeward. She
had her jib blown to ribbons in securing herself at her
new anchorage. Three small merchant vessels are
ashore, but the crews are all saved. Some of the tele-
graph wires between Plymouth and Exeter were also
blown down.

At Exeter during the hurricane much alarm was
caused in St. Thomas's Church by the fall of three of
the pinnacles of the tower. One of them fell on the
roof' with a tremendous crash, and a large quantity of
ceiling fell on the school children and about the organ.
This and the unabated violence of the gale causthe
utmost alarm, which the screams of the children did
not diminish and every one made for the doom, hats
and books being left behind in the hurry. At one
time there was a great crush as well as fright and con,
fusion. Eventually confidence was regained, and as
the pinnacle had bounded off the roof the children were
only bruised by the plaster. The evening service, at
which Dean Boyd was to preach, was however, put off.
The storm at Cork was terrific, and was accompanied
with thunder and lightning. It was particularly felt
about Passage West. A lighter with • crew of three
men was upset by its fury, and the men werewith diffi•
enlty. rescued by the crew of an Italian vesseL Glass
in private houses was smashed, and a number of vessels
drifted from their moorings!. Part of the roof of the
new granary belonging to Victoria Docks, Passage
West, was blown away. Great loss of property Is
reported. Several vessels were driven ashore during
the dorm.
A storm of great violence, which commenced about
half•pant tour p.m., raged in Birmingham for several
hours on Sunday. The rain fell in torrents, and for
sometime • gale blew with much severity. So great
was the downpour that the streets were deserted, and
those unhappy wights who did venture out soon had
occasion to regret their temerity
At Cambridge the gale blew with great violence
throughout the night. Amongst the minor injuries re.
sultirg one of the pinnacles of St. John's College
Chapel was blown down within a few feet of the street,
and the no (weighing about two cwt.) was embedded
in the earth. Similar damage was sustained by New
Court, of the same college. The gable end of a bowie
wrii blown in in Barnwell without doing any Petnunni
injury.
At Lowestoft it blew a very heavy gide all Sunday
night, between west and sonth-weet. The Norwegian
barcpxe Leonia, Captain Pedersen, from Sunderland
for New York, with railway iron, when resohing in
from ••• dorm( • thick rain grounded on the New-
some Band, and almost Immediately filled with water.
The crew had barely time to get into the boat, some