The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-02-12 00:00:00

THE RECENT GALE.

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A severe gale, in many parts approaching the force
of a hurrioane, was experienced all over the
United Kingdom on Monday night and Tuesday
morning, and was attended with great damage to pro-
perty and loss of life. The low temperature of Sun-
day night and the early hours of Monday morning led
to the general impression of a recurrence of the severe
weather so recently experienced. These fears were
strengthened shortly before noon on Monday by the
slight falls of sleet and snow which descended till
nightfall, accompanied by strong south-easterly winds,
but later on as the evening advanced, the snow dis-
appeared and gave place to torrents of rain. Sudden
squalls were succeeded by a continuous and heavy
gale, the strength of the wind gaining additional
force towards Tuesday morning, when large numbers
of trees were uprooted and houses were entirely or
partially unroofed. The news from the coast is of a
distressing character, great damage having been done
to shipping, in several cases life having also been
sacrificed.
At five of the principal London hospitals, upwards
of seventy persons were attended for injuries, princi-
pally scalp wounds, received in the gale, and many
others were reported by the police. Great damage
was done to the telegraph wires, not only in London,
but in all parts of the country. At the railway
bridge which crosses the river between Chelsea
and Battersea two barges went down three more
near Nine Elms, and a large number in the Pool.,
where two men were dro,wited. Precautions had
been taken on Monday night to prevent a recur-
rence of the loss so recently sustained by owners of
craft, especially where tiers of coal-laden barges were
moored. Men were kept on these during the night,
but, notwithstanding constant pumping out of the
water which was dashed on board by the force of the
wind and tide, their efforts were only partially suc-
eessful, about forty barges in all being reported to
have sunk. Five vessels broke from their moorings
and sustained damage.

Whilst Mr. R. W. Bradford, the secretary of the
Bank of British North America in London, was pre-
paring to go to the City on Tuesday morning, the
roof of his dwelling-house at Sutton was blown off by
the high wind prevailing, and he was killed by the
falling rubbish.

The gale on Monday night was felt with exceeding
violence at Eastbourne. At about midnight a fisher-
man's net house on the beach was struck by lightning,
and burnt to the ground.

In North Derbyshire the Valley of the Dement, by
Chatsworth, Bastow, Rowsley, and Matlock, is one
vast roaring sheet of water. The Valley of the Wye,
Bakewell, and Haddon Hall, for four miles, is a deep
lake. The railways are inundated, and roadways
covered to the depth of four feet. Rowsley, Bakewell,
and Matlock are under water. Carcases of sheep and
cattle and many hundreds of drowned rabbits, together
with uprooted trees, haystacks, and other produce, are
floating down the stream. Many large works are
stopped.
It is many years since such a gale was experienced
at Chester as that of Tuesday. After the snowstorm
of the previous day rain commenced to fall, and was
succeeded by a heavy wind, which gradually in-
creased in intensiby until noon on Tuesday, when its
violence was terrific. In some instances the sashes of
houses were blown completely in. The Irish passen-
gers again experienced a very stormy passage, and the
mail train was considerably delayed both by the late
arrival of the boat and by inability to keep time
against the fearful storm raging all through North
Wales.