The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-11-08 00:00:00

THE GALE OF TUESDAY.

Throughout the whole of Tuesday and thepreviousnight
a gale of wind, equalling in duration and occasionally
in fury that of last week, swept over the metropolis,
blowing from the west and by south, and accompanied
now and then by driving showers of rain. Between 5
and 6 in the morning, the time of high water, and again
about noon, the wind rose to a perfect hurricane; the
river between bridges, lashed into foam, resembled an
inland sea, and the passengers by the little steamers,
scarcely able to keep their footing on deck, were fain to
seek shelter below. The wind blew straight down the
river and rushed with extraordinary fury through the
arches of the bridges. Below bridge the aspect of
things was extremely wild. Vessels sod large coasting
steamers, moored to buoys or lying at anchor in the
stream, had all their yards and every bit of movable
rigging so disposed as to offer the least possible resist-
ance to the gale ; but with every precaution some of
them occasionally dragged their anchors and partially
broke away from their moorings. The colliers in "the
Pool" and Woolwich Reach were all more or leas in
danger. For upwards of an hour in the afternoon a
small schooner in ballast, which rode at anchor nearly
in the middle of the stream, a little below the entrance
to the London Dock, was in great jeopardy, and excited
alarm among many people on shore. She lay with her
: head towards Londor.-bridge, and as the tide began to
flow it brought her broadside against the raging wind.
In that position she was kept right across the fairway of
the river, the sport of the contending tide and storm,
and was every now and then thrown flat on her broad-
side, her yards dipping in the water. A steam tog pro.
ceeded to the spot, but the captain of the schooner
declined to avail himself of its assistance, and there %h.,
lay for sonic time having the appearance of a ahip in
distress. Eventually a large screw steamer, on her way
up the river, struck her on the bow, but without doing
much, if any, damage. At one period of the afternoon
the storm was so violent and the river ao extraordinarily
rough, that the occasion was deemed suitable for the trial
of a new lifeboat, which was seen moving about, fully
manned and equipped. Towards the evening the storm
had somewhat abated.

In the suburban districts, buildings of a light character
were in man) instances destroyed. At an early hour in
the morning a man named Michael Cornier, aged 28, • '
bricklayer's labourer, while lashing smite scaffolding at • ;
new building fronting the bank of the Surrey Canal at i
Peckham, was blown into the water, and the body has '
not yet been recovered. In consequence of the immense '
deal of niischief done in this and adjoining neighbour-
hoods a large number of labourers now on strike
obtained lucrative employment by being engaged by
various tradesmen and others in shoring up the exposed
portions of premises, as well as the heavy sign-boards at
the houses of licensed victuallers. About noon an
incident occurred at the corner of Short-street, Wal-
worth-road, which not only ceased great damage, but
also nearly resulted in loss of life. An immense board, ,
running the whole length of the top of a house, was ,
blown down, • portion being dashed with considerable I
violence into the roadway, falling near • horse and cart, '
causing the animal to take fright, and, before it could be '
stopped, running over a younA lad, and severely injur-
ing him. The board was so firmly filed that in its fall 1,
it carried away a portion of the coping and roof. Near f
the same spot the mirtion of the facia of a shop, together j
with the ironwork of the iiimblind, fell upon a gentleman
named Sprostim, likewise striking a little cliiid, who it j
,is helper:eel eenided in the neighbourhood. Mr. Slime-
I ten, with the exception of a severe blow int the head, !
was uninjured; but the child received a severe laecratml
wound of the cheek, nearly laying bare the jrw, and, as i
it was unknown where the poor little sufferer lived, he '
was at since conveyed to the Inmpital. In Newington- J
causeway a very narrow escape took place, a large co-
ping-stone being forced by the gale front its place. awl ,
falling with considerable force within a few inches of I
three gentlemen walking along. At the corner of King-
street, lkwough, agclaild named Emma Howieton, was
blown off the pavement, and was run over by • heavy
cart. She was conveyed to St. Thomas's Hospital, her
legs being dreadfully broken. At Westminster Hospital
a man named Henry Bennett was attended to, having
received severe injuries on his head through the fall of a
stack of chimneys on him in the Westu ii ii ster-road.
Another man, named James Skinner, was also received
into the hospital, his jaw being broken by a flowerpot
which was blown down on to him. A child named ,
Richard Jennings was blown off the pavement in the
York-road, Lambeth, and run over by a Hanson Cab,
both his legs being dreadfully injured ; and a man named
Henry Ferris, aged 29, received moat severe injuries to
his head and right ann by the fall of • large slate in the
Waterloo-road. While two men were at work on a
wharf at Pimlico they were blown into the river ; one
of them, fortunately, was rescued by a boatman, but the
other poor fellow disappeared in the water, and the
ibody has not yet been mcovered. At Chelaea the
damage has been considerable, trees, &c., being uprooted
and destroyed. A man while pushing along near Cre-
morne-gardens was injured very severely by the fall of a
piece of copingstone of a house. Near litackfriars-
bridge three barges were stove in by co . g into
collision, elle of theta shortly afterwards filling and
going down. Upwards of 25 barges have received Con-
siderable damage between Vauxhall and Putney. while
off Wandsworth five others have sunk laden with coal.
Between Westminster Mel Vauxhall bridges three sail-
ing %morels had their sails torn to ribands, mid one of
tl•ein liail her mast anappeil of short like a lath. Near
Chelsea upwards of :AI small boats were smashed and
destroyed. Off Barnes.bridge • boat containing two
young men was seen to capsize, and both were thrown
into the water. The unfortunate young Men, before
assistance could reach them, sank, and the boat also
shortly afterwards disappeared. A high stone wall
on the bank near Richmond was forced down by the
fury of the wind, and, falling on a barge below, knocked
, the bottotu out. At Wandsworth • sailing barge was
forced with terrible speed against the shore, smashing
her head, which was completely carried away, the water
rushing into her and destroying a great portion of the
cargo.