The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-02-19 00:00:00

FEARFUL CALAMITY AT KINGSTOWN.

A terrific gale from the north-cut swept along the
Irish coast on Saturday week. caudug fearful havoo
amongst the shipping. The reports received give •
terrible hat of cosualties. In Kingatown Let-boor the
storm was felt in its greatest severity. An Unmans,
soother of tolliere left Whitehaven on Friday, bound
for Dublin, but they had not been long out alien they
felt the force of the gale. On Friday night, about
eleven o'clock, the storm first began to snake itself
felt in the Channel. The Leinater, carrying the mails,
left Kintratown at the usual hoar, but she had not
gone farther than the Kish when she encountered sash
a terrific gale as made her commander think it the most
prudent thing to return. The waves were rolling
mountains high. She was caught by three or four
heavy aeas, winch completely carried away her hurricane
deck and indmidated the post office. Kingstown itself
was the scene of the greatest lose of life and destruetion
of property. The storm raged with intense violence
about seven o'clock in the morning. Shortly after that
hour three vessels were seen endeavouring to make the
harbour, but the wind being from the north-east, they
were driven 0 towards the Eastern Pier, where two of
them, the Neptune. of Kingstown, and the Industry,
of NVltitehaven, because complete wrecks. The third,
the Mary Ann, of Belfast, owing inn great measure to
the nerve of bar commander, was enabled to get to a
alielteresl corner at Santlyeove, where, though she is
waterlogged, Lilll crew were enabled to escape by means
of their own boat. Of the two former vessels not a
vestige remain., and of their crews only the master of
the oust and • sailor of the other live to tell the tale of
their sufferings. As might be naturally expected, the
grew of the Ajax, headed by their gallant captain, were
quickly on the spot, to the number of forty or fifty, to
try to afford a.sabitance to the crews of the distressed
Teruel., by giving advice and endeavouring to throw
ropes so as to save life. All caution was unavailing
one wave, stronger and mote mighty than the real,
swept Captain Boyd and twenty of his crew, and, it is
said • nnusber of civilians, into the sea. The rebound
of the amine wave threw • number of theui
again on the rucks, where, shattered and bruised
they were glad to cling, with the hope
of life still fresh and buoyant. That wave,
however, carried out the gallant Captain Boyd,
and five el crew never to return With life. The two
shine which tilt'', In-t 110 and a Into were wrecked
within 11.1 U yards of each other. No less then eleven
sextets hare become complete wrecks, namely, the
Wanderer. of Whitehaven; the Levan, of Dundalk ;
the Henry Olive, of Dmgheila ; the Royal Sovereign, of
l'ortaferry ; the Herd, of Ardroosau ; the Caroline, of
Worthington ; the Ranger, the Clans, of Ayr ; the
Moses, of Troon ; the Ellen, of Irvine. The saute
story may be Tasted of the whole of them. Captain
Boyd leaves • wife and several children to deplore his
fate The flag of the Ajax, where lie was beloved by
his men, and the flags of the other ships in harbour
I were on Sunday hoisted half mast high in respect to
the tnemory of the ilepartekl officer. No less than
fifteen of the Ajax's crew are et present on the sick list
front injuries received in the attempt to save the men
of the wrecked veesels. Many of them are severely
cut on the head and face, and not • few have had their
ribs broken.