The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-17 00:00:00

HEAVY SNOWSTORMS.

The disturbance which caused the gale on Sunday
passed rapidly to Holland and North Germany, where
the barometer on Monday had fallen below 29in. The
wind had died down on all our costs, but a moderate
westerly gale was still blowing at Dungeness. During
Sunday night the wind reached the force of a strong
gale at Scilly, Dungeness, and Oxford, a whole gale
at Hurst Castle, and a storm at Cape Griz Nez, on the
French coast opposite Folkestone. Heavy rain fell in
many places during the progress of the gale, the
largest amounts being 1.42 in. at Mullaghmore, 0.63 in.
at Barrow, and 06m. at Donoghadee. In London the
record was less than one tenth of an inch. As the
disturbance moved eastward the wind in the north
went round to north-east and north, and on Monday
morning snow was falling in Scotland, the north of
Ireland, England, and Wales, several degrees of frost
having been felt in Scotland on Sunday night, and it
was still freezing at eight o'clock on Monday morn-
ing.
The gale which had raged at the mouth of the Thames
on Saturday subsided on Monday, but the storm cone is
still hoisted at the Government signal stations, warn-
ing ships of rough weather at sea. When the gale
was at its height, a boat belonging to her Majesty's
ship Wildfire was swamped, and a collision occurred
in the harbour between a passenger steamer from the
Isle of Grain and a boat belonging to her Majesty's
ship Adder. The boat was cut in two, but the crew
were rescued.

In the Midlands a heavy snowstorm prevailed on
Monday.
The gale continued in the Channel. On Monday
morning several vessels were reported on different
parts of the coast in a damaged cendition. Early on
Monday morning a large screw steamer, outward
bound from London stranded on the Goodwin Sands.
The name is unknown. The mail-packet service has
been greatly interrupted, but was resumed on Monday
morning.
The Norwegian coal brig Olivia, from Hull to'Brazil,
was towed into Portsmouth Harbour on Monday
morning considerably damaged from having been ex-
posed to the full fury of Sunday's gale. She was in
great danger off Bembridge Ledges during the night,
It being feared that she would carry away her anchor
and capsize. The Bembridge lifeboat and a tug from
Portsmouth went to her assistance, the latter remain-
ing, alongside her all night.
At Yentnor the gale of Sunday was felt with full
violence. Quantities of shingle and rubbish were
carried over the esplanade by the huge waves which
swept it from end to end. Several persons were blown
down by the wind near the sea front. On Monday
the wind had moderated.
The sea on the north-east coast continued to run
very high, and there was a heavy snowfall during
Sunday night, continuing on Monday morning. In
the open country in north-east Yorkshire the snow
was lying to a depth of nearly a foot, and on the
moors huge drifts were formed before the strong
easterly gale. The moor roads were hardly passable.
The coasting collier Vixen, which drove ashore in
Scarborough Bay on Sunday, went to pieces.
Severe storms of snow and sleet prevailed over
North Wales for several hours on Monday morning,
giving the country a most wintry appearance. The
mountain ranges were again thickly covered with
snow, causing much apprehension amongst the up-
land flockmasters, who report that upwards of 1500
sheep have perished on the hills during the recent
severe weather.

The splendid steam yacht Marchesa 278 tons, of
Ayr, owned by Mr. C. T. Kettlewell, and bound from
the Clyde to the Mediterranean, was forced to put
into Queenstown on Monday afternoon, in consequence
of the terrific weather which she experienced in the
Channel. She left Greenock on the previous Friday,
and encountered the full force of the recent gale, and
was hove to for several hours. Large quantities of
water were shipped and the cabins were flooded. A
number of gentlemen are aboard the Marchesa, which
has a crew of 22 hands, and as soon as she has been
put in order she will resume her voyage.
A storm of great violence was raging all day on
Monday in Fifeshire, snow falling continuously, and a
gale blowing from the south-east with great severity
along the coast and over the Firth of Forth. The Forth
Bridge works were suspended all day. A great many
vessels were driven in from the North Sea. The
Glasgow and Rotterdam Company's steamer the
Grangemouth was driven back to the Forth on Monday,
with the loss of deck cargo, consisting of large sheet-
plates. In the inland districts a heavy storm was
experienced, and lambing has been greatly interfered
with.
A Lowestoft fishing boat put into Plymouth on
Monday evening, and reported that she saw a Lowe-
stoft fishing sloop founder in the Channel on Monday,
and her crew of nine hands were all drowned. The
German steamship Australia, from Hamburg to New
York, with 500 emigrants, put into Plymouth on
Monday evening to land several people who were
seriously injured by being washed along the decks in
the gale.