The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-21 00:00:00

[Stamped, Id. Additional.]

THE EQUINOCTIAL GALES.
NUMEROUS WRECKS AND GREAT LORE OF LIFE

The equinoctial gales have set in with more than
usual severity. The changeable seat* of the weather is the
coarse of last week indicated the approach of • storm, and
on Saturday about noon the wind gradually get up from the
&W. with heavy rain, and continued to increase until lets
in the evening. There was then • lull, but on Sunday
afternoon the gale again bunt forth with increased fury,
and an dusk set in the storm raged with almost the force
of a hurricass, accompanied by torrents of min. The
greatest pressure was between a dela& and 11 o'clock p.m.
on Sunday, as registered by the anemometer of the
Meteorological Department of the Board of Trade.
The pilasters told with very disastrous effect upon the
shipping on various points of the coast, and several heavy
and fatal losses ate reported. In the Downs, where • large
fleet w anchored, the storm is described to have been most
degruative. The wind blew with great tone, and
drove ships from their moorings. Lloyds' agents re-
port two ships having gone down at their authors,
and the fate of the crews is uncertain. The ship
Elisabeth, bound to Belize from London, is also stated
to have foundered, and it is feared with some of her crew on
beerd. She broke adrift during the height of the gale on
Sunday night, and came in violent collision with two
ships namod the Wellington and Ambrosine, which
were lying at anchor at her stern. Such was
the oadasion oft board each ship, consequent on
a belief that the vessels would founder, that it as thought
that some of the men must have jumped on board the
Elizabeth, and so probably have perished. The barque
Trio, from Seal for London, suffered en severely hem the 1
fury of the storm and the sea breaking e►er her, that sits
went down at her anchors ; but the crew are reported to
have raved themselves in the bate. A large fleet of dis-
abled vessels has put back ; some hays goes into Ramses*
and ethers have returned to the Th►mes ; but by the latest
telegram received last evening from the spate of Lloyd's,
the real extent of the havoc occasioned in this roadstead has
not as yet been correctly aseertabsed.

Below the South Foreland the same (atrial weather was
encountered. The schooner Charlotte, from Oporto to
London, in coming up Channel had her commander washed
overboard. The Cupid, belonging to Goole, was in collision
with the ship City of Pekin off Folkestone, and foundered.
Off Heschey Head, the Wesleyan schooner, laden with
scone from Portland to London, was clinch by a heavy sea,
and bad to be abandoned.
Most of the western porta are thronged with shipping
which either bad been disabled or had run in for shelter.
The eastern coast hes suffered severely. The collier brig
Good Intent, bound to Teignmonth with coals from the
Tyne, was blown ashore at Aldboroughnesa -and became a
wreck, and only the master, mate, and one man were saved.
Several vessels are reported to have been lost on Sizewell
Beak. The Port Glasgow, for Boulogne, from the north,
the London, Captain Taylor, bound to Rochester, and
the brig Hugh, for London, from the Tyne, weal upon the
beak and were lost, three of the crew of the latter ship
periahiog. A fine brig, the Hipposampi, Captain John-
son, bound for London, was driven frees her anchor
on to the Girdler Sands, sad another vessel, with a
valuable cargo from Archangel, was wrecked on the Goa.
fleet.

Similar disastrous accounts have been received from the
more northern pores.
The metropolis and suburbs also suffered during Sunday
night from the violence of the gale. Considerable damage
was inflicted upon property, and 'many personal injuries were
received from tallies chimneys, pipes, parapets, and the
like. The low-lying districts have been much flooded, and
amongst the shipping in the river several vessels are re.
ported to have broken from their anchorage, and to here
come into colli.ion with others.

_-The Hamburg steamer, running between Havre and
Brest, came into collision with the Preach barque Juanita,
from Monte Video, on t►e 17th inst., six miles west of
lime. The Hamburg sunk directly. Ten passengers are
known to be lest. The captain and mate were saved. The
total drowned or missing is stated to be twenty-aim. It was
blowing a strong south-wester at the time.

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.

Towards the latter end of last week the weather
here became very stormy, and on Saturday evening the wind
chopped round to N.N.W., and blew a heavy gale, accom-
panied at intervals with blinding @bowers of rain and hail-
Although the river was full of shipping the casualties are
very few, considering that the storm raged during the whole
of Saturday night and Sunday. About half-past @even
o'clock on Sunday night the American ship Wisconsin
dragged her ambers off &wombs and drifted athwart the
skip Carrier Dove, anchored between Seaconthe and Wood.
side. Rockets were fired off, and other signals of distress
made, when the steam-tug Universe put off and took the
Wisconsin in tow, brought her up alongside the Prime's Pier,
and ultimately into the George's basin. Both ships were
damaged, but to what extent we have not ascertained.
The Americas ship bfolooka, bound from New York to
this port, took the ground outside yesterday evening, and
remained for some time. So dangerous was the positive of
the ship at one time, that in order to twee her the masts
were cut away. Fortunately she was observed by some
steam-tugs, who immediately went to her assistance, end
she was ultimately towed off the bank and brought in hers.
A sad catastrophe, however, occurred off Southport to-day.
The large American ship Anne E. Hooper, bound from Balti.
more to this port, arrived at the entrance of the river in tow
of a steam-tug at an early hour this morning. The gale was
blowing furiously at the time, and the sea ran fearfully
high. The captain and pilot deemed it prudent to put out
Ito sea again. The vessel was put about, and an endeavour
was made to work free of the land, but this unfortunately
failed, the vessel became unmanageable, and, drifted by
wind and tide, went ashore on the Horse Bank, near South.
port.
The sea broke over the bank awfully, and the surf and
spray shut out for a time the actual position of the unfor-
tunate ship. Eventually the signals of distress were ob-
served both by the Southport and the Lytham lifeboats,
which immediately put off to the vessel's assistance. As
showing the dreadful state of the weather, we may mention
that though the Noise Bank is only 4 miles off Southport,
yet it took the boats four hours and a half before they
. reached the ship. Endeavours were at once made to rescue
the crew, but unfortunately out of 23 people on board only
17 were saved. The latest account from Southport stated
that the vessel was fast breaking up.
The Ann E. Hooper left Baltimorean the 20th September,
' laden with a cargo of grain, bound to Liverpool. She was
under the commaad of Captain Hooper at the time of the
catastrophe.
There has also been observed on the Horse Bank a large
brig with masts cut away. This vessel is supposed to be a
Bremen brig, which left Liverpool either on Saturday night
or early on Sunday morning. At present it is not knows
whether those on board are safe or not, as no commuoica.
lion can be had with the vessel owing to the extraordinary
heavy sea running.
A schooner has been seen off the port drifting about,
apparently a derelict. As no person can be seen on board,
it is supposed that she has been abandoned during the
eight, but as to the fate of the crew nothing has as yet been
ascertained.

The gale still continues, and the worst apprehensions are
feared, so soon as some of the numerous steam togs now
outside arrive here. The gale is the most continuous and
heavy we have had here for some time.

SHIELDS, NO/IDAY Arrnitoott.

On Saturday afternoon Admiral Fitzroy sent a
storm warning dawn to the Tyne, that dangerous winds
might be expected from the southward. But notwith-
standing this warning a considerable number of collier
vassols put to sea, and fearfully they hare paid for their
temerity ; for since ffatorday night and daring all yea's.-
day we have been visited by one of the most terrible hum-
amass experienced on this coast for many years. For-
tunately it blew off the coast instead of on, else our coast
no doubt would hare been strewn with wrecks this
morning, and we should bare had to lament the lose, ft
' Might bare been, of hundreds of our seamen. As It is, the
'tumor that has been committed has been very serious,
sad it is feared the worst is not learnt yet.
feet night, between nine and ten o'clock, as the Mars