The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-14 00:00:00

THE LATE HEAVY GALES.

LOSS OF TWO STEAMF.RS.

The weather continues to be unsettled along the
coast, and heavy north-east gales, with snow and sleet,
appear to have prevailed since Monday evening. By the
returns made by Lloyd's agent up to last evening the num-
ber of losses and casualties that occurred during the recent
storm amounted to 210. In addition to those already re-
ported, we have to announce the wreck of two steamers
and the loss of a large ship bound to Calcutta with a
ergo valued at upwards of 100,000/. There has also
been a shocking shipwreck on the Arklow Bank.

One of the unfortunate steamers was the London and
Jersey iron screw steamer Metropolis, Captain Coker, a
fine vessel of MO tons burden. She was on her return
passage from the Thames, and yesterday afternoon, about
four o'clock, on making the island, unfortunately struck
upon the Rondiere Rock off Elizabeth Castle, and all
effort failed in getting her off. She subsequently filled and
settled down and sank, the crew escaping in the boats. By
the last accounts it appeared inevitable that she
would become a total wreck. Part of her deck
cargo was washed ashore. The ship and cargo are
insured at Lloyd's. The other steamer was the
Syria, belonging to Londonderry, GOO tons burden.
A telegram from Fleetwood yesterday announced that while
she was on a voyage from Belfast to Moreounb she went
ashore at Shell Wharf, where she filled, and it was rood-
dered very• doubtful whether she would be saved. The crew
and passengers were safely landed. Another steamer is
also reported to have been wrecked. A telegraphic despatch
was received yesterday from Otranto, stating that the
English steamer William Cory• had gone ashore nine miles
north of that place. This ship was also covered by an in-
surance at Lloyd's.
While the gale was at ita height on Saturday morning,
her Majesty's steamer Sea Mew, on her passage to Kings-
town, saw a ship in distress on the Arklow Bank. It was
at first supposed that she was a steamer, but since the
storm had abated, the ill-fated vessel has turned out to be
the Tonquin, Captain Batchelor. bound to Santos, from the
Clyde. After striking on the bank, the heavy seas carried
her off into deep water, and she foundered, all on board-11
men and a woman—perishing.
The heaviest loss, as far as regards sacrifice of property
was that of the wreck of the iron•built ship City of
Luckoow, belonging to Mr. Smith, of Glasgow, bound to
Calcutta, with a very valuable cargo. The ship, which is
nearly 1,200 tons burden, only sailed from the Clyde on the
day previous to that of her loss, and on arriving off the Bay
of Bangor, near Belfast, she drove ashore and became a
wreck. The crew and five passengers, with the exception
of a sailor named Nelson, were saved. The ship and cargo
are insured to the extant., it is reported, of 120,0001., in
London, Glasgow, and Liverpool.
Amongst other losses during the gale are that of the brig
Luna, Captain M'Mullin. of Wnekingthn, and the brig
Neptune, FlllllllllO, master, of the same port, which foun-
dered with all hands.

The names of the ill-fated ships seen to founder on the
.oath-eut coast have not as vet been aseertained.