The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-25 00:00:00

None of the English or foreign
going steamers have
sailed from Leith since Friday.

A telegram was received in Leith qn Saturday that the
Cronstadt, of Leith, on her passage from Russia, had been
_ _

compelled to put into Mandel, after being out in a gale, in

which she had lost her first mate. No small anxiety is felt

for other ships known to be out at sea. Yesterday evening,
there were about twenty vessels in the roads; but as they

were all far from land, except the four vessels whose anchors

were attached to the electric telegraph cable, it was hoped
they would weather the gale. It is many years since such
a severe storm has raged in the Firth.

During Friday night or Saturday a foreign brig went
ashore near Fisherrow. When the tide went back, the
crew were enabled to come to land in safety. The vessel
having been exposed to the full force of the storm yester-
day, became a total wreck.

THE STORM IN THE FORTH YESTERDAY.
At daybreak yesterday the appearance of the Firth was
sufficient to overawe the stoutest-hearted sailor ; but, not-
withstanding, abut 50 passengers, a large proportion of

whom wore in the greatest anxiety to meet relations who

were left at Burntisland on the previous evening, were de-
termined to face the raging elements, and went on board
the Express, the experienee of the captain of which no
doubt strengthened their lelief regarding their safety.

Before the starting of the vessel from Granton a number
of the passengers became terror-stricken when they beheld
the waves bursting against the breakwater and dashing in
cataractic foam across the bulwarks. The most dangerous
part of the journey was the getting out of the harbour, but
by the skilful seamanship of the captain this was most sue-
cessly accomplished. The vessel was then steered towards
Inchkeith, in face of a bead wind, during which time it
_ _

was tossed so violently that most of the passengers became

perfectly helpless from sickness, and those who had the
good fortune to brave the tempest were in vest doubts as
to the safe arrival of the Express on the Fife coast. After

passing Inchkeith, it was necessary to steer against a cross
current for Buratisland Harbour, and the rocking and toss-

ing of the vessel then becams so violent that the wbole of
those on board, excepting the captain, who stood manfully

on the bridge, were compelled either to take shelter in the
saloon, or stand on the lee side of the cabin. Fortunately,

after an hour and a halt's sail, the Express was moored
safely alongside of Burntisland harbour, where a number of
people had been congregated for a considerable time watch-
ing her perilous trip.
Although the wind raged with great violence during the
day, it was not sufficient to stop the afternoon ferry traffic,
nor to nalisrt so treat consternation among. the nasscngers as
it did among those who, at great hazard, crossed from
Granton with the morning boat.

As a rumour was spread in town yesterday evening that
a Newhaven fishing-boat had gone down, with six men on
board, we are glad to state, from inquiries made in New-
haven at a late hour last night, that there is no foundation
for such a rumour.

Last night a rumour was current in several quarters in
town that the Wick, Aberdeen, and Granton steamer the
Vanguard, which was to sail from Lerwick on Fliday
morning, had been lost. The steamer was due at Granton
on Saturday, and had not arrived at a late hour last night;
but the result of the inquiries we made yesterday inclines
us to believe that, beyond the delay—which may have been
caused by the vessel putting into some port on the coast, a
not unfrequent occurrence on this passage in stormy wea-
ther—there is no foundation for the report. _

The rain and wind continued throughout the whole of
yesterday with great violence, but about 10 o'clock last
night a change for the better took place. The wind fell,
the rain ceased, and there was every token of more propi-
tious weather.

DUNBAR.-IVRECH. OF A DANISH VESSEL AND LOSS OF

FOUR MEN.

Our Dunbar correspondent writes :—" On Friday night
the temperature fell rapidly, and the wind began to blow
from the eastward with great violence. The storm con-
tinued to rage throughout the whole of Saturday wits a
fury seldom experienced even on this coast, where severe
storms are by no means rare. The rain fell in torrents all
day, and the streams in the neighbourhood were roaring
from bank to brae, and bearing down trees, brushwood,
and agricultural produce from the uplands in great quan-
tities. At West Barns, the Biel water threatened to inundate
the lower portion of the village, and a number of the houses
were overflowed. The garden surrounding the farm-house
was completely under water, which flowed right through it,
and rushed down the streets in a threatening stream. All
along the coast the sea rose to a tremendcus height, and as
as the eye could penetrate through the mist and spray
it seemed but one wild mass of raging foam. Yesterday
the storm continued with unabated violence ; and such was
the force of the wind that the white loam of the sea was
blown like snow flakes, thick and fast, for fully half a
mile inland. About 6 o'clock yesterday morning a foreign
vessel was observed at Linkheads, near Thorntonloch, in a
very critical position. Intelligence was conveyed to the
coastguard here, who under the management of Mr Mor-
gan, chief boatman, hurried to the spot with all the neces-
sary apparatus. Unfortunately, however, they arrived too
late, the ship having broken up about 20 minutes previous
to their arrival, and only one man was saved out of five of a
crew. The vessel was a Danish ene, bound for Leith with a
cargo of wheat, and it broke up a short time after striking.
With reference to the loss of the crew of this vessel, the pre-
ventive force complain that so much time was lost in send-
ing the message to the station here. It was conveyed by a
man on foot, the distance being upwards of six miles,
whereas had 3. horse been sent, and the man and apparatus
been half an hour sooner, the crew would in all probability
have been saved. No sooner had the coastguard returned
from Thorntonloch than they were summoned to the assis-
tance of another vessel which had stranded on Tyne Sands.
Lieut. Hamilton and the whole force was speedily on the
way to the scene of disaster, but they had only got about
half-way when they were informed that their services would
not be required, the crew having all got safely landed in
their own boat. The stranded vessel was bound from Ar-
broath to London. So severe was the weather that the
sacrament, which should have been dispensed in the Esta-
blished Church yesterday, was postponed for a fortnight."
OREENO

On Saturday a severe gale from the E.N.E, was experi-
done to the shipping.
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magtedhtvtgahs
t on Friday. and raged
with great fury all the morning till about 9 a.m., when it
seemed to have reached its height, and from 10 a.m. till
about 2 p.m. it abated considerably in its fury, but there-
after it became as severe as ever, and continued so up till
dusk. A number of small yachts and sailing and pulling
boats have been destroyed, and the shore was covered
with wreck. One schooner came running down the river
before the wind, and being unable to come into the
harbour without running the risk of being dashed to pieces
OD the quay, she came to anchor off the mouth of the West
Harbour. A signal of distress was hoisted. Two tugs that
wont out could not get near her, and had quite enough to do
to take care of themselves. The vessel was lah,uring and
heaving. Her jibboota, part of her foremast, and her gear
came away, and the men were hard at work at the pumps.
The sea was washing over her, and it became evident that
she was sinking. The men clung to the vessel as long as
there was hope of saving her, but finding their efforts of no
avail, they took to the punt, and in five minutes afterwards
the vessel sunk. The men in the small boat got ashore, but
had a very narrow escape. They had only one oar, but
with it they managed to steer her as she ran before the
wind, and got safely into Caird and Co.'s shipbuilding yard.
Several largo ships drifted considerably, and great fears
were entertained for some of them. The new dredging ma,
chine was driven ashore, and coming in contact with the
pilotboat smashed it to pieces. She, however, got on to a
sandy part of the beach, The river steswere had great diffi-