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

The Great Storms in the North,

LOSS OF LIFE & DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
The storm which during the latter days of last week blew
with such terrific violence along the shores of the north of
Scotland, visited Edinburgh and its neighbourhood on Sa-
turday afternoon, and caused great destruction to property
of every description.
During the whole of Saturday heavy rains fell without
intermission, accompanied by violent gusts of wind.
Towards evening the wind freshened into a gale, and the
rain swept over the city in torrents. Many of the streets
wese flooded in consequence of the gratings of the sewers
becoming choked with rubbish, and considerable damage
was in some instances caused by the water flowing into
cellars and underground places where property was stored.
Between 6 and 7 o'clock the gale increased to a hurricane,
which raged with the greatest violence and with disastrous
results until an advanced hour on Sunday morning. Ex-
cepting those whom necessity compelled to stir abroad, few
people ventured into the streets on Saturday evening dur-
ing the time the storm was at its height, The thorough-
fares were nearly deserted, except by cabs and omnibuses,
and those persons whom business compelled to turn out
made their way along the streets at great hazard and risk
of injury. Slates, stones, and chimney cans, wrenched
from their positions by the force of the hurricane, were
hurled violently into the streets, and some narrow escapes
to pedestrians occurred. In many parts of the city where
new buildings were being erected, the wooden sheds and
scaffoldings were torn down by the strength of tke wind
and blown about the streets, to the injury of neighbouring
property. Trees were uprooted, and branches scattered far
and wide by the action of the storm, and in the suburbs
much injury was done to gardens and stackyards. The
archway leading into Toddrick's-wynd, Canongate, had
some of the stones of the arch dislocated, and, as some
apprehensions were felt regarding the houses above, a
watchman was placed at the entrance of the doss to give
warning in the event of the damage being increased to
a serious extent. Considerable damage was done to the
roof of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Chapel, Broughton-
street, in consequence of a large stone cross which formed
Part of the outward ornament of that ecclesiastical edifice
being blown down. During Saturday night and Sunday a
good many people who had been injured were conveyed to
the Royal Infirmary, but no very serious case was reported.
Throughout the whole time that the hurricane lt.sted it
was accompanied by continous and lashing showers of rain.
The force of the water was such as to cause small landslips,
and in some of the streets the ground was undermined and
fell in, creating great holes peculiarly dangerous to vehicles.
The constant torrents of rain that have fallen during the
last few days have had the effect of swelling the streams
and burns in the city and neighbourhood to most unusual
dimensions. The Water of Leith, which during the past
summer has had scarcely enough water in its channel to
indicate in which direction it was towing, has come down
in floods, and brought with it the:usual wreck of branches
and roots of trees, broken timber, and the debris which had
been accumulated on its banks during many previous
months. Last night the water had risen higher than it has
been for the last seven or eight years, and showed a pros-
pect of increasing further in strength and volume.
On Saturday morning the river Almond was swollen to a
much greater extent than on Thursday, when it carried
away the central arch of the new railway bridge, and so
damaged the others that they must be rebuilt. It must
have been from 10 feet to 15 feet higher than the level at
which it stood on Wednesday last, the tall Baugh bushes
which grow at the base of the high bank (erected by Mr
Hope Vere at great expense to keep the river from over-
flowing the fields along its course), from the entrance of
Gogar Burn downwards, being almost entirely covered by
the water. The Gogar Burn was forced back by the volume
of the Almond to a distance of fully half a mile from its
confluence, and but for its wide high banks must have flooded
several fields. A week ago it was a mere trickling thread,
which required to be dammed up before a pailful of water
could he obtained from it. On Saturday navvies were em-
ployed recovering the wood carried away from the railway
bridge at several points along the banks of the Almond.
Much, however, went floating past, mingled with branches
of trees and huge roots—the relics of former storms, and the
wreck of large but lesser floods than the present one. All
the ditches and drains are full, low-lying lands are in many
places completely covered with water, and it will be some
considerable time before tillage operations can be satisfac-

torily resumed on heavy lands. Where the potatoes are still
t 3 lift, the expected attendant thereon will be greatly aug-
mented.on account of the rains, and the tubers will not be
in so good a state for pitting as they were before.
The Princess Royal, which was to have sailed from
Granton for London on Saturday, did not leave the harbour
in consequence of the gale,
LEITH-SHIPWRECKS IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH.

At Leith the weather, which had been changeable for
some days, broke into a violent storm of wind and rain on
Friday evening, which continued till Sunday night. Fears
were entertained in the town that the breakwater in con-
nection with the new docks would suffer greatly owing to
its unfinished state, but, happily, it has withstood the gale
in a better manner than was expected. Part of the rubble
work has been thrown down, a portion of the piling and
staging has been damaged, and the piling machine can ied
away. This, however, was the principal damage done, the
principal parts of the work remaining quite secure, notwith-
standing that the wind, being from the north-east, exposed
the whole works to the full force of that storm. Little
damage has been done in the town beyond the breaking of
numerous lamps, blowing down of a few chimneys, cans,

slates, Ste.
The gale blew with great severity in the Firth of Forth,
and caused great damage to the shipping that happened to
be in the estuary. On Saturday morning, when day broke,
several vessels were observed in the roads dragging their
anchors. Ono large ship, the Cornelia, of Leith, a large
timber-laden vessel, parted from her anchor and drifted fast
towards the shore near Newhaven Pier. She dropped
another anoher, but still she kept drifting nearer and nearer
the land. A flag indicating that assistance was required
was hoisted, and in answer to it the Alma and Garibaldi
steam tugs proceeded to the vessel's assistance, and were
just in time to prevent her going ashore, she having got
into shallow water not much more than 20ft. deep, while
she was drawing 19ft. The Cornelia was towed out into
deep water by the tugs, after which she was taken up to St.
Margaret's Hope by the Garibaldi, where she was riding in
safety when last heard from. A small foreign schooner was
at the same time to be seen dragging her anchor,and would
have soon struck the ground near Newhaven Pier had not
a steam-tug gone to her assistance and taken her into
Granton Harbour. In the forenoon the steamship Fingal
which was riding a short distance west of lnchkeith, first
broke ono of her cables and then another, and to save her
the master ran her into Granton Harbour. Rumours wore
current in the afternoon that a vessel had been lost down
the Firth with all hands, fivo in number, but the report
was not confirmed.
On Saturday evening, as the tide rose, the wind in-
creased, exposing the shipping in the Roads to increased
danger. Many feared the night would prove a disastrous
one, for before darkness set in 6 or 8 vessels were drifting
towards Granton and Wardie. When the day dawned on
Sunday the apprehensions entertained were fearfully
realised. A small schooner, the Dorothea, of Hanover, was
lying ashore at the east breakwater of Granton Pier. The
crew escaped with their lives, but were unable to save any-
thing at the time. Throughout the day, when the tido re
ceded, she was high and dry, and the master and crew,
taking advantage of this, carried away their clothes and
such stores as they could secure. She was in ballast. As
she was lying on the rocks, fears were entertained that the
returning tide would break her to pieces. Not 50 yards
from where the Dorothea lay, a large brig—the Eliza Hall,

of Whitby, timber laden—was wrecked on the breakwater
on Sunday morning. The master and crew were in great
danger of perishing, as the sea was washing over the ship
in a manner that brought dread into the stoutest heart.
The master and crew of the cutter of the Princess Royal
were soon present with Manby's apparatus, and succeeded
in taking the sailors of the Eliza Hall safely ashore. The
vessel was broken to pieces, and the timber was floating about
in the afternoon. To the west side of Granton pier three
small ships, three lighters, and three boats went ashore,
though they had been riding or moored within the space
protected by the west breakwater of the harbour. They
are not likely, hp wever, to suffer severely. At the outer
side of the west breakwater of Granton Pier, the schooner
Victoria, of Middleforth, Denmark, in ballast, was driven
ashore on Saturday night. As soon as she struck, the
master and crew endeavoured to leap on the breakwater to
save their lives. All succeeded except one sailor, who fell
as soon as he had lighted on the slope of the breakwater,
and before ho could regain his footing a heavy wave came
and washed him away. His body has not been recovered.
It is hoped the vessel will be got off. Two or three hundred
yards further west lies a large foreign brig, driven ashore
during the night. Her masts are gone, her bottom is seri-
ously damaged, and it is almost certain she will become a
total wreck. She was in ballast. The crew escaped. Still
further west, near Granton quarry, another large foreign
brig is ashore on the rocks. One of her masts is gone, and,
from the dangerous position she is in, it is almost certain
she will not hold long together. She was coal laden. The
crew got safely ashore. We have not been able to ascertain
the names of the two last vessels. The tackling and„sea-
men's clothing of all the wrecked vessels, with the excep-
tion of the last, will be partially if not wholly secured. Men,
horses, and carts, were engaged on Sunday afternoon driv-
ing away such things as could bt landed.
Out from Granton there were four ships riding in ap-
parent safety, their anchors having caught hold of the
electric telegraph cable across the Firth, which prevented
them drifting further towards shore. But for the circum-
stances of their anchors holding on by the cable, two, if not
the whole four vessels, would have drifted on the reeks
west of Granton Pier. _ _

bone of the English or foreign going steamers have
sailed from Leith since Friday.

A telegram was received in Leith on Saturday that the
Cronstadr, 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 telegrapl, cable, it was hoped
they would weather the gale. It is many years since such
a severe storm has raged in the Firth.

Daring 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, about 50 passengers, a large proportion of
whom were 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 telief 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 captai* this was most sue-
ceesly accomplished, The vessel was then steered towards
Inchkeith, in face of a head 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 great 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 became so violent that the whole 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 Burntislancl harbour, where a number of
people had been congregated for a cou,iderable 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 cause so great consternation a:nong the passengers 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 h)ur 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 Friday
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.
DUNBA.R.—WRECK OF A DANISH VESSEL 4ND LOSS OF
FOUR MEN.

Our Dunbar correspondent writes :—" On Friday nigh
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 with 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
fia 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 foam 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 a 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 whcle force was speedily on the
way to the scene of disaster, but they had only got about
half-way when they wore 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."
GREENOCK.

On Saturday a severe gale from the E.N.E, was experi-
enced here, and great damage was done to the shipping.
The storm broke out abont midnight 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 g unable to come into the
harbour thew
ithowuitnd; and bin
running the risk of being dashed to pieces
on 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 lab uring and
heaving. ller jibboom, 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 large 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
however, got on to a
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