The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-26 00:00:00

THE GALE.

BLACKPOOL, Saturday.
The gales that swept along our coast during the
past week have been productive of much serious
damage, and we regret to say in many cases the loss
of many lives. Among other disasters we have to
record the fall of the lighthouse at Lytham, and the
loss of the bark Reuben, 573 tons, from the Bay of
Fundy for Glasgow Dock, Morecambe Bay, with a
cargo of deals.

The Lytham lighthouse stood on a point called
the "Double Stanners," between Lytham and Black-
pool, close to the high-water mark. Considerable
fear has been entertained for the safety of the
erection for some time past, in consequence of the
great encroachments of the sea on this part of
the coast ; and many workmen have recently been
engaged in driving piles around its base, and more
particularly in the front facing the sea. The lights
were exhibited for the last time on Tuesday evening.
On Monday night the wind was blowing stiffly
from the north-east, accompanied by snow and hail,
but on Tuesday morning it veered to the north-west
and continued to blow in that direction all day. On
Wednesday morning it moderated, and again
changed to the south-west, whence it continued to
blow stiffly until Thursday afternoon, when the
lighthouse fell. The keepers left the building on
Tuesday morning, as they found it was vibrating in
the most alarming manner, and to a much greater
extent then had been previously experienced. When
they put out the lights that morning they found
that the frame of the piling in front of the light-
house had given way, and that a great portion of
the foundation had been undermined by the waves.
In the course of Tuesday morning one of the keepers
went up to Lytham, and was joined there by his eon,
who told him that the lighthouse was quite leaning
over. Information was immediately sent up to
Preston to the engineer of the Ribble Navigation
Company, and soon afterwards it was discovered
that the north corner of the masonry was worked out
and the foundation laid bare down to the bottom,
below the concrete, there being a large hole, filled
with water three feet below the foundation. The
keepers with assistance set to work to get every-
thing out of the building, except what was abso-
lutely necessary to keep the lights burning. They
worked until the rising night's tide surrounded
them, and, from the fury of the gale, had little hope
that the place would stand until morning, but the
lights never burnt more brightly than they did dur-
ing that evening. On Wednesday morning, the
wind still blowing stiffly, they extinguished the
lights for the last time, the tide during the night
having made greater havoc in the foundation, and
carrying away a part of the south corner. On Wed-
nesday morning they took out the glasses and all
the remaining property—lenses, reflectors, furniture,
and apparatus. By noon the waves had made a
further breach into the south corner, which gave
way, leaving an excavation like a manhole in the
foundation, through which they were enabled to get
out the oil from the cisterns in the ground floor.
Wednesday night's tide worked further under the
south front of the foundation, which gradually gave
way, until Thursday at noon, when the building fell.
The building was erected by the Ribble Naviga-
tion Company about 15 years ago, at a cost of £1,400.
For the guidance of mariners we append the bear-
ings of the missing light :—Nelson buoy, N.W. by
W. I W., 61 miles; N.W. lightship, Liverpool,
S.W. i W., 19i miles; Great Ormshead, W. by S.
-I S., 38 miles ; Point Lynas, W. a N., 48 miles ;
Douglas Head, N.W. A W., 53-i miles ; Manghold
Head, N.N.W. 1 W., 55 miles; St. Bee's Head
lighthouse, N. E., 51 miles. It may, perhaps, be
as well to state that the screw pile light in More-
cambe Bay, at the entrance of the Wyre, about 20
miles north of the Lytham light, is also now extin-
guished, owing to the insecure state of the erection
through the collision of a vessel with it. There was
a meeting of the managing committee of the Board
of Directors of the Ribble Navigation Company in
Preston yesterday, to consider what steps should be
taken with reference to the restoration of the light.
The authorities at the Trinity-house have been com-
municated with on the subject, and it is probable
that they will arrange for the re-erection of the edi-
fice, as the coast is one of the most dangerous in the
kii,gdom, three of the most dreaded banks lying im-
mediately in the neighbourhood.
The Reuben struck on the Salthouse bank on
Wednesday. She had made the entrance of the Bay
of Morecambe, but, not falling in with a-pilot, she
was obliged to stand out to sea, beating off and on.
The fury of the storm, however, forced tier to lee-
ward, and all the efforts of the captain (John Skerr)
and crew to keep her off the bank were una-
vailing. She struck about 1 o'clock on Wednesday
morning, and the sea immediately made a clean
breach over her. Her boat was launched, but, as
soon as two of the crew jumped into it, the piinter
broke, and they were cast off amid the waves. For-
tunately, the boat, which immediately filled with
water, was lined with cork, and it drifted to the
shore, where the men were rescued in an insensible
condition. The lifeboat wcis afterwards biough
down by six horses, and the men were taken off.
The vessel has since come on shore : she will be
come a wreck, but the cargo will be saved.
GREAT YARMOUTH, Jan. 24.

Capt. Lincoln, of the brig Lucerne, of Whitby,
with a portion of his crew, was landed here to-day
and received at the Sailors' Home. He reports a
very gallant service rendered by two Yarmouth
smacks, which saved the crew of the brig from cer-
tain death. The brig was on a voyage from Hartle-
pool for London, with coal. She was caught in the
recent heavy gales, when about six miles off Lowes-
toft. Her sails were split, her bulwarks washed
away, and she sustained other damage. During the
succeeding night (Tuesday) the vessel sprang a leak
and made water fast; the crew took to the pumps
and worked very hard at them for several hours, but
the water continued to increase. The following
morning two Yarmouth smacks—the Waterwitch
and the Miriam—observed the distressed state of
the Lucerne, and bore down to her assistance; but,
in consequence of the heavy sea which was running,
they could not render her any aid. At this time a
heavy sea struck the vessel, and, sweeping over the
decks, washed away the boats, &e. The vessel now
rolled a helpless log upon the waves, and the crew
had every prospect before them of her speedily
foundering. The smacks however remained by her
up to an early hour on Thusday morning, when they
launched their boats. In getting under the ship's
counter one of the crew of the smack Miriam was
knocked overboard, and it being dark at the time,
with a wild sea on, the unfortunate man, who had
exerted himself to save others, was drowned. The
crew of the brig were conveyed safely on board the two
smacks, fur being placed in each. They had drifted
to within 20 miles of the Texel, when the brig was
deserted and soon afterwards the ill-fated ship dis-
appeared. Had not the smacks remained by her,
the whole of the crew must have been lost. Yester-
day the master (Baines) and crew, eight in all, of
the brig Two Brothers, of and from Shields for Lon-
don, wish coals, were landed here. During the late
gales the vessel sprung a leak when about 60 miles
from Yarmouth. Finding it was impossible to keep
the brig afloat, the crew launched their boat and
were picked up by the fishing smack Samuel Bales,
of Barking, from which they were transferred to
the Yarmouth smack Brilliant, and landed here in
an almost destitute condition. The Sailors' Home,
a most valuable institution, received the poor way.
farers.

PORTSMOUTH, Sunday.
The violent gales and intervening strong breezes
of the past week have been succeeded to-day by a
moderate breeze from west to north. The air is cold,
with sunshine, and at considerable intervals slight
squalls of sleet. At 10 a.m. the mercury in the baro-
meter had risen during the previous 24 hours 5;
tenths, and it now marks 30.3,
with a still further
Upward tendency.
SWINDON, Saturday.

This town and district were visited this morning
by a series of thunder and hailstorms of unparalleled
violence. The first occurred about 6 in the morning,
and was attended by a terrific gale and most vivid
lightning. A second followed at 10, and three-
quarters of an hour afterwards a tempest ealne on
which can only be compared to the hirn
°wanes of the
tropics. For about a quarter an hour the hail fall
in @hota, and was driven by the wind with the

gre,test fury. The ground continued covered in
some places to the depth of several inches with the
fallen hailstones. The storms all arose to the west-
ward, passing from the north to the east.
BRISTOL, Saturday.
This morning a heavy gale from the W.S.W,, ac-
cowpanied by thunder, lightning, and hail, occurred
about 9 o'clock,and continued to rage with great fury
for about half an hour. After a lull of about two
hours the storm burst forth again and lasted for a
nearly similar period. The hailstones were of very
large dimensions. The damage reported is not
very serious.

CARDIFF, Saturday.
This morning, about two o'clock, a tremendous
gale, accompanied with thunder, hail, and rain, sot
in from the S.S.W., and has continued up to this
evening with little intermission. The tide began to
flow about four o'clock a.m,,, and the gale from
that time up to high-water (10 18 a.m.) blew with
fearful violence, alternate hail and rain descending
in torrents, accompanied with loud peals of
thunder. Under these circumstances no ship at-
tempted to leave port, but several managed with
great difficulty to get within the sea lock, and were
thus comparatively out of danger. Great fears are
entertained for the safety of the large fleet of ves-
sels that took refuge from the late storm in Penarth-
roads ; but up to this evening they have, with one
exception, outridden the storm without any casualty.
About eight o'clock this morning the barque Ste-
beneth, of Liverpool, for this port, parted her an-
chor, and was driven up Channel with the tide.
Three steamtugs were immediately despatched to
her assistance, two of which succeeded in getting
her in tow, and after great exertions brought her
round with the fall of the tide to the mud bank,
where she will, no doubt, be secured before the tide
flows. Although the sea rose several feet above
high-water point, and came on with great violence,,
no damage has been done to the shipping in thee
docks.

BRADFORD, Saturday.
The district has had its share of the gales which
have swept over the country during the past week,
and to-day, in addition to a boisterous wind, there
was a thunderstorm, accompanied by a considerable
downfall of hail. The storm began here a Hale be—
fore two o'clock in the afternoon, and lasted half
an hour or rather more. Some of the hailstones were
of very large size and the peals of thunder loud.

MEDICAL CERTIFICATES IN LUNACY.

The subjoined is a copy of a letter addressed by
the Commissioners in Lunacy to Mr. Elliot, pro-
prietor of Munster House Asylum, Fulham, where
Mr. Hall was transferred on Dr. Semple's and Mr.
Guy's certificates : "In the letter addressed to you
by the Solicitors of the board in the month of
August last, the censure of the toard was conveyed
to you for yoar culpable neglect before taking charge
of Mr. James Hall as an thsane patient, to ascertain,,
by reading the certificates that they were in all
respects conformable to the statute, and the opinion
of the board was expressed in the following terms:
There is no part of the duty of the proprietor of a
licensed house which reqires greater care than the
examination of certificates. Your long experience
ought to have rendered you familiar with the par-
ticulars in regard to them which demand special
attention, and the Commissioners, therefore, con-
sider your negligence on this occasion as a most
grave offence.' Had you performed this, your
obvious duty, you would not have received Mr.
Hall, inasmuch as Mr. Guy's certificate was, upon
the face of it, invalid, and incapable of amendment
under the statute, being founded upon an exami-
nation of the patient more than six weeks before its
date. The question of the sufficiency of the facts
set forth in medical certificates admits, in many
cases, of much doubt, and the certificates, in this
respect, may be amended after the reception of the
patient. It is entirely different if the examination
of the patient took place, as in the case under con-
sideration, more than seven days prior to admission.
Mr. Guy's certificate bore date six weeks subsequent
to the day on which he last saw Mr. Hall. This was
fatal to the validity of his certificate; and it is,
therefore, of paramount importance that proprietors
and superintendents of asylums should, before taking
charge of a patient, carefully peruse every certifi-
cate. The Commissioners feel themselves called
upon, in the existing circumstances, and for the
above reasons, to intimate to you their determina-
tion to visit any violation of the provision of the
law such as that of which you were guilty in Mr.
Hall's case with the penalties of the statute. In.
order to the promulgation of their views the Corn..
missioners intend to circulate generally copies of
the present communication.—Jan. 9."

REPRESENTATION OF REIG4TE.—The 1:1011111,a.
tion of candidates for the representation of Reigate
is expected to take place on Monday, the 2d February. The
candidates are, Mr. Granville Leveson Gower, of Tilsey
Bark, near Godstone, and Mr. W. A., Wilkinson, formerly
member for Lambeth, and their canvass having been com-
pleted, each expresses himself confident of victory. The
contest will in all probability be a close one.

THE BULLION MARKET..-Annexed is Messrs.
Pixley, Abell, and Langley's weekly report of the
bullion market :—Gold—The Yorkshire has brought
£304,000 from Melbourne, and the Europa £36,250 from
New York ; these amounts have been purchased for export,
and in addition thereto about £206,000 has been withdrawn
from the Bank of England. The demand for abroad still
continues, and any arrivals will at once be sent away. The
Shannon has taken £5,890 to the West Indies, and the
Ripon £31,700 to Alexandria, and £7,350 to Madras. Silver
—The bar silver ex Seine has been sold at 61id per oz.
standard; at this rate a fair amount of business has been.
done for the out-going mail to Bombayof the 27th inst. The
market is now rather quiet, but without variation in price.
The Ripon has taken £50,000 to Calcutta. Mexican dol-
lars—The Ripon has taken about £40,000 to China and the
Straits:; the amount sent would have been considerably
larger, but for the impossibility of procuring the coin. The
price obtained for the small parcels that have lately come
to hand is higher than has been known for nearly half a
century. Exchange on India for 60 days' sight bank drafts
is the same as last week. We quote Bombay,
2s Oid ; Calcutta and Madras, 2s. India Govern.
ment Loan Notes remain about the same as on
Thursday last. We quote 51 per Cents. 1121 to 113;
5 per Cents. 1051 to 106, and 4 per Cents. 951 to 96f.
Quotations for bullion :—Gold—Bar gold, 77s 92d per oz
std, last price ; bar gold, fine, 77s 101 d to 77s lld per on
std; bar gold refinable, 78s per oz std, last price; Spanish
doubloons, 76s to 77s per oz, but little doing; South Ame-
rican doubloons, 74s 6d to 75a per oz, last price; United
States gold coin, 76s 4!d per oz, last price. Silver—Bar
silver, 5a lid per bz, std ; bar silver, containing 5 gra gold,
5s lid per oz std, last price; fine cake silver, bs 6jd per
oz; Mexican dollars, 5s 51d per oz, last price, merely
nominal ; Spanish dollars (Carolus), 5s 2d per oz, nominal;
five-franc pieces, 4s 1 lid to 4s Hid per oz.

ATTEMPT AT MURDER.—Yesterday morning at
an early hour, in the neighbourhood of Morton-
street, Newington-causeway, cries of murder were heard
proceeding from a house, No. 2, in the above-named
thoroughfare. In a few minutes several police-constables
of the M division proceeded to the house, where they found
a man named Henry King bleeding profusely from a wound
in the aide. The sufferer was immediately removed to the
hospital, where little hope is entertained of his recovery. It
appeared that he had been stabbed by a woman knowr... as
Flash Kate Upton, with whom he had been living, The
woman, upon finding that she had caused a serious wound,
started off before the police had time to secure her, and up
to the present time has not been apprehended, but owing
to the delinquent being well known to the police, there is no
doubt but she will be speedily taken into custody.
DEATHS BY FIRE AT NICE.—We are sorry to
learn from a letter dated Nice, Jan. 21, that Mrs.
Johnstone Gordon expired on the 20th of January in con-
sequence of the injuries which she received some days
before, when it will be remembered her daughter, Mrs.
Johnstone Gordon, was so severely burnt as to die within.
36 hours. That unfortunate lady was buried early on the
morning of the 18th, the melancholy solemnity being at-
tended by a large number of the British residents; and a
most impressive sermon was preached on the occasion by
the Rev. C. Childers, the Consular Chaplain.
In one of Lover's Irish stories, the narrator,
describing the feats of a very knowing fox, tells
how Master Reynard entered a cottage, sat down by the
fire, and took up a _Roscommon Tournac. " Aisy now,"
cried a listener, " a fox read the paper ! I'm not going to
believe that." " Sure," replied the other, " an' if a fox
does'nt read the newspapers, how is he to know where the
hounds meet ?"

A rumour, of which co'nfirmation is promised,
bets 'reached us (Athencenn2), that the skeleton of a
crocodile has been discovered in the old red sandstone
in the neighbourhood of Elgin. If true, it marks another
epoch in geological science, as the fossil remains hitherto
found in that formation have been of creatures much lower-
in the scale of organisation.