The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-21 00:00:00

GALE ON TB

On Tuesday and Wednesday last, a strong gale of '
wind blowing from the north-east, six vessels were driven
on shore in the bay of Ifartlepool, where they continue
stranded, with the exception of one, which has broken
up. On the afternoon of Tuesday well nigh one bun- -
dred vessels took the two harbours of Hartlepool and
West Hartlepool in safety ; but several vessels, at-
tempting to ride out the stsrm in the roads, were not.
destined to accomplish it. About midnight on. Tuesday,
and from that to Wednesday morning at four o'clock,
the gale rag6cl with terrific fury, the sea breaking over
the vessels at anchor in the bay in a mass of foam, and
the lights on shore being scarcely visible through the
murky gloom of the night, even when the seamen's eyes
were not blinded with the spray. The Plato, a fine
barque belonging to Mr. Henry Whyard, of London,
coal-factor, brought up in the bay on Tuesday evening,
and, about midnight, drifted from her anchors On to
the sands south of West Hartlepool. She is about
450 tons burthen, and has since been scuttled, so
that at high tide she may not strike against the sea
wall. She appears, however, to have broken her
back, and is very much strained. A brig named the
Deptford, of South Shields, which was observed
from the shore about oue o'clock on Wednesday
morning, riding with a light out, went ashore near to
Seaton Carew, and has since gone completely to pieces.
Her mainmast was seen to fall about midday on Wed-
nesday, and afterwards her foremast, and she is now
broken up. She belonged to Mr. J. Charlton Hender-
son, of South Shields. Another brig, the Corsair, of
Sunderland, in attempting to take the West Dock har-
bour, struck against the pier, lost her fore-topmast, and
drifted on to the sands, after letting go her anchors,
where she now lies, showing her glistening copper bot-
tom, and apparently in a good position for being
saved. There is another brig also on shore, named the
Essex of Sunderland, which is lying further seaward than
the others. A small sloop, the Henry Wells, of Boston,
is also ashore. She is laden with rock salt ; all the other
♦essels we have mentioned being light ships in ballast.
On Wednesday morning a schooner, the Prospect, of
Aberdeen, was observed attempting to make Hartlepool
harbour, but she was evidently drifting fast to leeward,
wisest theaailors' lifeboat was manned, and they sue seeded
in taking off the whole of the crew before the ♦essel
stranded, which she did shortly afterwards. She was
laden with pit props. With the exception of the crew
of this vessel, all the others escaped without assist-
ance, as the vessels came ashore at the top of the tide,
and were not long in being left high and dry. A
schooner named the Helene, Janes, of London, which
had been riding in the bay from four o'clock on Tues-
day evening, was now pulled towards by the seamen in
their lifeboat, but several heavy seas breaking over
them, snapped all their oars, excepting three, and
they were compelled to let the boat ga before the wind,
and beach upon the shore, which she did in good style.
The Helene afterwards hoisted a signal of distress, and
was, after two or three attempts being made, towed
into the harbour in safety. It would be difficult to esti-
mate the damage done, as it depends entirely upon whe-
ther the vessels are got off or not. It is feared that other
and more serious casualties must have occurred upon the
coast, and there are reports that a vessel foundered four
or five miles from Hartlepool, with all hands on board,
but we have not been able to find any foundation for
the story. At Sunderland the Niagara, Beverley, from
Quebec, is ashore in Hendon-bay ; but at Shields there
are no vessels ashore. A schooner, unknown, is on
shore near the mouth of the Tees ; and some other
vessels are said to be o❑ the sands at Redcar.