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

GALE ON T.

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 Hartlepool, where they continue
stranded, with the exception of one, which has broken
up. On the afternoon of Tuesday well nigh one hun-
dred vessels took the two harbours of Hartlepool and
West Hartlepool in safety ; but several vessels, at-
tempting to ride out the storm 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 raged 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 is 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 shorn about one 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. .I: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
vessels 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,
wl.onthe sailors' lifeboat was manned, and they suc.;eeded
in taking off the whole of the crew before the vessel
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, James, 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 go 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 on the sands at Redcar.

BRITISH RAILWAY ENTERPRISE IN
DENMARK.

Mr. Peto, M.P., and a number of railway celebrities
leave Lowestoft this (Saturday) morning, on beard the
North of Europe Steam Navigation Company's fine ♦es-
sel, Cyprus, to open, on Wednesday next, the impor-
tant line of railway, just completed, connecting the
Baltic and the Black Sea, namely, the first section
of the Royal Danish, or King Frederick the Seventh's
South Sleswig Railway, from.Tenning to Flensburg,
♦ia Hunsum to Rendshurg, forming the junction with
the Kiel and Altona and other railways. The works
have been prosecuted with such ♦igour by
Messrs. Peto, Betts, and Brassey, the contractors, that
the whole line kis in a condition to be opened for general
traffic much earlier than was anticipated. Considering
our present relations with Russia, the completion of an
undertaking like this, so greatly facilitating as it does
our intercourse with Northern Europe, and rendering
communication prompt aid easy with the Baltic ports,
irrespective of temperature of the weather, is a matter of
no little political significence, as well as of commercial
and social interest. The inauguration will take place
with impressive pomp and ceremony, the King of Den-
mark being expected to be present, together with several
members of the Royal family, the Ministry, and leading
functionaries in all departments of the State ; while the
representatives of English skill and capital will also
muster in large numbers.

VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND PROMO
TIONS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Customs.—Promotions.—Mr. J. Green, collector of
Stranraer, has been promoted t• be controller of Glas-
gow ; Mr. G. Connolly, sub-controller at Toughal, Cork,
has been promoted to be collector of Stranraer ; Mr. J.
Heyward, third clerk at Folkestone, has been promoted
to be sub-controller at Youghal ; Mr. M. Keinedy, prin-
cipal coast officer at Alderney, has been promoted to be
controller at Lerwick.

General Post-office.—Vacancies.—By the superannua-
tion of Messrs. Benjamin Churchill and W. Johnson, the
surveyors of the North Wales and London districts of
the Post-office, two very important appointments become
vacant, of the value, including fees and allowaccit, of
7001. a year each.
House of Commons.—Vacancy.—The appointment of
second door-keeper of the House of Commons is vacant,
caused by the death on the 19th inst., of Mr. Tindall.
Salary 3001. In the gift of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Inspector of Prisons Department.—Vacancy.—The
appointment of governor of Coldbath-fields Prison is
vacant, ♦ice Geo. L. Chesterton, resigned ; 500/. per
annum, with residence, taxes free, and other allowances.
The age of the candidate must not be less than thirty,
nor more than forty-five. Testimonials to be forwarded
to Mr. Wright before the 20th of November, at the
Sessions-house, Clerkenwell.
Inland Revenue Department.—VacancieP.—The ap•
pointment of Commissioner of Inland Revenue is va-
cant, caused by the decase of Mr. Charles Powlett
Rushworth ; 1,2001. per annum; in the gift of the
Treasury.—Civil Service Gazette.

THE FBENCJI ARTILLERY AT ALMA

.----....--..0.

A report received at Bourges speaks as follows
of the 2d battery of the 12th Rigiment of Artillery
at the battle of the Alma :

" Gen. Bosquet, passing several times near this bat-
tery during the battle, was so struck with the conduct
of the men composing it, that he cried out more than
once, 'Bravo, artillerymen !' Lieut. Pelet, seeing one of
the men who was employed in loading a piece killed by
a cannon-ball from the enemy, alighted from his horse
and teak his place. A. marechal de-logis, who had his
cloak carried over his shoulder and tied at the waist,
had it carried away by a cannon-ball and at the same
time part of the belt of his cartridge-box. The shock
knocked him down, but he was able immediately after to
rise and continue his work. Another man also had his
canvas-bag carried away in a similar manner. This
battery hal two men killed and nine wounded, one
having his leg carried away. In consequence of the
gallant conduct of the 2d battery, Capt. Robinot has
been proposed for chef-d'escadrou, and Lieut. Pelet for
Captain. Two mar4chaux-de-logic, namod Cocu and
Coignard, have been proposed for the cross, and two
brigadiers and a private for the military medal. Twelve
horses were killed, and much injury done by the enemy's
fire to several of the gun carriages and other effects."

CURRENTS

,
-
The following interesting docuiiie•
utc am, I:10 for-
warded to us for publication : ‘-' ‘•'
" Ship Plantagenet, from Sydney to London, Thurs-
day, January 12, 1854, one p.m., ship time. Latitude,
7 degs. 58 min. south ; longitude, 33 degs. 21 min.
west ; barometer, 29.98 attached ; thermometer, 831
deg. Wind steady between N.E. and E.N.E., and has
been so since the Ist of the month, when we were in
latitude 28.48 south, longitude 25.16 west. Weather
generally very fair, with a few passing clouds, and occa-
sionally a few rain drops, though but seldom. All flying
sail set. _

".This bottle is despatched to ascertain the direction
of the current, which I presume is now forming into the
Brazilian branch of the equatorial current ' • therefore
would set to the S.W. I shall despatch a bottle daily
while in this locality, to try and ascertain where the
main current divides into the two branches—the one
S.W. along the Brazil coast, and the other round Cape
St. Roque to the N.W.
"The current we have experienced has been for the
last two days, as near as I can calculate (not being con-
nected with the ship), about eighteen miles per day
westerly. " W. PARKra SNOW."
" Whoever finds this paper will ohlige by sending it
to the Consul, or some other authority, for transmission
to the editor of the Nautical Gazette, London.
"It is requested that the party finding this bottle
will be particular in noting the day and place when and
" where it was found. W. P. S."
" Note.—By a lunar observation I took at eight,
p.m., yesterday, I make our longitude about twenty
miles more west."

"British Vice•Consuhte, Maceio, Aug. 25,
1854.
" The bottle was picked up ten days ago, close in
shore, about ten miles to southward of this port.
(Sigied) "JAMES BARNETT, Vice-
Consul."

LIGHTHOUSES IN SHETLAND FOR TER
BALTIC AND WHITE REA SQUADRONS.

In consideration of the possibility of our fleets in the
White Sea and o
fthe h
es Baltiche t being She
Isledsriv
the
en
Governmenttowards
rugged shores
determined to exhibit lights on the eas2tern and northern
points of Shetland. We are glad to be able to state that
the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses have now
succeeded in
.establishing these lights, which are of a
temporary description, in order to meet the emergency.
Owing to the remoteness of the situations, and the ne-
cessarily short time that could be devoted to the prepa-
ration of the lights, the utmost exertion had to be used
to bring the works to a successful issue before the pre-
sent season. The lighthouse towers were made of logs
of timber and rubble masonry, and the lanterns of iron ;
and these, together with the lighting apparatus and
machinery, and the iron houses for the lightkeepers'
dwellings, were all prepared and fitted up in Leith and
Edinburgh previously to be sent off. One of the sta-
tions on which a light has been exhibited is Whalsey
Skerries, the most eastern point of the Shetland Islands,
4 dangerous outlying cluster of rocks and islands, ex-
tending about 16 miles from the mainland of Shetland.
But the other and store remarkable work is the North
Uist Light, which is situated on an isolated rocky islet
lying to the north of the Shetland Isles, and, with the
exception of a small outlying rock called the " Out-
stalk," the most northern point of her Majesty's
dominions. The North Uist Light is placed on a prey/
cipitous and rugged rock about 150 feet high. The top
of the rock measor about 200 feet by 80 feet, and upon
this limited area is erected a lighthouse tower and dwel-
ling-houses, together with watertank and coalstore, the
whole being protected from sea spray and, wind by walls
of rubble stone set in Roman cement. So difficult was
including
lime, ascent to the rock that everything used,
lime, cement, sand, water, and ironwork, &c., of all
kinds, as well as a year's supply of oil, fuel, provisions,
and other stores for the due maintenance of the light,
had to be carried up on the backs of the workmen. Four
lightkeepers are appointed to the North Uist Light ;
three will he constantly on the rock, and the fourth will
have his turn of leave on shore by rotation, when it will
be his duty daily to observe the signals made at par-
ticular hours each day from the rock, and, if a signal
requiring assistance is made, immediately to proceed to
the lighthouse in the attending boat provided for the
purpose.—Northern Ensign.