The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-20 00:00:00

THE LATE G.ALES.

LrvERPOOL, FEB. 18.
During the whole of yesterday and to-day it has
blown a terrific gale from the north-west, accompanied
with heavy showers of hail, snow, and rain. The ship-
ing in the river and channel have suffered severely, and
there has likewise been a fearful loss of life. The swell
on the river was unusually high, and many of the ferry
steamers ceased to run. The Woodside boats, which
are the finest ferry steamers on the river, only run occa-
sionally.
The first report that reached the underwriters' rooms
this morning was, that large quantities of barrel flour
and bales of rags were washing ashore near /Slew
Brighton. It was at first not known to what vessel
they belonged, but it has since been ascertained that
they formed the cargo of a large coasting schooner,
which was seen floating bottom up near the spot. It is
believed that all hands belonging to the schooner have
perished.
The most fearful casualty which we have yet heard
of occurred about one o'clock this afternoon. At an
early hour it was made known that the barque Che-
rokee was ashore on the East Hoyle Bank, when prepa-
rations were immediately made for rendering all the
assistance possible. For this purpose the steam-tug
President, with the Liverpool life-boat in tow, and the
steam-tug Victoria, with the Tug Company's life-boat in
tow, sailed to the assistance of the unfortunate barque.
The sea was very high in the Rock Channel at the time,
and the boats were towed with difficulty. When near the
bank, the Tug Company's lifeboat, which was in tow of
the steamer Victoria, soddenly capsized, and, out of 11
persons that formed her crew, only one was saved. The
men who were drowned were experienced river boatmen,
all in poor circumstances, and several of them have left
large families totally unprovided for. While on the
Hoyle-bank, the Hoylake lifeboat went to the Cherokee,
and succeeded in taking off p ‘rt of the crew. At noon
she drifted over the bank, and went ashore near Dove-
point ; but, the sea being so rough and the wind so
strong, it was impossible for the lifeboat to approach,
and it was expected she would soon go to pieces. The
Cherokee belonged to,Messrs. Horsfall, and only sailed
yesterday for Africa.
The steamship Alps, Captain Little, which should
have sailed about 11 o'clock with the usual mails for
Halifax and Boston, was prevented from putting to sea
by the violence of the gale.
The Windsor, for Para, and the Brevet, for Melbourne,
were in collision in the river. The former lost her main-
mast, &c., and the latter damaged her head, cut-
water, &c.
The ship Evelyn, for London, got ashore in Bootle-
bay, but came off again at high water, with the assist-
ance of three powerful steamtugs. She lost anchors,
chains, &c.
A A flat capsized off George's pierhead, but the crew
were saved..
A brig was driven ashore at Dingle-bole, and at low
water was high and dry.
The ,steamer Commodore, from Havre, got ashore near
EL;Temont, but got off on the flood, and anchored in the
river.

Although the force of the gale has moderated, it still
Wows very freshly, and at noon it was blowing a strong
gale from the north at Holyhead.

= AWFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT
WIGAN.

,
1 On Saturday afternoon an explosion of firedamp oc-
siurred in the Arley mine of the Ince-hall Coal Company,
near Wigan, attended by an appalling loss of life.
In the morning about 240 men and boys had descended
Ole coalpit, and all went on well until about three
q'clock, when two reports were heard in quick succession
ley those at the mouth of the pit, and soon after the
Elignal was given by colliers below to be drawn up the
shaft
About 30 men were taken out after this signal from
the south working, who reported an explosion in the
north levels' which they said were on fire near the. eye
of the shaft, so as to cut off the retreat of the workmen
Piere. .
Mr. Darlington, the manager, was sent for, but some
ours
enable
elapsedh im
and a
before
bodythe fire f
sceoaurledh be e r
aextinguished,
enter the nsoor ta s
h
li vels for the purpose of recovering the colliers who
I fight be still alive.
i When they did get into the levels they had an appall-
!, i g task. They encountered heaps of dead. During
the afternoon and night not fewer than 60 dead bodies
: were taken out of the pit, and, in the course of yester-
day, about 24 others were recovered, making a total of
86 per-ons dead.
Only a few, and those much exhausted, have been
taken out alive. Some of the colliers had escaped by
another pit, so that the exact number killed is not
known ; but there is every reason to believe that at
eight o'clock last night there were still 40 persons in the
levels, under or beyond a large portion of roofing which
had fallen in, and as none of the colliers discovered since
Saturday night were alive, it is feared the number killed
is not less than 120. Of course, so appalling an acci-
dent has caused great excitement, and the mouth of the
pi
was surrounded on Saturday and yesterday by many
thousand people, including wifes, sisters, and mothers of
1 the deceased, almost distracted with grief.
! i n It is
eh the same mine in which about 60 lives were lost
last by a similar explosion.

-- ---
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONIS.-With all the attention
that is paid to fitting out the fleets and the army at
Deptford and Gosport,
the supplies to Sir E. Belcher's
Arctic searching expedition are being prepared for
shipping in the Talbot, old 26, now being fitted at Dept-
ford. At the Clarence establishment there are manu-
facturing 6 tons of pemmican for the Arctic squadron.