The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-23 00:00:00

DREADFUL HURRICANE-LSOS

OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.

(From the John o' Groat Journal.)
LERWICK, SEPT. 14.—0 n the night of Wednesday
last we experienced as severe a storm in this quarter as
we have had for many years. The herring boats were all
at sea, and, I need not say, that as the wind increased
they began to return as fast possible. Many of them
were in the harbour by ten o'clock, though others
were struggling all night against the elements. A
number of boats have been lost—some with all hands
on board. Six or seven of them have not yet been
accounted for in any way whatever. It is much feared
that they have all perished at sea. One boat came
in yesterday evening only. It would appear that she
was close down upon the coast of Norway, and was
enabled to get home again with great difficulty and
by good management. It was fortunate for the crew
that they bad followed the practice of having at all
times during the season one week's provisions and water
on board. The name of the owner and skipper of this
boat is Arthur White, and he certainly deserves all
praise for his manly management, and preservati:sn,
under Providence, of the lives under his charge. I
need hardly say, that a fearful gloom has been cast
over us all by the loss of life and property which has
taken place. Little more fish can be looked for this
season, unless the weather takes a decided turn for the
better. One boat, of sixteen feet keel, with chain
and anchor, was lifted clean up from the middle of
Deals Voe, and planted some hundred yards up in
the face of a hill. She was not much injured. Strange
to say the crops have not suffered as might have been
expected.
Klaxwm.e, SEPT. 14.—The gale of Wednesday
evenirg, the 9th current, must have been much worse
with us than with you, or farther south. It came on
to blow here, about 9 p.m., but fortunately no boats
were at the fishing, er a very great loss would have un-
doubtedly been sustained. As it was, however, the
damage done is very considerable. Six boats at Papa
Stronsay, North Isles, without crews on board, were
blown out to sea, some with their drifts of nets. There
is no probability of their ever being heard of again.
Three shared a similar fate at Cara, South Isles, and at
both places several others were sunk, some forced
ashore, and a few entirely destroyed. Three were
driven ashore at Houten, Orphir, one of them entirely
wrecked. Widewall, Holm, and Deerness, escaped
with little damage. Tee loss at Strorsay is estimated
at not less than 500/., and at Cara about 3001. On
the same night, five or six vessels, riding at Widetvall,
drifted from their moorings, and went on shore. One
of them is a French vessel, which, it is thought, will
become a wreck. The poor fishermen will suffer tnuch
from such heavy losses,after the very unsuccessful herring
fishing. The misfortune they have been subjected to
will be the complete ruin of many of them. The crops
suffered very much also. Potatoes, oats, and beer, are
greatly blasted, and some of the latter being about
ripe, was a good deal shaken. This calamity, it may
be said, has blasted our prospects very considerably.
Great fears were entertained for the safety of the Caith-
ness boats, especially after hearing that some of them
had reached the South Isles in the middle of the
night in great distress, and with much difficulty. We
were all anxiety for the safety of the mail, which ar-
rived at a late hour on Sunday evening, bringing us
four days' correspondence. We were glad to learn by
it that matters on your side were better than we ex-
pected. A vessel, about fifty feet in length, was seen
amongst some of the islands northwards, keel uppermost.
Yesterday (Sunday) some boats managed to tow the
vessel into Gairsay, tree of the tides. Charles Shirreff,
Esq., Vice-Admiral, and Robert Scarth, Esq., agent
for Lloyd's, have been out at her today, but I have
-not heard what has been the result of the examination.
The weather is now moderate.