The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-26 00:00:00

THE LATE STORM.

ORAN, FRIDAY, DEC. 15.—As this morning broke
with fair weather, wind at S.S.E., though the sky
was murky, and seemed portentous of the coming
storm, part of the shipping in our harbour were in-
duced to proceed on their voyages—viz., the Janet
Condie, D. Kerr, master, wool and tow laden, and
bound for Glasgow; and the Jessie smack, Dewar,
master, likewise for Glasgow, wool laden. Those
vessels got as far as Easdale, where they arrived
before the gale got to its height, as it had increased
to a perfect hurricane before two o'clock P. M., such
as has seldom fell to our lot to witness. Towards
four P.M. the wind veered to the S.S.W., where it
continued with unabated fury till ten P.M. Great
fears were entertained for the vessels above named,
and for the ship W. C. Binley, Whittesley, comman-
der, from New York, and bound for Glasgow, out
20 days, with a cargo of cotton, flour, and lard.
This ship was seen in our offing on the morning of
the 14th ; and a pilot having gone on board, the ship
was brought to anchor between the island of Graick
and the Lismore land. To prevent the ship drag-
ging her anchor, her masts had to be cut away. Mr.
James Cunstie, Lloyd's agent, is at the scene of dis-
aster, who will render every assistance for saving
both ship and cargo.
We have just learned that, to ride the gale in
safety, Captain Kerr had .to cut away the masts of
the Janet Condie, at Easdale, where she now lies dis-
masted ; and we regret having to record the total
loss of the Jessie, Dewar, master; and Torrhand,
Dymrod, at Easdale. The Agnes, of Arbroath, is
ashore at the Horse Shoe, damaged—extent unknown.
Much damage was also sustained by the shipping at
our quay, from the insufficient state of the mooring-
rings and palls, which gave way in more than one in-
stance. We regret that the North Pier at Oban,
where there is so much traffic, has not more atten-
tion paid to its sufficiency in all respects to ensure
the safety of shipping frequenting it. The quay is
not at all commensurate with the interests of this
rising seaport.
At Easdale three vessels went ashore, and became
wrecks, with the less of three lives. Some of the
seamen saved themselves by jumping on board the
Janet.—North British Mail.

CURIOUS LAW or NEW EPIDEMICS.—The ave-
rage visitations of new fatal exotics have bean calculated
as recurring at each revolution of forty years, and there
is none on record which has been in this country less
fatal than Asiatic cholera. After the first appearance
of an exotic epidemic, failing of naturalization, it has a
tendency to repeat its visit once in each revolution of
sixteen years. Thus the sweating sickness, which was
said to have been brought over along with the army of
Richmond, afterwards Henry VP=., first appeared at
Milford Haven in the year 1483, when meeting with no
apt epidemical condition, it soon disappeared. It re-
peated its visitation under epidemic influence in 1485 ;
and it re-appeared altogether five times, with an ave
rage interspace of sixteen years ; not until its fourth
visitation reaching the court, and proving mortal to
many of the courtiers in six hours, Henry VIII. owing
his emergence from a severe attack to till well-known
vi!,..our of
his constitution. At its fifth and last return,
r sixth visit, in 1551, it carried off 120 in a day within
the precincts of Westminster alone, where tho two sons
of Charles 13-andon, both Dukes of Suffilk, died of it—
tirees with the inter-
spa bets 11., two Ais iC e:i —l./00/
Dr. Collier's Code of Causes, EqTects, and of Safety,
New Epidemics. . _ i.;;;LJ.wp