The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-16 00:00:00

less violence, but with more rain than during the
previous gale, to the great detriment of the corn
stooks, which had been all blown down."
MOIDART.—The heaviest gale ever remembered
here was felt on the morning of the 3d inst. During
the previous day and evening there were no indica-
tions. Though the wind was high about 11 p.m.,
yet the barometer was at 29,8, having fallen two
degrees since the previous night. After 12 at
night it gradually increased, and seems to have
been at its height between three and five o'clock in
the morning. It seemed to be from north-west,
but was not steady. Between three and six in the
morning the barometer stood at 28.8. Great
damage has been done. The gale being accom-
panied by a high tide, a number of fishing boats
have been smashed ; and reporis reach us of loss of
life at sea. The naturdi wood and plantation have
been greatly dams ged. Two of the fine old plane
trees in the Prince's-walk, at Kinlochmoidart are
down, and others injured. The houses generally
have suffsred, and the roads are blocked up by
fallen trees. We hear of similar damage in the
adjoining districts of Sunart and Ardnamurchan.
LeertawE.—The storm of Wednesday morning
Yew with hurricane fury in this quarter, doing
much damage amongst the hay ricks and unsecured
grain crops, and to the timber on the banks of the
lake. It has been often said by travellers that the
timber on the banks of Lochawe is of a larger and
heavier character than that on the sides of any of
the other lochs of Scotland ; but whether that be
the case or not, the late storm has shown that no
branch, however large, and no root, however ex-
tended, has been able to withstand the force
of the late gale. On the estate of Inistrynich
alone, 500 trees hsve fallen to the blast,
of almost every kind of timber peculiar
to the north ; and amongst them an aged
elder, its extended boughs still full of foliage and
berry, measured close upon seven feet round the
stem ; also an aged birch measuring 8 feet in cir-
cumference near the ground, whilst some of the old
larch measured, just above the ground when cut,
upwards of ten feet in circumference. These old
wants of the forest must have stood many a hard
blast for 80 or 100 years, but they had to yield at
last to the wild fury of the storm, as it raged on the
morning of the 3d inst.
BROADFORD.—The gale of Tuesday night and
Wednesday morning last spread general terror and
dismay in the neighbourhood. The early part of
Tuesday night being fine, about 150 boats went to
sea at the Sound of Scalpa. About nine o'clock
the wind commenced to blow pretty hard, and
gradually increased in severity until all the boats
had to run for the shore, many of them leaving
their entire train of nets behind. The wind was
now so strong that the boats could do nothing but
run before it; two or three were swamped, the
crews being picked up by passing boats, but all the
rest got safe to land. Towards five o'clock in the
morning the wind came suddenly round to the
north, and blew with such terrific fury, that the
boats which had got safe ashore were many of
them broken and smashed on the shore ; others,
the crews in them, broke adrift, and all that could
be done was to steer the boat to the most conve-
nient beach where escape was possible. One boat
belonging to Applecross, with three of a crew, un-
fortunately struck on a rock in the Sound of
Scalpa, when the boat filled and went down, and
the three men were drowned. This sad accident
occurred within 12 yards of the shore, and people
looking on who could render no assistance. As far
as can be ascertained no more lives were lost in this
locality. A great many fishing vessels riding in the
Sound of Scalpa drove from their anchors, and went
ashore, some receiving considerable damage. At
Broadford Bay a smack loaded with lime went down
at:her anchors and has since become a total wreck;
crew saved. A small yacht was driven ashore at
Kyleakin and broken to pieces. Some boats received
damage there also. Indeed, the damage to boats
and vessels all along the coast is very great. The
fishermen must feel the loss of boats and nets
severely, more especially as it comes after a very
poor fishing.
GAIRLOCH.—This coast was visited this (Wed-
nesday) morning by one of the most terrific gales
experienced here for the last eighteen years. It
commenced about six o'clock, and continued to in-
crease in violence for some hours, tearing up trees
by the roots, unroofing houses, scattering the stooks
of corn far and wide, carrying away and breaking
boats, and destroying exposed property in such a
manner as a tropical hurricane only is capable of
doing. At Poolewe, on Friday night, some twenty
boats had shot their nets at the head of Lochewe,
quite close to land, and returned to their homes to
rest for some hours. Between six and seven o'clock
this morning, as they were proceeding to take up
their nets, one of the boats, with four of a crew,
capsized, and, sad to relate, three of them were
drowned—two being brothers. In another boat a
fine young lad met with a watery grave at the same
time, and within about an oar's-length of land. So
near was he to shore that he made sure:of being able
to leap from the boat safely; but, teats ! it was or-
dained otherwise. His body was found at ebb-tide
in the very part at which he had sunk. It adds
much to the distress of the relatives of the crew of
the first-named boat that the same families lost a
son each in one of the holes of the Australian gold
fields some 18 months ago. Two of the missing
men were married, and have left widows and or-
phans totally unprovided for. Their names are
William (married) and Donald, sons of Robert
Urquhart; Colin Mackenzie (married), Inverasdale;
and Alexander Mackenzie, Braes, of Inverasdale.
The event has cast a melancholy gloom over the
whole district.
ULLAPOOL.—Never in the recollection of the
oldest inhabitant has there been such a hurricane
as we had on the morning of Wednesday last, re-
sulting in the wreck of two sloops, a number of
boats, great loss of crops, uprooting trees, and in-
jury to houses. After one of the sloops wrecked
parted from her moorings, she was upset, and
floated away, keel uppermost, until one of her an-
chors grappled with the ground tackling of the
Marquis of Stafford's yacht, which rode out the
storm bravely and prevented the sloop from being
a total wreck.
STORNOWAY, Oct. 3.—We regret to mention that
this locality has been visited during last night and
this morning by a dreadful gale, resulting in a loss
of human life, and much damage to property and
the crops. Towards the end of last week we had a
few beautiful days, and a continuance of such the
high state of the barometer led us to expect, but it
;ell rapidly yesterday afternoon, end by midnight
it not only blew terribly from the south-west, but
the wind was accompanied by tosrents of gale. The
gale, however, did not attain its height between
five and six a.m. to-day, when the wind changed to
the north-west, in its fury causing the most sub-
stantial of our buildings to vibrate perceptibly, to
the great discomfort of the inmates, who were
alarmed lest they should, in a moment, be buried
in the ruins of their dwellings. Chimney-cans,
slates, and glass actually seemed t' have taken
wings to themselves, end were knocking about in
showers, rendering the streets too dangerous to be
frequented ; and small rivulets had become braw-
ling and impassable rivers. The schooner Mercury,
belonging to Mr. Wm. Robertson, laden with coals,
and lying at anchor off the esplanade, parted her
cable, and appeared disposed to take a cruise on her
own account, but fortunately was not successful,
having gone ashore in the vicinity of the Arnish
Lighthouse, where she now lies, and it is feared
will become a total wreck, entailing a heavy loss on
Mr. Robertson, who had an insurance over her.
Two other boats, one a pretty large wherry, newly
repaired, and the other a handsome four-oared gig,
were swept out to sea. The corn in stooks was
scattered all over the fields, many stacks were com-
pletely overturned, and the corn uncut euffered se-
verely. But the saddest occurrence was thedlothssreofe
a boat containing four fishermen, a father.aand
g
o
sons, belonging to the Aird of Taig, w
na lcee , cone
n
out to fish in the Broad Bay before theho
menced. They have not been heard of
d
pieces of a boat resembling theiFsaygh,ralaevNai,nev.ge.s
Tleiethmtlye
ashore on the opposite side of the e
a wat-ecrYucted, edoubt they have met withwere Macleods to name, and well conducted,
indus-
trious men.
rt
In Moray Firth there wer
l
lost. Some of these -we rep e
week, and
101wea rec
lasts wreck 10 lives
the Banffshil Journa supplied further details—
allfiercenes Ro
usse, of eftfh,teomthhuerrfoicramneer port on
:—About
12 o'clock the sloop lnverness, entered
when
bound the
d from
Bo ness to Avoch,
was running
evincing thevery
'
hMigahcd.uff boThhearnouser
wasb
with a cargo of coals, and le
Sunday morning. About 2 o clock on Wednesday
when the gale began, she
morning,
Head, and by 5 o'clock
reached Spey Bay, where
the master, Mr. Alexander. Macgregor managed to
his vessel until 8 o'clock. At '-
keep this time the
in strength,
gale greatly increased and he at once
resolved to run for Macduff. The little smack
behaved admirably, obeyed the helm well, and she
did not once ship a sea until at the mouth of Mac-
duff harbour. On the appearance of the vessel in
Banff Bay the lifeboat was taken out, and various
persons volunteered to man it, although the • service
wonld have been a hazardous one. The little sloop,
however, took the harbour beautifully, and the
oldest inhabitant does not
,recollect of a vessel
entering Macduff in a
Indeed the escape made bystonn of equal violence.
those on board is some-
thing
miraculous. The
heavy waves continued to
toss the sloop so much that in the course of less
than an hour she was literally broken up into
spars. The crew, consisting of the master, one
man, and a boy, had before hoc.)
this been taken as
by ropes. A ' considerable portion of the cargo was
carted ashore in • the
afternoon on the receding of
the tide, and the exile and aomo other atom live

been saved, and were sold by auction on Saturday.
The Rose was about 25 tons barthen, and was the

property of the master, Mr. Macgregor. She was
not insured. The cargo belonged to Mr. M
`Kenzie,
Avoch. Considerable anxiety was. felt in Macduff
for two youths who on Tuesday left that port in a
small open boat, inten&ng to sail to Leith. It was
learned, however, on Thursday that they had put
into Fraserburgh before the storm begazl. About
half a dozen sailing vessels and a steavier were
visible in Spey Bay until obscured by the heavy
vapour which arose on the increase of the storun at 9
o'clock. Just about that hour, the Jean and ADM
of Loosiemouth, Captain Sudding, drove ashore ,31
Nory's Scalp, a little to the east of Speymoutb.
The tide was then back, though advancing, and she
grounded so far from the beach as to render it im-
possible for the men to escape to shore. They be-
took themselves to the rigging for safety, no doubt
expecting that the ship would keep together until
high water, when, being driven close to the beach,
they would get safe to land as the water receded.
As soon as the condition of the vessel was known
in Garmouth, a number of men went with all.
despatch to the scene of distress, but as considerable
detention occurred crossing Spey—the severe gale
rendering it almost impossible to row a boat across
the river—the fate of the sufferers, five in number,
was sealed before they could reach them. In little
more than an hour after the vessel grounded, the
crew were all buried beneath the surf ; and the hull,
masts, rigging, and provisions, scattered along the
beach; We have never seen or heard of a wreck so
completely smashed in so short a time. Those who
were first on the spot saw the sailors clinging
to the
rigging and waving for aid. As they approached
nearer, the ship upset, and they were seen upon the
hull ; but the succeeding wave overturned her, and
the unfortunate men were seen no more. The hull
was shattered in a thousand pieces. The Jean and
Mary was the property of the master, and wqs
built a considerable time ago by Mr. John Duncan,
Kingston. The owner leaves a widow in Lossie-
mouth, whose anguish is greatly deepened by the
loss of her youngest son, aged about 14, who shared
his father's fate. The body of the captain was got
on Thursday, near Portgordon, and also that of one
of the men, James Ross, who belonged to Port-
gordon, and leaves a wife and three children. The
mate, Alexander Taylor, belonging to Brander-
burgh, leaves a wife and seven children. The re-
maining one of the five persons on board was
Thomas Robertson, from Hartlepool. .