The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-12 00:00:00

Violent Gale,

A fearful gale from the south-south-west burst
over London yesterday morning, and continued to
blow throughout the day in gusts more violent than
any we have experienced even in the course of this
unusually stormy winter. It was accompanied by
a heavy rain, which swept in blinding torrents
against these who had occasion to face the blast.
The wind whistled wildly over the roofs and past the
open passages, making our ill-built houses tremble
to their foundations. The cabmen and omnibus-
drivers, blinded and confused by the wind and rain,
seemed at times scarcely able to remain in their
seats or keep their vehicles clear of the footpaths,
and the horses seemed unable to drag their load
against the wind and rain. From all parts of the
town accidents are reported. Chimneys have been
blown down, houses unroofed, leads and signboards
torn from the walls, and temporary wooden erec-
tions thrown to the ground. In Dulwich-lane a
part of the roof of a stable was carried away, and a
boy named Edward Parsons was badly injured about
the head. A Mr. Symonds was proceeding along
the New Cross-road when a quantity of slates from
the roof of a house struck him on the head and
knocked him down. On being raised it was found
that he was insensible. He was taken to a surgeon's,
where his injury (a scalp wound) tvas attended to.
In the Old Kent-road a scaffold in front of a house
in course of erection gave way with a loud crash,
and two men named Edward Coe and Geo. Sand-
man, who were passing,. sustained injuries so severs
that they had to be taken to the hospital. In the
Westminster-road part of an outhouse was demo-
lished, and several persons narrowly escaped injury.
At South Lambeth a house was completely stripped
of lead, and in Larkhall-lane a man named Stephen
Fountain was much cut about by some falling frag-
ments. A man in passing along Clapham-road had
a very narrow escape ; a piece of leaden gutter came
down, but it fortunately caught the point of his
umbrella, which warded off the blow, but caused

him to stagger and fall. About four o'clock in

the afternoon a most alarming accident occurred.
A cottage partly used as a workshop and
partly as a dwelling-house at the back of the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. Valentine, bookseller, 34,
Alfred-street, Bedford-square, and in the occupation
of Mr. Ranvaud, bookbinder, was blown in. Mr.
Ranvaud, his wife, and three little children, as well
as a visitor, were completely buried under the ruins.
Mr. Ranvaud, not losing his presence of mind, suc-
ceeded in extricating his family from under the fall-
ing rubbish. In this he was most fortunately assisted
by two foreigners living close by. The house is com-
pletely destroyed, and although no loss of life is to
be feared, the consequence of the accidents will be
severely felt by Mr. Ranvaud. The storm has com-
mitted considerable havoc down the South-Western
and South-Eastern lines, and the engine-drivers de-
scribe the gale as having been of unprecedented vio-
lence. Owing to the heavy rains, the land about
Tottenham and other places on the Eastern Coun-
ties line was inundated, and much damage done.
On the river the scene was truly alarming, the water
at high tide being forced over the low-lying shores
and deluging the basement of houses ; whilst navi-
gation was carried on with considerable danger, the
steamers being scarcely able to make headway. The
vessels in the Pool suffered considerably in the injury
to rigging, and some violent collisions are reported.
PORTSMOUTH, Sunday.

The fine summer weather of Thursday last was
succeeded on Friday by a strong W.S.W. wind, with
continuous rain throughout the day, and a falling
barometer. On Saturday tho wind was generally
fresh from the same quarter, with fierce hail and
rain squalls from the IV.N.W., and passing over at
abort intervals, the mercury in one of .Negretti's sea
coast barometers being steady from 10 a.m. until sun-
set at 29.55. At midnight the mercury began to fall
rapidly, with the wind veering to S., and at 4 a m.
to-day a furious gale from the south was sweeping
over the Channel and raising a tremendous sea
on the English coast line. At 9 a:m. the barometer
had fallen to 29.0 --half an inch in 12 hours, and the
squalls which occasionallysWept over added materially
to the strength and dangerous character of the gale.
No communication was possible with the shipping
anchored off Spithead, the Motherbank, or St.
Helen's, many of which rode heavily at their anchors.
No fears were felt, however, for the safety of any
of the vessels moored on such excellent ground, so
long as their chains and anchors did not part.
Among the vessels anchored at Spithead was a large
vessel brought up there late on Saturday evening,
-which was believed to be the Tweed, hired troop-
ship, with the headquarters of the 72d Regiment
on board, from India. At 1 p.m. the barometer was
28.72, with the wind veering in to S.W., and blow-
ing furiously. Throughout the afternoon the gale
raged with unparalleled violence, the wind veering
in further to the westward. The streets of the town
were rendered utterly impassable to carriages or foot
passengers, not only from the fury of the gale, but
from the continual downfall of destroyed house
roofs and chimney stacks-, the very house in which
this report was written being partially destroyed,
and but two rooms left in it habitable. The vane of
the ancient tower of St. Thomas's Church, a gilt
metal full-rigged ship, 6 feet in length, placed there
in 1710, has been partly dismounted, and the spin-
dle on which it revolves bent out of its perpendicular
to an angle of 30 degrees, notwithstanding its great
strength. A french brig has been driven ashore un-
der Haslar Hospital walls, but the crew have been
taken off and brought ashore safely. The injury in-
flicted on house property must be very great already,
scarcely a building or house standing adjacent in
Portsmouth adjacent to the sea beach but has re-
ceived more or less damage. Since 1 p.m. the baro-
meter has stood at 28.72, the wind now (5 30 pan.)
being slightly north of west, but the gale is still as
violent, and sunset closed with every promise of a
fearful night at sea and to some extent also on shore.
CHATHAM, Sunday Evening.
A tremendous gale with rain broke over this port
and neighbourhood this morning, preceded by a
rapid fall of the barometer. During the gale the
wind, which had the force of a hurricane, shifted
from the south-west and southward to the westward,
and back again, while the rain descended in sheets
of water. The vessels of war and other shipping in
harbour have adopted necessary precautions to pre-
vent casualties, and nearly all have an extra anchor

down. The Wellesley, 72, has sent down her royals,
while the other ships have their yards braced to the
wind, the gale having every appearance of continu-

ing.

On board the Great Eastern steamer the usual

precautions have been adopted to enable the huge
vessel to ride out the gale at her anchorage. Steam
has been got up in some of the boilers in readiness
for any _ emergency should the violent gale cause her
T'° drag her anchorf, There is a large fleet of ves-
sels lyin,
b.inside thCsle of Grain and near the Little
Nore. which • _
',-,u have brought up during the day to
await the gale moderating, many of them having
lost spars and bowsprits, with other minor damages.
The barometer has
been falling throughout the
afternoon and evening, and at the time of this de-
spatch the mercury had
descended to 28.25, the gale
still raging, but the rain t
having ceased. Numerous
vessels continue to arrive
their position
for the night at the entranceeiot
,rbeing o taketont up
the harbour, Up to
the moment of this r
g.forwarded our cor-
respondent had not received intelligence
serious casualties, although it it, of any
feared that the
morning's reports will show a considerable amount
of damage having been sustained.
PORTLAND, DORSET
, Sunday.—
Yesterday the wind blew from W., fresh, with
hail and rain squalls, but during last night it shifted
into S., increasing to a heavy gale with rain. There
are about 150 vessels in this harbour and in wey_
mouth Roads riding out the gale. Through the
wind having shifted to a more southerly quarter,
and having blown so violently all night, a very
heavy sea rolls in from the Channel, and most of
the vessels are riding with anchors down. At 10
o'clock this morning the barometer read as low as
28.80 in., and still seemed to fall. The Mis-
sionary ship John Williams, bound to Mel-
bourne, Australia, which sailed hence last Monday
week, has again returned for shelter, having expe-
rienced very severe weather since she left here. There i

are also several large steamers which were outward
bound again at anchor in the harbour, having put
back through the heavy weather which has prevailed

in the Channel for so many weeks past. No serious
casualties have occurred either to the shipping, the
breakwater, or any buildings on land up to the
present time (1 p.m.), but the wind is now blowing
with the force of a hurricane.