The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-01 00:00:00

THE GALE.

Yesterday morning a violent storm of wind and
rain from the south-west broke over London. At 2
o'clock it was very severely felt in Camberwell and
Clapham, where considerable damage was done to
property. The gas was blown out in the lamps and
the district was left in darkness. On the Thames
several boats were forced from their moorings. A
barge laden with grain, in charge of a lighterman,
was forced against a buoy near Hermitage-pier, and
turned over, but fortunately the lighterman was
saved as well as the cargo. The roofs of several
houses in the vicinity of Woolwich were partially
blown off, and the inhabitants assert that they never
experienced such a violent storm. Boats and barges
were driven ashore and much injury done.
At Portsmouth the strong south-westerly gale
which set in on the south coast on Friday continued
to blow with undiminished strength from the same
quarter until early on the following morning, when
the wind veered to the north-west, and moderated
from a gale to a strong wind, with a clear atmo-
sphere, up to nearly sunset on Saturday. After
sunset the wind broke out again from the south-
west. As the night closed in it rose to a furious
hurricane, which, accompanied with rain and sleet,
continued through the night and until noon, when
it slightly veered westward and very much mode-
rated. Several large vessels, outward-bound, ran
into the Motherbank, St. Helen's, and Spithead an-
chorages from the Channel for shelter, but no serious
casualties seaward were reported. The Victoria Pier
barometer (Negretti and Zambra's seacoast) ranged
as follows during the past five days, the readings
having been taken at 10 a.m. Dec. 27th, 30.38 ;
28th, 30.0 ; 29th, 29.50 ; 30th, 29.82 ; and 31st,
29.50. On the 31st at 4 p.m., the reading was
29.50.

At Chatham, for several hours during the early
part of Saturday morning, the force of the wind was
unusually great, the pressure, as shown by the pa-
tent anemometer kept at the Government establish-
ment, being as much as from 251 b. to 301 b. to the
square foot. In anticipation of the gale having
abated, many of the vessels which had taken refuge
during the previous night inside the Isle of Graine
put to sea, but on Saturday afternoon many had
returned with loss of spars, bowsprits, &c. Yes-
terday there was an unusually large squadron of
colliers and other merchant vessels lying safe at
anchor at Blackstakes, and near the entrance to the
harbour, riding out the gale. The Great Eastern
suffered not the slightest damage on Friday night,
and during last night steam was again got up in
anticipation of the gale continuing. With extra
anchors down, and every precaution taken for her
safety, the great ship will, no doubt, ride out this
gale, as she has hitherto done all previous storms
since she has been at her present anchorage ground
in the Medway. At dusk last evening the force of
the wind had sensibly abated as the weather mode-
rated, the mercury standing at 29.15, showing a rise
of 3.loths since the morning. Many of the vessels
have already put to sea, and others are preparing to
get under way. During the height of the gale some
new houses which were in course of erection at
New Brompton had their roofs crrried away and the
fronts blown in, while in Rochester several roofs
were stripped of lead. The gale raged with great
fury in the neighbourhood of Rainham, two large
elms being uprooted and some damage done to
several houses.

The weather was so rough in the Channel yes-
terday that the South-Eastern Railway Company's
passenger boats between Folkestone and Boulogne
did not venture to sea.

The Scotsman states that on Friday afternoon a
very severe gale of wind passed over Edinburgh.
The weather in the forenoon was mild and pleasant,
but shortly after noon a strong wind rose, which in
the course of an hour had attained the violence of a
hurricane. The gale raged with great fury for seve-
ral hours, and when at its height it was as fierce as
any that have been experienced in this quarter for
a considerable time past. The streets during the
prevalence of the high wind presented a most un-
wonted appearance, and foot passengers were ex-
posed to great danger. The extreme force of the
wind may be imagined from the fact of several cabs
and carriages having been overturned while being
driven through the town. Towards evening the gale
moderated, and the night, although cold, was clear
and beautiful.

The American Press on the President's
Message.

-4.- -

Probably no executive documen't was ever awaited with
greater interest. It is safe to say that none over gave
greater satisfaction when received. Its views on the most
momentous subjects, domestic and foreign, that ever con-
cerned the nation, are full of wisdom, and are conveyed
with great force and dignity. . . . The whole docu-
ment is one of which every American may well be proud,
for its elevation of tone, its practical wisdom, and its quiet
exhibition of the national strength and glory. It will be
admired not only at home, but cannot fail of making a
most favorable impression all over the civilised world.
New York Times.

It is a pleasure to read his clear, striking sentences, the
undisguised utterances of a man who thus appreciates his
position and duties. The style of the message places it
very far above anything of its kind for many years. It is
able, vigorous, and, as it approaches the conclusion, rises
to eloquence seldom equalled, perhaps never surpassed, in
any American State paper. It will take rank among the
noble dacuments of our history ; and wo may be pardoned
the expression of a hope that it is the inauguration of a re-
turn to that style of message which has not for a long
period been in use at Washington, but which will be
acceptable to all cultivated men who admire and cherish
purity and elegance in the English language.—New York
Journal of Commerce.
The President's message will commend itself to the
special attention of the reader and to the general approval
of the American people. It is a smoothly written State
paper. It embodies a clear, frank, and unreserved exposi-
tion of the views and purposes by which ho has been
guided in his policy of Southern restoration, an encourag-
ing exhibit of the state of the country and various recom-
mendations to Congress upon the leading questions of the
day which mark the earnest patriot, the sagacious and
experienced statesman, and the steadfast and consistent
man of the people.—New York Herald.
On all his topics the President is frank, dignified, direct,
and manly. We do not recall a single ambiguous sentence
in the whole document. He is not as strong and decided
as we expected from the energy of his character, or as the
circumstances would warrant, in his treatment of recon-
struction. He defers more fo the opinion of Congress than
we supposed ho would. His previous course had led' us
to hope that he would insist upon as rapid a restoration of
the political relations of the South as might be compatible
with safety. The passage of the constitutional amend-
ment, which really removes the whole ground of contro-
versy, we imagined, would be made his single condition,
sine qua non, his test of loyalty, his means of general con-
ciliation and settlement. But he abandons the entire mat-
ter to Congress, with a simple history of what he had
himself done.—New York Evening Post.
No intelligent citizen will fail to read, thoroughly and
thoughtfully, the message of President Johnson. It is
marked by clearness and simplicity, compactness and force
of style. The President will carry:the people with him in
the manifest spirit as well as the logic of the document,
and his frank appeal for support and confidence will have
a hearty response. —Springfield, Massachusetts, Republican.
The message, as a whole, will, we feel confident, be ap-
proved by the supporters of the Administration generally,
both in and out of Congress.—Cincinnati Gazette.
The general tone of the Message may be described as
politic, cautious, patriotic, and dignified. Altogether it is
able, and will be read with considerable satisfaction by
nearly the entire people.—Chicago Tribune.
In its errors in doctrine and errors in fact, its unsound
ethics and its unsound politics, its partial views and its
extreme ones, the Message is a very accurate representa-
tive of the prevailing intellectual and moral confusion of
the times.—Cincinnati Enquirer.

The reader will not learn any more of the purposes of
the Executive than ho knew before, as far as Federal
power and state rights are concerned. He scribbles about
republicanism, State rights, and all that, but he does not
mean anything particularly.—Louisville Democrat.
There is throughout the document such a vein of good
sense, such sterling patriotism, such deference to the con-
stitution, and so much conscientiousness in the discharge
of Executive duties, and the whole country will rejoice
that a man so worthy of the high duty was proposed by
tho people to take upon himself the duties that the law as-
signed him on the death of Mr. Lincoln.—Louisville Press.

The President dwells in an atmosphere of pure reason.
He dismisses all passion as utterly unworthy of the great
occasion, and yet it is easy to perceive how ardent, intense
even, are his feelings, buthow perfectly he controls them.
The first message of Andrew Johnson to the Congress of
the United States will place him upon a higher pedestal
than ho has ever before occupied before the country and
the world. Louisville Journal.

The President meets every question unflinchingly, and
with a frank manliness that eminently characterises the
man. The heresy of State sovereignty, as attempted to be

taught and practised by the leaders of the South and the
Democratic party, is pretty thoroughly exploded. The
great problem of reconstruction is argued, and the present
policy justified ; but the President cheerfully yields to Con-
gress the right and province to determine tho whole
matter.—. Leavenworth Conservative.

His defence of the policy is terse, clear, and ingenious.
He brings it and its results to. Congress, and leaves with
that body the responsibility of accepting or rejecting it.
He enters into no discussion of the consequences of rejec-
tion. He makes no intimation as to what his course will
be should Southern members be denied admission.- As
we have said, it was much to be desired that he should, in
connection with this subject, have made some reference to
the future as well as the past.—Chicago Times.
Upon the whole, we think the country, in view of the
doubts and uncertainties of the past six months, will
feel very grateful for the message. It is exceedingly well
written, and betrays that earnest thought and deliberation
which is characteristic of the President. It will prove
more gratifying because of the total absence of any spirit
of resistance or defiance to the well-known wishes of the
people in the matter of reconstruction ; and because,
therefore, it promises the utmost harmony between the
Executive and the National Legislature.—Chicago Repub-
lican.