The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-27 00:00:00

The Gale.

. On Friday, the 23d inst., during a heavy gale
from the south-west, a barque was observed close
in shore endeavouring to weather the Start Point ;
failing to do this she came ashore on the Prawle
rocks half a mile to the west of the Start Light-
house. Mr. Popplestone, the occupier of the Start
estate, who had been anxiously watching this ill-
fated ship, and who was the only witness of the
disaster in this lonely spot, proceeded at once over
the precipitous cliffs, and with a rope succeeded in
saving three of the crew at the imminent risk of
his own life—one sea having washed him of the rock,
but in the returning wave he regained his footing.
The vessel proved to be the Spirit of the Ocean, R.
Cary master, registered 550 tons, bound for Halifax.
She struck on the rocks at half-past 6 p.m., and
parted immediately amidships on striking, the fore
part, in which were the crew, turning over keel up-
permost the passengers being in the stern of the
vessel, were all drowned in the poop cabin. The sole
survivor from that part of the ship was the mate,
who was rescued from his perilous position at 10
p.m. by Mr. Popplestone, with the assistance of the
coastguard, who arrived at 8 from the Tor-cross
station with their rocket apparatus. Of the crew
only Creighton Jenkins (mate), William Impett
(boatswain), and Muller and another German (sea-
men) are saved. The passengers were Mr. and Mrs.
Cooke and four children, Mr. Cooke (nephew) ;
Messrs. S. Brown, J. Bailey, J. Stewart, R. Jones,
and C. Lunn, besides a crew of 17 men, consisting
of Roulle Cary, master, who leaves a wife and four
children ; Creighton Jenkins, chief mate ; J. W.
Wood, second mate ; J. Hill, carpenter; P.Wyness,
steward ; D. Cook, cook ; J. Gamer, W. Impett,
G. Wilmut, J. Muller, 0. Torngren, J. Palmer, G.
Ahern, G. Lee, C.Wood, C. Brown, and J.M‘Guyra.
The Spirit of the Ocean was two years old, 1,100
tons burdens, classed A 1 at Lloyds', and was owned
by George Crashaw and Co., of London. The ship
and cargo were valued at about £65,000, the loss of
which will fall principally upon the London insur-
ance offices and underwriters.
PORTSMOUTH, March 10.

The English bark Queen of the Ocean, the Italian
brig Leopold, and the Swedish schooner Christina
Wabbagena, have all been taken into Portsmouth,
with severe damage from the gale of Friday in the
immediate vicinity of the Isle of Wight. The Queen
of the Ocean was in ballast, from London to Cardiff,
and was making her way down Channel, when, at 2
p.m. on Friday, she was struck by a heavy sea which
threw her on her beamends, shifting the ballast and
conpelling the captain of the vessel to cut away the
masts to- enable the vessel to right herself. The
Leopold lost her maintopmast and topgallant masts,
with all gear attached, in the same squall, the sea
sweeping her decks and carrying overboard the boat,
spare spars, sails, chain, and other fixtures on the
deck. The Christina Wabbagena drove ashore off
Bembridge, and lost two anchors and cable, rudder,
and sails. She was afterwards assistedoff, and taken
into Portsmouth harbour for survey and repairs.
PLYMOUTH, Monday.

The schooner John Munroe, which was driven
ashore on the rocks near Plymouth Hoe on Friday,
will probably become a total wreck. The Prussian
brigantine Esther Dorn, Capt. Redepenning, went
on the rocks in St. Austell Bay on Friday. A vessel
which arrived in Mount's Bay the same clay ob-
served 15 miles S. of Lizard Point a large steamer
rolling about in the trough of the sea, apparently
unmanageable. The bark Young Dixon, 328 tons,
from Newcastle for Alexandria, was to tally destroyed
by fire on Friday off the Land's End, through the
spontaneous combustion of her cargo of coal.
DEAL, March 24.

Captain Betts reports that the North Deal life-
boat of the National Institution had been off to a
schooner wrecked on the Goodwin Sands, and had
providentially been the means of rescuing five of the
crew. The crew were all lashed to the rigging when
discovered at daybreak this morning. They were
much exhausted, having been there all night, and
the boy was dead. The schooner was the Peerless,
of Aberystwith, iron-laden. The Ramsgate lifeboat
went out in tow of the steamtug Aid to the same
wreck, but on arriving she found the North Deal
boat alongside. The tug then towed the latter life-
boat abreast of Deal, and returned with the other
lifeboat to Ramsgate harbour.
GREAT YARMOUTH, March 24.

During a gale of wind and heavy sea last evening
the schooner Ann, of Torquay, which was at anchor
in the roads, drifted close to the breakers near the
south side of the north pier, and the crew signalled
for assistance. The small surf lifeboat of the Na-
tional Lifeboat Institution was thereupon at once
launched, and brought ashore the crew of three men.
The vessel was again boarded this morning by the
beachmen, who got her clear of the shore and took
her to the middle of the Roads.

REDCAR, YORKSHIRE, March 24.

This morning the billiboy Gipsy, of Wisbeach,
went on the Redcar rocks during a heavy gale and
cross sea, and became a total wreck. Fortunately
the Crossley lifeboat of the National Lifeboat In-
stitution was the means of saving those on board
the vessel—three men and a woman.
CARDIGAN, March 24.

It has been blowing a gale from the south (states
Mr. E. L. Tenfold). At daylight the Elizabeth, of
Cardigan, attempted to cross the bar, but in doing
so her jib sheet was blown away, and she struck on
the bar, the sea making a clean breach over her.
Seeing the signal of distress flying, the lifeboat of
the National Lifeboat Institution went out through
a heavy surf and rescued all the men on board, six
in number, who were clinging to the rigging. The
men had previously attempted to launch their own
boat, but she was immediately swamped, and they
had given themselves up for lost before they saw the
lifeboat nearing them.

PENArtm, March 23.
At
10 o'clock this evening signals of distress were
exhibited near the Cardiff Sands (says the Rev. C.
Parsons)_
It was
The
blowing a strong gale from S.W.
National
proceeded
at the time.
Lifeboat was immediately
istitution Penarth lifeboat belonging to the
Lif
launched and
inh
had
dfrom the brig Claudia,.
othe direction of the lights,
which were found to be B
f. of water in the
of Belfast, which vessel
w
the
a leak.
g in
-
o
This
gained so much that there was r.it
hold. By great exertions the pumps
ing, the anchors were raised, and at ten o'clock ept k
the morning the vessel was placed in safety on the
Cardiff East Mud, near the Bute Docks.
SWANSEA, March 24.
It has been blowing here very hard (reports Mr.
A. Sterry). During a heavy gale the brig Vesty, of

Whitby was observed to be very deep in the water
amd in a sinking state. The lifeboat of the National
Lifeboat Institution was promptly launched, and in
ha7if an hour succeeded in reaching the wreck, which
had sunk; and was fortunately instrumental in res-
cuin g the crew of 11 men from the rigging of the
brig .

PETERHEAD, N. 8., March 24.

It has been blowing a gale from the south-east
since last night, with a heavy sea (says Mr. William
Boyd). About 11 45 a.m. the brig Providence, of
Drammen, struck on the rocks near the entrance of
-the South harbour. The lifeboat of the National
Lifeboat Institution was at once launched when the
perilous position of the vessel was seen, and suc-
ceeded in saving the lives of the crew of eight men
of the brig, which has since become a total wreck.
DUNDALK, IRELAND, March 24.

We have bad a fearful storm here since 12 o'clock
yesterday (says Mr. T. J. Pooler). The bark Julia,
of Liverpool, bound from that place to Port-au-
Prince, with a general cargo, struck on the Brig-hill
Bank, Dundalk Bay, at 10 o'clock last night during
the heavy gales. The Dundalk lifeboat of the Na-
tional Lifeboat Institution put off at daylight, and
after great exertions succeeded in saving 9 out of 10
of the shipwrecked crew, who were in so helpless a
condition that they had to be dragged one by one
into the lifeboat. One of the men was drowned
before the arrival of the boat. The bark showed no
signals during the night on account of everything
being under water.
BALLYCOTTON, CORK, March 24.

During a heavy gale and high sea this morning
the ship Alarm, of Belfast, was forced from her
anchorage and driven on to a very dangerous part
of Ballycotton Bay, where the sea made a com-
plete breach over her, and her masts soon went
overboard. She was leaky, and her pumps were
useless. The lifeboat of the National Lifeboat
Institution '.went off, and eleven of the vessel's
crew were dragged through the water by
a line from the ship into the boat, and brought
to land. When they came ashore the gale mode-
rated, and the dismantled hull, with the remainder
of the crew on board, held by the anchors.
WEXFORD, March 24.

At 3 p.m. on Friday the schooner Tigris, of Fal-
mouth, bound to Liverpool, came ashore on Black-
water Head, and soon became a wreck. The crew
took to the fore rigging, where they remained until
the mast fell at midnight, when they took refuge
on the deck. At daybreak they attempted to land
by means of the rocket line which had been thrown
across the vessel the previous evening, but failed,
with the exception of one man, who tied the rope
around his body and was hauled to land by the
people on shore. Although there is a Coastguard
station within a few yards of this wreck, there was
no rocket apparatus nearer than Curracloe, and by
the time that it was brought to the spot it was too
dark to be of any use, although they succeeded in
throwing a line to the vessel. The nearest lifeboat
station is at Caborg, 12 miles distant, the lifeboat
from which arrived too late to be of any use.
There is not the smallest doubt that the whole of
the crew of this vessel would have been saved had
there been a rocket apparatus at Blackwater Station;
or even had a good boat been kept there, a crew
could have been got to risk their lives, but no boat
of any description was available. It is now intended
to abolish this station altogether, 'which will leave
an extent of coast of 12 miles, just inside the
dangerous Blackwatcr Bank, without a Coastguard
station.

The lifeboats of the National Lifeboat Institution
stationed at Hastings, Rye, Camber, Worthing,
and Drogheda also put off during the recent gale
with the view of rendering assistance to the crews
of various vessels in distress, but their services were
not ultimately required.