The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-02 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE STORM AT IVICIr.

LOSS OF LIVES, BOATS, AND NETS.
(From the Northern Whig.)
The loose and changeable weather which charac-
terised last week was brought to a climax nn Fri-
day night and Saturday, when one of the most
severe autumnal gales that has ever visited our
coast came upon us with devastating fury, sweep-
ing along the shores with a violence that was appal-
ling to witness, and that more than once threatened
to carry all before it.
During the early part of Friday a strong gale of
wind blew from the west ; but as it fell towards
night, and as the barometer had been rising during
the day, and the sky had become somewhat settled
nearly the entire fleet of boats on the Caithness
coast went to sea. Shortly before sunset the sky
suddenly changed, assuming in the east a wild and
lurid appearance, and to the westward rapidly al-
ternating between a bright crimson and a dark
grey, and giving portentous indications of a coming
gale. At 8 o'clock the wind blew pretty sharply
from the S.W., and in the offing there seemed to be
a heavy sea running. Soon after the gale increased,
and by half-past 8 the boats had begun to fly back
in considerable numbers, increasing till about 10
o'clock, when, amid the howling of the wind, the
pattering of the rain, and the dashing of the waves,
the crash of boats coming into collision at the har-
bour entrance, and the cries of men and women,
hundreds of whom had assembled on the quays and
neighbouring heights, were heard. About 10 o'clock,
as a large crowd of boats were escaping to the har-
bour, two of them came into collision, and the result
was that one belonging to Donald Morrison, Assynt,
fishing to Mr. Neil Jamieson of Rothesay, was en-
tirely destroyed. The crew of the other, whose num-
ber could not be ascertained owing to the darkness
and excitement, in the most cowardly and cold-
blooded manner bore away immediately to escape
detection, and left the other crew to sink or swim
as they best could. They were soon after picked
up by the crew of the Princess Royal cutter, and
both boat and nets speedily went down. Much
about the same time the boat Brothers, of Clyth,
James Adamson, No. 277, and that of John Mackay,
Pulteney-town, No. 69, were run into, and severely
injured, but their crews managed to get them into
the harbour with great difficulty. Soon after eleven
the wind veered round to N.W., after which it
greatly increased in violence, but being off the land
no additional surf was occasioned. Hour by hour,
as the night advanced, the boats continued to
arrive, and every exertion was made by the harbour
officials, under the directions of Capt. Tudor, R.N.,
to get them as closely packed as possible into the
old harbour, until every available inch was filled.
They, however, succeeded in maintaining a clear
passage at the outer entrance until low water pre-
vented any more boats from getting in.
We shall never forget the scene which the har-
bour and bay presented at early dawn. As its first
streaks scattered dim rays of light, the bay pre-
sented a mass of foam, over which the dark figures
of a couple of hundred boats were observed pitch-
ing. • About a hundred had succeeded in getting
fair anchorage ground ; a large number were tossed
about at the mercy of the tempest ; some were hang-
ing on by their nets, many were disabled by loss of
sails, masts, rudders, &c. ; some were running under
almost bare poles for shelter under the high rocks
at South Head ; and some had flags of distress
hoisted. Many of the boats at sea could have
reached the bay, but the crews were apprehensive
that too great a crowd had already entered it, and
that destruction to their boats and the loss of their
own lives would be the result. As the dawn in..
creased the offing appeared covered with boats in
distress, under a terrific gale and heavy sea; and
altogether the sight was one of the most alarming
character. On a moderate estimate there were at
daybreak 2,000 men within sight of the South Head
in imperilled circumstances, and liable, should the
wind chop round a couple of points, to be devoured by
the raging deep. The
,most intense excitement pre-
vailed as the morning's :fight awakened those on
shore to the extent of the danger. Hundreds of
affrighted wives, mothers, and sisters anxiously
crowded the quays, afraid to look seaward, while on
strong men's faces deep anxiety was depicted.
Time passed until nine o'clock, when the gale
somewhat abated, but still continuing alarmingly
violent. The tide now began to make and admit of
boats entering, of which numbers availed themselves
so far as the storm would admit. But hundreds,
many of them inside the bay, were unable to reach
it until assistance was obtained. A large number
of young men manned various boats, and, proceed-
ing to the relief of the exhausted crews, brought
many of them to the harbour in safety, not, how-
ever, without much damage to property. Not a few
boats had to leave their entire drifts of nets; others
five, ten, fifteen, or twenty; some had their masts
or rudders carried away, and not a few had come
into collision when making for the harbour, and
suffered serious damage. About the hour named
above the Fishery Board cutter Princess Royal,
which had lain in the bay the whole morning,
weighed anchor, and set off to assist the many crews
still in the offing, and she succeeded in taking five
in tow and bringing them to the bay during the day.
The services of a steamer on this occasion would
have been invaluable. Eleven, twelve, one, two
o'clock passed, and still the boats continued arriving
in considerable numbers, the gale having greatly
moderated as the day advanced. But many were
still missing, so much so that the harbour officials
calculated that at 3 o'clock about 200 boats, manned
by about 1,200 men, were yet unaccounted for. Far
away in the distant offing they were to be seen,
hanging on their nets, some carrying indications of
distress, and all evidently in circumstances of peril.
About 4 o'clock the sky greatly brightened and the
storm moderated, but public interest continued un-
abated--the quays and braes were crowded, and the
anxious relatives of the men at sea waited each
successive arrival with an intensity of eagerness
that manifested the feelings within. Afternoon
passed, and still many crews were arriving or
observed at considerable distances at sea. A

good few additional boats, fully manned and
supplied with refreshments, were despatched,
and rendered very great assistance to many.
Into one boat fifteen young, brave fishermen en-
tered, taking with them six sails, a barrel of bis-
cuits, and other means of relief. They were of great
service to several boats, particularly in putting
fresh hands on board. As the shades of night came
on, with a great number of crews still unaccounted
for, the anxiety of relatives and others interested
became inexpressibly intense, and was heightened
as boats dropped in by units, and left the great bulk
of anxious spectators still unsatisfied. To many a
poor woman Saturday night was a long and dreary
one, and rendered doubly so as occasional fitful gusts
of wind and frequent heavy showers threatened a
repetition of the hurricane of the previous night.
About eight o'clock a boat, No. 1, David Bruce,
Pulteneytown, arrived with two crews on board,
crew of No. 1 having picked up that of Murdo
Macleod, No. 1,109, fishing to Mr. Wm. Corner,
here, who had abandoned their boat and nets, being
apprehensive of their safety, and were taken on
board the other. They had hung on by their nets,
which were full of herrings, till threatened with
being swamped. Next morning the nets were
found, full of dogs. At the hour referred to (eight
p.m.) several boats arrived with good shots of her-
rings. As the evening passed on, followed by the
long hours which preceded daylight, the arrivals of
the missing boats were by driblets. Women and
men watched during the night, and crowded round
each crew as they successively arrived. Some of
the former refused to leave the quays till their mis-
sing ones appeared, and many of them neither ate
nor drank till their fears were dissipated. As the
intelligence of the safety of well known local crews
was conveyed to the inhabitants, the news spread
happiness over the community, and ,when Sabbath
morning dawned, many who had not been able to
leave their places of business till a late hour of the
previous night were found on the quays, making
eager inquiries after the missing crews of the by-
gone evening. Even from distant parts of the
country messengers were despatched at an early
hour to obtain information, and along the whole
road from Tain to Thurso there were knots of indi-
viduals—in some instances crowds anxiously
waiting to learn the intelligence. During Saturday
night and Sabbath morning the missing boats
dropped in one by one, till 9 o'clock, when intelli-
gence of all had been received, excepting three,
those of Angus Henderson, Wick; Alexander Gray,
Pulteneytown ; and a Lochbroom crew, fishing to
the Messrs. Baikie here. Soon after, the first of these
made her appearance in safety, to the great joy of
many. She was overtaken by the storm at a consi-
derable offing to the north-eastward, and had bore
away for the opposite coast, being pretty near Cro-
marty when the gale abated, on which she was put
about, reaching Wick at the time mentioned. The
day passed on. At any early hour a number of
crews went off in search of both lost nets and the
missing boats, and were successful in saving a great
many of the former. One of the crews reported
having seen a boat tossed about without a crew On
board, and the same having been reported to Capt.
Macdonald, of the Princess Royal, he set off in
search, and returned in the afternoon with her. She
proved to be the derelict boat, fishing to Mr. Corner.
The day was one of anxious suspense to many, as
two crews were still unaccounted for, and many in-
dividuals gathered on the heights, eagerly scanning
the sea, while the relatives were cheered and com-
forted by assurances that boats were still seen in
the offing. About 7 o'clock a brig hove in sight,
with a boat in tow, and it was speedily ascertained
to be that of Alex. Gray. Ou the previous morn-
ing, about 36 miles off Noss Head, the crew of the
brig, observing their sails spent, and other tokens
of distress, bore down upon them, took them on
board, treated them with cvery kindness, stuck to
the boat, and, after a lapse of about 40 hours,
brought boat and crew to Wick bay. The name of
the brig is the Martha, of Liverpool, bound to Gal-
way with coals, Capt. Hastings, whose services on
this occasion, as well as those of his crew, merit the
most honourable mention.

Only one boat now remained unaccounted for.
Alas, we fear her hapless crew will never be heard
of till the day when " the sea shall give up the dead
which are in it." The boat is named the Vine, of
Wick, No. 1,103, Alex. M'Lean, master. She was
first observed by a Banffshire crew, in search of
their nets, floating at sea on- Sabbath afternoon,
with part of the nets round her, and was taken in
tow by the cutter soon after, and brought to Acker-
gill on Monday morning. She had suffered no
damage; but it is the opinion of those who saw
her that she had swamped during the gale, while
the crew were endeavouring to put up the fore-
mast, and that the crow had perished. Their names
are—
Alexander M'Lean, aged 33
_ __ _

Donald M'Lean, brother of aboge, aged 40.
Murdoch M'Lean, ditto, aged 26.
Murdoch M'Lean, cousin of ditto, aged 28.
John M'Lean, ditto, aged 30.

Alexander M'Lean, hired, aged 20. •
Of course for some days hope will still prevail
against hope that the poor fellows may have been
picked up by some vessel and carried away ; but
there is now little ground for such an opinion, and
few doubt that the unfortunate crew were drowned.
They were strong, active men, and had caught
about 100 crans of herrings, and both boat and
materials were excellent.

On Monday morning, after the worst had been
known, the excitement that had prevailed in the
town and neighbourhood during the two previous
days had considerably calmed down, and great re-
lief was felt that the calamities of Saturday morn-
ing had turned out so comparatively few in this
locality. It is impossible to arrive at anything
like a correct estimate of the amount of loss, but the
following are the chief items :
Crew of six men drowned.
One boat run down and sunk, with all her mate-
rials.

Two boats stove, from collisions, and since re-
paired.

- Numerous boats injured by collisions.
Masts, &c., broken.
Several thousand nets lost, or rendered totally
useless.