The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-12-28 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE GALES

UP to Thursday night, we had the weather which has
prevailed for weeks pasta—rain every day ; on Friday
it was fine until evening, when a change took place, the
sky being overcast and the rain pouring down very
heavily. About eleven o'clock a gale came on, which
continued with terrific force until between eight and nine
o'clock in the morning, when it moderated, and ceased
altogether about ten a.m. on Saturday. The streets of
the town on the Saturday morning were full of debris,—
bricks, slates, &c. having evidently been flying about in all
directions during the night, and the effects of the
gale were apparent in chimneys blown down, but,
happily, in nothing of a more serious character, although
fears were entertained of heavy calamities to the shipping
outside. Notwithstanding at twelve o'clock the previous
night we bad one of the most terrific storms of rain ex-
perienced during the last two rainy months, the morning of
Saturday wasbeautifully clear, a full moon and brilliant blue
sky leading ordinary observers to anticipate the commence-
ment of a good old English winter. The storm of Satur-
day did not expend itself exclusively upon Liverpool, but
was felt for thirty or forty miles round. At Woolton two
large trees were blown down completely across the road,
interrupting for a considerable period the access between
that place and Liverpool ; and the fall of a heavy embank-
ment in the same place appeared imminent. At Preston,
the damage done has been very considerable. A
correspondent of the Liverpool Albion says :
"On the morning of Saturday last, (Christmas Day,)
Preston experienced the effects of a violent hurricane,
more disastrous in its effects, (loss of life excepted,)
though of shorter duration, than the great storm of
January, 1839. On Friday the atmosphere bad been
damp, and warm for the season, and the evening closed
with a gentle breeze blowing from the west. Towards
twelve o'clock the wind gradually increased, and by two
o'clock on Saturday morning it had increased to a gale.
About four o'clock the blasts of the hurricane were fright-
ful, and their force irresistible. A large mill, in the
course of erection by Mr. George Smith, adjoining his
existing mill, in Moore-lane, was levelled with the ground.
The building was six stories high and eighteen bays in
length, and was completed so far that the roofing was on.
The windows were not in, but the floorings were laid.
The building stood in a hollow, at the north side of the
town, and was totally destroyed. The crash of the falling
mess was tremendous, and was heard far above the roar-
ing of the storm. The loss will be (at a rough guess)
about £5,000 or £6,000. About a hundred yards from
this spot a smaller building was being erected by another
firm, and here the lofty chimney had several yards of
brickwork blown from the top, and some of the outer
wails were considerably damaged. The East Lancashire
Railway Company's platform at the Preston station was
destroyed, The corrugated iron roof, of probably about
seventy yards in length, and many tons in weight, was
hurled away, and lies torn and heaped up in all shapes.
The force of the wind at this point must have been terrific.
A factory chimney in North-road was blown down. Several
houses in course of erection have been laid in ruins, and the
destruction of chimneys and roofs in the town is incalculable.
Some idea of the power of the hurricane may be enter-
tained when we state that, in more instances than one,
slates were blown through bedroom windows from off
houses on the opposite sides of wide streets. During the
gale the moon shone with unwonted brill'ancy, and scarcely
a cloud was seen, though each severe gust brought with it
a shower of water which dashed against the windows with
great force. The western sides of all houses exposed to
the gale were, on the appearance of daylight, found to be
covered with salt spray, which must have been carried on
the rale for miles, as in the case of the storm in 1839.
The wind abated towards seven o'clock, and the re-
mainder of the day was beau' ifully fine. In the afternoon
scarcely a breath of air moved the branches of the trees.
The streets are strewn with slates and bricks. From the
outskirts of the town we hear that the effects of the storm
have been very severely felt."
The steam-ship " Mail," on her passage from Liverpool
to Dublin, was overtaken off Point Lynes by the gale, and
the carp enter washed overboard and lost. She had to put
back, after being at one time completely under water ; and
it was only owing to the excellent qualities of the vessel
and the management of her commander, Captain Cooper,
that her passengers and crew were safely at anchor in the
Mersey at five o'clock on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday evening we had a repetition of our recent
visitations of wet weather; and during the night the wind
rose to almost a hurricane, coming from the S.W., veering
during yesterday to S.W.W., and at times shelving a
disposition to blow from N.W. The appearance of the river
at high water, and for some time before and after, was the
nearest approach which we have seen to that which it pre-
sented in the well-remembered January gale of 1839.
Although only a 16 feet 1 inch tide, at least two feet
more water was in the river ; and all approach to the
pier-head was impracticable, the spray delug;ng the
whole of the quay for at least one hundred yards
from the river, and even falling in the old church-
yard, as was the case in January 1839. Several vessels in
the river drifted from their cables, and were saved from
mischance of a serious character by our tug boats. About
twelve oclock it was known that a Dutch vessel was upon
the north bank. The signal of distress was given from
the Rock Light-house ; and the Liverpool life-boat was
launched and promptly manned. The tide was ebbing at
the time ; and it was only by great exertions on the part
of her crew that she was preserved from being driven
against the north corner of the basin, in her attempt to
get to the opposite shore of the river, which was her best
route to the north bank.
Just before noon yesterday, among the other freaks of
the hurricane, it burst through one of the monster panes
of plate glass, which decorate the front of a new dram-
shop, called the Crystal Palace, situate near the bottom
of the London-road. The glass flew splintered in all
directions, and in a minute or two the whole of the largo
window with its tasteful ornaments was a complete wreck.
A customer, who had called in to view the splendid
fittings up of the bar at this Palace, was so greatly
elarmed at the crash, that he fainted, believing that the
whole building was about to tumble around him.
In Whitechapel, another dram-shop, the wine vaults
occupied by Mr. Mather, was seriously injured. The
building is a corner house, erected against an older resi-
dence, and being tall and narrow, the gale, after pene-
trating the plaster which stepped the fissure between the
two, completely cleared the opening and caused the upper
portion of the wine-vaults to lose its perpendicular, and
to totter as if about to fall into the adjoining street.
Serious apprehensions were entertained yesterday lest the
entire building should fall.

The gale extended into the interior of the district for a
considerable distance. At Wigan, on Friday night or
Saturday morning, a chapel was blown down. Several
uncompleted buildings were injured in the districts tra-
versed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire and East
Lancashire Railways. A wooden hut was demolished
on the latter line at Burscough station ; and serious
damage was done to the roofs of many of the factories and
other prominent buildings, in North Lancashire. It is a
gratifying fact, however, to mention that, from what cause,
whether the wind or something else, we cannot say, the
water which has for some weeks flooded this part of
Lancashire, and which on Thursday last covered the rails
for nearly two miles between Rufford and Ormskirk, has
disappeared, shewing some very fine growing crops of
autumn sown grain, which had previously been hid by
the deluge which had afflicted the district.
The casualities at sea have been unfortunately great :
The Denison, Captain King, belonging to Messrs. C. W.
and F. Shand, of this town, sailed from the Mersey on
Friday last, for Antigua. On Christmas night she went
ashore during the gale on Bernard's Wharf, Fleetwood,
having previously lost all her sails and lower yards, and
parted both chains off Lytham. On Sunday morning she
beat heavily in the flood tide and filled, when her main
and mizen masts were cut away. The following partculars
have been obtained from the mate of the vessel, who
returned to town with the survivors of the crew, at half-
past three o'clock yesterday :
" When the pilot left the ship about 3 in the afternoon,
(Friday) with the steam-boat, we stood on till 2 o'clock
to the NW; tacked to the SE, stood on till 2 a.m. (Satur-
day) when the wind suddenly increased. We shortened
sail as much as we could, when a gale came on, and our
sails were rent to ribbons. We could then only let her
drive, having made all as secure as we could, until day
light. It became more moderate then; and we got what
sail on we could set, and reached to the Southward until
11, when we made the land, and saw that we were close to
the banks of the mouth of the Ribble. We took sail in
and let go our anchor in 6 fathom water, paying it out to
the end of the chain, which ultimately broke. We then
let go the other, our best bower, giving her all ; and she
brought up. At 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, the
Lytham Life-boat came off and put a man on board as
pilot. He attempted to get to Fleetwood ; but found
that she would not cast the right way ; so we ddclined to
get her under way. At 7 o'clock in the evening the other
chain parted. The wind was then more Southward, and
we then got sail on and went towards Fleetwood. At
half-past 10 the ship was broken up, under a steam-
anchor and cable, under Piel Lighthouse. We got a boat
out and the pilot and 4 men went ashore to get a boat
out; but the pilot did not come back till half-past 2
o'clock, the ship having taken the ground half an hour
before, and being then beating heavily. We pumped her
and found that she was making more water. At half-past
5 on Sunday morning the wind had increased to a gale,
a stormy sea making : and the ship began to sink until
she bedded herself and sunk, the water making a clear
breach over her. We cut away the mainmast and mizen-
mast to rase her as much as possible, and all hands took
to the foremast. The long boat was washed off the deck,
but being fastened by a warp, 12 men secured her and got
in, remaining for some time for the others. At length we
let go, and landed between Glassendock and Fleetwood.
The partes lost are John Framingham, seaman, and --
Williams and Thomrs Jenkinson, boys.
Another large ship was seen on Sunday off Fleetwood,
having lost her main-top-mast, and fore-top-gallant-mast.
The steamer Nile was sent out to assist her into Piel.
In the Mersey a number of accidents have occurred.
The Manilla, for New Orleans, and the Centurion, for
New York, were in collision yesterday (Monday) fore-
noon, when the former was cut down to the water's edge,
losing her wizen-mast, and having her deck house
damaged. The Centurion lost her bowsprit, and sus-
tained other injuries. The Elizabeth and Conway, about
the same time, cut away their masts at the north end of
the new docks, in Bootle Bay. The Elizabeth had put
back only the same morning, on account of the gale.
On Christmas day the St. Catherine, from Havana to
Liverpool, with sugar, was driven ashore at Southport,
and grounded in the sand, The crew were saved by
means of the life-boat ; but the cargo, which is being
discharged, is in a very bad state.
Yesternight (Monday) the brig Margaret, for Drogheda,
was in collision with the Constantine, for New York, in
the Mersey, when the Margaret lost her top-mast, bul-
warks, and stancheons ; and the Constantine lost her
fore-top-mast. The schooner Mary Ann drifted from her
anchors the same morning, and was abandoned. She
was subsequently taken into the Coburg dock by the
crew of the Jackal steam-tug. It was reported, also,
yesterday afternoon, that a ship and schooner appeared
to be ashore in Bootle Bay, below the land marks.
A number of vessels were compelled by stress of weather
to put back into this port yesterday (Monday), among
which were the Elizabeth, for Savannah, with the loss
of her sails; and several ships have broken adrift in the
Brunswick, King's, and Queen's docks.
Accounts of grave disasters are fast thronging in from
all parts of the coast. At the Gaston docks in this
neighbourhood, the water, lashed to fury by the storm,

has washed away a c.-msliterable portion of the coffer
dam, placed for the security of the works in operation
there in connection with the raihvay, and destroyed much

valable proper Ly—among which are the ponderous
machines used in raising earth, 10l

z stones, &

P,J;lhei

From ,ve learn that on Christmas-day the
Ebba Brahe, of Liverpool for Mobile, had put into Stud-
well Roads with loss of her topmast and her fore-
mainmast heads gone. From Holyhead, on Sunday, it
was reported that a vessel supposed to be a schooner,
laden with oranges, was wrecked on Christmas-day, the
crew of which were believed to have been lost, as nothing
could be heard of them.

From Waterford, we are informed that the Zante, from
Trieste, went ashore on Christmas-eve on Atherstone
Bank, above Duncannon, but was expected to be got off
next morning. From Belfast, we have intelligence that
the Lowther of Liverpool, from Glasgow to Rouen, get
ashore on Bird's Island last Wednesday night, and was
expected to become a wreck.
It may be mentioned that, amongst the casualties caused
by the gale, the minute-hands of the clocks of the Town
Hall and St. Nicholas' Church were broken in two.
Possibly the simultaneous accident to these two clocks
may suzgest to those who have the care of them the
propriety of keeping their minute-hands in harmony
with each other for the future. The inhabitants of
Cheshire would be glad to see such harmony established.

APPROACHING MARRIAGE.—The Marquis of Headfort
is to be married early in February to Lady Macnaghten,
widow of Sir William Macnaghten, who fell a sacrifice in
Cabool during the Afghanistan war.
THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY.—Baron Brunnow, Russian
Minister at this Court, has entered on the possession of
the new residence erected by the Messrs. Cubitt in
Chesham-place, near to the mansion of Lord John
Russell. He is about to celebrate the completion of the
building by a dinner to the workmen in the employment
of the builders. The Baron is particularly distinguished
for his munificent contributions to charities.
THE STAFFORDSHIRE. COLLIERIES.—The colliers in
the neighbourhood of Dudley have accepted the offers
made by their masters of 4s. 61. per day. They are still,
however, evidently discontented, and appear eventually
determined upon realising ss. per diem. It is computed
that one iron and coalmaster, in the neighbourhood of
Wolverhampton, has lost from the late floods no less than
£20,000.

THE CHOLERA IN CANA DA.—The following statistics-of
cholera in Quebec may possibly be of interest. Quebec
has been five times visited by cholera:—ln 1832 there
died 3000 persons ; in 1834, 2500 ; in 1349, 1180; in 1851,
280; and in 1852, 145. The medical faculty are of opinion
that the disease is now endemic on the North American
Continent, and will constantly reappear in summer at
various places, for many years. They affirm, however,
that its virulence is gradually wearing away, and that it
will eventually fall into the same class as other diseases.
THE GENERAL SCREW STEAM-SHIP ARGO.—The
sixth of the splendid fleet of 1800 tons iron Screw, ships,
built by Mare and Co., for the General Screw Steam
Company, who have the contract for conveying the mails
to St. Vincent, Ascension, St. Helens, Cape of Good
Hope, Mauritius, and Calcutta, was launched on Thurs-
day, from Orchard-yard, Blackwell. The Argo is 240
feet long, 39 feet in breadth, 27 feet 3in depth. She
measures 1110 tons, and is to have engines nominally of
300-horse power.

THE TRUCK SYSTEM.—Some heavy convictions took
place before the Bilston magistrates on Wednesday,
against parties who had been systematically carrying on
the truck system. The parties convicted were Messrs.
Rollason and Son, iron wire-manufacturers, and Job
SalaLiman, a manager in the establishment of Mr. White-
house, of Prior Field Colliery. The former was con-
victed upon three informations, and fined £34. lls. 61.,
which sum was paid. The latter was convicted on two
informations, and paid a guinea each to the informer on
eight others. All the fines were paid.

NEW WenKs AT DUNKIRK.—The Journal de Com-
merce, of Dunkirk, gives a piece of news which should be
recommended to the special attention of our new First
Lord of the Admiralty. It states that the French govern-
ment has great views with respect to that port; and not
only is the concession demanded in 18,15 by the municipal
council with respect to the enlargement of that harbour
to be granted, but all the establishments of the marine,
without exception, are to be increased to such an extent
that they will form the most extensive docks existing in
the north-west coast of France. The journal adds:—
" But this is not all. According to the plan it is intended
to place the railway station in the park of the Marine,
and to construct, a new basin to the east of the present
port, and in front of the commercial basin, the use of
which will be reserved exclusively for the steamers be-
longing to the state."

THE APPROACHINGSTRUGGI.E.—The Committee of the
National Club have issued an address on the "progress of
foreign Popery, as affecting English safety." It is a docu-
ment of more than ordinary ability, and deserving atten-
tive perusal. Amongst the points connected with "foreign
Popery " to which the address calls attention, is the fact
that " In France, the absolute autocrat of the French
nation is the close ally of the Pope. He has restored him
to his seven hills.' He guards him with French armies.
The new French Emperor and the Priest party in France
arc identified ; so that the French army and the French
Roman priesthood are united under one head." The
conclusion at which the address arrives, upon the facts set
forth in it, is that a great struggle is impending between
the principle of Popery and the principle of Protestant
truth, which will be fought in and by this country ; where-
upon the twofold question is asked, " how we are prepar-
ing," and " how we ought to be preparing " for that
struggle.

MURDER BY REBEL HOT TENTOTS.—WINTERDERG,
Nov. 7.—lt is my painful duty to inform you that a most
erael mu:der was i,erp..:trated by Hottentot bandits, near
Post Retief, yesterday evening. The dogs of onr highly
esteemed neighbour, Mr. George James, gave the alarm
between eight and nine o'clock yesterday evening, exciting
suspicion that persons were prowling about the premises.
On the herd going out to ascertain the cause, he was im-
mediately shot dead. Mr. James went out instantly on
hearing the shot, and must have been seized by the
bandits, as he was heard pleading with them for mercy.
This was not shown him, as his remains were found this
morning with five gunshot wounds in his body, and his
head blown to atoms. The murderers then attempted to
fire the building in four places, but desisted on Mrs.
Jamee offering to let them in if they would only spare her
life. About thirty Hottentots and two Kaffirs, under
the command of the notorious Spielman Kivet, then
rushed into the premises, and commenced helping
themselves to whatever they fancied in the store. This
wholesale pillage was put a stop to by Spielman, (who
is well known to Mrs. James and her family,) until
he had first helped himself. The rest were then al-
lowed their turn, and the sentries were relieved outside,
in order that they might secure their share of the booty.
They insisted on having ammunition, and a gun was up-
lifted to beat out Mrs. James' brains on her refusing to
produce what they demanded. They eventually got about
60 rounds, and abundance of blankets, clothing, bread, and
meat, besides every hoof on the premises, consisting of 4
valuable horses and about 90 head of cattle. Here, then,
we haveliinother valuable member cut off from our little
community; a widow left with a family of nine children ;
and the whole of their hard earnings swept off in an hour.
The whole of our mounted burghers,under Sweet nam, are
off after thevagabonds, and I trust will overtake them. You
may not have heard that our late highly respected Com-
mandant Bruce was removed, and his valuable mounted
force broken up on Friday last. The chapter of disasters
commence within 24 hours of his departure, after having
kept the district in comparative safety upwards of ten
months. Anothercommunicationdetailing this melancholy
case adds, that at the time of the attack the wife of the
murdered man had only been confined two days before,
and that notwithstanding her precarious condition, the
ruffians stripped the place of her necessary bed-clothes.

M. D'ALBARET'S IMITATIONS OF VOLTAIRE.—He
acted the part of Voltaire in a passion, much inclined to
throw his valet-de-chambre cut of his window, because a
schoolmaster, a friend of Rousseau's, had been admitted
r
into the drawing-room. M. de Voltaire said that he
ewbaistdar Savoyardeo.
i‘i. d,cuAr
btea,r
eatl thboaudg hb
been
es e hpardan
t
wife and
at
h
out-
burst of rage, and imitated the chief action to perfection.
The costume was copied to the life. He broke, and
that in good earnest. snuff-boxes, and porcelain plates,
and tore up pasteboard, as the illustrious old man had
done. " Thou brute—thrice brute !—Goth !—numskull !
—dost thou not see that this child-whipper is come here
to brave me ?" " I will turn him out, monsieur." " No,
thou wretch ! he would say that I fear him, that I fear his
master and his thinspun stories ; I do not wish that."
" Then I shall beg him to wait, monsieur." " Still
worse, thou animal ! To await me ! Do I wish to see
him ? Do I wish that he should stare at my pictures,
my mirrors ? A beast, a pedant, from that prince of
pedants, Rousseau ! Oh ! you deserve drubbing." And
he broke, with his cane, more than a dozen plates.
" Shall I call Madame Denis, monsieur ?" " Madame
Denis, Madame Denis !—call my niece to a priestling
Thou art becoming more stupid than my father, and I
did not think that possible." " But, monsieur, he is not
a priest, he has a wife." " She is ugly !" " They ara
married, lie has a wife." " She is ugly !" " They have
four children, one has been for some time helping at
M. Rousseau's." " She is ugly !—she is ugly, I tell
you ! Do not tell me another word about this brood of
apes, or I will knock you down." Here a snuff-box is
torn in pieces with tooth and nail. " Well, monsieur,
if you wish, I will go to keep the mapister company."
The anger of M. de Voltaire rose to a degree that be-
came madness : he stamped, shrieked, broke everything
around. " You I—you to keep company with the devil's
curate." I am asked for, and you are to appear ! Do
you supeose that you will be mistaken for me ? Is there
a resemblance between us ? Could you even say go to
the d—l in French ? Do you know Latin as ;he does ?
Ah ! you to present yourself ! Give me my wig and
cane, and I will go myself; yes, I will go, I will go to
fleece him ! I will go to give him a lesson, the lesson
of Voltaire to Rousseau, and it shall be no trifle !" He
goes off in a fury lifting his cane, and raising his voice
still higher. His eyes suddenly turn towards a window ;
he steps short and assumes a pastoral air. "My heifer,
my white heifer and her calf! She is getting better!
Ah, what a pleasure ! Run, fetch me some bread, I
will take it to her, and then come back." After this
eclogue, be folds his hands ane pronounces a blessing :
M. de Voltaire is fond of giving a blessing. He goes
down to the meadow, strokes the heifer, embraces the
calf, and looks round upon his flocks. All this is related
to us by the personage en scene; he counts them, talks
with the shepherd, and forgets completely, or at least
seems to forget, the schoolmaster. The poor wretch had
waited the entire day ; his patience is exhausted ; he is
dying of hunger; and in the evening, when the great Vol-
taire has numbered, first his heifers, then his sheep, then
his blades of grass, he suddenly exclaims : " Ah,
the Savoyard Curate ! ma foi —he must sleep
at the farm, and to-morrow we shall dispute.
He was master of every species of finesse, which he hid
sometimes under the appearance of anger, sometimes of
emergencies,g od nature. His
it
assume
e p
pg
ee
enri
auns e
ee noafbl ed
qualitieshi m
thaton
piwbauansrdeatl,ise could be tender and devout,
apboless,;devsiAtshen such a character suited his purpose.
mirrorim i imitation o
which
botfeb b
e Voltaireseem!
seemed
dt
twaso b
be
arilßeve'utlditdneeicgtditoleandro.itt I have seen persons in
sit motionless in astonish-
ment, so perfect was the imitation.—Nemeirs of the
Cowden d' Oberkirch.