The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-24 00:00:00

and embarking on this~~ii

Je particularly wa

yet the adventurers were, considering die circumstane
pretty numerous, including even the fair sex, who

" nautically" daring
George's Pier, (the princi

Such was the sea-way alon
al landing place on this

lo crossed a

ime in one o

the powerful Woodside brmts, could not help thinking
that, had the new landing pontoons, now in course of
construction, been afloat, they would have met with a
buffetting and displacement, by the wind, the waves, and
the tide, which would have shown the inefficiency of the
projector's pl;.n. The first storm from any we•terly point
will probably realise his apprehension of their inefficiency.
The Skerryvore steam•tug wont down about half-past
one o'clock, alongside the Manchester Basin, and part of
her funnel, rigging, and tattered sails were in a few mi-
nutes alone to be seen. happily no lives were lost. The
vessel was soon broken up in her upper works, and por•
tions of the wreck filated down the river. Some portions
were got out by means of boat-hooks, but by far the
41U12.1.4y. Hvateil avurraown M. river, pronatity-to-
be seen no mme.

At this time the Woodside boat with difficulty effected the
passage across the estuary in about an hour ! though the
ordinary passage is but ten minutes ! Another fine
steamer, of the same ferry, " The Wirral," carried away
her ropes twice at George's Pier, narrowly escaped run-
ning foul of the landing fl mting stage and some flits,
started about an hour b fore the other, but being
driven down the river to nearly opposite Seacombe, did
not reach her destination until nearly half-an-hour after
the other.

One of the Irish mail steam-ships lost her funnel dur-
ing the storm, early on Friday morning, but got otherwise
safely into the river. A tug-boat, dragging her anchor,
ran into one of the City of Dublin Company's steamers,
and both of them were drifted down the river. Several
large flats parted from their moorings, and got aground
outside; but such is the strength, buoyancy, and general
adaptation of these clumsy-looking, but most mannPable

river-craft, that few of them sustained any material da-
A considerable number of steamers were exposed

to the full fury of the storm in the middle of the stream,
and while riding at anchor contlllued to ply their paddle-
wheels to ease the strain upon their cables. One ferry
steamer that citric alongside the south flight of steps at
George's Pirr, was dashed with such violence against the
parapet wall at the top of the stairs as to throw down the
If
huge stones of which it was comp , together with the
adjoining strong iron railing. Th es broke furiously
over the little light-house at the ex mity of the new es-
planade at Woodside Ferry. A flat was sunk near Hilbre
Island. Shor ly after noon a brig was seen with her
mainmast gooe in the outward channel. She was after-
wards takrn in tow by a tug. The ship Lowther. from
Alexandria, and the Wakefield, from New Brunswick,
were stranded in Bootle Bay.

A report obtained circulation on the day of the storm
that the steamer Severn, from Sligo, had been lost

ress prevailec

expected friends or relatives from that quarter. The ru-
mour, however, proved to be unfounded, and if maliciously
put forth, was an execrable offence in the heartless origi-
nators. The vessel arrived in dock in perfect safety on
the previous night. The sea walls on this side of the river
did not sustain any injury that we can ascertain, the ma-
son work being of the best description. On the Cheshire
side the damage was rather extensive. Mr. Willoughby,
of the Birkenhead Hotel, was particularly unfortunate.
His coal-yard, for the supply of fuel for his ferry boats,
and which is at the top of the slip. at the south side. was

broken into by the sea. and about 200 tons of coal were
washed away. They had been landed from three flats on

was-also flooded, and a number Ofs:;Ciis—olflOUr,

were washed out, and carried down the ricer to beyond the
pleasure-grounds north of the hotel. A flat bringing coal
for the sane depii, was sunk between the Tranmere and
Birkenht•ad slips, but having been skuttled to keep her
from being driven further up, was afterwards got off.
The middle portion of the sea wall, or quay, running

parauei wiin the river, between the slip and the pleasure-
grounds, was thrown down, to the extent of 40 feet in
length, and 16 in depth, although the stones weigh re-

his wa

was in pro-

gress of being completed by the Corporation of Liverpool,
who own the ferry, and was not commenced until the ne-
cessity for additional landing accommodation had long
become obvious. It is to be regretted that the work, from
mistalcen notions of the security of the Cheshire side as
compared with this—the prevailing gales being from the
westward—was not stronger and better secured, by greater
breadth of wall, or abutments towards the westward.
The damage done affords sufficient proof that though
sea walls in that locality, may endure or escape for
a considerable time, any strong gale especially with
casting in the wind, (as was the case at the beginning of
the storm in question,) will be toppled down, if not built
as securely a•• the sea wr.lls on this side the estuary. The
crew of Mr. Willoughby's river steamer, the William
Fawcett, gave the utmost assistance to the flat noticed,
ot:ierwise she would probably have been lost. She was
got into shallow water at the back of the coal-yard. The
sea wall of the yard, though of four years' standing, and
the stones clamped together with bands of iron, was
nearly demolished. Tne surf broke over the south end
of the whole line of gardens and pleasure grounds south
of the hotel, the spray and spin-drift reaching many
yards up each of them, and doing considerable damage.
Mr. John Entwistle, the ovf rst er of the masons employed
in building the new pier at the terry, was most active and
expert, with his meo, in saving the stages, timber, &c.,
employed in the works. The gale commenced from the
S.E., and gradually veered to the S.W. at high water.
All the damage (which cannot yet be estimated in
amount) was done in about two consecutive hours—that
is, between ten and twelve o'clock in the day.
As Birkenhead ferry had suffered so much, it was natu.
rally apprehended that the new dock works north of
Woodside would also have suffered ; and this fear we are
sorry to find realised. Part of a stank, or embanl--
•
ass near W

onus. terry, was washed down, and the loss con-
sequent thereon is, it is said, considerable, the water
fsom the river having forced itself into a gut which was
being excavated. The water will have, we believe, to be
pumped out, and the works will be delayed for upwards
of six weeks. The loss occasioned by this disaster we
have heard ~arced at a sum which we almost fear to re-
peat, although it was mentioned on very competent au-
thority ; Ihe space into which the water has rushed being,
we are informed, the size of our Prince's Dock. Some
. timher was washed adrift on one of the bites of Wallasey-
s. I pool, aid a number of men were busy in endeavouring to

recover ii , up to. their shoulders in water, in which they
were successful. The tide washed uP upon the new street
miming fr,,ro Corporation-road to Seacombe.
The esplanade at Rock Ferry has been considerably
damaged, and a meeting has been called to take steps to

repair the injury.
The Ihirlequin exhibited signals of distress on the
north. west lightship; and, on Friday evening, the steam-
tug Pre,i.tent towed out the Magazine lifeboat and brought
back the a hole of her crew, save two men. These two,
we regret to say, were drowned during the height of the
gale. They were aloft when the mast was carried away,
and a 'th the falling mast they fell also, and perished.
On Saturday, the President and Mona steamers pro-
ceeded to the lightship and found that the Harlequin had
drifted two ter three miles further in at the back of Burbo
They succeeded in towing her into Liverpool, and
she now lies in the Queen's Dock basin.

The Saranak, American ship, from Philadelphia, rode
at anchor off H dbre Island. The Liver tug-boat, which
was riding outside her, received considerable damage, and
lost her starboard paddle-wheel.
One of the iron smoke-funnels on the rociof the Town-
hall fell about midday, with a tremendous crash, on the
footwalk in High-street, and two persons, who were pass-
ing at the moment, had a very narrow escape from serious,
perhaps fatal, injury.
The barque and ship which we have noticed above, as
having been driven ashore in Bootle bay, still remain
there, although attempts were made during Friday and
Saturday to tug them off. The ship has rafted off a
quantity of timber to lighten her. A flat of stone for
the new fort was also driven in ; but has been got off.
Anothar Runcornflat,emt ty,islyingatpresenthighanddry.
The storm raged the whole day at Dublin, and consi-
derable damage was done to the Kingstown railway near
the Booterstown station, the sea having washed over and
damaged the wall so as to occasion a stoppage of the trains.
Two vessels were driven from their moorings in the har-
bour hut sustained ro damage.
At Douglas, tale of Man, much damage was done. The
new pier, or red quay as it is called, was completely co-
veved with water as the tide rolled in, and the surf broke
over the watch-house. Th.- sea wall at the ship-yard was
carried away, and the end of the smithy which abuts to
the hay washed down—tt e water making a complete in•
road upon the loose timbers in the yard, and the frame of
a r recsntly laid down received some severe
shocks. I't spite of every exertion a good deal of the
loose tinih r floated off, but was subsequently secured on
the beach. In Strand-street the devastation produced by
the inshore wind was beyond the ordinary run of casual-
ties. The street was completely flooded. The back
premises of Mr. Clague, watchmaker, behind those of
Mr. Back well, bookseller, were laid bare to the "ocean
wave," by the breakingd, vir. of the projecting wall, and a
stack of hay in the yard was the sport of the turbulent
sueawtaedll
rin tfh,
ea
agarme aet
pproermtiioane
soafi
awoh
gi cahv
e is
,way
paoyi ebde,foand
tahset a
rbelpe
rush of waters. Further over, in the same street, Mr.
Christian the baker, suffered some loss by the flooding of
his cellar and the sudden inundation amongst his flour,
wit Is Ids neighbours on each side fared even worse.
'I he tu•sri, wall which protects Mr. Croughan's back pre-
misesNa,- completely levelled, and that of the adjoining

Premises, belonging to a Mrs. Gelling, much shattered.
Altogether, the residents in Strand-street have seldom
been more alarna..d at the roaring of the tossed waves, or
more aroused than in the gale we are noting. All the
cellars on the north quay were full to overflowing, and
never was known a greater abundance of water in cellar
kitchens before.
The South Devon Extension of the Great Western
i railway has been stopped by the water of the river Exe
being carried over the line in great quantities and break-
ing down the wall along the whole dist4ric
the shore. The streets at Starcross are
the roa.l between Teignmouth
aocl—Exeter dig&
activity, enaists, ommilases and flies to
fifty havinz neen pu, in requisition'
--- ~ •.

where it skirts
der water; and

At Newcastle-on-Tune the storm was attended by a
fearful destruction o' shipping and loss of life. Shortly
alter four o'clock on Friday afternoon a brig was observed
attempting to enter the harbour, at Shields, and in doing
""non the Black Middens, when her stern was
^nt cai ned away, and other damage
nned, and after
crew. Two
fad', hpf—

The life-boat was immed

ately m