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

VIOLENT STORM.

Liverpool and its vicinity were on Friday visited by a
severe storm, "which has proved destructive to property
on the seaboard especially, and, we yet apprehend, to life
in the outward channels. The previous day was fine, but
at night the barometer fell rapidly, indicating that atte-
nuation of the atmosphere which is almost invariably
followed by a gale. Those who have not seen the Mersey
lashed into madness by a storm, have yet to enjoy one of
the most striking spectacles in nature. The lovers of the
wild and the sublime crowded the pier heads on Friday,
in order to contemplate the scene, even at the risk of a
thorough drenching, which many of the devotees received
About noon, at high water, the waves
power, for the wind at that time blew with greater s

rose with terrific

rity than at any previous or subsequent part of the day
The vessels at anchor in the river, many of them later
with grain, were obliged to brave the fury of the elements

Some sustained the shock with comparatively little in-
jury ; others parted from their cables; and two or three
drifted out of the river, and are now on sh
Bay

The Woodside and other ferry steamers could not start
precisely at their usual times, trom 0

violence of the

and their eff,,rt; to perform their trig
the middle of the day, were, notwith
good force of steam and appointment

traordinary difficulty, and no
and embarking on this side particulai._
yet the adventurers were, considering the eircuinstarn..
pretty numerous, including even the fair sex, who in
these days of steam transit by water, are becoming
" nautically " daring. Such was the
George's Pier, (the principal landing place _
that the writer of this, who crossed at the time in one of
the powerful Woodside boats, 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 plan. The first storm from
will probably realise his apprehension of their inefficiency

was h

y we-terly point

The Skerryvore steam-tug
one o'clock, alongside the Manchester Bain, and
her funnel, rigging, and tattered sails were
notes alone to be seen. Happily no lives we
vessel was soon broken up in her upper
I tions --k fl -

went down about half past
t of

. the wreeN.dated down the rivet.
were got out by means of boat-hooks, but by far the
greater quantity fluted away down the river, probably to
be seen no more.

At this time the Woodside boat with difficulty effected the
passage across the estuary in about an hour! though the
nrilinary p.asege is but ten minutes ! Another fine
steamer, of the same ferry, " The Vv'irral," carried away
her ropes twice at George's Pier, narrowly escaped run-
ning foul of the landing floating stage and some flats,
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 ha
the other

n- hour afte

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 st
and both of them were drifted down the river.
large flits parted from their moorings, and go
outside ; but such is tt

Several
ground

adaptation of these clumsy-looking, but most manageable
river-craft, that few of them sustained any material da-
mage. 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 continued to ply their paddle-
wheels to ease the strain upon their cables. One ferry

George's Pier, was dashed with such violence against the
parapet wall at the top of the stairs as to throw down the
huge stones of which it was composed, together with the
adjoining strong iron railing. The waves broke furiously
over the little light-house at the extremity of the new es-
planade at Woodside Ferry. A flat was sunk near Hilbre
Island. Shorly after noon a brig was seen with her
mainmast gone in the outward channel. She was after-
wards taken 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, and
great distress prevailed amongst numerous parties who
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 sca, and about 200 tons of coal were
washed away. They had been landed from three flats on

previous day

The shed on

was also flooded, and a number of sacks of flour, &c.,
were washed out, and carried down the river to beyond the
pleasure•grounds north of the hotel. A flat bringing coal
for the same depot, was sunk between the Tranmere and
Birkenhead slips, but having been skuttled to keep her

from being driven further up: was afterwards got of

The middle portion of the sea wall, or quay, running
parallel with 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-

spectively from 1 ton to 2 tons. -
greys 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
mistaken 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 as the sea walls on this side the estuary. The
crew of Mr. Willoughby's river steamer, the 'William
Fawcett, gave the utmost assistance to the flat noticed,
otherwise 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. The 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 overseer of the masons employed
in building the new pier at the ferry, was most active and
expert, with his men, 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 Borth of
Woodside would also have suffered ; and this fear we are
sorry to find realised. Part of a stank, or embankment,
near Woodside ferry, 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 till 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 named at a sum which we almost fear to re-
peat, although it was mentioned on very competent au-
thority ; the space interwhich the water has rushed being
we are informed, the size of our Prince's Dock.
timber was washed adrift on one of the bites of Wallasey-
pool, and a number of men were busy in endeavouring to
recover it, up to their shoulders in water, in which they
were successful. The tide washed up upon the new street
running from 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 Harlequin exhibited signals of distress on the
north-west lightship; and, on Friday evening, the steam-
tug President towed out the Magazine lifeboat and brought
back the whole 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 with 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 or three mikes further in at the back Of Burbo
Bank. 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 Hi'bre 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 roof of the Town-
ball 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.
Another Runcorn flat, empty,is lying atpresent high and dry.
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 but sustained no damage.
At Douglas, Isle 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. The sea wall at the ship-yard was
carried away, and the end of the smithy which abuts to
the bay washed down—the water making a complete in-
road upon the loose timbers in the yard, and the frame of
a schooner recently laid down received some severe
shocks. In spite of every exertion a good deal of the
loose timber floated off, hut 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. Backwell, bookseller, were laid bare to the "ocean
wave," by the breaking down of the projecting wall, and a
stack of hay in the yard was the sport of the turbulent
surf. a great portion of which is spoiled, and a stable wall
in the same premises also gave way before the repeated
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,
whilst his neighbours on each side fared even worse.
The beach wall which protects Mr. Croughan's back pre-
mises was 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 alarmed 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
knietveehrenwsasbekronroe7 a greater abundance of water in cellar
The South Devon Extension of the Great Western
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 distance where it skirts
the shore. The streets at Starcross are under w tter, and.
the road between Teigninouth and Exeter displays great
activity, chaises, omnibuses and flies to the number of
fifty having been put in requisition in consequence of the

stoppage of the rai►way
At Newcastle-on-Tyne CI

_
fearful destruction of shipping and loss of life. -Shrtly
after four o'clock on Friday afternoon a brig was obseroved
attempting to enter the harbour, at Shields, and in doing
got upon the Black Middens, when her stern was

tit cat tied

broken in
done. The me-boat w

several efforts
other brigs, of

!uing the

le and London, which
1, also we

upon the

Manby's

into req

ith the wr

r was five