The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-11-20 00:00:00

THE LATE ATOTtMO,

We have received a great number of communications re-
specting the recent storms, which have done so much damage
upon the coast. We give insertion to the most important :
On Monday morning five large vessels were towed up the
river into the pool by steamers, with valuable cargoes, for the
London and St. Katherine docks, being totally dismasted and
otherwise considerably damaged by the tremendous hurricane
on Friday last. One of the vessels lost two, and the other
four of their crews, by being washed overboard. A large
portion of their cargoes is also considerably damaged. The
gale of Friday, which was so severely felt here and in various
parts of the country, was equally destructive in the channel.
Many ships were driven from their moorings, and heavy
injuries sustained. The government steamer from Calais to
Dover was forced to run into Deal by the severity of the
weather, and the only two passengers who would cross in
her (one of whom was Mr. Rush, the secretary of the Ame-
t lean legation) were taken off in an open boat, in a tremen-
dous sea, by those intrepid Deal boatmen, Trott and his two
sons, and landed on the beach, amidst a crowd of spectators.
The Boulogne boat, which was more fortunate in getting into
Dover, was with great difficulty saved from being dashed
upon the pier. The accounts of the ravages of the storm
reach us from all quarters. Such a hurricane has seldom
occurred.—Standard. _ _ _

PORTSMOUTH.—(Abridged from the Hampshire Tele..
graph.)—On Friday we had here a severe gale of wind, ac-
companied by a rise of tide, higher than hps been known for
thirty-eight years, by at least an inch and a half, as recorded
by an inhabitant of Point, who notches his doorpost as an
unerring proof. Awful as it was, the day was fine, so that
expected mischief could be guarded against, and the wind
lulled very considerably at sunset. As a proof of the secu-
rity of our roadstead, every vessel held on well, and we hear
of no loss in anchors and cables. The schooner, Pomona, of
Southampton, with a general cargo, from London, rode out
the gale all day, driving a little; but at eight in the evening
(whether she parted or not we are not aware) she drifted on
Southsea Beach, and bilged. Her cargo is, of course, much
damaged, and has been landed. Early in the morning, a
vessel, which had just delivered a cargo of stone at Hasler
Beach, drove on what she had just thrown overboard, and
was beaten entirely into very small fragments. In both cases
no lives were lost, The men of war rode out most gallantly,
but the Britannia pitched less than the Howe. A large tract
of country round Stokes Bay and near'the Portsmouth, Chi-
chester, and Langstone harbours. was inundated ; but we
have not heard of any loss excepting at Stokes Bay, where
26 sheep were drowned, and a man named Vinsom lost his
life in trying to save them. The Harlington Marshes are
overflowed, and for some days the supply of fresh water to
Portsea Island will be irregular. Though the Point is much
exposed, yet little comparative damage was done. The pier
itself stood well, but that a small vessel drove through the
centre, and injured some of the uprights ; but as her mast
was carried away, the platform remained unhurt. No da-
mage occurred to any of the men-of-war in the harbour;
and, though the water in some parts flowed over the jetties,
we have heard of no loss. The landing jetties at the old and
new Sallyport are both caaried away, but will immediately be
replaced.
DEVONPORT.—(From the Devonport Independent.)—The
tides have been unusually high, particularly on Friday morn-
ing, when the houses in the lower part of Plymouth were
flooded, as well as all the neighbourhood of the water-side
in Stonehouse and Devonport, Richmond Walk, Nlorice-
town, &c. There has not been much injury done to vessels
in the port, notwithstanding the weather has been so tem-
pestuous. Several vessels, however, have put in, more or
less distressed. On Friday morning the Leonora schooner,
anchored in Catwater, drove, and went on shore near Dead-
man's Bay, but it is supposed will be got off if the weather
abates. The Xanthus, of Liverpool, bound to London, put
in yesterday morning (Friday); with the loss of her foreyard.
About ten o'clock a French brig also put in and anchored,
but soon after parted her cable, and ran for Catwater. She
was in great danger of goining on shore ; but being boarded
by Mr. Hyde, the pilot, he took her safely into the pool.
Her name is L'Amitie, bound from Marseilles to Havre. A
barque, the Pero, Grey, from Sydney to London, went
aground near Mount Batten, but was got off without injury.
The William Bryan, the New Zealand emigrant ship, has
not yet sailed. She is still in the Sound, with two other
barques, which, with the whole of the vessels in Catwater,
are riding securely. The watermen along shore made every
preparation for a high tide last night, by hauling up their
boats, &c.
THE STORM IN SUNDERLAND.—TWO SHIPS LOST.—
SEVERAL MEN DROWNED.—Not since the memorable 6th
of January, 1839, has such a storm been witnessed on this
coast, exposed though it is to all the breezes of the German
Ocean, as that of Friday last, the 13th instant. At about
four o'clock on Friday morning, the wind sprung up from the
south-east, which, towards six, had freshened into a breeze,
and gave token of a desperate day ; insomuch that eves},
steam-tug and tow-boat in the harbour was put in requisition
for immediate use, when the tide should enable their endea-
vours to be brought into operation with efficiency. Before
nine o'clock in the forenoon, a perfect hurricane set in, and
continued with such violence, that, for some hours, it was
almost impossible to pass through the streets, while num-
bers crowded to the pier, whence the news had spread like
wildfire, that many vessels were vainly endeavouring to make
the harbour. Owing to the haziness of the weather, it was
difficult to distinguish objects at any considerable distance,
and a very heavy rain was occasionally dated with much
violence into the faces of the multitude congregated on the
beach. Among those were many of the wives, sisters, and
kindred of such seamen as had embarked the preceding
evening, and through the night. Within two hundred
yards of the shore, the Syria, a beautiful vessel, of 210
tons burden, which had only been launched on the day
previous, had grounded among the rccks ; and a little far-
ther off, another barque of similar dimensions was buffeting
the waves in a feeble effort to reach the pier. The crews
bad been occupied in pumping the whole morning, and
were now completely exhausted. By twelve o'clock the sea
ran mountains high, and dashed with such vehemence to-
wards the harbour, that the waves beat over the north light-
house at every surge. Several of the tug steamers endea-
voured to " put out," but were driven back again by the vio-
lence of the tempest, and the height and fury of the waves.
There was now a general cry for the life-boat, which was at
last got out, and manned with a daring and gallant crew, who,
after a desperate struggle, and encountering many difficulties,
succeeded in landing nine men (the whole of the crew) from
the Helen. Many attempts were then made to reach the
Syria, which, being a new vessel, was not at first considered
in much danger, and was deemed fully capable of weathering
the gale, at least for some hours longer. It was a melancholy
sight to see the poor fellows who composed her crew crowd-
ing together upon her decks, and clinging to the ropes as each
sea swept over them in fury. An occasional shout, as the
life-boat neared, and was as often driven away by the surge,
proclaimed to those upon the beach the agonised feelings of
the disappointed sailors. The Helen had now gone to pieces ;
and soon after the life-boat had apparently made its final
effort for the preservation of the Syria, a tremendous wave
overwhelmed the brig ; and when it had wasted itself away,
only two of the ill-fated men were to be seen among the rig-
ging. In the end, however, three were saved ; and the re-
mainder, five in number, met a watery grave. The master
of the Syria, Capt. Minniken, was among the number of the
drowned.
WEYMOUTH.—The past week has presented a succession
of boisterous weather. We had a most tremendous night on
Thursday. The sea on Friday morning broke with amazing
force over the beach, and rendered the passing at the end of
Greenhill extremely dangerous. For a time it was utterly
impassable, from the violence of the surf at the height of the
tide, which happily was neap. It blew a strong gale from
the southward, and the Esplanade was drenched from one
end to the other. The whole of Lodrnoor is under water.
It has become a little seat and a rendezvous for wild fowl,
which have become exceedingly abundant, and afford fine
and full employment for our sporting friends.
SHIELDS.—A dismal catastrophe has just transpired, a
mile below the bar. A schooner running for the harbour
encountered a heavy sea at about the distance named. The
crowd on our banks and on the opposite side of the water
saw her peril ; here, where the writer of this stood at the
period when the sea struck her, all was breathless anxiety ;
in five minutes she was seen on her broadside; in less than
five minutes more she was buried beneath the surf, with
every human being on board. Soome loose articles are al-
ready on shore, and probably the bodies of the men will soon
reach the sands, and the 'name of the vessel be ascertained.
She is supposed to be the Rover, of Goole. Another vessel
has upset, passing up the river to a coal-spout, but no lives
were lost.—Port of nine Pilot.
LLANELLY.—The squall of Friday, the 6th instant, raged
with great fury at this port. The forenoon was thick and
i
tempestuous, and about two n the afternoon a very heavy
squall commenced, attended with hail and lightning ; the
latter approached nearer and grew more and more vivid for
about half an hgur, when a flash struck the topgallantm"st
of the brig Ruby, of South Shields, and shattered it into
fragments.; the fluid then descended the chain haulyard, and
a quantity was seen passing off along the topsail yard-arms,
but a portion descended to the deck, splitting to pieces the
trysail mast in its descent ; it was then conducted along the
chain cables over the bows. It was no less strange than for-
tunate, that, although the whole of the crew were on deck,
they escaped without the slightest injury, saving a rather
powerful and unexpected electric shock the mate received,
who happened at the time to. be treading upon the chain.
The hailstones descended during all that time were full as
large as marbles. All the other vessels in the harbour rode
out the gale in safety.—The Cambrian.