The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-10-31 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL SPANIARD

posed new north docks, eastwardly, to the Leeds and Li-
verpool Canal, and to purchase land necessary for that
purpose; and that in the meantime this committee should
be at liberty to give the requisite parliamentary notices,
all proceedings thereon being subject to the determination
of the trustees." (the Council) "at the special meeting to
be called after the 9th November next."
After a brief discussion as to whether this resolution
should then be taken into consideration, it was eventu-
ally agreed to postpone it until eleven o'clock to• day, when
a special council for that purpose will be held.

IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of the improvement Committee were
read and confirmed.

COURTS OF LAW COMMITTEE.
The proceedings of the Courts of Law and St. George's
Hall Committee having been read,
Mr. HENRY LAWRENCE moved their confirmation,
and the making of certain alterations, requiring an ad-
vance of £lOOO, subject to a reference to the Finance
Committee. He proceeded at some length to show that
the alterations had been rendered necessary, in consequence
of Mr. Elmes deeming it advisable to have a range of co-
lumns round St. George's Hall to support the roof.
The motion was adopted.

MARKETS' COMMITTEE

The proceedingsof the Markets' Committee—confirming
the appointment of James Mainwaring as constable in
St. Martin's Market, and of Edward Jones and Thomas
Coulter as constables in Gill-street Market—were read
and confirmed.

'DESTRUCTIVE STORM, AND LAMENTABLE

LOSS OF LIFE

On Friday and Saturday last this part of the coast and
country were visited by a gale of wind, (accompanied by
successive heavy downfalls of rain) which though not so
severe as some of the storms we have had to record of late
years, has yet been destructive of many valuable vessels—
the crews of which have in some instances totally, and in
others partially perished on the English and Welsh
shores and the outward banks ; and we fear we shall yet
have to learn of similar disasters on the outer coast of Ire-
land, against which the tempest, sweeping as it did from
the westward, would more especially direct itself. The
wind on Friday prevailed from the southward and east-
ward, and increased throughout the night, veering more
and more to the west, at about which point it settled at
at four o'clock on Saturday morning, and continued to
blow more and more fiercely throughout the day, with
heavy continuous showers, which together with the haze
and spindrift outside prevented all communication with
the more distant telegraph stations along the Welsh coast
to Holyhead.
The tide—as indicated in the almanac—was at the full,
at 35 minutes past two o'clock ; and in calm weather
would have risen to a height of 15 feet 10 inches : but,
driven in by the pressure of the gale, it flowed some mi-
nutes beyond the hour stated; attained a greater height,
and, as might be expected, was more than usually tardy
in its reflux after it ha.l gained its maximum. The river
presented an animated, and—though without an immedi-
ate accident that we have heard of—we may add a some-
what painfully interesting appearance, from the presenti-
ment naturally entertained of the accidents that might
have occurred outside—more particularly as a consider-
able mercantile fleet, of perhaps forty sail, had left the
port on the previous day, and would be caught in the
storm before they could clear the channel. The sea at
high water washed over portions of the quays ; and the
steamers from the opposite ferries, had some difficulty in
landing their passengers, many of whom, both male and•
female, from farms in the neighbourhood•--it being mar-
ket day—did not venture to return until Sunday morning
when the storm had abated. Several large vessels that
had put back came up in picturesque style under close
reefed topsails; minor craft also appeared almost under
bare poles.; many of various classes rode it out at anchor,
and all being in motion on the wide turbulent waters,
formed a picture for the pencil of the marine artist which
few ports can afford. Great numbers of the curious con-
gregated on the quays, or sheltered from the rain in the
round-houses and other buildings, or behind the walls, to
w►tness the elemental commotion. The river, however,
was not so rough as it would have been had the wind been
northerly, and consequently contrary to the down-going
tide. It blew right across it, and though the waves
rose pretty high on this side, and distributed a con-
siderable portion of spray along the tops of the sea-walls,
it was comparatively smooth on the opposite side, which
was, of course, a weather shore.

A good deal of anxiety was felt by the appearance of
two small gig boats, .under easy sail, approaching from the
direction of Wallasey Pool, with several men in each. A
man was also seen behind them, borne up on something
at first invisible. .It turned out that they were towing
across for salvage a large raft of balks that had broken
loose from the Magazines, and been at first carried up by
the tide. The boats were frequently lost to view in the
, trough of the sea as they neared this side of the river, but
the men stood sturdily to their prize, and eventually,
though at apparent eminent hazard, reached with it, in
safety, the Prince's Dock Basin.
In the course of the day intelligence was received of
several vessels being lost, and others stranded; and the
life-boats and steam tugs were put into requisition, as well
as small boats manned by speculators, and proceeded out-
side the Rock to render assistance. Their exertions were
most praiseworthy, and, it will be-found, in several cases
successful. Several vessels that had been at anchor out-
side, or beating down channel, came back into the river
for shelter. Amongst them was the ship St. Petersburg,
which had sailed for New 'York some days before, and
could 'not get clear of the land owing to the westerly
-winds that had ge'ierally prevailed ; she had also, it is
said, sprung a leak, and before she arrived a fire burst out
in herforecastle, which caused great alarm, but was for-
tunately extinguished by-the great exertions of those on
' board before it had done much injury. The Caledonia
timber ship, from North America, the property of the
Messrs. Chaloner and Fleming•, and the Britannia, from
Bahia, belonging to Messrs. T. and J. Sands and Co.,
both of which vessels hart been at anchor off the Crosby
Light-ship, parted their cables, and ran into the
river. The Caledonia afterwards parted from her an-
chor off the Potteries, and took the ground, but was got
afloat again. The Brttannia, which sailed on Thursday,
after being aground near Formby, was also obliged to re-
Win. The brig Nile sunk at eleven o'clock on Saturday
'forenoon, about ten miles from the Great Ormshead, and
all the crew perished. It was stated, too, that the Lady
'Bentinck, a Whitehaven vessel, was stranded at Formby;
that the crew were lost; and that the vessel had become
a total wreck. Several other vessels went on shore near
the same part of the toast—of which some details are
given below from our own reporter, whom we yesterday
despatched to Formby to gather information.
We have seen the crew of the Magazine Life-boat, and
from the captain' (Evans) and his brother have obtained
the following particulars :