, 1860-06-08
The Channel Fleet in the Gale.

In that first teFribl> tornado which has strewn
our coasts with wrecks, which sent vessels to the
bottom even within the shelter Of harbors, and
which tried to lis very utmost the tremendous
strength Of the largest ship In the world, there
was q squadron at sea on which the thoughts Of
Englishmen must have rested with anxious SOL
icitude. Our Channel Fleet-the first defence
Of the nation-leff the waters Of Queenstown
jus. lorty-eight hours before the Royal Charter
passed. the same port on that Inflated run which
closed successful voyage with disaster and des-
truction. F0Ir line of-battle ships and three
hssgy frigates stood brayely out into the Allan.
tic as the tempest was impending, and what was
to be their fate2 The vessels were Of novel con
structiOn and armament, utterly different from
those with which Nelson kept the seas; the
crews were but newly organized, and the ap-
preaching storm was presently to burst with .
fury almost unparalleled in these attitudes How
would these ships behaved How would modern
seamanship endure this drain upon its resources?
These are questions to which reply has been
given---an eyewitness having told the public the
history Of the Channel Fleet in the Gale.
II was on Saturday, the 22nd ult, that the
Hero, the Trafalgar, the Algiers, and the Abou-
kir, accompanied by the Mersey, the Emerald,
and the Melpomene, put to sea from Queenstown.
Up to the afternoon Of Monday the squadron
that time, just after the crew had been exercised
at guhnery practice, heavy storms Of rain and
sleet began to set in. Still there was no immed-
late indication Of the tempest at band, and at
sunset topsails were double-reefed and courses
reeied for the night, with no particular charac-
ter about the wind, except that Of extreme var
liability. As the morning broke on Tuesday
the day Of the storm-the Land's-end was sight
ed, and the rain and the wind continued to in
crease. About AM the advent Of the gale
was no longer doubtful; topgallant yards were
sent on deck and topgallant masts were struck,
and the signal was given from the flagship, Form
two columns: form line Of battle; Admiral will
endeayor to 80 to Plymouth" ToPlymouth, &C.
but so teFrihcally had the wind increased that It
became very questionable whether the sternmost
ships Of the line could possibly succeed 10 enter
ing the Sound. Upon this the admiral determined
to wear the heet together, stand of, and face the
storm, . man@uEre which, under circumstances
Of great difficulty, was most CALAMITY executed.
The ships were close upOn Eddystone Lighthouse
round which they "darted Ike doIphinsn under
thetrenendOus pressure Of the gale, the Trafalgar
stopping In the midst Of the storm to pick up q
man who had fallen overheard, The whole
squadron now stood of tho land, the Mersey and
Melpomene farling their sails, and the former
vessel steaming along alike an ocean giant
Still the gale increased ill about 8 PM, when
there occurred that remarkable phenomenon BY
which these rotatory tempests are characterized.
The fleet had got into the very centre Of the
storm, tho eye Of the tornado, and, though the
sea lowered up and broke in tremendous pillows
all around, the wind suddenly ceased and the
sun shone. When, hcWeteF, the signal bad been
given and obeyed fcr setting sail again, the ships
soon encountered the gale once moFe--uot as be-