Morning journal and courier., 1891-10-20
STORMS IN THE BRITISH ISLES.
A High Gale on the Irish Sea-Over- flow of the River Shannon-Two Hundred Vessels Badly Damaged.

A High Gale on the Irish Sea-Over-
 flow of the River Shannon-Two
 Hundred Vessels Badly Damaged.
 LONDON, Oct. 19.-There seems to be no
 end to the severe weather which has pre-
 vailed almost without interruption for
 about a week. During the past night and
 this morning the Irish Sea has been
 storm-swept. The Dublin mail packet
 from Holyhead arrived at Kingston, the
 landing place for Dublin, five hours late.
 She reports that after being out two
 hours heavy sea smashed several of the
 paddles, or floats, of her weather side
 wheel. The packet had to heave to for
 repairs, and hardly had the paddles been
 repaired when another heavy sea carried
 away the steering wheel and part of the
 bridge.
 The hurricane which has prevailed on
 the west coast of Ireland for several days
 past is pronounced to be the worst storm
 known in that part of the country in
 twenty years. The river Shannon has overfowed it's banks and submerged large
 areas of land in it's vicinity, drowning a
 number of cattle and sheep and destroying several houses and many barns and other
 buildings.
 Dispatches from Holyhead state that
 two hundred vessels, many of them much
 damaged, have sought refuge at that port from the storm. The gravest apprehen- sions are felt by the inhabitants of Sand gate, small town on the English channel, situated about two miles from Folkestone in Kent. The storms have caused q most abnormal high tide there and this, com bined with the hurricane which is blowing there, is destroying the sea wall. Many l, o.k H. ! been washed over by the angry waters,
 and the high road leading to Blythe and Folkestone is submerged and destroyed in
 many places.
 The river Thames at Windsor, Eton and other places is overfowing its banks and is inundating the lower parts of many houses in those vicinities. To be added to the long list of vessels which have left their jibs upon these coasts during the re- cent storms is French brig which was wrecked to-day off St. Catharine's point. Five men of the briggs crew were drowned. A coasting schooner was also stranded at about the same spot. ~7
 The Parrett river has overfowed its | banks. Between Bridgewater and Lang ford the country is like sea: Hundreds of cattle have been drowned and many houses have been submerged.
 The River Shannon has burst it's banks | in County Limerick, lnundatlng large l tracts of land. The reclamation works
 near Ennis, County Clare, which recently
 cost the government s12c,0O0 have been | nearly ruined.
 Many villagas in the valley are sub
 merged. The rivers Usk, Eddw, Runney l and Otway have overfowed their banks. | Many thousand acres of land are covered with water and the roads are impossible. A large number of buildings weakened by stock is very great.
 The German brig Hoffoung has been
 lowed to Plymouth in disabled condi- | tion. She lost a seaman in the gale. The villages of Ballacurre and Baltray.
 in Ireland, are flooded. The inhabitants
 had to be assisted to escape by boats, many
 being taken from the windows of their l houses attired only in their night dresses.