Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-27
WARSHIPS IN A GALE.
Bad Weather Interferes With the
Portsmouth Naval Fetes.
THE FRENCH SQUADRON RETURNS.
other Damage Inflicted on Land and Along
the Southern Coast.
A FLOWER SHOW UTTERLY WRECKED

PORTSMOUTH, Aug. 26.-The gale which
sprang up last night while the British Off
GERS were being entertained on board the
Marengo and the Mariu, of the French
squadron, continued until daylight. 1t was
accompanied by binding rain storms AS the
night wore on anxiety was expressed by some
of the British officers visiting on board the
French vessels lest the ladies of the party
should have embarked in the ships boats
and tried to make the harbor in spite of the
stormy weather.
The Portsmouth authorities kept num-
Der of bluejacke cts on duty all night at
various good points for observation about
the harbor in order that prompt assistance
might be sent to any of the returning steam
pinnaces which might be in danger of being
swamped by the sea or carried down the
coast by the current.
A ROUGH TRIP FOR LADIES.
Toward o'clock this morning, when the
guests of the French officers began to en-
bark for the shore, the gale had slightly
abated and pinnaces were able to make the
return trip in comparative safety. So the
British officers and the ladies they had
were able to return in safety to Portsmouth,
after riding over as rough a sea as the ladies
cared to encounter. The ladies, upon land
ing described the night they had passed on
board the French war ships as having been
terrible in the extreme.
When at 8 o'clock this morning Drepara-
tion for getting under way for Cherbourg
was begun, q stifish gale was still making
matters lively off Spithead. In course of
time the entire French squadron weighed
anchor and proceeded westward in seaman
like style. When the visiting squadron was
passing the British fleet the blue jackets of
while most hearty cheers were exchanged
between the two fleets as the visitors
passed Finally Admiral Gerva1s' flagship,
the Marengo, fired parting salute, which
was promptly answered by the British men
of war assembled Off Spithead.
During the height of the gale last night
steam pinnace belonging to II. NJ. s. Pallas
was swamped and it was reported that four
seamen were drowned. 1t now transpires
that the four seamen were subsequently res
cued by boat from one of the other British
war vessels
THE DAMAGE ON LAND.
On shore the gale prevailed throughout
the night, and telegraph poles and wires
were swept down everywhere. Trees were
uprooted and houses were unroofed by the
force of the wind.
At Newcastle during the week flower
SuO" peeu III piOSISSS. l>tisG hiS ilo Ciio
immense tents containing flowers and plants
were blown away, causing an immense
amount of damage to floral exhibits.
A dispatch from Southport says that
during last nights gale the Norwegian Bark
Gefion was wrecked. The crew were saved.
Dispatches from other parts of the coast
announce numerous casualties of u minor
description.
Information telegraphed here from all
parts of ireland shows that the bad weather
that has prevailed over the British Isles for
the past week or so has caused great injury
to the grain crops. Owing to heavy and
continuous rains, harvesting in many parts
of Ireland has been entirely suspended, and
the utmost distress is apprehended in some
districts The loss which large numbers of
the small farmers must necessarily suffer is
beyond repair this year, and must needs
cause recurrence of the i'll feeling which
was possibly the cause OF many other
troubles.
It is feared, however, that the full tale of
thsdamage done by last nights storm has
not yet been told, and that there may have
been considerable loss of life off the coasts.
This assumption is to some degree based on
the fact that the telegraph wires are down
in many sections where wrecks are likely to
occur and that in the Clyde, al least. q num-
Der of yachts are known to have been driven
ashore.