Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-11-20
Furious Gales Sweeping Over the
British Coasts, Destroying Ships
and Property.
Many Vessels 20 Ashore and Their
Crews are Drowned in Sight
of Land.
A Number of Lite Savers Drowned
in Trying to Reach the Doomed
Ships.

bTlClsn cOaSCS n IS causing an I'M.
mense amount of damage. From a
number of points all ready the news has
been photographed that ships are ashore
and that their crews are in danger of
drowning or already drowned. Follow
lug so closely upon the many recent
storms which have spread death and de.
struction on the coasts of England, Ire
land and Scotland, and which have done
an immense amount of damage to the
crops besides flooding whole districts
and destroying railroad entertainments,
this latest storm is really more than the
most sanguine of British farmers can
pass through without dependency. To
give IN entire list of the wrecks re-
ported would be a difficult and lengthy
task. A dispatch from Hythe Kent just
received, says that the French schooner
Edirimi has fou7dered off that place,
and that the vessels captain, his wife
and son were drowned in spite of the eff
forts of the life savers, who were en-
abled to take off the rest of the crew.
Preferred Death to Separation.
The captain of the Edirimi. however.
refused to leave the vessel, and his wife
and son refused to be separated from
him, preferring drowning with the gal
liant sailor to being saved without him,
RI telegram received at about the same
time from Sandgate, not far from
Hythe, says that the British ship Bien-
venue, of Glasgow, has been driven
ochora %boro oftar a +ar,.;h1a c%r,orIa
with the storm. The crew of the Sand
gate lifeboat station made every effort
possible to launch their boat, but with
out success. The lifeboat was rolled
over and owe by THE pounding surf and
finally the life savers gave up the at
tempt to get her afoat. The rocket line
was then called into..service, and four
times did the little cannon belch forth
it's shot and chain to which the cable
line was attached. but each time the
shot fell short of the endangered vessel.
AS each successive wave which struck
her shook the stranded craft from stem
to stern she was driven higher and
higher upon the rocks which were grind
ing and crunching her bottom with each
movement she made. When the crew
of the Bienvenue saw the futile efforts
Of the Sandgate life savers to launch
their boat and their failure to
convey the line Of breeches-
buoy to them they gave away
to despair, pitifully moaning for aid
and imploring help from the crowds of
people lining the shore. Several more
attempts were made to launch the life
boats, but in vain. During this time,
the situation of the men in the rigging
of the Bienvenue became more desper-
ate every moment. The women and
children, and even strong men ashore,
realizing that all hope of saving them
must be abandoned, wrung their hands
and wept, and a cry of horror passed
over the crowds as, one by one, the
numbed, weakened sailors dropped from
the Bienvenue's rigging and were swal-
lowed up by the angry waters surging
around the doomed craft. As this dis
patch is sent, about noon, there are but
five Of the crew of the Bienvenue left in
the rigging, her hull is entirely sub
merged and her masts are expected to
| go by the board at any moment.
While these attempts at rescue were
going On a telegraphic message from
Hastings, on the same coast and not
very far from Sandga-e and Hythe, an
nounced that the Hastings lifeboat was
making a desperate struggle to reach
the barque, supposed to be a British
vessel driven ashore at some distance
from that watering place. The barque
is in a most perilous position, and the
prospects are that all her crew will be
drowned. These accounts of wreck give
only a small idea of what is going on
along the coasts here. In addition to
the three vessels mentioned there are
many others in distress, and much
further damage has been done to piers,
sea walls, seaside railroads bathing
establishments, etc.
Channel Traffic Suspended.
A fair idea of the force of the storm
a be gained from the fact that the en-
tire steamboat service between Dover
and Calais, Boulogne and F oltestone, and
between British ports and Ostend has
been suspended in spite of the fact that
the boats engaged in these services are
accustomed to face the most severe
weather. Many fishing smacks have
foundered while struggling to reach
port, and quite a number of coasting
steamers have met the same fate. Near
Ipswich, Suffolk, for instance, at
Lowestoft, a fishing smack which, after
a long and plucky tussle with the
storm, vas just upon the point of MAX
ing Lowestoft harbor, was suddenly
completely overwhelmed by more than
usually heavy seas and foundered in
full sight of thousands Of people, who
were unable to be of any assistance to
the crew. The latter were all drowned.
Life Savers Drowned.
The efforts to save the crew Of the
Bienvenue have resulted in serious loss
Of life. The Hythe lifeboat which fin
ally got aloat after over a dozen fruit
less efforts, has been capsized while try
ing forthe honor Of reaching the ship
wrecked crew Of the Bienyenue. Sew
eral Of the life 8 have been
droWned.Th exact details Of the dis
aater havVsnotsyet xeachedshere There