Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-12-04
ENGLAND GALE SWEPT.
One Of the Worst Storms of RsCsnt
Years on Britain's Coast.
BIC Loss OF LIFEAED PROPERTY.
Many Large Vessels ana Hundreds OF
Smaller crars wrecked. with ssri-
Gus Damage tc Property Ashore ae
Many Important Towns.

Many Large Vessels ana Hundreds OF
Smaller crars wrecked. with ssri-
GUS DAMAGE to Property Ashore &C
Many Important Towns.
London. Nov. so.-The latest reports
from various points along the coast
show that the gale which swept En-
glish waters Saturday and Sunday
night was one OF the worst storms OF
recent years.
In many places Il was almost cy-
cionic In its violence. and the long list /
OF disasters includes n large loss OF life.
many wrecks OF large vessels and the /
loss OF scores. II not hundreds Of small \
er craft. with serious damage to prop |
srty ashore at many important towns |
In the north the wind was accompanied |
by binding snow and hail that hid the |
lights and immensely increased the
dificluties Of navigation Many ships |
are known TO havo foundered, In most !
cases, II II feared. with all on board
Scarcely q town on the coast has es-
capped with more OF less injury, fall
ina walls and flying debris adding t.
the loss OF life.
There have been rocket and lifeboat
rescues almost without number Stor-
les OF thrilling escapes come from all
points. On the Norfolk coast, between
Bacton and Mappisburg. ave vessels,
as yet unidentified. went down, and
the crews OF all perished- A number
OF bodies have been washed ashore
near Yarmouth The British brig Ruby
was wrecked on Hemsby. The coast
guard service made desperate efforts
to save the crew and succeeded IN get
ting line on board. A dying woman
was "rocketed' In safety. and then the
brig capsized. all the rest OF the ships
company perishing.
A large steam collier dashed upon
Flamborough Head. the famous pro-
monotory on the North sea coast. float
ed on. and then foundered with all
on board A steamer, not yet Identified.
was wrecked on BridlinRton sands with
her entire company.
Sunday evening the ship Rose of
Devon. Captain Davis. went on the
| rocks near Red Ruth, Cornwall. where
she pounded all night long, her crew
OF II perishing. The bodies OF the cap
tain and I'VE seamen. all wearing life
belts, were washed ashore.
The British ship Larnica, Captain
Burgess. was driven ashore near Fleet
wood. at the entrance of Moretown
bay. about Is miles northeast of Pres
ton The crew were saved. but the po-
II VI lut vessel Is dangerous
Phenominally high tides are reported
| In many localities The district near
! the mouth OF the Thames has suffered
/ severely, several townships being partly
| submerged. The Sheerness dockyard
and the Woolwich arsenal were mum
dated At Scarborough. the fashionable
| watering place. the seawal1 was washed
i away. At Yarmouth, Lowesteft and
/ other coast towns Of Norfolk the es-
i planades were flooded
At Liverpool the squalls blew or the
roofs OF several houses, threw down
chirnneys and tore up trees. The Mer-
scy flooded it's banks on the Chester
side and deluged the shore district for
miles.
l Similar disasters occurred at Holy
head. where a number of valuable
i yachts were sunk at their moorings.
! Scarcely vestige remains In sight of
| the wreck OF Lord Nelson's old Tag
ship. the Foudroyant, long fast In the
sands or Black Pool.
The scenes at such popular resorts as
Yarmouth and Margate were of great
grandeur. but the damage done was
enormous. Tremendous seas still in
wade the gardens Of the hotels and resi-
dences. wrecking the parades and
buildings. while much debris is floating
| about
Immense damage has been done to
the government property at the Sheer
ness doclxyard and the Woolwich ar
senaL Seven thousand troops were
hurrtedly ordered out yesterday to re-
move thousands OF pounds worth OF
ammunition and stores from the sheds
and wharves to places OF safety.
/ The tide continued to rise and In
vaded almost all the workshops.
| Quenched the engine fires and stopped
the electric lights. The workmen were
obliged to go home, wading knee deep.
Despite all the precautions. damage to
the amount or many thousand pounds
has been done
At Sheerness and QueensborouSh.
two miles away, hundreds OF acres have
been submerged, scores OF cellars flood
ed and 200 yards OF the Sheerness pier
have been swept away.
The boom OF distress guns from Good
win Sands has been almost continuous
Below London bridge all the low lyine
1 houses and cellars are flooded, and all
work Is temporarily suspended along
the Thames, even as high as Charfnp
Cross The continual rising of the
river is looked upon as ominous, though
as yet no damage has been done above
London bridge.
Six vessels were wrecked between
Yarmouth and Bacton, only q few
miles apart, on the Norfolk coast, and
rs lives lost. The brig Verda stranded
at Bacton- The storm tore out her
masts. aud when the rocket line was
fired the crew was unable to haul II
In Finally the line dragged them into
the surf and three out OF seven were
drownsd-
i