Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-01-02
GALES BRING DEATH.
Awful Work of Hurricane on
British Coast.
Many Vessels Are Wrecked and a
Large Number of Lives are Lost
OBSTRUCTION of Property
on Land.

London, Dec. 29.-Storm-driven seas
have besieged the British isles with
great violence for the last SO hours.
Numerous trading vessels have foun-
dered and many seamen have been
drowned.
The names Of the wrecked vessels
have not been ascertained in most
cases. Among those known to be
wrecked is the British bark Primrose
Hill, from Liverpool December 80, for
Vancouver. This ship went on the
rocks near Holyhead and broke in two,
1t was soon battered to pieces. There
was a crew of 35 men, and only one of
these was saved, so far as known. and
he escaped in a lifeboat.
The Austrian bark Capricorn was
driven ashore near Bude, Cornwall
Nine of the crew were drowned, one
was saved and four are still on board,
with little likelihood of being rescued,
as they are unable to avail themselves
of the rocket apparatus. Two other
vessels are ashore. on the Cornwall
coast. Several were stove in at Ufra-
combe harbor
The bark Ragna was wrecked off Ire
vine, near Cardiff, three of her crew
being drowned and nine being rescued
by rocket lines.
Considerable damage to property in
land is reported. At Oswestry the
alter was destroyed.
Near Taunton the breakwater at
Wachet harbor yielded to the force of
the gale and became a wreck, permit
ting tremendous sea to have full play
against the shipping in the harbor.
Several vessels broke adrift, two foun-
dered and five others were driven into
a hopeless tangle in a corner between
a pier and wharf, where they lie
grinding each other. Their masts and
bulwarks speedily went and their hulls
are greatly battered. The damage will
reach thousands of pounds.
Telegraph lines are down, and this
adds to the uncertainty of probable dis
aster. Several days may elapse before
the extent Of damage is known. The
Great Western Railway company's
steamer that plies between Milford and
Waterford is II hours overdue, and it's
fate is mystery that causes much
anxiety. The fate of some of the mail
steamers that cross the channel is also
in doubt.
The gales sweeping inland along the
Yorkshire coast attained so high a We
locity this morning. that several fish
ermen's cottages were battered from
their foundations by mountainous
waves. The life boats at many life
saving stations were compelled to
abandon their regular quarters and
seek safety higher up on the cliff
sides. When their services were re-
CURED they could work only by means
of the life line, it being impossible to
launch the boat from the shore on the
North sea.
Winds almost equally violent ragged
along the west and south coasts all
Thursday.
The loss of life thus far reported is
regarded as remarkably small, since
at least a dozen vessels have gone
down and mariners are bringing
stories of miraculous escape.
London stood directly in the path
Of the storm. The wind roared
parks were blown down, and hundreds
of people were injured by detached
tiles and flying signs. The shipping
in the Thames suffered severely. The
lowlands skirting the river between
Wimbledon and Epson are under
water,