DISASTROUS GALES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 321, 30 December 1862, Page 4

DISASTROUS GALES.

A succession of violent gales, beginning on Sundday, October 19th, continued during the greater part of the last week, strewing the coasts of the British Islands with wrecks, and causing a vast destruction of life and property. From the mass of reports of stranded and foundered vessels we take some of the most important:— ;On Sunday night the Lotus, from Demerara. Capt M'Neiil, belonging to Mr Dunlop,- of- Greenoek, with a cargo of sugar and rum, struck nnder a part of the cliff oif Chale, termed " Ladder," not'far from the spot .v/Jiere the Clarendon-Imliaman-was lost on her homeward voyage in October, 1836, and other vessels have since perished. Only two of a crew "of twelve were saved.

The Bencoolen, 1,500 tons burden, bound to Bombay h-orn Liverpool, withes cargo of machinery, railway iron,, telegraph wire, and other goods, was lost ore Tuesday ofrl3ude, near Bideford, on the coast of North Devon. S.'ie left the Mersey last week, and in making .her way out of the Channel encountered the gate, and becoming disabled put back, and in endeavouring to make Bude Haven struck upon the rocks and became a total wreck. Captain Chambers all the officers, and 25 of the crew were lost. - '

At Southport, on Tuesday morning, a large vessel was seen to drift on a sandbank between Formby Mudwharf and the Boghole, and immediately rolled on her side. She remained in sight in that position but a short time, and then; became completely swamped. The Jessie Knowles lifeboat and her daring crew, with Captain Rocliffe, were soon afloat, but the vessel was soon lost to view, and, consequently, the boat returned, but renewed her. vigorous efforts to find the wreck when it could again be seen from the shore. She vas absent about four hours, and brought with her the intelligence that they had approached so near, as to perceive that the ship was in four pieces., leaving not the slightest doubt that all hands were lost. As the tide went back it left a square box, as if from the wreck, containing Spanish or other foreign letters ; also a board, with the following words inscribed on it, Qmisa Rosa. It is conjectured that the vessel was a Spanish trader bound for Liverpool.

The brig Robert and Margaret, belonging to the Tyne, foundered on Monday, a few miles from the mouth of th? Humber. The captain, mate, and carpenter were rescued by the smack Tartar, bnt the remainder of the crew (six or seven in number) were drowned.

The Belgian Government mail steampacket Emerald, (Gerard) on her passage from Dover to Ostend on Monday night, saved 30 lives, consisting of the crew and passengers (among whom were women and children,) together with some Deal boatmen, all of whom she took from a British ship bound from Quebec, with a cargo of timber, for London, which she met with in a sinking state off Fumes, where the ship afterwards stranded. A telegram of the 21st October from Boulogne says :—" This day the brig Cuba, 206 tons, from Amsterdam bound to Surinam with a: general cargo,went on shore near Cape Grisnez and became a total wreck; but the crew and passengers were saved." [The gale was as destructive on" the French coast, from all accounts, as on the British.J In the Tyne, in spite of Admiral Fitzroy's warn-? ing, a fleet of colliers persisted in putting to sea, but no definite particulars have been received of their fate. Ships md steamers are ashore all down the east coast. , Tynemouth, South Shields, Scarborough, Great Yarmouth, and Lowestoff report disasters innumerable.

At Liverpool, the ships in harbor fouled each other, with great destruction. A large American merchantman, the Annie E. Hooper, of Baltimore, took the ground ; and the Southpoit lifeboat was four hours and a half rowing the four miles to the Horse Bank, where she was beating. From this vessel 18 lives out of 23 were happily saved. The Clarence steamer, the property of-the General Steam Navigation Company, on, her passage from Hamburg to London, had a narrow escape of foundering in the Channel, and was only kept afloat by the strenuous exertions of the passengers and crew.

The Hindoo, -which left Montreal for Liverpool on the 17th September last, with a cargo of about 3,000 barrels of petroleum on board, was cast ashore near Formby. This ship was owned by M. I. Wilson, £sq, and commanded by Captain Murphy, Shortly before the wreck it was suddenly found that the ship wa? on fire. Five' of the crew were drowned ; and tlie rest were either severely injured or nearly poisoned with the stench of the' burning petroleum.

Tlie storm was almost equally severe, though not so destructive, on land. Several large trees were blown down ; some large chimneys fell; and spires of churches suffered considerable damage.

Melancholy Fate of the Captain of the Steamer "Golden Fleece." --Intelligence has been received of the escape of the splendid screw steamer Golden Fleece, bound to London from Calcutta and Madras, with a. large number of pas•sangers, and the melancholy fate of Captain Western, li. N. —On the 10th -July the screw w'ss found to be out of gear, and on the 18th. there being Jight winds and the sea having gone down, the crew were employed in ringing purchases to raise the screw, which weighed about seven tons, and had to be raised 11 feet to enable the engineer to make the necessary repairs. The attempt was made, at first with every prospect of success;, but -when less than a foot more was required to raise it to a proper height, the chain parted, letting the screw slide down into its old position amid a perfect flame of fire, cTOfecl by the chain rushing through the iron block. Captain Western was struck in the chest with the chain, which broke,- and he expired from the effects of the severe injuries which he had received. A piece of the chain (nearly half a link) was extracted from his back, having entered hi*' chest, breaking his breastbone and seven ribs. I When the purchase parted the screw qune down with a terrific crash, and for a short time it was feared that some serious injury had been done to the stern post; on sounding the well by order of Captain Western, who to the last/ thought, of his vessel and passengers, it was found that nothing was to he apprehended. On being raised from the deck, Captain Western at once inquired if any one had been hurt, and being answered in the negative, exclaimed £' Thank God, it's only me," and then walked to his cabin, supported by two of the bystanders. On the 19th the remains of the captain were committed to the deep— English Paper.