HEAVY STORMS AND WRECKS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 246, 25 April 1866, Page 3

HEAVY STORMS AND WRECKS.

On the evening of Feb., 4th a violent thunderstorm passed over Birmingham. During the day the wind been blowing ahad heavy gale, and there were slight scudding showers. About 6 o'clock in the evening the wind blew very strong, and there were several flashes of lightening^ but no thunder. About half-past 6 it began to rain very heavily, which continued, accompanied with vivid flashes of lightning and heavy peals of thunder, till about 8 o'clock, when the storm abated. The. quantity of rain that fell, considering the time the storm lasted, was very great, and although in some low localities there were accumulations of water no case of damage was reported. The same afternoon a furious storm of wind and rain and hail, accompanied by thunder and lightning, passed over Liverpool. In effect the storm was like a cyclone, moving in circles, and the rain and hail presented a most extraordinary appearance as they were whirled round and round in spiral columns. The storm burst over Manchester soon after 5 o'clock; in the evening. The wind blew with a violence which few people remember to have seen equalled, and was accompanied with heavy rain, hail, lightning, and thunder. The flashes of lightning were frequent and oxceedingly vivid. Oakham was also visited with a heavy storm of wind, rain, and ball/, with, lightning aad j

hunder, which commenced at 7.15 p.m. and continued about one hour. At the parish church there was confusion, several females fainting; othersj^were much alarmed at the lightning an^thunder. The electric fluid seems to have passed right round the to wn.. A similar >. visitation was experienced at Eipon, Harrogate, and other parts of Yorkshire. At Knottingley, near Pontefract, the lightning struck the premises of Mr Bywater, surgeon, and set fire to some straw in the surgery, and considerable damage was done before the fire was subdued. On Sunday, Feb., 4th ,a strong gale from the south-west blew over' the coast of Northumberland. At one time it was a perfect hurricane. A good deal of lightning was observed out at sea. London and its neighborhood were visited with another heavy gale on the llth of February, and a good deal of mischief was done to the shipping in the river. Severrl houses in the metropolis were severely damaged. A cottsge at the rear of Bedford-square, was blown in, burying the occupier, his wife, and children in the ruins. They were subsequently rescued without sustaining serious injury. At Greenwich, the market gardens were flooded; at Windsor and Datchet, the Thames rose 4ft. above its ordinary level, and several trees were.' blown down in the park: The gale raged with great violence on the southwestern coast. Two vessels were driven ashore oif the mouth of Christchurch harbor, and 10 seamen were drowned. The » fishermen of the district saw two vessels go down with all their crews in sight of Poole harbor. At Brighton a great many houses were stripped of their roofs, and persons who happened to be abroad during the height of the gale were thrown down by its violence or hurled furiously against the sides of the streets. In Portsmouth, trees were torn up, roof| swept away, and heavy walls demolished, but no loss of life is reported. The ship Demmin. o Eostock, was abandoned by her crew, 'and suffered to drift ashore at Deal. She is supposed to have gone to pieces. Several barges were sunk at Chatham, the streets of which were deserted during the greater part of Sunday in consequence of the immense showers of slates and chimney pots falling from the roofs. The storm subsided towards evening. Similar accounts have been received from several other districts and seaport towns of the effects of the gales.