APPALING HURRICANE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 308, 30 December 1891, Page 9

APPALING HURRICANE.

Great Storm in England.

Wreck of the Benvenue

[FKO.U pUE SPECIAL COKr.ESPOXDEST.]

London, November 13.

Even the.great storms of lasb month, though the worst known for years, were as nothing beside the appalling hurricane of present week. Londoners really knowvery little of wind. When 1C 13 blowing a stiff gale on the eoasD ib is usually quifce quiet in .town. Wednesday's experience was consequently a disagreeable 'and (it soon appeared) a dangerous novelty. Hoardings were blown down everywhere, the overhoad telegraph wires snapped like pack thread, many 'bus horses refused to vice the wind, and the few women who ventured cub returned home with hardly a decent n.titc.h upoii them. In the .«outh coast th' 3 gale wag Unanimously pronounced the worst since fche famous storm of January, 1877. For 36 hours the Channel service was entirely suspended. At Dover great fears were expressed for tho Admiralty pier, against which the seas thundered with terrific force, and tons of seaweed have been washed into the parade, and against the Lord Warden Hotel. The feature of the #ale T ar excellence was, however, the wreck and rescue of the well-known Australian ship Bunvenue, a fine vessel of 2,090 tons, which was outward bound from London to Sydney, with a large cargo. When the £ale began to blow the Benvenue was beinjj tosved down Channel. Off Sandgate the rope parted, and the vessel rapidly drifted ashore. At 7 a.m. when day broke in the midst of a hurricane and hurly burlyaltogethor indescribable, the bie , sWip waa seen to be stranded within three hundred yards of tho shore. Enormous ; eeaa were breaking over her, and the crew could be observed clinging in the ringing. Of course the rocket apparatus was at once brought into play, but so tremendous was fche force of the wind that though the heaviest charges were used the rockets fell far short of the doomed vessel. It was then decided to attempt to launch the life-boat, and she was run down to the soa with the assistance of many willing hands ; bub although the crew were ready to do their duty in spite of its extremely dangerous character, it proved to be impossible to get the big boat launched into the sea, great waves dashing on to the beach and pacing tho livee of those engaged in jeopardy. The effort was several titnos renewed, and in one instance resulted in the lifeboat being beached and afterwards nearly swept out to sea. Finally it was decided that, owing to the configuration of the coast, the boat might possibly be launched at Ilythe, and thither she was taken on her own waggon.

All this time the unfortunate creatures in the rigging—as far as could bo seen numbering- about twenty-five—were observed apparently watching the efforts made for their release. They must have been in a pitiful condition, for the furious gale was accompanied by drenching showers of icecold rain, and the fishermen and other experienced spectators on shore expressed astonishment that they had not already fallen into the sea. Some of them, howover, were seen to bo lashod to the rigging , , giving cause lor hope that all of them were so secured, in which event if the uiaeta held, ani the men could eurvice the etlects of exhaustion and cold, they might} yeb be saved.

The Sam/gate lifeboat had not been Javmche'i, through the fault of the local men, and telegrams asking for assistance were sent to various struions, one even to Ramsgate. Meanwhile it was suggested tSi-it jjcssibly si steel line might be lired from an ordinary fieldpiece, and if that should prove to be the cn.se it was hoped that the powerful charge of gunpowder'that could be exploded in a nine-pounder would carry the life-line well over the doomed ship. Troops had already been paraded on the sea-front from Hytho, and others from the adjacent Shornolifl'e camp, in readiness to give whatever assistance might be in their power. The officer in charge of the artillery readily assented to the proposal that such an experiment should be made, and a field-gun having been placed in position an experienced gunner of the Royal Artillery loaded the weapon with chain shot to which had beon fastened a light wire rope. Having carefully trained the gun, he fired ifc, arid the excited spectators strained their eye 3to watch the effect of the shot. A murmur of disappointment could be hoard as the chain shoe foil far out to sea, freed from the wire line, which had been apparently snapped by the sudden impact and strain as it left the gun. Several more shots were fired, with such modifications of method as experience suggested, before it was acknowledged to be futile.

About eleven o'clock some movement was observed among the hitherto sadly quiescent places of the rigging of the ship, and ere long ib became evident that the men wore about to make an effort, hopoless as it seemed to those on shore, to save themselves. One bravo fellow could be seen at work in tho forerigging, to which he had fastened himself soon after tho ship struck. Some of the watchers on shore followed his every movement through their glasses, and announcod that he was evidently about to attempt to swim to shore with the line. The light at this moment was very clear, and every movement of the man could be followed. He cut and unreeved the maintopmasb staysail, halliards, and other parts of the running gear, made fast the various sections, and then made a bowline, slipped it around his waiafc, and descended as near as he could get to tho sea. Taking the first favouiablo opportunity, he jumped fairly on to the crest of a huge wave. Ho quickly disappeared in the trough, and as quickly reappeared on the crest, and so for a fhort time his struggles proceeded in full view of the excited crowds on phure. He hud no chance, however, against tho tremendous seas which broke overhim,buffeted, twisted, and tossed him about, and finally he sank exhausted, and was seen no more. No further effort was made from the ship, those on boar 1 o[ her evidently abandoning hops except from the lifeboats for the lines lired from time to timo from the rocket apparatus continued to fall short. More than onco fishermen and others volunteered tc «ttempt, to pv/im with a line to tho wreck, but tho task was tso clearly hopeless in the circumstances that all such nobly-muanb otiWrs were declined.

ytrarsfo to ?&y, the poor fellows on hoard the wreck had neglected a possible and often used menus of communicating with the shore on such perilous occasions. Quite early in the clay, when it was seen that the rcekelrt could not carry a line across the ship, the coastguards' signalled to the crew to float a barrel or spar attached to a rope, in crder thab it miglifa bo driven on shore by the tide, when of course the life-saviuy: apparatus cuukl have been easily attached and drawn to tiio ship, bub tha poor fellows <Ud uut understand the (iio-nal, or ft barrel ■ii- Fj-»ar could wot bo obtained, or they were too exliauflod to make fclia effort, and no answer of any description was received. At throe o'clock Us*) cido again coismioticed to co»v-o in, and as it was iron probable t.has any of those c-n board could survivo this terrible ni</hb that wa.s approaching hope Vii? " practicaiiy abandoned by thoso on f?horo. It revived, how , ' over, sl-.ortly after fivo o'clock ou the receipt of a telegram 'rum Dover convoying the choerinj? intelligence thab the famous lifeboat at that port was proceeding to fcho scene of the wreck in tow of a Btoam tivig. At tl*fvt- Mis* ?)••« klwk *l«ii» bifid 4">aesevl

away, and there was promise of a fine moonlight night. With a view to guide the coming lifeboat and tc cheer the poor fellows on the wreck with the knowledge that they had not been abandoned, a great bonfire was lighted upon the shore and kept fiercely burning.

Ab eight o'clock it was decided by the local lifeboat men to make a supreme effort to get out. The brave resolve was dostined to have a fitting reward. Tho lifeboat, after tremendous efforts and several narrow escapes from mishap, was at length launched at three minutes past nine, and in twelve minutes had reached tho wreck. A heavy sea still ran, and the work of rescue was extremely difficult ;'but-it was skilfully and bravely accomplished, all the people on the Ben venue being taken oft safely. Just ben minutes after the Sandgate ! lifeboat had finished its work, and started to make Fulkestone Harbour, the Dover lifeboat and bug arrived. • ..

The shipwrecked crew had been in the rigging exactly sixteen hours, during one of the most bitter and violent gales ever experienced on this part ot the"coast. The enthusiasm ab Saudgate was inbense ab bhe happy.termination of a most exciting day. The men were landed ab Folkestone in an exhausted Suabe, and were received by an enormous crowd. The captain and four men are reported to have been

drowned