GALES LASH COAST OF BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26617, 31 December 1951, Page 4

GALES LASH COAST OF BRITAIN

Ships In Distress; Two Men Drowned (Rec. 3 p.m.) LONDON, December 29. Gales last night whipped up huge seas in the Channel, causing damage to south coast seaside resorts. Two men were drowned and at least another four were reported missing at points around the coast. At .least four- ships are reported in distress off Land’s End. The sea breached the old Dymchurch sea wall on the Romney Marsh for the first time since it was built 450 /years ago and flooded the coastal road for 500 yards. Houses, hotels and offices in towns along the Kent and Sussex coasts were flooded by giant seas causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage. Parts of the coast road at Worthing were blocked by tons of shingle and boats which the seas swept on to it. Rivers in many parts of England overflowed as a result of torrential rain. The Severn broke its banks at Worcester and Stourport. Lloyd’s shipping intelligence reported that the passengers and crew of an American vessel, the Flying Enterprise, of 6711 tons, had been transferred in the Atlantic to-day to ihree ships which rushed to her rescue. The Flying Enterprise sent out distress signals last night that she was drifting in a hurricane with a list of 30 degrees, 300 miles south-west of Ireland. The rescue ships had to fight their way through a hurricane to reach her. Liner’s Rough Crossing The liner Queen Mary docked at Southampton this morning 72 hours behind schedule. The liner had spent the night steaming up and down the channel because this was considered safer than anchoring. The Queen Mary had one of its worst crossings. Its speed was reduced at times to eight knots. Captain Harry Grattidge described the last double crossing of the Atlantic as the worst he had known since 1914. There was only minqr damage to the liner and no injuries to passengers.