GALE IN ENGLAND

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 54, 27 November 1928, Page 11

GALE IN ENGLAND

CHANNEL SERVICES INTERRUPTED SEVERAL VESSELS IN DISTRESS LIFEBOATS CALLED OUT The continuance of .the gale in England lias caused much damage on land and sea, many vessels being in ■ distress, and calling for assistance. (British Official Wireless.) Kugby, November 25. High winds have continued over England following Friday’s gale, in which heavy rainstorms accompanied a wind which, at times, reached .88. miles an hour at Liverpool and many other places. Eight people were killed on land by falling trees and chimneys. Most of the Channel services were cancelled, but were running as usual on Saturday, except that the Boulogne traffic was di vetted to Calais. Three seaplanes moored at Portsmouth were sunk by heavy seas, .two in comparatively shallow water, while the third was smashed against a breakwater. The Ramsgate motor lifeboat made two journeys and rescued men from Deal herring boats, and the Bembridge, Isle of Wight, lifeboat, went on the aid of the Soviet tanker Nefte Syndicat, which issued distress calls off St. Catherine’s Point. The tanker’s steering gear bad been smashed, and she asked for two tugs. The departure from Southampton of the Edinburgh Castle for the Cape and the s.s. Tuscania for New York were delayed for some hours, and the Majestic, from New York; was late in reaching Liverpool. Among the passengers on the Edinburgh Castle were the Earl of Athlone and his wife, Princess Alice, together with their daughter Lady Slay Cambridge. The Earl is returning to Sgjith Africa to resume his duties as Gov-ernor-General.

Wireless messages to-day have reported violent seas, to the west and in the North Sea and the English Channel. Lifeboats have been called out in several places, and have effected gallant rescues. Twenty-three lives were saved and one life lost when the New Brighton lifeboat set out to assist the French steamer Emile Delmas, 2000 tons, yesterday. After fighting through tremendous seas for fifteen miles, the lifeboat reached the vessel, whose anchor cables had broken. The crewjumped for. it and were pulled safely aboard, although this, took over an hour. Then a huge wave washed two of the crew and the chief engineer of the French steamer overboard, the lastnamed slipping through his lifebuoy and drowning. Captain Coussin, of the Emile Delmas, paid a warm tribute to the bravery of the lifeboat’s crew. The arrivals and departures of liners have been delayed. Sir Austen Chamberlain and his party were due to arrive in London from Canada to-day, but owing to the weather the Regina, on which they travelled, was late in docking at Liverpool, haring to await her turn. Weather forecasts anticipate a continuance of the rough conditions.

“AIR FULL OF S 0 S CALLS” SEAPORTS CROWDED WITH SHELTERING VESSELS (United Press Association.—By Eioctrle Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.) London, November 20. Dunkirk, Boulogne, Cherbourg, aud Other Continental ports are crowded with vessels which have run in for shelter. The conditions in the Channel and in the North Sea are vividly indicated by a Cherbourg message which read: “The air is full of SOS calls.” Fifty vessels of all nationalities are sheltering in the roadsteads off Deal alone. There has not been such congestion for many years. Some of the vessels wireless that they are short of provisions. The midday air service from London to Paris was flown in duplicate owing to the number of. passengers anxious to avoid the rough sea-crossing. The aeroplanes accomplished the journey in 95 minutes.

SEVERAL FATALITIES ON LAND RESCUE OF GERMAN CADETS (Australian Press Association.) London, November 25. There were several fatalities in various parts of the country from falling trees and tiles. The Channel and Irish Sea services were suspended. The German cadet training barque Pommern, off Guernsey, sent out distress signals. Another German ship rescued forty cadets; the British minelayer Adventure rescuing the remaining forty. There were mountainous seas in the Bay of Biscay, where a large French liner was in distress. VESSELS ASSISTING 2 AT RESCUE (Rec. November 26, 10.15’p.m.) London, November 26. The steamers Lancastria and.Osterley rescued the Pommern’s cadet's with the aid of the Limerick and Chepstow Castle, which stood by. The Lancastria launched a lifeboat, but this' was smashed up, the crew having a most narrow escape. The rescue pf. all the Pommern’s crew was finally effected by pouring oil on the mountainous seas. The wind was sometimes 80 or JO miles an hour.