South of England Swept by Terrible Storm

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 303, 9 December 1929, Page 5

South of England Swept by Terrible Storm

Worst Gale on Record

Hurricane of 108 Miles an Hour

Appalling Damage to Shipping

Loss of Life on Land and Sea

(United Press Association—By Cable—Copyright.)

(Received g, 11.15 a.m.)

London, December 8

Although lasting only a couple of hours, last night’s storm exceeded in violence and destruction all the storms of the past. Ships were disabled and cargoes shifted'before anything could be done. Many vessels drifted to destruction during the morning. Never before has there been such a succession of S. O.S. appeals.

3he French steamer Ortais wan rounding Land’s End when the rudder was dismantled. The lifeboats could not live in the seas and the Ortais drifted helplessly. She just missed the rocks at Mounts Bay and eventually went ashore at Perran Cove. The Penzance lifeboat was swamped three times and was forced to relinquish her errand. A youth swam out with a line and the crew was hauled ashore.

CALL FOR LIFEBOATMEN. The Hung arian steamer Houved found herself drifting en the lee shore. A notice was posted at the Shoreham Theatre asking if any lifeboatmen were present. Nearly the entire audience went to the lifeboat station and the lifeboatmen battled for 13 hours before returning. The Houved, in the meantime, got clear. The Newhaven lifeboat went to the assistance of the schooner while women prayed in the wind and rain. The entire crew of eight was rescued. The Italian steamer, Casmonia, was abandoned in the Bay of Biscaj’ and the British liner, Arlanza, rescued the crew.

FURTHER DETAILS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 9,11.35 a.m.) Rugby, Dec. 7. Another violent storm with winds of hurricane force, accompanied by lightning and thunder and torrential rain, struck the south of England last night. It swept up the English Channel, causing damage to shipping caught in the heavy seas and to life and property in the coastal towns. The small Rottendam steamship, Mervaio, was driven ashore near Newhaven and the lifeboat went to her assistance, but owing to the seas was unable to approach. Rocket apparatus was requisitioned and after some exciting incidents the crew was brought ashore by the breeches buoy. The ship was frequently obscured by the seas during the operations.

The Shoreham and Selsey lifeboats responded to signals that the Budapest steamer Houved, of over 4000 tons, was drifting towards the shore. A cable ship which was in the vicinity later reported that the Houved was holding her own and that she was standing by, although it was too rough to pass a low rope to the Houved. The Shoreham lifeboat was returned after eight hours, but the return of the Selsey lifeboat was further delayed by the weather.

CROSS-CH ANNFTi SERVICE DIVERTED. The Boulogne to Folkestone crossChannel steamer had to be diverted to Dover and was only able to make harbour after lying outside the port for an hour. The Channel services were run as usual this morning. SHIPS IN PERIL. The steamer Largo Law was out of control, owing to damaged steering gear off Dungeness this morning. The crew of the tug which went ashore near Dover was rescued by rocket apparatus. The British steamer John Charlton went ashore near Newhaven. The crew is safe. A tug this morning responded to the calls of the Spanish steamer Alfonso Periz, whose steering gear was damaged in the storm off Great Yarmouth. The Italian steamers Casmon and Johnny, both off Land’s End, also summoned assistance owing to damaged helm engines and pumps. Several shipping casualites, involving trawlers and other small craft, are reported.

DAMAGE BY WIND AND LIGHTNING. Some damage was done by lightning during last night’s storm but most of the havoc was wrought by wind. One woman was killed and another injured owing to the blowing down of a wall in Eastbourne. Many injuries were caused through pedestrians being blown against moving motor-cars. In London windows were b’own in in many parts and telephonic wires brought down. Some roads in the suburbs were flooded, notably at Wembley where, owing to the depth of water in certain places, traffic was stopped. Although last night's rains increased the volume of rfatcr in the Thames, there is no immediate danger of flooding in the London area. FOR ECAST UNFAVOURA BLE. An exceptionally violent gale which struck southern England on Friday night and continued yesterday was renewed with severity to-day and the forecast indicates a continuance of stormy weather. At its height, the velocity of the wind yesterday reached 108 miles an hour, which is :i record for England. This figure was recorded at Sully Islands. STEAMER LOST. Off Haitland Point, on the rugged -oast of North Devon, the Cardiff steamer, Radyr, of 2,000 tons, with a

crew of 21, was lost, after appealing for help which, owing to the mountainous seas, could not be given. She then disappeared. Lifeboats from Appledore and Ciovelly attempted to put to sea but the vessels could not bo launched. After several unsuccessful attempts the Padstow lifeboats put to sea to search for the survivors, but it is unlikely that any could have survived. The last heard from the vessel before she settled down was that the crew was taking to the boats. A GALLANT RESCUE. Reports of many other shipwrecks and disasters at sea during yesterday's gale have come to hand. The members of the crew of the small French steamer Ortais, of Trouville, which went ashore at Penzance, probably owe their lives to the daring exploit of a young man named Laity. The high seas and dangerous rocks prevented the lifeboat from approaching the Ortais and the hurricane rendered hopeless the attempts to save the crew with rocket apparatus. Laity dashed into the sea and gained the rocks, from which he was able to pass a rope to the Ortais. While so engaged one of the crew was washed overhoard, but Laity rescued him. All the members of the crew were saved. OTHER REPORTS.

Temporary repairs to her rudder having been effected, the Blue Star liner Andalusia, bound from London to South America, with 122 passengers, was able to dispense with the assistance of the Admiralty tug which was despatched from Plymouth in answer to her earlier messages. The crew of the barge, Mystery of Harwich, which broke away from her moorings in the Dover harbour and was driven ashore, was saved by a breeches buoy. • The lifeboat from Newhaven succeeded in taking off the crew of the four-masted Norwegian barque Mqgln Koch, which was driven ashore near Eastbourne. The crews of the Shoreham and Selsye lifeboats had a very hard time, spending the whole of Friday night and part of Saturday at sea in their efforts to assist the Hungarian vessel Houved, which, however, was in the end able to proceed.

SHIPPING STORMBOUND. All shipping was stormbound yesterday in the Mersey river. Reports from Brest this evening stated that several vessels are in imminent danger off the coast. Signals asking for assistance were received late in the afternoon by several wireless stations on the south coasts of Ireland and England from vessels which had become unmanageable in the storm, and several others reported themselves in temporary difficulty.

Cross-Channel services were suspended owing to the storm, but were resumed to-day under great difficulties. 1

All Imperial Airways services were stopped. Falling trees and chimney stacks brought down by the gale accounted for the sixth death on land yesterday.

A previous message stated: — A great gqle over southern England and the Continent caused many deaths and widespread damage. The Cardiff steamer Radyr was lost with 21 lives off the Devon coast, where it was seen appealing for help none was able to give. Anxiety is felt for the Leonardo da Vinci, which is battling in the Bay of Biscay with Italian art treasures aboard for England worth £14,000,000.

GALES IN BASS STRAIT. 'United PrClt Association— By CableCopyright.) Sydney, Dec. 8. Fierce gales accompanied by heavy seas in Bass Strait seriously delayed shipping on Saturday. Several vessels sheltered in bays on the Victorian coast. The Manuka was thirty-nine hours behind schedule and five other ships were a day later. STORM IN NEW ZEALAND. CREW’S HARD EXPERIENCE. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, Dec. 9. At the height of the storm in the early hours of last Wednesday the 45foot fishing launch, Sicilia, with 11 crew of five—all Italians—aboard was washed ashore at Titahi Bay. The crew struggled ashore like drowned rats and sought shelter at a boarding-house. After they had knocked for sonic time, it is stated, the door was opened and then slammed in their faces. After a further effort they wont across to tho post office store and here were given shelter and made comfortable. Tho launch and crew belong to Island Bay,