SCOTLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6190, 10 December 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

SCOTLAND.

(I,'UOM OL'li OWN OOUKKSI'OSDKNT.)

Edinburgh, October 20lh,

TKHKIBLE STOHM ANI) LOSS OF LIFE. Tlio most fearful storm known in Scotland since 18(18, not excepting that in which the Tay bridge was wrecked, burst with alarming 'suddenness upon tho country early in tlio forenoon of Friday, October -14th. As it camo from' tho north-east, its eifticts were most disastrous in tlio eastern counties and their seaboard, though tho violence of the galo was very great even so far west as Ayr. After an loiiiinous lull, during which tho sky grow black and darkness gathered, tho wind all at once rose with a fierce swoop, which sailors who had had experience in tho China Seas compare to tlio sudden burst of a typhoon. For hours thu wind blew with troniondous forco, some of tho gusts being of tho most furious description, People vonturod out na littio as possible, and many.of thoso who woro compelled to do so met with serious accidonts. As in 1808, people sometimes found themselves forced to sit down on tho ground till a gust was past. Tlio most Borious effects of tiie gale, however, woro thoso wrought by it on tlie sea, and especially to tlie fishing-boats which wero out between Dunbar and Berwick. At tho former place the wind with hurricane forco, stripping roofs, levelling chimneys and trees, and blowing in a window of the parish church, whilo soveral boats wero dashed to pieces on tho rocky coast, or seen to go down as they ncarcd it. At Cove, a Tew miles farther oast, » steamer was drivon ashore, but all hands woreroaoiicd. Less fortunate was tlie lot of tho fishing-boats belonging to tho place, somo of which were engulphcd within sight and hearing of the agonised wives and children ef their crews, who were thus drowned, one might almost say. at their own doorsteps. Out of 21 men in this tiny hamlet, 11 found a watery grave. The horrors of the storm culminated on tlio other side of St. Abba Head, at the two fishing villages of Fyomouth and Burimiouth, situated on that wild coast, about nineand six miles north of Berwick respectively. The morning was calm and fine, though threatening, and tho barometer fell so suddenly and unprecedentedly low tliat at Bunimoiith it was thought that the instrument had got out of order. Nevertheless, ouo or two of tho more venturesome boats went out, and, in accordance with the foolish ideas of honour which prevail on the subject among tho fishermen, the rest then felt bound to follow. From Eyemouth there went out 40 out of the 45 boats belonging to the placo—strong seaworthy craft, from 40 to 50 feet long, 18 to 20 feet wide, drawing fivo feet of water, and carrying lugsails on two masts. ICach of these boats costs from £350 to £450, and is maimed by six or seven mon, who usually own her between them. The.boats go out to tlie " white fishing," somo 15 miles from the land. On the occasion under notice, they had just reached the fishing ground and shot their linos, when the hurricane burst upon them, giving thorn scarcely timo to cut their linos and reef their sails. With a wild shriek the wind descended upon them, accompanied by a deluge of ram, and sending the scud flying in sheets beforo it, while at tho same time it becamo so dark tliat the boats hardly knew whicli way to steer for fear of running into ono another. Nearly all of thorn ran beforo tho stnrm to the noarost lmi'ljour, somo of them having thoir sails blown to ribbons, othors having members of their crews washed ovorboard, and others yet again being sunk by tho waves, which rose to " mountains," and brnko angrily. Moanwhilo tlie pooplo on shore at Eyemouth had rushed to tho beach and clill's when tlio storm camo on, and watched breathlessly for tlie returning boats. Soon thoso appeared, driven helplessly before tlio storm, and their crows straining every none to discover and take the narrow entrnnco to tho harbour, whicli is protected by a natural breakwater in tlio form of a rocky roof. Tlie whole coast-line, however, was broken wator, and it was impossible to distinguish channels, so the boats camo on to their doom. Somo woro swallowed up a few yards from shore, others wero dashed to atoms on tlie rocks, and ono was hurled up on tlie boach, whore its crew wore rescued by moans of linos. The whole villago was on the beach—women weeping and shrinking in their despair, and children sobbing with moro than childish grief ; even strong mon criod liko children. After weary hours news camo that some of tho boats had been driven ashore at Spittal, and their crows rescued through the noblo efforts of tlio coastguard and other bravo men. Night fell on a hoart-brokon population, yearning for tho dawn, though they hardly hoped it would bring thorn any good nows, With tlio first streaks of daylight men and women wore again on the pierhead and cliffs, though somo women, dooming themselves too surely to bo widows, remained shut up in their homes. Groat joy was caused by receipt of the news that soveral of tho boats had reaehod tho Tyne safely, and the men belonging to them on reaching home tho same day were welcomed as if they had risen from tho dead. Sunday morning came at last, and a boat arrived which had battled out the storm. Itß crew, who were fairly exhausted after thoir 45 hours' struggle with tho sea, were received with moving demonstrations of joy, and promptly and tenderly taken to their homes. Few people came to tho churches, and ministers and people alike found it impossible to hold tlie regular sorvices. Each congregation resolved itself into a prayer-meeting, from whioh thero ascended hoart-brokon supplications, with sobs for aniens. It may be mentioned that at the time tho storm burst upon tile town a funeral party was gathered together, prior to committing tho body to the earth. Thoso assembled, however, at once ran off to tlie shore in alarm for thoir living friends at sea, and tho funeral was forgotten till Sunday— two days later. This will show tho tension upon the minds of the pooplo of the place. Fisheri'ow is also plunged iuto mourning through the loss of several of its mon at Dunbar, and Newhaven is in a still worse case, having lost 17 men out of a fishing population of 400. Burnmouth has lost 24 men, and a Widow there has since succumbed to grief at the drowning of one of her fivo sons, though the othor four escaped. From Eyemouth no fewor than 12!) men —tho pick of the place, in tho flower of thoir manhood—have been lost. The total number of lives lost is at present set down at 1:12. A gunboat and tugs have been cruising about in search of tho numerous boats unaccounted for, but without success, and littio hope is entertained regarding them. Even if tlie boats lived through tlie storm, it is feared tliat thoir crows must have perished from privation, tho weather being very cold, and the boats being only provided with food for a single day. Relief meetings have already been held in Fdinbiirgh and Berwick, and committees appointed to raise funds for tlie relief of the widows, orphans, and other dependants of the men who have been drowned. In two days £1000 were raised in Eyemouth and the neighbourhood alone. The fishing population in all tho places affected boar a high reputation for good conduct and carefulness, and it is felt that if ever any section of tho community deserved to receive prompt and liberal help as well as tender -sympathy, it is tho one which is now prostrated by this desolating blow. Tho fishormou who havo escaped tho storm concur iv their accounts of its awful suddenness and fury. Mon who have been 30 years at sea say that this galo eclipsed all their former experience in both respects, and somo of their accounts give a vivid idea of tho terror of the scone. One man, of 28 years' oxporieneo, said that "all in a moment it became as dark as darkness itself; they were at their wits' ond— thoy did not know what to do." Anothor said : " Evory wavo lookod as if it would engulf our craft. We could see them far abovo us, coming on breaking and with a lwud noiso, but Providonco aoomed to cut a path for our boat." A largo quantity of cod and otlior fish were washed ashore at North Berwick. It is supposed they must have beon caught and killed in some of tlio nets which the fishoriiien wero compelled toabandon. At Burntisland seagulls alighted *m tho ferry pier so oxhaustod with their uti-'ugglo witli tho wind th,it thoy allowed themselves to lie caught. A special feature of ' the storm was tlio ruinous havoc wrought by it among trees. Theso were still bearing many of thoir loaves, so that, when struck by tlio sudden blast, thoy wore uprooted or snapped in two in great numbers. Kound Dunse thou- * sands of trees wero thus destroyod, and tlio l roads both there and in other parts of tlio country wore in this way complotely blocked 1 up, In the magnificent woods of Tyningham, ' East Lothian, somo 3000 trees wero destroyed, ' oven veterans of the growth of centuries, and - many feet in circumference, being snapped liko i pipestoms. In Dalmeny Park, near Edinburgh, < more than 100 trees were demolished. Near i Alyth, whole acres of trees, most of them i larches 50 or 00 feot high, were levelled. In| Banffshire the hurricano made lanes through fi tho woods. Sevoral accidents from falling i trees 'io persons ijsing the roads are reported, t

ft is believed that in the devastation J wrought in plantations and among trees I generally in the eastern half of Scotland, tho £ late storm ia without parallel in the paat, and it certainly transcends anything of tlie kind a within living momory. t TUB LAND AGITATION IN THIS NORTH. 0 The, movement inaugurated by tho Aber- t deenshire farmers, as detailed in my last, is 1 spreading all over tho uortheni half of Scot- t land, and. ia apparently strengthening as woll t as extending. Stops are being taken to form a a * Fanners' Alliance, and otherwise to secure c : united action. In tlie course of a month or so c the movement is likely to assume a more * definite chape, and I therefore merely touch i thus lightly upon it at present. Two noblo s landlords are anticipating tho changes which i , scorn to bo inevitable, by giving their tenants i , most of tho privileges which are being agitated o : for. One of thoso noblemen is tho Earl of ; Dalhousie, and tho othor tlie Earl of Hopotoun, ■ who celebrated his coming of ago about threo i weeks ago. Lord Dalhousio's liberality is the t i more marked, as ho recently spontaneously c gavo his tenants a remission of 20 per cent, on g * thoir rents. I notice that he is applying to tho i Court of Session for leave to sell his estate of i - lnverkeillor, Forfarshire, and to apply the i : proceeds of the sale towards the extinction i *of a debt of £252,000 on his other entailed \ .. estates. j I IiIHAI'PKAKANCE OF BANK NOTES. i i A good deid of stir has been caused at InF vcrness by the mysterious disappearance, in ■ tlie post-office there, of £900 in notes of the t ' Commercial Bank of Scotland. The notes c i were handed in at tho Inverness Post-office in t ; a registered letter, sent by the Inverness agent ■oi the Commercial Bank to the agent of the ' samo Bank at Balmacarra. As tho latter did i not receive them next day, aa he oxpectcd to * do, he telegraphed to Inverness, and inquiries ■ woro at once instituted. It is stated tliat those * inquiries prove that the letter waa duly regis- * tcred, and tho post-oilice clork who registered it is cleared, ho having handed it to his sue- 1 cesser in tlie ollico. This second clerk remom- ] bers receiving it, and leaving it with tho other registered lottera, but does not remember if lie l handed it to the next clerk on duty, as lie ( slmuld have done. Thero all trace of the letter > disappears, and thus far the most searching in- ] veiligation has failed to carry homo guilt to ( anyone. Tho directors of tho Bank and tho , Post-ollico authorities offer a reward of £100 ' 'for the recovery of the missing notes, but it is ' ' considered vory doubtful if they will ovor bo ' ' traced. ' i I'IHIIKKIKM EXHIBITION IN KDINHUKGIL | An International Fisheries Exhibition is to !ba hold in Edinburgh next April, under the ■ patronage of tho Lord Provost and magis- ' -trates, the Highland and Agricultural Socioty 'of Scotland, and other bodies, with the I i Duko of Edinburgh as president. As \ : there is to bo a similar exhibition a , s year later in London, under very august 1 patvonago, an effort was made to strangle ' i the Edinburgh ono. In view of the groat im- I i portanoo of the fislling industry in Scotland, , ) however, tlio pooplo of this country did not feel , . inclined to be sat upon in this way, and accord--1 ingly resolved to have an exhibition in their , t own capital, whatever tho Londoners might - think, say, or do. Tho exhibition will bo open * > to exhibitors all ovor tho world ; and as tlie , i Conunittee promise to pay the carriage of ; articles and collections of articles forwarded on i loan, perhaps some in Otago may be inclined to ' i- contribute to it. Tho circulars state that the 1 exhibition is iutoudod to include, as far as pos- : { sible. objects illustrative of, or connected witli, : ,' tlio fisheries of tlie world—such, for oxample, ; 3 as models of boats used in fishing, and of r steam-engines suitablo for fishing-boats; models t of fishing-boat harbours and of fishermen's r houses; nets, linos, fishing-rods, artificial . baits, and fishing-tackle of all kinds; pisciculs tural apparatus ; apparatus used in oyster cul--3 ture; fish ova and young fry ; aqliana, collec--0 tions of stuffed fish and aquatic birds ; paint- , ings, photographs, and casts of fishes ; models .of fish passes and ladders ; lifeboats and lifos preserving apparatus; fishermen's dress aud oquipmonts ; fresh, cured, and tinned fish ; prois partitions for preserving fish, and other objects -; of a similar nature. In the allocation of space, Ino charge will be made for that sot aside for i articles or collections of articles sent on loan, or l for books, essays, oflieial reports, or plans ; but - other exhibits will be charged for at the rate of f nino shillings por square yard, or ono shilling t per square foot, Tlio height of caso ia not to - oxcoed nine foet, Colonists visiting Britain 0 while the exhibition is open will find it repay a them if thoy make an effort to visit it, similar 3 exhibitions on the Continent and at Norwich t having beon pronounced most interesting and t instructive. a NEW KAILWAY ENTERPRISES. 3 Tho chairmen and engineers of the four comt panics guaranteeing the erection of the Forth . bridge—tlie Great Northern, North-Eastern, , Midland, and North British —met the other ) day in Edinburgh to consider and arrange J various matters connected with that great i undertaking. Subsequently they procoeded f together to tho sito of the bridge, and, after oxt amiiiing it, proceeded via Dunfermline and i Kinross to Mawcarso, whence it ia proposed to r construct a lino of railway through Glen Fnrg ctn Bridge of Earn. This line, when tho Forth 1 bridge is made, would shorten the distance a between Edinburgh and Perth to 47 miles, as t compared with about 70 by the prosont routes t via Stirling and via Burntisland. In this way, r tlio journey between Edinburgh and Perth ,' by express trains would be reduced to about t an hour, and tho Highland districts would benel fit proportionately. Tho scliemo would cost r little money, apart from tho bridge, and in i summer many tourists would visit Glon Farg, - whicli, as I can testify, is ono of tlio prottiest 3 glens to bo soon anywhere in Scotland. At the > same timo this new line would not interfere , witli the reconstruction of tho Tay bridge, and f tlio route via Dundee, Arbroath, and Montrose ,' to Aberdeen, Tho first and great ossontial is 5 the construction of the Forth bridge, and .* this soeins likely to bo now vigorously proceoded ,' with. ! Tho Highland Railway Company having roa fused to undertake tlio construction of the pro- - posed lino of railway between Dundee aud r Stanley, the promote™ of tlie schomo lately s held a conforenco on tho subjoct with reprei sentativos of tho Calodonian Railway Com- , pany. Tho scliemo met with favour by tlie . latter, and tho meeting waa adjourned till fnri th'or steps should bo takon in the district by 1 tho formation of a local board, with ono or two i of the Caledonian directors upon it, to raiso . money and mako other nocessary preliminary 3 arrangements. The landowners of tho district 1 aro among tho most zealous supporters of the f scliemo, which also meets with much favour iv t Dundeo, so that if tho Caledonian authorities r are fairly liberal, thia useful lino ia likely to be 1 soon constructed. t Engineers aro now on tho ground surveying i the line of railway to bo made along the coast , from Portsoy to Elgin, which will accommodate , a number of littio towns which are at presont i without any railway communication. Tlie f most important of| these is Buckie, which, with 3 its new harbour, is giving signs of growth into i much moro than a fishing town. A warm conl trovorsy has been waged in tho district regard- , ing tho respective merits of the line mentioned 3 and those of a direct lino from Buckie to . Keith, but the requirements of other places ; being considered, the coast lino has beon do- , cided upon. Tho wholo of this district Booms - to be steadily going ahead, new harbours and 1 new railways ooing in demand everywhere. 3At Portsoy a limited liability company has ■ boen floated with a view to tho formation of a i now harbour. Tho project has received the * powerful support of the Earl of Soaficld, the . focal magnate, and moat of tho required capital i lias been already subscribed, ao that tho sue- ■ cessful completion of tlio work may bo looked . upon as being assured. * . OBITUARY KKCOliil. f Much regret has been caused in Scotland by , 1 the announcement of the death of tho Earl of ' * Airlie on September 2(ith, at Deiivor.iColorado. ! f I havo formerly mentioned that his Lordship '. had acquired a large tract of land in this ; r region for cattle-rearing, and it was while ' - looking after his interests in this quarter that lie took a chill, upon which congestion of the ' i lungs suporvened, causing death in two or J . throe days. Lord Airlie was 55 yoars of age, : t and the ninth holder of the title. He was j i noted in Scotland as one of its most enlightened * landlords, and was a leading authority on all ! i matters relating to stock and agriculture. For ■ many yoars ho enjoyed the distinction of being i t the only Liberal among the 16 Scottish ropresen- i i tative peers in the House of Lords. Lord , .* Airlio is survived by his widow, a daughter of i Lord Stanley of Alderley, and two sons and four daughters, two of tho latter being married. ' tHe is succeeded by his elder son, Lord Ogilvy, lof the 10th Hussars, who was born in 185(3. , His younger son is settled on his Colorado pro- • i perty. The remains of the late Earl havebeen ,- brought from America, and will be interred in - a new family burying-ground just consecrated : f at Cortachy Castlo, as soon as tho now Earl < ■i arrives from India. 3 Mr William Duncan, who had been Town . 3 Clerk of Cupar since 1547, and was an influi ential man in Fife, died on October lst, aged < j 71. Ho was agent of the City of Glasgow •' t Bank at Cupar, from 1855 till it failed, and ' * was also shareholder in that unhappy concern. ( > Although ho was one of tho few who were able j _to pay all the calls in full, and although lie was , r appointed joint-agent at Cupar for tho Clydes- ' ' dalo Bank after the City of Glasgow .bank ' i suspended payment, ho never fully ro- < . covered tho shock ho sustained through this i 3 last ovent. , GENERAL NEWS. f Tho ironmasters in Scotland havo at longth ' f resolved to reduco the output of iron. Tho rot duction will be at the rate of 12^ per cent., i i and will be in force for six months. j At a public meeting of tho ratepayers, hold , :in Dumbarton last woek, it was resolved to '■ adopt tho Public Libraries Act. c * Tlie wator supply of Paisley has been in- i ! creased by tho opening of t tho Glunburn a reservoir, situated on the summit of the Braes ] <of Gleniffer. It covers 40 acres, contains , ' 18,000,000 gallons of wator, equal to a threeI weeks supply for tho whole town, and has cost t , £20,000. ' ' i Tlio 100 th anniversary of tho Weavers' i Friendly Society waa celebrated by genoral I rejoicings at Airdrio on September 25th. f : Tliero was a grand procession of trade and : friendly societies through the streets, followed a ■by a public mooting and a dinner in the oven- a Tho Shetland Relief Fund now exceods - £0309, which is amply sufficient to moot all tho ° necessities of tho caso. S Tho titles of tho new poors referred to in my k last as about to bo created aro no\y gazetted, fc The Marquis of Tweeddalo is created Baron n Tweoddale, of Yester ; Lord Keay is mado H Baron Roay, of Durness : Sir Dudloy Coutts Miu-joi'ibanks bocomea Baron Tweedmouth, a of Edington ;' and Sir Harcourt Johnstone v receives tho titlo of Baron Dorwent, of Hack- t* ness. - w The inventory has been completed of the personal estate of the late Mr John White, of n Ardarroch, Garelochhead, senior partner of P1 the great firm of manufacturing chemists— hi

John and James White, of Glasgow and ilutherglen. The total is atated to amount to £880,490.

The Rev. Dr R. S. Scott, Glasgow, was 'agreeably surprised'the other day to receive a bank-draft for £3560, aa a special recognition of his aerVices during tho past 13 yoars as secretary to the Home Mission Committoe of the United Presbyterian Church.- The presentation was made to Dr Scott by ex-Provost Morton, of Greenock, who, in sending the money, stated that tho subscribers were 59 in number, co that they subscribed on an average a little over £00 apiece.

A n influentially-attended meeting waa held in Dundee the other day with the view of presenting to ex-Bailie Harris his portrait, painted in oil by Mr Pettio, R.A., in recognition of his munificent gift of £30,000 for the advancement of higher education in Dundee 111 health prevented Mr Harris from being present, but ho sent a letter, in which ho stated that he wished tlie portrait to become tho property of the town, and requested the Provost to receivo it and have it placed in tho town's galleriea.

It is atated that tho Rev. Walter Home, parish minister of Polwarth, Berwickshire, and " father "' of the Church of Scotland, has intimated his intention to resign hia charge, where he ha% officiated since 1823, acting first 'as colleague to hia father. The latter was also in his day "father" of the Church, and as ho waa ordained to the ministerial charge of Polwarth in 1709, the father and son between them have occupied that charge for the period of 112 yeara —a fact said to be without precedent of ita kind.