SEVERE WEATHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 15

SEVERE WEATHER.

SBVBEAL PEESONS FROZEN TO DEATH. OVER 100 LIVES LOST. GREAT LOSS OF SHIPPING. (Pbb Pbess Association. London, -March 11. The south - eastern counties suffered Severely from the blizzard. The snowfall was general throughout England, and remarkably heavy in some parts. Tbe snowdrifts were 20ft deep. The " Flying Dutchman " was snowbound at Tiverton (in Devon), and many mail trains in various parts were completely embedded in tbe snowdrifts. The bliazard is still raging. Twenty lives have been lost, and various casualties are reported. . Several people have been frozen to death. March 12. Numerous additional deaths are reported by sea and land, and the effects of the snow blizzard are being severely felt by certain classes of the population. Owing to the severity of the weatber all the .work in the mines at Rhondda valley, Wales, has been Btopped, throwing 25,000 people out of employment. Railway communication between London and Exeter, which was interrupted owing to tbe line being blocked by snowdrifts, has been restored. March 13. , The severe weather which has been experienced during the past few days still continues, and shows no signs of abating. The southern counties have suffered most from the effects of the snowstorms, and tbe counties of Devon and Cornwall have been completely isolated for several days. Tbe snowfall is the heaviest known for 50 years. Railway and telegraph communication is interrupted in all directions, and work on many of the lines has been suspended altogether. Trains which left railway stations on Monday night, and which encountered the fall force of tbe storm, are still buried in snow drifts. The passengers were rescued from tbe carriages and taken to adjacent villages where they are being provided with food and shelter until the cars are able to resume their journey. Six trains are buried between Exeter and Plymouth. Near Dartmoor, in Devonshire, a train was embedded in a snow drift for two days. During that time the passengers were without food, and the work of r rescuing them could only be carried on with great difficulty. When reached they were in a pitiable condition. The weather off the coast is very heavy, and- numerous shipping casualties are reported. The Liverpool barque Dryad went ashore on Start Point and became a total wreck. Twenty-four of those on board were drowned. The Bhip Calcutta was wrecked while entering Plymouth Haven, and 18 of her officers and crew were lost. The pipes which supply Plymouth with water became choked with snow, which froze hard, and 500 soldiers and navvies are now engaged in cleaning them. Over 100 deaths by land and sea have been recovered, and the number is increasing every day. The storm is raging with renewed vigour in the western counties. One hundred and sixty navvies are clearing the snow from the railway station at Plymouth. Tbe American ship Servia is missing, and it is supposed that she has been disabled and is drifting about the channel. March 15. Tour vessels have been wrecked off the Start and 53 persons drowned. Fourteen vessels, including several large steamers, were totally lost or severely damaged on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. The storm has now ceased. Tbe express which left Paddington Station on Monday did not arrive at Plymouth till Friday night. A hundred passengers were rescued near Okehampton after having been buried in a snowdrift 24 hours. The Canard liner Servia is safe. . Sydney, March 14. A heavy storm, with terrific easterly sea, has been raging along the coast, and anxiety is felt for the safety of several steamers. The steamer Alberta, which was recently wrecked, was completely lifted over the rocks by a great sea and disappeared. Bbisbanb, March 13. Stormy weather is certain to continue. A gale, almost amounting to a cyclone, is blowing between N.S.W. and Norfolk Island, and will probably extend as far as Auckland.