On Saturday 26th February 1853, a severe storm struck the Liverpool and North Wales area. As well as extensive damage on land, there was huge damage to shipping. Since the wind was northerly and reached force 11, many vessels were driven ashore from their moorings or anchorage. Some were sunk. Lives were at risk. The following account focusses on the River Dee (from the Chester Courant and the North Wales Chronicle).
THE LATE STORM.
CHESTER.
Those parts of Chester which are adjacent to the river were inundated.
The tenants of the alms-houses in Crane Street were, we
understand, obliged to be removed in boats. At the Sluice House, the water
rushed over the cheese stage, filled a garden which is laid out in a hollow
behind the house, and rose about a foot in the lower rooms. Crane-street and
Paradise Row were impassible, and the Roodee cop was an ineffectual barrier to
the advance of the waters. The Roodee was considerably flooded, and the water
froze in a very short time. The fields on the side of the river between the city
and Saltney were laid under water, and much damage was caused where grain has
been sown, or the land been prepared by ploughing. At Saltney a good deal of
injury was sustained by the shipping being driven on the beach.
FLINT. A fearful
inundation which caused serious damage to property took place here during
the severe storm of last Saturday week. It appears that a tract of land on the
banks of the river Dee, which at this point is five miles wide, has been
enclosed by means of an embankment, which protects some extensive
manufactories, shipbuilding yards, and yards and surrounding houses from
the water. The high tide on Saturday was considerably increased by a perfect
hurricane from the north, and at about noon it broke through the embankment,
and in consequence an immense body of water rushed with irresistible force
into the iron works of the Messrs. Ommanney and Co. The men were at work, but
fortunately made their escape through the waters without injury, although two
were obliged to climb up the roofs. High walls were knocked over, and the
water filling a red hot furnace, a large quantity of steam was generated, and
being confined an explosion took place, scattering the materials far and wide.
After the first rush, the tide extended over some timber yards, and partially
into the town, where balks of wood might be seen floating along the streets,
and the houses were inundated.
The quay at the Messrs. Muspratt's alkali works
was washed away; three vessels loading there sunk, and one went to pieces.
Several vessels lying at the shipping stage, belonging to Messrs. Eyton and
Co., of the Flint Collieries, suffered severely - one breaking loose and dashing
completely through an adjoining pile stage of Messrs. Ormiston's, which
projected into the river.
[Peggy (Captain Hewett) and Pink (Captain Nicholas) driven
ashore on beach at Connah's Quay]
A sloop, the Ellen Glynne, of Carnarvon, [ON 18945, 37 tons,
later 31 tons, owned Thomas, Caernarfon, in MNL until 1868] dragged her
anchor for a mile up the river, and then heeled on her beam ends on a rock.
She had two hands on board, who remained in the most imminent peril for some
hours, until the tide receded, as there was no life-boat to take to their
assistance. They had clung, with remarkable perseverance, to the rigging on
the upper side, and owing to their long exposure to the fury of both winds and
waters, were almost starved [frozen] when they were rescued. This vessel is a wreck,
her cabin having been completely gutted, including the ceilings.
The White, of Amlwch, coal laden, was driven on shore and
damaged; The City, Roberts and Caliban, Brown, were sunk. Most
of the vessels in Dee Bank and Bagillt have also been partially damaged.
A large embankment, inclosing a vast tract of
marsh land, the property of Lord Vivian, was almost wholly destroyed and, in
addition to the damage done to the crops, it is calculated that it will take
£1,000 to restore the embankment. No one remembers so severe a storm here, nor
any attended with such disastrous results, although providentially no loss of
life occurred. The embankment of the Chester and Holyhead Railway, between
Rhyl and the Queen's Ferry, was washed away in several parts, doing much
damage and limiting the traffic pro tem to a single line. The carriages, on
their arrival at Chester were encrusted with a coating of salt caused by the
evaporation of seawater, and appeared as if they had been enveloped in a
frosty snow storm. Every precaution has, however, been called in requisition
by the managers of the line, and a large number of men have since been busily
engaged in repairing the mischief and securing the safety of the traffic.
MOSTYN. The Rev. Dr. Briscoe, Vicar of Whitford, writing to the
editor of the Chester Courant, says: "Our coast is a very dangerous one, and
wrecks are of frequent occurrence. In my humble opinion it is the duty of the
government to encourage the establishment of lifeboats with proper appliances,
etc, along our coasts, in the same manner as light-houses are erected. This
might easily be done, as light-houses are, by a very trifling toll on all
vessels which pass them."
On Saturday our coast was visited with one of the most violent
gales in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The disasters, both on sea and
land, exceeded those of the memorable Hurricane
of January 6, 1839. Early in the morning a number of vessels were seen
riding at anchor in the "Wild Road," (which is considered the anchorage in the
river Dee) with topmast and yards struck - to use the technical expression of
sailors. They had the appearance of ships preparing for the evidently fast
approaching hurricane. At the advance of the day the gale continued to
increase frightfully until about half-past nine or ten a.m. It then blew a
perfect hurricane. At this time two vessels, viz. a schooner and a small sloop
belonging to the Isle of Man and laden with bricks from Saltney, were seen
driving their anchors.
The schooner ( Sirius), an apparently strong vessel, with the
signal of distress hoisted, was driven over the highest bank, called Brook
Bank, beating heavily under Greenfield, a distance of three miles. The most
experienced seamen momentarily expected to see her dashed to pieces, and her
crew overwhelmed in a watery grave. Providentially, however, she went ashore
under Greenfield, where she still remains.
[Schooner Sirius (Captain Wilson, built 1839 Whitehaven, 63t, registered Barrow)
which was reported as wrecked at Greenfield and whose cargo of sewing cotton, etc
was auctioned at Liverpool on 3 March; she was described as high up on
shore, but little damaged and was put back in service. She was
advertised for sale in 1856, described: The Schooner SIRIUS; Built at
Whitehaven, in 1839, 51 tons per register. Length 53 feet 3 10ths,
breadth 14 feet 6-10ths, depth 8 feet 2-10ths. This vessel is in good
order, and well founded in ropes, sails and other materials; she
caries 90 tons on a light draft of water; is a strong vessel; will
take the ground with cargo, and shifts ports without ballast.]
The sloop[name unknown], drawing less water, hoisted her
foresails and was driven over the bank, where the unfortunate Resolution was
lost in or about 1836. Along the distance of nearly two miles, she struggled
severely to keep herself upright. Her timbers, however, being too weak to
withstand the tempest, her stern posts gave way, and the water rushed in. She
then became unmanageable. After a few more heavy beatings her bows turned
ashore, and she sank with her mast nearly level with the water. She now
presented a most awful spectacle to the beholders on shore, who, although they
clearly witnessed the struggles of the poor sailors for their lives, were
unable to render them any assistance. However, after a while they were beheld
one after another climbing up the rigging, and resting all their hope of
preservation on the stability of the mast, which fortunately was not destroyed
by the storm. They were afterwards exposed to a most cutting north wind during
five hours. Mr. Alfred Parry, of Bryn Caesar, went to the crew of a small
vessel at Llanerchymor, to consult them as to the practicability of rendering
assistance with the boat. They declared that as their boat was but an ordinary
one it could not live in such a fearful sea. Mr. Parry then went to consult
with John Prys Eyton, Esq of Llanerchymor, as to what was best to be done. On
Mr. Parry suggesting that he might go down on horseback, and so perhaps convey
some stimulants to the sufferers, Mr. Eyton immediately placed one of his best
horses, with abundance of rum, at Mr. Parry's service, and at the same time
despatched a cart laden with blankets and other necessaries to the shore. Mr.
Parry had now a dangerous task to perform. The tide was ebbing with a rapid
current, which almost swept the horse off its legs into the open
sea. In many places old gutters filled with loose sand, and several
quicksands, successively impeded the attempt and increased the peril. At last
Mr. Parry's endeavours were blessed with success. He found the three (this
being the whole of the crew) on the weather side, suffering from prostration
of strength and death-like cold. Two of them were speechless in consequence,
and their captain rambled incoherently in the few words he uttered. In fact,
but for the timely aid at this crisis, he could not have survived more than
half an hour. During this time the gale continued to be so boisterous and
terrible that the crew did not hear Mr. Parry's shouts, although he cried out
to them at the loudest pitch of his voice at the distance of only ten yards.
He beckoned to them to come down on the lee side, at the same time exhibiting
the bottles of spirits. Upon this two of them mustering all their courage and
strength, succeeded with unspeakable difficulty in reaching him. The poor
captain being in a state of unconsciousness let go his hold, and fell into
the vortex caused by the position of the vessel, and was up to his waist in
water before Mr. Parry was able to get to him. Afterwards, by the help of a
rope wrested from the mast, and still in a peril of being engulfed by the
strong current, Mr. Parry brought him ashore more like a corpse than a living
man. After a judicious application of proper remedies, he showed signs of
restored animation. In the meantime, while Mr. Parry was going to the vessel,
the people on shore had prepared every comfort for the poor sufferers, and
they are now out of danger from the effects of cold and starvation. Had there
been a life-boat in the neighbourhood they might easily have been rescued
before the ship went down.
LIVERPOOL. At Liverpool, Saturday's gale was attended with more
disastrous and melancholy results, than ensued from the storms in December
last. As the wind blew directly up the river, the waters of the Mersey were
unusually agitated and dashed over the pierhead and landing stages. It is
said that the Mersey never presented a grander spectacle. The great
landing-stage had the most severe trial ever encountered by it - but it nobly
withstood the storm. It bent and twisted, and rose and fell to the rising and
falling surge, as if it had been made of Indian-rubber. The traffic at the
ferries was greatly interfered with, some of the Woodside boats being several
times more than an hour between the embarking and landing of their
passengers. The flat John which was laden with soda ash and belongs to
Chester, was driven from her moorings and drifted to the south end of the
Prince's Pier. There she unfortunately came into collision with the Bangor
steamer Prince of Wales which had got under weigh. The steamer was very much
damaged and was obliged to be hauled into the Prince's Dock. Her crew succeeded
in rescuing a man and a boy from the flat. The mate was dragged overboard with
the mast and rigging and was unfortunately drowned, although desperate
efforts to save his life were made. The only remaining person on board, jumped into the
water, and was saved by means of a life-preserver which was thrown to him.
The most fearful disaster occurred in the evening to the barque Irene,
Captain McDonald. She was in tow of a steamer, waiting in the river to be docked,
and when, off the Coburgh Dock, she struck on the Coburgh bank, and was shortly
afterwards thrown on her broadside, and sank. So far as can be ascertained, there
were twenty persons on board, and of them, we regret to state that only nine
were saved. This matter will undergo a thorough investigation before
the coroner; as blame has been attributed to some parties, who it is said, might
have rendered efficient aid.