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diff --git a/43758-8.txt b/43758-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e9b25bb..0000000 --- a/43758-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4507 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Blizzard in the West, by Unknown - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Blizzard in the West - Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which - Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, - On the Night of March 9th, 1891 - -Author: Unknown - -Release Date: September 17, 2013 [EBook #43758] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLIZZARD IN THE WEST *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Moti Ben-Ari and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE - Blizzard in the West: - BEING - A Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm - WHICH RAGED THROUGHOUT - Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, - On the Night of March 9th, 1891. - - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - COPYRIGHT. - _The right of reproduction is reserved._ - - - London: - SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LIMITED, - PATERNOSTER ROW. - - Devonport: - A. H. SWISS, PRINTER AND STATIONER, - 111 & 112 FORE STREET. - - - - - THE LARGEST - FLORAL - AND - FRUIT - ESTABLISHMENT - WEST OF LONDON. - - W.G. HODGE, F.R.H.S. - FLORIST - AND - FRUIT & VEGETABLE PURVEYOR, - 49 GEORGE STREET, 17 UNION STREET, - 90 OLD TOWN STREET, - PLYMOUTH. - AND - _76 George Street, DEVONPORT_. - - Telegrams, "FLORIST," Plymouth. Telephone No., 80. - - NURSERIES: CROWN HILL. - - Specialities: Wedding & other Bouquets. - - FUNERAL WREATHS, CROSSES, &C. - From 5/- to Two Guineas, - Per Parcels Post to all parts of the Kingdom. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER - I. INDICATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. - II. THE BLIZZARD. - III. ON THE RAILWAYS. - IV. AT SEA. - V. IN TOWN AND COUNTRY. - VI. IN PARK AND FOREST. - VII. AFTER THE STORM.--THE WATER FAMINE IN THE THREE TOWNS. - VIII. SOME STRANGE EXPERIENCES. - - - - - SPOONER & COMPANY. - FLOOR COVERINGS. - - S. & Co. beg to draw the attention of their customers to the - large portion of their premises reserved for the exclusive sale - of the above, ever increasing variety of - - BRITISH & ORIENTAL FLOOR COVERINGS, - - and for the development of which SPOONER & CO. have given their - special attention, resulting in their having always on sale an - unrivalled selection of - - AXMINSTERS, WILTONS, - BRUSSELS, TAPESTRY CARPETS, - KIDDERMINSTER CARPETS, - FLOOR CLOTHS, - LINOLEUMS, CORK CARPETS. - - Fully maintaining their reputation for Superior Designs, - Durability, and excellence of Material. - - SPOONER & COMPANY, - Complete House Furnishers and Art Decorators, - =PLYMOUTH=. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The record of the Blizzard of 1891 was undertaken in response to a -generally expressed desire on the part of a large number of residents -in the Western Counties. - -It would have been impossible to compile the work, imperfect as it is, -without the assistance and co-operation of the editor and staff of the -_Western Morning News_, who have been most active in its promotion. -Assistance has also been kindly rendered by the editor and staff of the -_Western Daily Mercury_. - -Thanks are also largely due to many others, who, besides furnishing us -with interesting details and views, have offered us every facility for -obtaining information. - -Valuable particulars in some instances have been afforded by Dr. -Merrifield, of Plymouth, and Mr. Rowe, public librarian, of Devonport, -who has also sent some of the views appearing in this book. - -To the artistic photographic skill of Messrs. Heath and Son, of George -Street, Plymouth, Messrs. Denney and Co., of Exeter and Teignmouth, and -Messrs. Valentine and Son, of Teignmouth, we are indebted for several -of our illustrations. To the amateur photographers in various parts -of the West who so kindly sent photographic views we tender our best -thanks, and regret that space did not permit us to use a larger number. - -Much necessarily remains untold, but we have endeavoured to depict a -very remarkable event as fully as the pages at our disposal permitted. - - _Devonport, April, 1891._ - - - - - NESTLÉ'S - FOOD - A Complete and Perfect Substitute for - Mothers' Milk. - ***** - OBTAINED THE GOLD MEDAL - AT THE - PARIS EXHIBITION, 1889. - - - - -THE BLIZZARD IN THE WEST - - -CHAPTER I. - -INDICATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. - - -On the morning of the 9th of March, 1891, when inhabitants of the -three westernmost counties in England set about preparing for the -routine duties of daily life, nothing seemed to indicate that, with -the approach of nightfall, the gravest atmospheric disturbance of -the century--in that part of the world, at all events--would come to -spread terror and destruction throughout town and country. The month, -so far, had not been a gentle one. Following in the footsteps of a -memorably genial February, March had been somewhat harsh and cold, -without yielding the rain that was by this time greatly needed. There -were rumours of "a change of some sort," of an approaching "fall of -something," and other vaticinations of the same familiar character -floating about, but in the west country these wise sayings fall so -thick and fast and frequently as to possess little more significance -than the most oft-repeated household words. When the day drew on, -and signs of a rising gale were uncomfortably apparent on every -hand, recollections of a promised storm from the Observatories of -the United States began to be awakened, but it was found on sifting -the matter, that if this were the disturbance indicated, it had come -about a fortnight too soon. Students of "Old Moore's Almanack" were -better informed, and it is probable that if this ill wind blew good -to anybody, it was in the shape of discovery that by virtue of the -truth of his forecast, a favourite and venerable prophet was deserving -of honour at the hands of the people of his own country. Unhappily, -however, there is nothing to show that advantage had been taken of this -warning, in any practical sense. On the contrary, the blast came down -swiftly upon a community that was almost wholly unprepared to receive -it, and one of the saddest parts of the story of its fury will be the -account of the devastation wrought among the unprotected flocks and -herds. - -On referring to the remarks on the subject of the weather published in -the local press, and obtained from official scientific authorities, it -will be found that at an early hour on the morning of March 9th the -barometer had been rising slightly, and that the day "promised to be -fine." Other accounts hinted at the probability of some snow showers, -and snow was reported as falling heavily in North Wales, but north and -north-easterly winds, light and moderate, were anticipated. Nothing -was said about a great fall of snow, accompanied by a hurricane fierce -enough to send it down in powder, without even allowing time for the -formation of snow-flakes. - -According to one Plymouth correspondent, whose observations are both -reliable and valuable, the only intimation of the coming storm was -by the barometer falling to 29·69 on the evening of the 9th, with -an E.N.E. wind. The hygrometer was thick and heavy--a sign of rough -weather. During the night the glass fell to 29·39. On Tuesday it fell -to 29·180. Another account says that it has not, perhaps, occurred in -the experience of many, except those who have known tropical storms, -that the movement in an ordinary column barometer might be seen during -the progress of a gale. Such, however, was possible in the case under -notice. Though the glass had been falling during the day, yet there -were no indications of any serious disturbance of the weather. On many -occasions there have been greater falls in the barometer than on this -occasion. When this storm was at its height, the barometer at Devonport -was observed to be at 29·27, but in the course of half an hour pressure -was indicated by 29·20, the rise being, of course, a considerable and -sudden one. Within an hour of this register being made, a fall had -again occurred to 29·25, and even a little below this was marked, at -which point the column remained until the early hours of the morning. - -It is clear that during the whole progress of the storm the temperature -was never very low. The great cold came from the strength of the wind. -During the storm, and in the course of the severe days that followed, -not more than five or six degrees of frost were registered, and on one -day of the week, when there was snow on every hand, the thermometer -never rose higher than freezing point. The wind, however, was terrific, -its maximum force during the night being 10, and 12 is the highest -possible. To this extraordinary velocity is due the fact that the -visitation is best describable by the term "blizzard." With a less -violent wind, there would have been a great fall of snow, as great -probably as that of January, 1881, when difficulties and disasters -painfully comparable with those of the present year were spread -broadcast over not only the western portion, but the whole of England, -but it would have been a snowstorm and not a blizzard, and many of -the phenomenal aspects of the visitation under notice would have -been absent. In the course of the present narrative many remarkable -effects due to the powdery nature of the snow will have to be recorded. -Before concluding the meteorological portion of the subject, and -getting on with the story, it may be well to observe that according -to the best authorities a blizzard is caused by the fierceness of -the wind, which blows the cold into the vapour in the atmosphere and -consolidates it into fine snow without allowing time for the formation -of a snow-flake. We are accustomed to associate ideas of gentleness -and beauty and stillness with the fall of snow. The blizzard, which is -apparently--but, of course, only in name--a new acquaintance, shews us -the reverse side of the picture, and suggests nothing beyond merciless -fury and destructiveness. - -As to the quantity of snow that fell, accounts differ. There were -huge drifts in most places; in others there was a comparatively -level covering of many feet in thickness. The condition of a part -of George Street, Plymouth, which received a very fair quantity, is -artistically portrayed in the accompanying illustration, copied from a -photograph taken on the morning of Tuesday by Mr. Heath, photographer, -of Plymouth. According to observations made by Dr. Merrifield, of -Plymouth, the value of whose scientific researches into the mysteries -of matters meteorological are beyond question, the quantity of snow and -rain that fell between Monday evening and early on Wednesday morning -was ·68. This was registered at the doctor's residence, which stands -125 feet above the level of the sea, and faces S.S.E. With the depth of -snow in other places, this record will deal in due course. - -[Illustration: GEORGE STREET, PLYMOUTH.] - -During the whole time the blizzard was raging, the wind varied from -N.E. to S.E. The changes were very rapid, but this was the widest -range. Along the coast the greatest severity appears to have been -experienced from a point or two eastward of Teignmouth to Falmouth Bay, -many towns exposed to the sea having to bear their share of the burden, -and unhappily many valuable lives being lost through disastrous wrecks. -If a map of the three counties of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset be -consulted, it will be found that, taking this portion of the coast as -an opening through which the broad shaft of a hurricane entered, now -sweeping in a north-easterly, and now in a south-easterly direction, -the area of country that has sustained the heaviest damage will be -embraced, the intensity of the violence inflicted gradually diminishing -the further one travels towards the east, north, and west. Dartmoor -forms a kind of centre of the chief scene of desolation, and Plymouth, -being well within the range, has suffered far more severely than any -other large town in the three counties. To the eastward, in particular, -it is clear that the effects of the gale are not nearly so serious, -though the fall of snow was pretty abundant all over the southern part -of England. Outside of Devon and West Cornwall there are no great lots -of timber down, though here and there a fallen tree is observable. - -Unhappily the departure of the storm was not so sudden as its advent. -The Tuesday following the night of tempest was an indescribably -wretched day, and the barometer fell to 29·180. Wednesday brought -sunshine and hope with it, and afforded the one bright spot in this -gloomy record by showing up many effects of wonderful beauty in the -snow-covered landscapes. Still the wind was never at rest, though -the thermometer went up to 120° in the sun. Thursday followed -with more snow, and occasional sharp and ominous squalls, and some -apprehension was felt that a repetition of Monday's experience was in -the air, but fortunately the week wore away without further calamity, -and the work of repairing to some extent the damage done, and thereby -making existence for man and beast possible, a task hitherto carried on -under tremendous difficulties, was vigorously pushed forward. - -A letter, which will be found interesting, was, on the day after -the storm, written to the editor of the _Western Morning News_, and -published in that paper, by Captain Andrew Haggard, of the King's Own -Scottish Borderers, now stationed at Devonport. The writer is a brother -of Mr. Rider Haggard, and himself a novelist of repute. This letter was -as follows:-- - - "SIR,--The cyclonic nature of the blizzard that has been - annoying us all so much, and causing such a frightful amount - of damage during the last two days, may be judged by the - following observations taken by several officers in the South - Raglan Barracks on the evening of the 9th instant. From these - observations it would seem as if for a time the South Raglan - Barracks were in the exact centre of the storm, being left for - varying periods in a complete calm in consequence. Here are the - notes we made:--At 8·12 P.M. the storm was raging so furiously - that the solid old Raglan was shaken to its foundations, the - fire was roaring up the chimney as if in a blast furnace, and - the noise made by the blizzard generally was such that it was - difficult to hear one's neighbour speak. But at 8·13 suddenly - came a complete lull. The elements ceased to wage war, the - fire assumed its normal demeanour, and an officer who went - out to see what had happened came in and reported that it was - so calm he was able to light matches outside. For thirteen - minutes did this calm last. At 8·26 with a roar like thunder, - the wind returned, and once more we were dreading that the - armies of the chimney pots would fall upon us in their fury. - Only for twenty minutes, though, did the hurricane scream - and yell, and as before make itself generally obnoxious. At - 8·46 there was another absolute cessation of wind until 8·53, - when it 'blizzed' worse than before. And shortly afterward - everyone started forth to put out fires, when all the amateur - meteorologists discovered to their grief that whatever the - cyclone might do in the way of lulling occasionally down at - the Raglan, on the top of Stoke Hill it blizzed all night with - perfect impartiality. - - Yours truly, - "ANDREW HAGGARD. - "DEVONPORT, _March 10th_." - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE BLIZZARD. - - -Soon after daylight, on the morning of Monday, March 9th, over the -whole of the West of England, the fine weather that had prevailed -for several weeks past gave place to a most unpleasant condition -of affairs. The temperature fell, almost suddenly, and in the -neighbourhood of Plymouth, Devonport, and Stonehouse, snow was falling -fitfully from about an hour before noon. There was a gradually rising -wind, that assumed menacing proportions as the afternoon wore on, -while the snow that had, for the first few hours, thawed as soon as it -fell upon the yet warm ground, was rapidly forming a white covering on -every position exposed to the sky. At six o'clock, in the three towns -some four or five inches of snow lay upon the ground, and the wind -had increased to a hurricane. Slates began to start from the roofs of -houses, and chimneys to fall, and in a very short time the streets -assumed a deserted appearance, and all vehicular traffic was stopped. -Advertisement hoardings were hurled from their positions with some -terrible crashes, and in many instances the splinters were promptly -seized by a thrifty populace and taken away for firewood. Many trees -were blown down in the early part of the night. In Buckland Street, -Plymouth, a tree of sufficient size to block the roadway fell at about -eight o'clock, and not long after another heavy tree fell from Athenæum -Garden across Athenæum Street, the main road to the Great Western -Railway Station, completely closing the thoroughfare. Our illustration, -reproduced from a photograph taken by Mr. Heath of George Street, -Plymouth, on the morning after the storm, gives a realistic idea of the -condition of Plymouth streets, and of the quantity of snow that was -blown about during the night. - -On Plymouth Hoe, iron seats were blown from their fastenings and -rolled over and over, the ironwork in many instances being curiously -bent. The statue of Drake, the Armada Memorial, and the Smeaton Tower -looked, however, none the worse for the wild night. Perhaps, when the -sun shone upon them on Wednesday they may be described as having looked -better for the patches of glistening snow that clung to them in most -picturesque form. Strange to say, the Pavilion Pier sustained no damage -beyond a smashed pane or two of glass. Exposed as it must have been to -the full fury of the gale, it stood the turmoil gallantly, and this -fact speaks well for the soundness of the structure, and for the good -workmanship and material used in its erection. - -Trees were uprooted or snapped short off at Woodside, the residence of -Mr. Bewes, at Portland Square, and in many other parts of Plymouth. Of -these irreparable losses much more will be said in the course of this -record. Concerning the damage wrought among houses and homesteads, -and the marvellous escapes from injury to life and limb, our limited -pages would not permit of the chronicling of one hundredth part of -those that were met with in the Three Towns alone during that night. At -Clifton Place, Plymouth, a chimney fell through the roof into a bedroom -occupied by three little girls, and completely buried them, two being -so badly injured as to necessitate their removal to the hospital. In -this instance the staircase was blocked by the débris, and access to -the terrified children could only be obtained by means of ladders, and -with the greatest difficulty. - -[Illustration: ATHENÆUM STREET, PLYMOUTH.] - -On Mutley Plain, one of the most exposed situations in Plymouth, the -storm raged with terrific fury, women and children being blown off -their feet and half-suffocated with the rush of snow-laden wind, while -such cabmen as had ventured abroad with their cabs, made their way back -to more sheltered quarters with great difficulty. Numerous instances -in this locality of strong men receiving severe contusions through -being blown against walls and railings are recorded. At Alexandra -Place, Mutley, a terrific gust of wind caught one of the chimneys of -the house, sending it through the roof, and the only means of rendering -the house habitable for the time was by stretching tarpaulins over -the breach. There is no statement accessible of the number of fallen -chimneys and damaged roofs that might have been discovered in the Three -Towns alone during that night, and even if there were, to recount -them all would only be to tell one sad story over and over again with -wearisome monotony; but it is probably safe to say that scarcely -one street in the whole of the district escaped without some house -receiving injury. Fortunately the storm was at its height at about 8 -o'clock in the evening, an hour when bedrooms are usually unoccupied. -Had the chief fury of the gale been spent some hours later, it is more -than likely that numerous fatalities would have had to be recounted. - -At a shop in Fore Street, Devonport, a similar accident occurred, two -children while lying in bed being badly crushed through a chimney -falling. At the Main Guard, at the top of Devonport Hill, the windows -were blown in, but the soldiers on duty fortunately escaped without -injury, and were removed into the barracks. The roofs of the "Crown and -Column," and of the wine and spirit store in the occupation of Messrs. -Chubb & Co., both in Devonport, were seriously injured, while at -Wingfield Villa, Stoke, the residence of the rector of Stoke Damerel, -soon after 8 o'clock, a terrific squall burst upon the house and sent -a large chimney stack crashing through the roof into the drawing room, -doing great damage to some valuable furniture. Altogether, a lengthy -chapter of accidents might be recorded as the result of the gale on -Monday evening in Devonport. In a few instances personal injuries of -a more or less serious nature were sustained, but it is not a little -remarkable, that here, as elsewhere in the immediate neighbourhood, -while there were many narrow escapes no case of a fatal character -occurred. - -Among other narrow escapes at Devonport may be instanced that of a -gentleman living in Albert Road, Morice Town. He went to a back bedroom -on the top storey to nail up a board to prevent smoke from blowing down -the chimney, when a sudden gust struck the stack and precipitated it on -to the roof, which fell through the ceiling into the bedroom, burying -him and carrying a portion of the floor into the back drawing-room -below. The gentleman in question managed to extricate himself from the -débris, and escaped with a severe shaking. In another case, a family -occupying two rooms at the top of an old house in Cannon Street, -nearly lost their lives. The occupier, his wife, and mother-in-law, -were sitting around the bedroom fire when the roof fell on them. Their -injuries were not of a serious character, but considerable damage was -done to their furniture. It is estimated that about £50 worth of damage -was done to the buildings at the back of Hope (Baptist) Chapel in Fore -Street; a chimney falling bodily crashed through the roof, and carried -one of the class-rooms and the gallery of the Sunday-school into the -vestry. A chimney stack falling from No. 7, Chapel Street, destroyed -a conservatory, and did considerable damage to the roof of the -adjoining house, No. 6. A large portion of the roof of the South Devon -Sanitary Laundry, Cornwall Street, was blown away, and the work of the -establishment was temporarily disarranged in consequence. Extensive -damage was also done to property at 10, Stopford-place, Stoke. - -One of the most miraculous escapes that occurred was that at the -residence of Mr. Perkins (Lord Mount-Edgecumbe's surveyor) in Emma -Place, Stonehouse. During the hurricane Mrs. Perkins heard the windows -and doors rattling, and rushed up to the nursery to see that the -windows were closed and doors fastened. The servant was closing the -window, her mistress standing near the chimney breast, when there was -a sudden crash. The servant clung to the framework of the window, but -Mrs. Perkins immediately found herself buried in bricks and mortar. -She was sitting on a portion of the floor near the window, with her -legs dangling over an abyss; the floors having been carried away, with -the exception of two floor boards, upon which, happily, she had been -deposited. The snow found its way into the house, and although no one -could distinguish her or the servant, she seems to have grasped the -situation and called to her husband to bring a ladder to release her -and the girl. This eventually was done, but the intense excitement of -the moment may be well imagined. Mr. Perkins, having obtained a ladder -and a light had the greatest difficulty in discovering the position of -those above, but having done so, he released both from their perilous -position, little thinking that the ladder was resting on fallen -rubbish, the slightest shock to which would have precipitated all to -the basement. - -During this night of disaster, probably the most calamitous incident -that occurred on land, was a fire which broke out at about 8 o'clock -at 4, Wingfield Villas, Stoke, the residence of Mr. Venning, Town -Clerk of Devonport, and which resulted in the total destruction of the -house and its contents, as well as in material damage to the adjoining -villa. A chimney-stack facing the direction from which the wind blew -gave way and, crashing through the roof of the nursery, carried with -it a quantity of débris through the floor of the nursery into the -drawing-room below. Through the aperture thus made the fire from the -nursery grate, and it is supposed also a lamp, were carried, and -speedily ignited the contents of the drawing-room. The fire, being -fanned by the fierce gale, just then at its height, increased rapidly, -and the premises were soon in a blaze. - -Owing to the elevated position in which the house stood the -conflagration was visible at a great distance, and in spite of the -weather, large numbers of people visited the spot, although the journey -thither, under the circumstances, was one of the most difficult it -is possible to conceive. To those who ventured on the walk, however, -the sight presented was an extraordinarily impressive one. The flames -raged like the blast of a furnace, and the mingling of smoke, sparks -and snow-dust produced an effect that was as novel as it was terrible. -Sparks from the burning building were carried immense distances, and -beaten, with the snow-powder, against the windows of houses that faced -the burning villa. Standing at a distance of nearly a mile, with eyes -fixed on the blaze, it was impossible to believe that the roar of the -fire could not be heard, so nearly did the howling and surging of the -wind resemble the roar caused by a great volume of rushing flame. - -In connection with the fire several narrow escapes are recorded. Mr. -Venning's daughter, about six years of age, had a perilous experience. -She had been put to bed by her nurse, and, during the absence of the -latter from the room for a few minutes, the chimney clashed through the -roof into the drawing-room. Fortunately Mr. Venning's daughter received -nothing worse than a severe fright, and she was quickly removed to a -neighbouring house. The ladies who were in the drawing-room at the time -of the crash were also greatly alarmed, and made a hasty exit from -the building, being hospitably sheltered at Wingfield House by Colonel -Goodeve, R.A., and also at the house of a relative, in Godolphin -Terrace. - -The efforts of the firemen to prevent the spread of the flames, under -circumstances of great difficulty, were crowned with a well-merited -success. Water was not readily available, and when obtained was not -abundant, but notwithstanding this a gallant fight was made, and -although to save the one dwelling was impossible, the contents of -the adjoining one were safely removed, and the structure itself was -snatched from total demolition. In addition to the West of England -and Devonport Fire Brigades, and a large staff of constables under -the charge of Mr. Evans, the Chief Constable of Devonport, there were -present Colonel Liardet, R.M.L.I., the field officer of the day, and a -detachment of men belonging to the King's Own Scottish Borderers, under -Captain Haggard. Several manual engines from the troops in garrison -were taken to the scene of the fire, but, with one exception, they were -not brought into use. A number of civilians were conspicuous for their -energy in performing voluntary salvage duty. The damage resulting from -this fire has been estimated at something like £7,000. - -On their way to and from the scene of the fire by way of Millbridge, -many pedestrians from Plymouth had narrow escapes from being blown -over the parapet of the bridge into the Deadlake. About half-past -eight, when the fire had somewhat abated, the majority of the Plymouth -spectators moved back with the intention of re-crossing the bridge, -but the wind had increased in violence, and the water in the lake -was so disturbed that the waves could be heard lashing against the -bridge and on the shores. Some who ventured on the bridge were driven -back, and consternation began to spread among the crowd, many women -screaming loudly. To proceed to Plymouth by way of Pennycomequick was -also a matter of difficulty, as the full fury of the gale blowing down -the valley had to be faced. Many waited on the Devonport side until -there was a lull, when some of them linked their arms in those of their -friends for safety's sake and so crossed to Plymouth. - -During the whole of Monday night Her Majesty's vessels in the Hamoaze -were in positions of great peril, and those holding responsible posts -in connection with them underwent great anxiety. The _Lion_ and -_Implacable_, anchored just above Torpoint, which form an establishment -for training boys, under the command of Commander Morrison, dragged -their moorings during the evening. The vessels were moored stern to -stern, and connected by a covered gangway. The cause of the mishap -was the parting of the starboard bridle of the _Implacable_. At about -half-past nine signals of distress were made to the shore, and it was -stated that the two ships had been driven ashore, and were in the -mud off Thanckes. This, however, proved not to be the case, as the -vessels never even touched the ground. As soon as the danger was known -all available tugs at Devonport Dockyard were despatched with a view -to taking off, if necessary, the hundreds of boys who were on board. -At midnight, however, all apprehension for the safety of the vessels -had been practically removed, although as the storm had by no means -abated, the tugs were ordered to stand by all night in order to give -any assistance that might be required. - -In the meantime there was great excitement in Sutton Harbour. Between -eight and nine o'clock several of the trading vessels, trawlers, and -fishing craft lying at anchor began to drag, and extra warps had to -be got out, and the vessels secured. The sea in the harbour was very -heavy, and at one time some fear was felt for the buildings along -the quay, but no damage of this nature occurred. Some of the stores -along the North quay were roughly handled by the wind, the roof of -the new coal store of Messrs. Hill and Co. was blown off, and a -similar accident occurred to the premises in the occupation of Messrs. -Vodden and Johns, but generally speaking the damage on the quays was -satisfactorily light. A good deal of anxiety was expressed as to the -welfare of trawlers who were known to be in the channel, and, as a -subsequent chapter will show, these fears were by no means groundless. -The cutter of the harbourmaster, lying in Plymouth Sound was reported -to be in a sinking condition during the night, and a tug was sent to -her assistance. She had four men on board, who were removed for safety, -but ultimately the cutter weathered the storm, and is still afloat. - -Under conditions like these the night of the ninth of March wore away -in the Three Towns. To many the night was a long one, and crowded -with all sorts of apprehensions. The wind, never for a moment silent, -rose again and again to hurricane force, and the fine snow so swiftly -covered the window panes that to look out upon the night soon became a -matter of difficulty. There was no great feeling of security indoors, -but to remain out for long was a matter of impossibility, and the -imperfect and disconnected rumours of disaster that were disseminated -created all the more alarm from the fact that they could not be -investigated. Hundreds of households did not go to bed at all, while -very many sat up all night because their bedrooms were in a state of -hopeless confusion, or of absolute wreck. Some were without fire, -through a defect having been brought about in the chimney, or through -the chimney having fallen in altogether; and in those localities where -the buildings were of the dilapidated or frail order the wretchedness -for the night, and, indeed, for the week throughout, was very great. - -Not the least serious part of the gale was the number of friends -missing from the Plymouth district. Quite early there was a breakdown -of the telegraph wires, which made all telegraphic communication -with other parts of the country impossible, and the late arrival of -many trains into the west, and the non-arrival of others, led to -much anxious conjecture as to the fate of those whose appearance in -Plymouth during the night had been confidently expected. The first -indications of telegraphic interruption were observed as early as -half-past four on Monday afternoon, when communication with Tavistock -was suspended. Following this, the reports of breakdowns from all parts -of the two counties became very frequent until about seven o'clock, -when communication with London and all places above Plymouth ceased. -Penzance, and one or two Cornish towns could be communicated with -for some time longer, but soon all operations were suspended, and no -messages were received at the Plymouth office after eight o'clock. -As a general rule the breakdown was caused by trees falling across -the wires, or by the telegraph posts having been brought bodily to -the ground. As will be subsequently seen, this condition of things -prevailed to a great extent, and in some cases the telegraph wires and -posts got upon the railway lines and prevented the progress of the -trains. - -The interruption of the local train service commenced early on Monday. -Trains due at North Road Station, Plymouth, between mid-day and eight -o'clock in the evening were all considerably behind time, and the -telegraphic and telephonic instruments being rendered useless, thus -making communication with other stations impossible, the officials had -an anxious period of waiting for information of belated trains. At -about nine o'clock the "Jubilee," which left London at one o'clock, -and should have reached North Road, Plymouth, at 7·30, came into the -station. With the remarkable experiences of passengers by this, one -of the last trains that reached Plymouth by either the London and -South Western or Great Western lines from Monday night to Saturday, -and other trains that failed to reach Plymouth at all, a subsequent -chapter will deal, should space permit. A train from Tavistock, due -at 8·40, did not appear until eleven o'clock, and the eight o'clock -train from Launceston did not come at all. The "Alexandra," a train -that left Waterloo Station at 2·40 arrived at nine o'clock, the driver -stating that near Okehampton he had to drive through three feet of -snow. These, however, are the trains that did arrive. There were many -that did not, and in many scores of instances a member of a family was -not heard of for days, although, happily, in the majority of cases, the -missing one ultimately turned up with nothing worse than a severe cold -and a great distaste for winter life in small Devonshire or Cornish -towns. - -So far the state of affairs in the Three Towns only has been dealt -with, but it will be readily surmised that adjacent towns, and more -especially those in the neighbourhood of Dartmoor, and the more open -parts of Cornwall, suffered very considerably. Generally speaking, -the damage to house property was nowhere so great as in Plymouth and -Devonport. In the country districts, as a matter of course, calamities -of a most serious and special character were met with, and trees were -felled, sheep buried, and oxen frozen in enormous quantities,--in some -instances, also, human life was sacrificed, but in none of the other -larger towns was the devastation so widespread as in the Three Towns. -At Exeter, the fall of snow was said to be the heaviest for years, and -by reason of its suddenness, even more severe than the storm of 1881. -The drifts of snow in some places were of great depth. As at Plymouth, -traffic as well as business was suspended, but there were no serious -mishaps, the force of the wind, though great, being evidently not so -fierce as was the case further west. Railway communication between -Exeter and Plymouth was of course impossible, but there were on Tuesday -four trains trying to run between Exeter and Taunton. The North of -England mail, which should have arrived at Exeter at half-past eight -was four hours late, but it did put in an appearance. The trains of the -London and South Western Railway ran to Exeter from the North just as -usual, throughout the week. - -At Torquay the storm was the severest experienced there for many -years. There was a heavy fall of snow on the night of Monday, and on -the following morning the ground was covered to the depth of a foot. A -strong easterly wind was also blowing, and trees were uprooted in every -part of the district. At the Recreation Grounds the roof was blown -off the grand stand, and a huge tree blew across the railway at Lowes -Bridge, near Torre Station. An engine of the up-train cut through this -and traffic was suspended until the line was cleared by a breakdown -gang on Tuesday. The trains from London and Plymouth failing to run, -Torquay soon became isolated, and telegraph and telephone communication -was early interfered with in consequence of the poles being blown down -and the wires broken by the burden of snow. Considerable damage was -done to the New Pier works by the heavy gale. Plant for moulding the -concrete was washed away, as was also a portion of the masonry, while -parts of the sea-wall were damaged, and a flight of stone steps leading -to the sea-wall were swept completely away. Street traffic was so -much impeded by the snow that on the Tuesday after the storm the Town -Surveyor constructed a wooden snow-plough, and with this, drawn by two -horses, the roads were cleared. All the public clocks in the town were -stopped by the snow. - -Tavistock was one of the towns that had the severest experiences. The -barometer fell rapidly on Monday morning, and at about eleven o'clock -snow began to fall; while, as the day advanced, it was accompanied by a -high wind, that, towards seven o'clock in the evening, increased to a -hurricane. In Tavistock, and all along the Tavy Valley, the full force -of the storm was felt, large trees being uprooted, houses unroofed, -and chimney-stacks blown down in every direction. One of the latter -instances occurred in West Street, where the occupant, a lady, had been -suffering from a serious illness. The chimney-stack being blown over, -the débris fell through the roof into the bedroom where the invalid was -lying. Her attendant received some cuts on the head, but the invalid -escaped the falling masonry, although she received a severe shock to -the system through the incident. A waggoner employed at the Phoenix -Mills, Horrabridge, was returning to Tavistock from Lifton on Monday -night, in charge of an empty waggon and three horses, and when within -two miles of his destination, found that through the violence of the -storm he was unable to continue his journey. He took the horses out -of the waggon, and made an ineffectual attempt to drive them home. -Failing in this the waggoner walked into Tavistock, and at about ten -o'clock returned to the spot where he had left his horses. By this time -the snow was so deep that the horses could not be seen, and it was -necessary to leave them until the following morning. Eventually they -were dug out, and driven home, not much the worse, to all appearance, -for their night in the snow. Tavistock being an important market town, -and the centre of a large district, experienced great inconvenience -through the interruption in railway traffic, and the impassable state -of the roads. Wednesday, March 11th, was the monthly cattle fair day, -but not a single animal was brought in. At the Fitzford Church the -window was blown in. Like many other towns in the Dartmoor vicinity, -Tavistock received more than one disastrous visitation during this -memorable week, and its record of lost sheep and cattle, to which more -extended reference will be made further on, is a very serious one. - -At Bideford, and in the surrounding country, the weather was more -severe than any experienced since the winter of 1881. The barometer had -been steadily going back all day on Sunday, and on Monday a cutting -east wind blew with considerable force. Snow commenced falling at -noon, and continued until the evening, when the streets and roads were -covered to some depth. Then the wind rose to half a gale, whirling -the snow into little clouds, which filled both doors and windows. All -through the night the wind increased in force, until it blew a perfect -hurricane. Icicles hung inches long from windowsills and launders of -the houses. In the country, traffic was completely suspended, the -snowdrifts being as high as the hedges. Farmers were consequently -unable to get into market, and provisions went up considerably in -price. The mail coach started for Clovelly and Hartland as usual on -Tuesday morning, and managed to reach Clovelly. There, however, the -horses had to be taken out, and the driver rode through the deep drifts -to Hartland on horseback. The return journey was performed by another -man in a similar way. All the mails were delayed, and rural postmen's -districts were mostly impassable. - -At Teignmouth, Exmouth, Dawlish, and most other seaside places from -the estuary of the Exe to the Start, the effects of the gale were -severely felt on Monday night. At the former place the sea ran high, -and the breakers fell with great force close to the landwash and over -the promenade. Opposite Den House the roadway was undermined and washed -away, and had it not been for the fact that an hitherto existing stone -wall lay buried beneath the surface, which acted as a breakwater -against the heavy sea, it is almost certain that Den House and Bella -Vista would have been washed away. As soon as the tide ebbed, the wind -veered towards the northward, and the sea went down. A gang of men were -at once set to work to shore up the embankment, and fill in the cavity -made by the sea. The Promenade towards the East Cliff was also washed -up in several places. In the Exeter Road and at Brimley a large number -of trees were blown down, and traffic was generally suspended. - -An illustration from a photograph by Messrs. G. Denney & Co., -photographers, of Exeter and Teignmouth, portrays one of the scenes in -Exeter Road, which was impassable for a day or two. - -At Totnes, Brent, and in fact every town in Devonshire, damage of a -more or less severe character was sustained. Space will not allow of -a separate reference to each locality in the present chapter, but in -dealing with occurrences that took place after the early force of the -blizzard had been exhausted on that memorable Monday night and Tuesday -morning, there will be found few districts that necessity will not -compel us to bring under notice. - -[Illustration: EXETER ROAD, TEIGNMOUTH.] - -Reference has already been made to some towns in the North of Devon. -Throughout the whole of this district the storm raged furiously, -rendering communication with many parts impossible. Although snow did -not commence to fall until Monday afternoon, by the evening of that day -the drifts had reached a depth of several feet. The train which left -Barnstaple for Ilfracombe at about half-past eight on Monday evening -became embedded just below Morthoe station. At Ilfracombe a strong -gale raged throughout Monday night, and the brigantine _Ethel_, of -Salcombe, 180 tons went ashore at Combemartin, but in this instance -no lives were lost, the crew having taken to their boats. In North -Cornwall, a terrible snowstorm raged for twenty-four hours, resembling -in many respects the great storm of the 18th and 19th January, 1881. -The atmospheric pressure was about the same as then, and the storm -burst from the same point. On the first day of the great storm in 1881, -the temperature varied from 26 to 30 and on the second from 25 to 30. -On the 9th of March in the present year it varied from 29 to 31½. The -roads were soon blocked in all directions, trains on the lines ceased -running, and no mails could be sent or received. Bude was cut off -from the outside world, except by telegraphic communication. In the -roads around Bude the snow was quickly as high as the hedges, so that -traffic, even on foot, was rendered impracticable. Falmouth, Liskeard, -Camborne, and indeed all other Cornish towns, had a rough night, and -before our story is finished, like many towns in Devonshire, they will -be found to have suffered severely. To approach them with any hope of -successfully relating how they all fared on the night of Monday and on -the Tuesday following, we must deal with the railways, for from railway -travellers who were detained in certain places on the course of their -journeys, and from the energetic officials who after heavy and anxious -toil succeeded in releasing them, many of the most thrilling narratives -have been obtained. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -ON THE RAILWAYS. - - -Some incidents in connection with the suspension of the railway service -on every line connecting Plymouth with the rest of the world have -already been related. It is unnecessary to dwell at further length on -the terrible mental and physical suffering entailed by this state of -things. Facts need no comment that tell of passengers being snowed up -in a train for thirty-six hours on a stretch, and others being unable -to communicate with their friends for nearly a week, to say nothing of -all that the engine-drivers and other officials had to endure. - -One of the first expeditions that set out into the dreary night in -search of the cause of delay was undertaken by Mr. C. E. Compton, -the divisional superintendent of the Great Western Railway Co., and -other gentlemen, who went out on a pilot engine as far as Camel's Head -Bridge between eight and nine o'clock on Monday night. The cause of the -interruption in the telegraph system was here ascertained, the poles -being blown down and lying across the line. Later in the evening Mr. -Compton pushed on as far as Hemerdon, on the main line, where a similar -state of things was encountered, and it was learned that at Kingsbridge -Road and at Brent Station the snow had drifted to such an extent as -to block the line. A train due from Penzance was known to be somewhere -on the Plymouth side of Truro, but its exact whereabouts could not be -discovered. There was some anxious looking out for the "Zulu" express -from Paddington, due at Plymouth early in the evening, but the train -was at Brent, with about ten feet of snow on the line, between it and -Plymouth, and, as will be presently seen, the passengers were meeting -with some novel and undesirable experiences. - -The mail train from Plymouth for London left Millbay Station at -the usual time, 8·20, and Hemerdon Junction was reached with much -difficulty. Here the first deep cutting had to be encountered, and the -driver, approaching it at a reduced speed, observed that the drifting -snow had practically blocked the entrance. The seriousness of the -situation was realized by one and all of the passengers, and, although -there was an anxiety on their part to get to their destination as soon -as possible, they agreed that there was no alternative but to either -remain where they were or return to Plymouth. The latter course was -decided upon, and shunting was at once proceeded with. The drifts of -snow rendered this work very difficult, and the frequent jerkings -caused the passengers much inconvenience. Eventually the driver, after -most skilful handling of the locomotive, succeeded in reversing the -position of the engine, and a start was made for Plymouth. Much to -the relief of the passengers, the latter place was reached, after a -slow but sure journey, about half-past one next morning. The utmost -consideration was shown the passengers by the station officials, and -accommodation was found them for the night at the "Duke of Cornwall" -Hotel and in the station waiting-room. - -All traffic on the London and South Western Railway below Okehampton -ceased soon after eight o'clock on Monday night. One of the slow -passenger trains from Okehampton was snowed up in a deep cutting -between Meldon Viaduct and Bridestowe, one of the bleakest spots on the -South Western system. The express due at North Road Station at 11·4 on -the same night was stopped at Okehampton. The ordinary seven o'clock -up-train was despatched on Tuesday morning from Mutley Station, and was -drawn by three engines. Considerable danger attended railway travelling -in consequence of the jolting and straining that occurred when the -numerous obstructions were met with. All the points at the Tavistock -Station were completely choked, and though for some hours a number of -men were employed in an effort to keep them clear, the task was found -impossible, and as a result the train that might have proceeded in the -direction of Plymouth remained where it was as the engine could not be -shunted to the Plymouth end of the train. The last up South Western -train on Monday night was snowed up at Lidford, but the passengers were -released. One of the vans of a goods train proceeding to Tavistock -early on Monday evening was blown away. - -Serious as was the condition of things on all the railways on Monday -night, on Tuesday matters became worse. During that day only two trains -reached Millbay Station, Plymouth, and these, which came from Cornwall, -should have arrived on Monday night. One account, of experiences as -unique as they were unpleasant, is thus given by the _Western Daily -Mercury_:--"The mail train from Cornwall, due at Plymouth at 8·10 -on Monday night, reached Millbay at 9·30 A.M., bringing some eighty -passengers; amongst whom were Mr. Bolitho, banker, of Penzance, and -Mrs. Bolitho, who were wishful of getting to Ivybridge to attend the -hunt, and Mr. J. H. Hamblyn, of Buckfastleigh, who was _en route_ from -Liskeard to Bristol Fair. All went well with the mail until St. Germans -was reached at about 8 P.M. It was found that no further progress was -possible, and that there was no help for it but to pass the night in -the carriages under the shelter of the station. Mr. Gibbons, one of -the assistant-engineers of the line, and Inspector Scantlebury, who -were travelling in the train, resolved to walk to Saltash. The snow was -not so very deep at this time, and the block was due principally to -the wholesale destruction of telegraph poles. After a rough time of it -the two officials reached Saltash, and afterwards pushed on to Camel's -Head, where was the biggest block of all, fir trees and telegraph poles -and wires being scattered about broadcast. Meanwhile at St. Germans the -station-master (Mr. Priest) was doing his best to make the passengers -as comfortable as possible. In fact, all of those who reached Plymouth -after the night's adventure are loud in their praises of Mr. Priest. -Messengers were despatched by him to the village, and loaves, butter, -tea, and coffee were speedily bought up. At the station fires were -lit in all the available grates, and very soon the passengers were in -possession of hot tea and coffee, as well as bread and butter. This -modest fare was repeated at intervals during the night, and it goes -without saying was most welcome. - -"After spending something like ten hours at St. Germans the mail was -able to leave at eight o'clock on Tuesday morning for Saltash, but -here another delay of nearly two hours took place, in consequence of -the block on the Devonport side of the Camel's Head bridge. To remove -this a breakdown train had been sent out from Plymouth at 6 A.M. in -charge of Mr. H. Quigley, the assistant divisional-superintendent. This -train got as far as Keyham Viaduct without much interruption. Here an -array of prostrate poles and fir-trees required removing, and then -the breakdown train forged ahead slowly to the Weston Mills Viaduct, -where there was a confused mass of poles and wires stretching from one -side of the creek to the other. This accomplished, a move was made to -Saltash, where the mail was met and safely escorted to Plymouth, which -all were glad to reach, after a novel but most unpleasant night's -adventure." - -[Illustration: ROAD BETWEEN ST. CLEER AND LISKEARD.] - -The difficulty that beset those that attempted to travel by road the -above view indicates, and is from a photograph by A. Leamon, Esq., of -Liskeard. - -One of the passengers in the train snowed up between Princetown -and Plymouth in the evening mail has related the following -experiences:--"We left Princetown at 6·30 P.M. on Monday--the regular -time--with five bags of mails. The snow beat in our compartment through -closed doors, ventilators, and windows so much, that in a few minutes I -had two inches of snow on my umbrella. We stuffed paper, handkerchiefs, -and cloth into every hole or crevice we could find, and this remedied -matters a little. The coach we were in was a composite one--of four -third-class compartments, one second class, one first class, and -one guard's, and we were all in one compartment. Well, the wind was -blowing great guns, and we passed through two large drifts just after -leaving Princetown, but it required some heavy pulling. We had just -been congratulating ourselves on having been lucky in getting so -nicely through the storm, when we suddenly stopped, and we knew we had -stuck in the snow. The engine driver came and said, 'I was afraid of -it; we have got over a bar, and we cannot go on. We ought not to have -started.' The ladies became alarmed, and with that the driver, fireman, -and guard went to the front of the train with shovels to try and dig -a way for her, but it was no good. It is true that the place where we -stopped is on a bit of decline, but the engine was choked with snow. -The guard, having told us that we could not get on without assistance, -proceeded in the direction of Dousland to get help. He had been gone -about an hour, when he returned with the mournful intelligence that he -had lost his way, and that it was no use for him to attempt to reach -Dousland, as the snow blinded him. We decided to make ourselves as -comfortable as we possibly could under the painful conditions to which -we were subjected--six men and two ladies huddled together in one -compartment--the cold being most bitter, and none of us having anything -to eat or drink. We lived the night through, but in what way I can -hardly tell. - -"In the morning the wind was blowing as strong as ever, and the snow as -it fell melted on the window panes, and the lamp--our only light--was -extinguished at 7 A.M. Just at this time the guard and fireman left -us, saying they were going to try and reach Dousland with the 'staff,' -so as to let them know of the disaster, and see what help could be -rendered. It is true that the fireman was lame, but I understand they -had fearful trouble, as he was sadly knocked up and his foot badly -lacerated. Some little time afterwards the driver, who has, I believe, -been seriously ill, announced his intention of going to Dousland. We -then felt in a particularly sad condition, feeling our only hope was -gone now that the driver had abandoned us. The storm was raging as -fiercely as on the previous night, but at 3 P.M. we were agreeably -surprised to find three packers, who had tramped up from Dousland -with refreshments for us, knock at our door. We were heartily glad to -receive the refreshments, which, I believe, were sent from the railway -company to us in our forlorn position--although it only consisted of -cocoa, bread and butter, and cake, with a bottle of well-watered brandy -to follow. We found there was enough for us to have one piece of bread -and butter and one piece of cake each. This was not a very substantial -bill of fare for people who had had nothing to eat for over twenty -hours, but we were thankful for small mercies. There is one thing I -forgot: the packers were very kind, and brought us out the guard's lamp -from his van, which we afterwards lit. One of the party, I think Palk, -asked if the packer thought we could weather the journey back. The -packer replied, 'It will take you about two hours.' This was enough for -Palk, who said he thought he was better where he was. Besides, we asked -him to stay and not desert us in the time of trouble. - -"We then awaited the result of events. The wind was fearful, and we -were all bitterly cold. We were nearly dead in the afternoon, and drank -all the brandy by eight o'clock. If it had not been for that some of -us would have given way. The weather was milder after midnight. About -seven o'clock this morning one of us looking out of the window saw Mr. -Hilson, of Horsford, farmer, whose farm is only about 250 yards from -where our train was lying, picking sheep out of the snow. We whistled -to him, and on his coming to us he was told of our predicament. He -expressed his astonishment that he knew nothing of the accident. We -do not see how he could have, because the snow had been so blinding -in character until that day that it was impossible to see anyone -ahead. He offered us the use of his farm, and we joyfully accepted -the same, leaving the train after being in her for 36 hours. Poor -Mrs. Watts was much distressed and we had to assist her down. We had -breakfast at Mr. Hilson's, and then four of us--Hancock, Viggers, Palk -and Worth--started to walk to Dousland, which we could see ahead of -us. We got on fairly well over the snow, which was very deep in some -places. We could not keep our eyes open owing to the snow when we left -Princetown, and when we asked the station-master for tickets he said, -'You can have them, but I cannot promise you will get there.' It did -not strike me at the time, but if a station-master had any doubts as -to the safety or otherwise of a train he should not allow the train to -travel. It is true the wind was in our favour when we started. Mrs. -Watts is very bad indeed, and also the engine-driver and stoker. The -engine of the train when we left was completely covered with snow, -and the snow had drifted as high as the carriage, with a blank space -between the body and the wheels. All the compartments into which I -looked before I left her--although the windows and ventilators were -closed and doors locked--were full of snow above the hat-racks. It was -the most horrible experience of my life." - -[Illustration: EXPRESS TRAIN, G. W. RY., TEIGNMOUTH.] - -Great anxiety was felt in Exeter and Plymouth on account of the sea -wall which carries the line of the Great Western Railway Company from -Dawlish to Teignmouth. In past years this piece of line has suffered -very severely, and rumours were in circulation that it had been -washed away in some places. Happily, however, it was found, as soon -as communication became opened up once more, that the line remained -intact, the damaged portion of the sea wall being a carriage-drive -close to the town. One of our views, from a photograph by Messrs. -Denney & Co., photographers, of Exeter and Teignmouth, gives an -admirable idea of the force of the sea in this district, during the -progress of a gale from the south-east. - -Difficulties and dangers on all the lines of railway multiplied as time -went on, and the horrors of the Monday night, of which the foregoing -narratives present only a partial view, were succeeded by some sad -instances of loss of life, besides great damage to the property of the -respective companies, and as a matter of course, a heavy falling off in -their traffic returns. The returns for the week, following March 9th, -on the Great Western system, showed a decrease of £12,980 as compared -with the corresponding week of the previous year, and the South-Western -Railway's decrease amounted to £3,662--all but £650 of which was lost -from the non-conveyance of passengers and parcels. This was regarded -as especially unfortunate in the case of the South-Western Railway, -as its traffic returns had previously been going up week by week, and -in the eleven weeks of the year had increased by £12,120, as compared -with the first eleven weeks of 1890. In addition to these losses heavy -expenses were incurred by all the companies by the efforts made to -clear away the snow, by means of snow ploughs, and the employment of -large gangs of men. The inadequacy of the snow ploughs, which dated -in England from the time of the heavy snow-fall in the early part of -1881, for clearing away heavy drifts, has been generally admitted. The -ploughs are quite competent to get rid of from 4 to 5 feet of snow, but -their capacity is not equal to depths ranging as high as 18 feet, such -as were dealt with in some places between Newton Abbott and Plymouth, -on the Great Western system, to say nothing of other sections and -branches. The ploughs, which are kept at Swindon, have an iron ram -in front, projecting like that of an ironclad, with a "cutter." The -attention of engineers has, however, been now directed to a new kind -of machine, with a revolving, spade-like apparatus, having a powerful -shaft, and a propeller that is designed to scatter the snow with which -it is brought into contact, and throw it clear of the rails on which -the engine is travelling. The work of cutting out engines that had been -absolutely embedded was very arduous, and in one case, lamentable loss -of life accompanied the other misfortunes brought about by the storm. - -One or two instances of striking and unprecedented experiences of the -night of Monday must be recorded before this part of the subject, which -is, in itself, enough to fill a volume, is dismissed. - -Passengers by the train which left Queen Street Station, Exeter, on -Monday evening at 6·38, and was in connection with the 2·20 from -Waterloo, had an exceptionally rough time. The train, a slow one, had -to make its way across Dartmoor from Okehampton to Tavistock, and on -starting, the guard, Mr. Moore, had orders to proceed as far as he -could. After cutting through the snow for some miles the train reached -Okehampton, and then attempted to brave the force of the storm that -was sweeping down from the Dartmoor hills. It got over the Meldon -Viaduct safely, and then it was attempted to go on over Sourton Down, -but in going through Youlditch cutting it ran into a snow-drift, and -about three miles to the west of Okehampton it was brought to a stop. -Efforts were made to run back to Okehampton, but the rapid drifts of -snow, which were from ten to twenty feet in height, prevented this -being done, and it was soon seen that there was nothing left but to -remain until help of some kind could be obtained. There were only -eleven passengers, including two ladies and two children. The ladies -and children, who were well supplied with wraps, were bestowed as -comfortably as circumstances would permit in a first-class carriage, -the male portion of the party, with the guard, Mr. Moore, the driver, -Mr. Bennett, and the fireman, Mr. Oates, trying to find some warmth -in the guard's van. This, however, was a matter of impossibility, the -bitter wind and the fine snow finding its way into the compartment, -to the great discomfort of the occupants. The engine fire was kept -alight, but was useless to impart warmth to the unfortunate party. It -was only on the following day, and just before relief arrived, that Mr. -Bennett had succeeded in getting a fire in the van by means of boring -holes in one of the engine-buckets, filling the bucket with coal and, -after much difficulty, kindling a flame, which the draught obtained -through the holes soon increased into a most welcome blaze. Mr. John -Powlesland, auctioneer, of Bow, was one of the belated travellers, and -was especially assiduous in his efforts to do all he could for his -fellow-sufferers. - -When the train first showed signs of becoming embedded, a telegram -was sent from the nearest signal-box to Exeter for assistance, and -two engines were sent down. These approached within three-quarters of -a mile of the snowed-up train, but could not be taken nearer on that -line. They were then, with some difficulty, shunted on the up-line, -with the view of pushing their way to the carriages in that manner, but -the only result was that they became snowed-up in their turn. - -As day approached Mr. Moore and Mr. Oates made their way to the Sourton -Inn, which stood at no great distance, for the purpose of obtaining -food, but their endeavour met with but slight success, the inn being -also snowed-up, and the occupants having but little in the way of -provisions that they could spare. No help arrived until Tuesday, at -mid-day, when a search-party, headed by Mr. Prickman, the Mayor of -Okehampton, and consisting of some half-a-dozen gentlemen of that -locality, succeeded, after a difficult journey, in reaching the train. -They took with them food and liquid refreshment, and were most heartily -welcomed by the imprisoned travellers. By this time the train was -entirely buried on one side, the engine having forced the snow on the -left side up to a height of fully twenty feet. Only a small portion of -the engine and carriages was visible, and the scene is described as a -remarkable one. - -The travellers were at once conducted by their rescuers to Youlditch -Farm, where Mr. Gard treated them with much kindness, and took care of -the ladies and children. The gentlemen subsequently made their way on -to Okehampton, where they were detained for several days. The guard, -engine-driver, and fireman were not able to leave the train until the -following day, when a breakdown gang was employed to cut a passage for -the train through the snow--a task that occupied nearly the whole of -the week. - -[Illustration: SNOW DRIFT, ROBOROUGH DOWN, DARTMOOR.] - -On the Launceston branch of the Great Western Railway, the down-train, -which left Tavistock at seven o'clock on Monday evening, remained -embedded in the snow outside Horrabridge for several days. Between -the Walkham Viaduct and Grenofen tunnel very heavy work had to be -done, a deep cutting being not only choked by the snow, but quite a -score of trees having been blown across the rails. The accompanying -illustration, depicting a snow-drift in this locality, from a -photograph by Mr. Sheath, of George-street, Plymouth, conveys an -excellent picture of the heavy masses of snow that had accumulated on -this part of Dartmoor. - -A passenger by the train which left Penzance at 6·25 P.M. on Monday and -arrived at Plymouth at 3 P.M. on Tuesday, has supplied an interesting -account of the blockage near Grampound Road. The train, containing -about a dozen passengers, was only a quarter of a mile above Grampound -Road Station when it encountered a drift of snow fully twenty feet -high. It was impossible to proceed or to retreat, for the blinding -storm had drifted more snow on to the line behind, so that passengers -left the train and crossed some fields back to the village, and found -shelter at the Grampound Road Hotel. It was then about 10·30 P.M. The -guard Kelly remained on the train, and the under-guard Hammett walked -back to Grampound Road and wired to Liskeard for a relief engine. He -then walked on to meet an engine which had been sent for from Truro, -and returned to the train on it. A relief gang arrived from Lostwithiel -under engine-driver Harris, and the men dug at the drift until eleven -A.M. on Tuesday, when the train was able to proceed. One of the workers -described the cold as so intense that the snow froze on the men's -clothes, practically encasing them in ice, and the under-guard Hammett, -who had been at the work for over twenty years, said he never had such -an experience, and even in the terrific storm of 1881 the snow was not -so blinding. - -Another passenger who travelled by the 6·50 Great Western up-train -from Plymouth on Monday returned by a somewhat roundabout route, and -he thus described his experiences: Hemerdon was reached without -any delay on the journey, but at that point the train was drawn up -for about three-quarters of an hour, to allow a down-train to pass. -It then proceeded slowly in face of a terrific gale, accompanied by -blinding snow. After leaving Cornwood, a grating sound on the roof of -the carriage suggested broken wires, and this was followed by a jerk -and a stoppage, and the interesting announcement that one coach and -the engine were off the rails, and embedded in a snowdrift. There was -nothing for it but to wait, and the "wait" lasted the whole night. -There was nothing to eat for anybody, and the forty or more passengers -(amongst whom were several ladies) had to make their night watches as -comfortably as was possible under the circumstances in the Langham -cutting! It seems that the driver and one of the guards succeeded in -reaching Ivybridge, about a mile away, in the late evening, but no -notice of the proximity of the village was given to the passengers. On -Tuesday morning a small party from Ivybridge, under Messrs. Brown and -Greenhough, two engineers superintending the alterations to the line -in the neighbourhood, came to the rescue of all who were willing to -face the blinding storm. Only four consented to go, and they were very -thankful to exchange the cold comfort of the railway carriage for the -hearty hospitality offered by these gentlemen in Ivybridge. - -The officials here do not seem generally to have been equal to the -exigencies of the situation, no notice of their whereabouts being -given to the passengers, nor any organised attempt made at rescue or -provisioning, but a porter and a packer from Ivybridge station arrived -about daybreak with whisky and brandy. When the four passengers -referred to were leaving at about 9·30 on the Tuesday morning, bread -and butter and tea were being dispensed. Many of the remaining -passengers were hospitably accommodated by Miss Glanville at her house -close to the half-buried train, the ladies being assisted thither by -the engineers and their party. Another train was detained at Ivybridge -Station, and the passengers from it were lodged in the village. - -In West Cornwall three trains were snowed up. The train which left -Plymouth at five o'clock on Monday night and should have reached -Penzance at 8·45, arrived there at eleven. The "Dutchman" which should -have, in the ordinary course of things, followed within fifteen -minutes of this train, did not arrive at all, and news soon reached -Penzance that the fast train was snowed up, but in what spot was only -ascertained with much difficulty. A train was at once got ready, and -on it Mr. Blair, the station-master, Mr. Ivey, the superintendent of -the locomotive department, Mr. Glover, and a breakdown gang, proceeded -to Camborne, which was reached about noon on Tuesday, it having taken -about nine hours to accomplish a journey of thirteen miles. All the -way along huge drifts of snow were met with, completely blocking -the passage, and at frequent intervals the way had to be literally -cut through the drifts by the men of the breakdown gang. Thus, with -great difficulty, Hayle was reached, and from thence to Camborne the -task became almost overpowering. Here the open country favoured the -accumulation of snow, and the drifts were immense. In a deep cutting, -close to Gwinear Station, was encountered a drift of about eighty yards -long and nine feet deep. - -On at length reaching Camborne it was discovered that the missing 8·45 -train had left Redruth at about ten o'clock on Monday night--an hour -and a half late. The storm was then at its height, and the snow was -driving with such force that only very slight progress could be made. -The train passed Carn Brea safely, but when within sight of Camborne -Station, close to Stray Park, the engine left the metals, running on -the south side, and finally bringing up at a hedge against which it -lay on its side. Fortunately, at the time of the occurrence, speed was -slow, and nothing more serious than some damage to the rolling stock, -and the inconvenient detention of the twenty or thirty passengers -occurred. These included five ladies, who were taken to the house of -Mr. Maurice Reed, the Station Master at Camborne, the gentlemen of the -party having good opportunities of finding comfortable quarters in the -hotels of the town. Another train was embedded in fifteen feet of snow -on the Helston branch line from Gwinear Road to Helston, and the guard, -engine-driver, and stoker, with their one passenger, were compelled to -abandon the train and seek shelter in a neighbouring farm-house. - -While great inconvenience and discomfort was caused by the blizzard -on the Cornish railways as a whole, no fatalities were reported, and -the work of clearing the lines, great and arduous as it was, was -accomplished in less time than in the districts above Plymouth, and in -the vicinity of Dartmoor. Communication between Plymouth and Cornwall -was opened up some days earlier than that with Totnes, Exeter, and -other towns. The scene here depicted shows the depth of snow in this -neighbourhood, and is from a photograph by A. Leamon, Esq., of Liskeard. - -[Illustration: MAIN ROAD BETWEEN LISKEARD AND TORPOINT.] - -Above Exeter things were not so bad. In the Tiverton district the -effects of the blizzard were rather severely felt, and communication -between some towns was for the time cut off. The railway authorities -were very active, and gangs of men were sent up from Exeter on Tuesday -to clear the lines, but they could do little more than keep the points -clear for shunting, watch the signals, and fix detonators where -required, the driving snow being so blinding, and the coldness of the -bitter wind so intense. The difficulties of the neighbourhood commenced -on Monday evening at the Whitehall tunnel, when the pilot, in front of -the express, got off the line. Daylight came before a gang of packers -sent from Taunton could effect a clearance, and instead of passing at -ten o'clock on Monday night, the express only struggled into Tiverton -Junction, with two engines attached, at half-past six on Tuesday -morning. The night mail, and the North mail followed some hours after, -and managed to get through to Exeter, but after that, until Wednesday -morning at eleven o'clock, no train could leave the junction. - -After being snowed up for some hours at Burlescombe, the first part -of the newspaper train reached Tiverton at half-past ten on Tuesday -night. The train was stopped at the home signal, and so intense was the -cold that the machinery was, in a few minutes, frozen, and the train -could not enter the station. The ladies--mostly for Plymouth--who were -in the train, were carried on chairs by porters and packers to the -adjacent Railway Hotel, where they, and some of the male passengers, -were able to obtain beds for the night. The train remained in the -same position until Wednesday morning. In a siding also stood a slow -train, which should have reached Tiverton on Tuesday at ten in the -morning, but which did not get in until the afternoon. The passengers -by this train were transferred to the first down-train that was got -out from Tiverton on Wednesday. The second part of the newspaper train -remained at Burlescombe all Monday night. The store of provisions in -the hamlet was already exhausted, and although as much as a guinea was -offered for a bed by some of the passengers, neither food nor sleeping -accommodation could be obtained. A very uncomfortable night was passed -in consequence, and many of the ladies suffered severely from hunger -and exposure. - -H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, on his way to Devonport, was snow-bound -at Taunton on Tuesday night, but with about two hundred other -passengers, was able to proceed on his journey at the end of the week. - -His Royal Highness afterwards conveyed to the Directors of the -Company his appreciation of the courtesy and attention he received -from the officials and servants of the Great Western Railway, on his -journey during the gale and snowstorm, and during his detention at -Taunton, on March 11th and 12th, and particularly thanked the Taunton -station-master for his services. - -At Brent, one of the most exposed railway towns on Dartmoor, the Zulu, -from London, which was due at Plymouth at 8·55 on Monday night, came to -grief, and a number of passengers spent several days of that week in -this very bleak locality. Especial discomfort appears to have prevailed -here, probably on account of the difficulty of obtaining assistance or -information from any neighbouring town, and from the limited resources -for personal comfort that the town afforded. There can be no doubt -that the experiences of the first two days and nights must have been -wretched in the extreme. After two hours waiting in the carriages, in -a state of considerable doubt as to what was to happen, the travellers -found themselves at length at the Brent station. Here there was neither -refreshment nor accommodation, but the hotels of the town were made -for. Quarters were difficult to obtain, however, as a large number of -contractors men working on the new line of railway were residing in the -place. On Monday night many passengers lay upon the floor, using their -overcoats for pillows, and their rugs for coverings. A Mr. Stumbles, a -commercial traveller, who was one of the Brent unfortunates, gave an -account of his experiences to a representative of the _Western Morning -News_, which has led to much subsequent controversy, and to a shower of -letters, conveying many diverse opinions, being sent in to the editor -of that paper. It appears that there were about forty passengers in the -train, and that many of these remained at the station all night, either -in the train or in the waiting-room. Next day Brent was visited, and -refreshments were bought at, as Mr. Stumbles says, famine prices. - -The account referred to goes on to say:--"One gentleman bought a bottle -of brandy, for which he had to pay 6_s._, the inns charged us double -price for ordinary meals, and some establishments refused to supply us -at all, probably thinking that a famine was impending. We returned to -the station as best we could, through the great drifts of snow, and, -with such provisions as we could buy, did the best we could, cooking -such things as bloaters in the station waiting-room. Our scanty -supply, I must say, was most generously supplemented from the small -stores which the railway officials, such as signalmen and others, -had with them. There were a number of sailors and soldiers amongst -the passengers, and most of them were without means. One gentleman -gave them a sovereign, and ladies from Brent also brought them money, -tobacco, and provisions during our stay. On the following monotonous -days we spent our time in smoking and in conversation, and also in -'chaffing' the station-master, whom we christened 'Dr. Parr.' On -Wednesday an enterprising amateur photographer from Brent took several -views of our snowed-up train, with the eighteen or twenty passengers -who stuck by it perched in various prominent positions upon it. We all -united in praising the minor officials, and the men in charge of the -train, for remaining faithful to us, and excused the want of sympathy -of 'Dr. Parr' on account of his age. The driver kept the fires of his -engine going all the time, but his boilers had to be filled with water -by hand, and in this work valuable assistance was readily given by -the soldiers and marines in the train. Just before we were enabled to -leave Brent, we were visited for the first time by the clergyman of the -parish, and our final leave-taking was celebrated by three sarcastic -cheers for 'Dr. Parr' and for 'Brent.' The passengers in this train -included Lieutenant Rice, of the Essex Regiment; Mr. R. Bayly, J.P., of -Plymouth (who succeeded in getting through to his home on Wednesday) -Miss Sykes, and a nurse who was travelling from Scarborough to the -South Devon and East Cornwall Hospital, Plymouth." - -It is only fair to the station-master at Brent, and to the residents -of the town generally, to repeat that this description has been -extensively contradicted, and among others, by Mr. Robert Bayly, of -Plymouth, who was another of the detained passengers. Mr. Stumbles, -however, has adhered to his description, and in more than one instance -his version has been supported. Among other interesting details of the -week in Brent, is the account of the arrival of the first newspaper, a -copy of the _Western Morning News_, which was brought over from Totnes -on the Thursday morning by an adventurous policeman, who successfully -undertook the dangerous walk. This paper was eagerly sought after, it -having been the first account of the doings in the outer world seen -since Monday, and one of the enforced sojourners in Brent is said to -have paid five shillings for the use of the paper for one hour. The -fortunate possessor of the journal declared that he had been offered -two pounds for it, and had declined to trade. - -At Totnes a number of passengers were detained, among them being a -reporter of the _Western Morning News_, who went to the town on Monday -to report a meeting, and was only released on the following Friday -night. A number of passengers who left Friary Station, Plymouth, by the -3·47 P.M. South Western train on Thursday, were taken into Tavistock on -the following day, after having spent the night at Lydford. Instances -innumerable of the same character occurring on the Launceston and other -lines could be related, but as their points of interest bear such a -strong resemblance to each other, it is unnecessary to proceed further -with them. - -Thursday, March 12th, was a day of very severe weather, and the efforts -of the hundreds of men working on the various lines to clear the snow -and also to release some of the buried trains were seriously retarded. -By the end of the week, however, things were beginning to assume their -normal aspect, and the trains were running with tolerable punctuality. -The telegraph service, in a deplorable condition of collapse throughout -the week, was restored, and the masses of accumulated correspondence -in the post offices were sent on to their destinations. The labour of -clearing the lines was as dangerous as it was arduous, and unhappily -an accident, proving fatal to one man, occurred during the operations -on the Great Western Railway at Ivybridge. Work was being carried on -at this spot under the superintendence of Mr. C. E. Compton, and a -number of men were engaged in getting an engine on to the line, when -a train dashed round a curve among the workmen killing one, named -William Stentiford, of Plymouth, and seriously injuring two others. The -lamentable occurrence was purely accidental, and that this was the only -fatal occurrence during the whole of the operations of this most trying -week indicates the care that was taken by all those engaged on the -railways from the highest officials downwards. Such an experience was -never before met with, and it was a matter of congratulation that those -in power were able to cope with the difficulties as well as they did. -No doubt some practical lessons were learnt during the operations, and -should such a visitation unhappily occur in the West of England on any -future occasion, the experience gained during this terrible week will -not be without value. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -AT SEA. - - -Sad and disastrous as were the effects of the blizzard on land on the -night of Monday, March 9th, they were in most cases of a nature more -or less reparable. At sea, however, the case was different, and from -the afternoon of the day on which the storm commenced to the end of the -week wrecks, resulting in the loss of over fifty lives, were strewn -along the coast from Start Point to Falmouth. In most cases, such -was the fury of the gale, but little help could be afforded from the -shore. Generally, to launch a boat or to use a rocket apparatus was -out of the question, and those on the shore, anxious to send help to -the doomed vessels, had great difficulty in escaping from being blown -into the sea. In many instances gallant services were rendered, and -all that courage and self-sacrifice could do with the hope of saving -life was accomplished; but the time was one of no common peril, and on -the Tuesday lives were lost in full view of the cliffs upon the rocky -fringes of which the vessels had been driven. - -In Plymouth Sound, and the Hamoaze, well protected as they are from the -gales of winter, much damage was done on Monday night. In addition to -the accident to the _Lion_ and _Implacable_, and the critical position -of the Queen's harbour-master's cutter already briefly described, -the _Julia_, a small coastguard cutter, moored inside Drake's Island, -parted her moorings during the early hours of Tuesday morning, and went -ashore on Bottle Nose, a point eastward of Devil's Point. She was badly -knocked about, but there were no men on board at the time. Whilst the -heavy squalls were on Tuesday morning the _Impregnable_, training-ship -for boys, Captain Harris; the _Cambridge_, gunnery school ship, Captain -Carr, and the _Achilles_, battle ship, all dragged their moorings, but -not to any alarming extent. Staff-Captain Burniston, who, with the -dockyard tugs under his command, was afloat during the whole of Monday -night, and on Tuesday, under very trying circumstances, succeeded in -getting out fresh anchors and hawsers to make the vessels secure for -the night, a course which was wisely adopted, as the hurricane showed -no signs of abating, there being, on the contrary, another great fall -in the barometer. The men who were on board the tugs on Monday night, -speak of the weather as being the worst that they ever experienced, and -the manner in which they did their work under such trying circumstances -was, as was the case so frequently throughout that, and several -succeeding days, most praiseworthy. - -Considerable damage was done during Monday night to many of the hookers -belonging to the fishermen of Kingsand and Cawsand. The full force of -the blizzard was experienced in Cawsand Bay, and ten of the hookers -which had been moored up for the night were driven ashore and sunk. The -only boat which rode out the storm was a craft owned by Mr. Andrews -of Cawsand. A pilot boat went ashore in one of the little coves just -south of the coastguard station, and a small fishing vessel was wrecked -close under Lady Emma's Cottage, at Mount Edgcumbe. - -The captain of the Norwegian galliot _Falken_, from Shields, with coal -for Portugal which was found on Tuesday off Fowey, by the tug _Belle of -Plymouth_, half full of water, and with her sails blown away, stated -at the time that on Monday his vessel was caught in a kind of small -cyclone, and that whilst about twenty miles south-west of Start Point -he had a strange experience. The vessel was being driven along at a -furious rate by a north-easterly gale, whilst ahead, within sight, a -westerly wind was blowing. This bears out the theory of the cyclone -to some extent, as on other parts of the coast the gale was found -to blow only from the north-east or south-east, in rapid changes. -The Channel was very rough at the time, and the vessel was greatly -endangered. On Tuesday the boats were smashed, and the sails carried -away. Pumps were manned, and kept working so long as the crew could -hold out, the endeavour being to reach one of the ports. It was while -the _Falken_ was in this condition that the _Belle_ came opportunely -to her assistance, and towed her into Plymouth harbour, where she was -laid up alongside Bulteel's Wharf, in the Cattewater, to discharge -her cargo and be repaired. Several of the Lowestoft boats, and other -fishing vessels which had been out in the Channel on the Monday night, -returned to Plymouth on Tuesday, and reported having experienced very -bad weather. The sudden squalls encountered were terrific, and the -oldest fishermen on board declared that they had never experienced -such violent weather on the Devonshire coast. - -During the height of the storm the schooner _Alice Brookall_, from -Swansea to Jersey with coals, ran ashore at Mutton Cove, near Godevy -Hayle. She ran so far in that the crew--five in number--managed to -drop from the bowsprit on to the rocks. The poor fellows had to pass -the night exposed to the fury of the storm, with no other protection -than they could mutually afford each other by huddling together. At -daybreak they climbed the cliffs, and managed to reach the shelter -of a farm-house. The vessel soon went to pieces. The schooner -_Perseverance_, of Preston, Dandy, master, from Swansea to Salcombe, -with coals, ran ashore a mile east of Hayle Bar. The crew of four -remained by her during the night, and landed at daybreak. Both vessels -experienced fearful weather on the way down Channel, the sea running -mountains high. No one knew of their position until twenty-four hours -after they struck. - -At Exmouth, Dawlish, and Teignmouth, although the force of the wind was -great, and all three towns sustained damage, there were no calamities -at sea. Great injury was done to the pleasure and fishing boats at both -of the latter places, but Teignmouth was not so unfortunate as Dawlish -in this respect. Its harbour is almost land-locked, and from the beach -where the boats are moored, as well as from the quays, the eye glances -north-west and south-west upon a beautiful picture of river scenery, -of which the distant Dartmoor Hills and the Haldon Heights form the -background. The accompanying illustration, from a photograph by Messrs. -Valentine & Son, of Teignmouth, taken during the week of the blizzard, -depicts one part of this scene in as wintry a garb as any it has worn -during the last half century. The village of Shaldon, on the opposite -side of the Teign, lies exposed to a S.E. gale blowing across the -low-lying sands of the Teignmouth "Point," and here the owners of -fishing and other craft had much to lament in the way of destruction to -their floating property. - -[Illustration: TEIGNMOUTH JETTY, WITH HALDON HEIGHTS.] - -In Torbay a French brig, the _Emilie_, of Cherbourg, was driven ashore -at Hogg's Cove, under Berry Head, at about four o'clock on Tuesday -afternoon. The coastguards and Royal Naval Reserve, under the direction -of Mr. Drayton, chief officer of coastguard, and assisted by a large -number of fishermen, got out the rocket apparatus, and the crew, eight -in number, were quickly landed. They were at once invited to the house -of the Misses Hogg, at Berry Head, and provided with refreshments. The -vessel was badly injured, and became a total wreck. - -The ketch _Sunshine_, of Faversham, from London to Exmouth, with -manure, was fallen in with on Thursday at noon, by the Brixham -fishing ketch _Inter-Nos_, Berry Head bearing north-west, and distant -twenty-five miles. She had her mainsail blown away, and her boats -and water-casks washed overboard. When fallen in with, the crew were -without water to drink, and their vessel was labouring heavily in the -trough of the sea. The _Sunshine_ was taken in tow by the _Inter-Nos_, -£250 being agreed upon for the service, and both vessels arrived at -Brixham on the same night. The fishing ketch _Gertrude_ arrived in -Brixham on Thursday, having on her deck the boat of the _Crusader_, of -Aberystwith, which she had picked up in the channel with eight hands on -her, and landed at Falmouth on Friday. The ketch _Annie_ also arrived, -with sails blown away, and her ballast shifted. The _Olive & Mary_ and -the _Pickwick_, ketches, had their sails blown away and their bulwarks -damaged. All the crews described the gale as the heaviest they had -ever been out in, and one skipper stated that he had seen four vessels -founder without being able to render assistance. Later news has not, -however, verified this story. - -Some trawlers were reported during the week as missing from Brixham, -but in course of time anxiety on their account was removed, and they -either reached home or news of their safety was received from other -ports to which they had run for shelter. Some Plymouth trawlers were -also in difficulties, and it was feared that they had been wrecked, but -in a few days their whereabouts was ascertained, and it was discovered -that they had escaped with somewhat severe damage. - -Start Point was on Monday night and again on the succeeding Tuesday a -scene of some heartrending disasters. Many vessels, including the iron -steamer _Marana_, 1,682 tons register, belonging to Messrs. George Bell -and Co. of Liverpool; and the full-rigged ship _Dryad_, 1,035 tons -register, owned by J. B. Walmsley, of Water Street, Liverpool, were -totally wrecked within a short distance of each other, resulting, it is -calculated, in an aggregate loss of over fifty lives. The _Marana_ left -Victoria Dock, London, at 11 A.M. on Sunday, March 1st, with a crew of -twenty-eight. She was bound for Colombo with a cargo of sleepers, but -was proceeding first to Swansea for coal. Whilst going down Channel -on Monday night she encountered the gale which, charged with blinding -snow, was blowing heavily from the S.E., and struck on the Blackstone -Rock, at Start Point. Seeing that the vessel must go to pieces very -shortly, the officers and crew took to the boats, most of them having -life-belts on. The starboard lifeboat, in charge of the boatswain and -with twenty-two men on board, proceeded in the direction of Prawle -Point, and was almost immediately followed by a smaller boat in which -were the captain, the chief engineer, the mess-room steward, and three -seamen. The latter boat was soon separated from the lifeboat, and was -never seen again. The lifeboat got under the coastguard station at -Prawle, but the appearance of the coast was threatening, and the crew -pushed off again. Almost immediately a sea struck the boat and capsized -her. A bitter struggle for life on the part of the twenty immersed -seamen succeeded, and those who had clung to the boat managed to get -her righted, and clambered on board, but soon after she was again -turned over. Once more she righted, and eventually drifted on to the -Mal Rock to the east of Prawle Point, where the four occupants--all -that remained of the crew of the vessel--contrived to get on to the -rocks. - -After a while they climbed the cliff, three of them carrying the fourth -survivor, who was suffering from exhaustion and injuries, and after -heavy toil they managed to get near to Prawle. Here two of the men -agreed to remain with the shipmate, who to all appearance was fast -succumbing to exhaustion, while the other went into the village for -help. The man, like his three surviving comrades, was a Swede, and -consequently unable to make himself understood, but Mr. Perry, Lloyd's -signalman at Prawle, and the coastguardsman on duty, supplied him with -food and clothing, and then went to search for traces of the wreck -which had clearly taken place not far off. It was not until long past -midnight that the mates of the Swede were discovered, and then it was -too late to save the exhausted man, who died almost immediately after -their arrival. The remaining survivors were taken into Prawle, and -under kind treatment soon recovered. - -Mrs. Briggs, wife of one of the lighthouse keepers at the Start, says -that she was looking out of her window a little after half-past five -o'clock on Monday evening, when she saw the steamer pass very close -to the east side of Start Point as if she had come out from the bay. -Seeing her great danger, and thinking it was impossible for her to -clear the rocks running off from the Point, she hastened to another -window, from which she had a view of the Blackstone Rocks. She then saw -the steamer broadside on to the rocks. She at once gave an alarm to -Mr. Jones, the head-keeper, who hurried out to give any assistance in -his power, but within a very few minutes the vessel parted in two, the -stern part sinking near the rocks, while the fore part washed away and -sank a short distance to the west of the Start. - -Mr. Crickett, chief officer of Coastguards at Hallsands, has stated -that he received intelligence of the casualty at 6·40 P.M. by a -messenger sent by Mr. Jones, of the Start Lighthouse, who said the -vessel had struck the rocks about 500 yards south-east of the Start. -He immediately despatched a messenger to Prawle, a distance of nearly -five miles, for the life-saving apparatus. Another messenger he sent -to Torcross to Mr. Ridge, the chief officer of Coastguards there, and -Mr. Crickett then proceeded to the scene of the wreck, but on arriving, -nothing could be seen of the vessel, as she had totally disappeared, -and she was supposed to have gone to pieces five minutes after she -struck. The coastguard at Hallsands say that they saw the _Marana_ -fully an hour before she struck, and she was then near the Skerries -Bank, off the Start, acting in such a manner that they considered her -steering gear was out of order. They saw her come into the bay and -afterwards go out again, and watched her very closely, but they thought -she had gone clear of the Start until they heard otherwise from the -lighthouse-keepers. - -John Nelson, one of the survivors, said in the course of his evidence -at the inquest held on the first eight bodies recovered from the -wreck:--"On Monday, 9th inst., I had tea at five o'clock, and went to -my bunk. It was the first mate's watch. As I was turning into my bunk -I heard someone shout out, 'Land right ahead.' It was blowing a bit -stiff in the afternoon at three o'clock, and as the gale increased -the canvas was taken in. The vessel struck almost immediately after I -heard the shout, and the engines were going full-speed at the time. I -came out and stood in the forecastle door. The captain was then on the -bridge. The vessel struck first at the bow. When I came on deck she -struck aft as well, knocking her propeller and rudder away. The captain -then gave the order to get the starboard lifeboat ready for launching. -All the three officers were on the bridge. The wind was blowing hard, -and the waves were dashing all over the ship. It was daylight, but the -Start light was lit. We could see the land plainly enough, although -it was thick with heavy rain. There were two lifeboats, one on each -side of the ship, and two smaller boats. We lowered the lifeboat and -got into it, some 20 or 22 being in it, and got away from the ship on -the starboard side. The boat was in charge of the boatswain, and the -second and third engineers and the chief steward were in the boat. We -left on board the captain, the three mates, the chief engineer, and the -mess-room steward. Just as we were turning to get clear of the rocks, -we looked at the ship, and saw the captain and the others leave in the -other boat on the starboard side. They got safely away from the ship. -After the vessel struck we hoisted a red pennant with a white ball as -a signal of distress. When we got away it was getting dark, and we saw -nothing of the other boat afterwards, but supposed they were following -us. We pulled in shore to a kind of bay, but not thinking it safe to -land, we went out of that. We could see nothing but rocks on our coming -down, and in getting out of the bay our boat capsized. There was a -very heavy sea running up against the rocks. We got hold of the keel -of the boat, some twelve or fourteen of us that remained, and then the -boat turned over again. After that only four or five of us remained -sticking to the boat. We stuck to the boat until she broke up on the -rocks. When I let go the boat I could feel the rocks with my feet, and -I then walked on shore. There were four of us that came on shore, but -I could see nothing of any others. When we got on shore we walked to a -brake and got shelter. We had to help Rasmossen up, as he had no boots -on. He was living half an hour before the coastguards found us, but we -had been on shore a long time before they found us--about five or six -hours." - -Many of the bodies of the unfortunate men were washed ashore within a -few days, and not far from the spot where the vessel went down. All -of them were not identified, as the survivors had joined the ship too -recently to be acquainted with all the officers and crew. - -Another serious calamity in Start Bay occurred during Monday night, -and not many hours later than the wreck of the _Marana_, when the -ship _Dryad_, bound for Valparaiso, with a crew of 22 hands all -told, went ashore about a mile to the eastward of Start Point. When -the ship went on shore Mr. Hewett, with the life-saving apparatus, -had left Hallsands for Prawle, from whence rumours of disaster had -been brought, and he had got as far as Chevilstone Cross when he was -overtaken by a mounted messenger despatched by the chief officer of -the coastguard at Torcross, who desired him to return to the Start to -the assistance of the _Dryad_. He got to the scene of the wreck at -half-past two in the morning. By that time the vessel had broken up, -all her masts having gone overboard, and but little of her could be -discerned in the darkness. The place where she struck was right under -the high land of the Start where the cliffs are very precipitous. With -regard to this vessel, the coastguardsmen say that they saw no signals -of distress whatever, and it has been considered probable that she was -proceeding with a fair wind down Channel, and no land being visible in -the snow-filled gloom of the night, those on board were unconscious of -their proximity to the land until they found themselves on the rocks. -In this case there was, perhaps, no time to show distress signals, and -the ship may have been some time ashore before she was discovered by -the coastguards. - -About midnight on the ninth, the storm was at its height, and all men -of Start Bay agree that they never remember such a violent storm, the -water of the bay being one mass of foam, it being almost impossible -to look to the windward. Mr. Jones, the head keeper of the Star -Lighthouse, says he was standing in the yard by his home a little after -midnight, looking in the direction of the Bay, when he saw right under -the headland, and close to the Start, what he considered to be a ship's -lights. He called the other keepers, and as well as they were able they -got down to the place where they saw the lights. It was at the risk of -their lives that they went down the cliffs, and it was only by holding -on to each other they were prevented from being blown away. When they -got down they could not discover a vestige of anything, neither did -they hear a cry of any sort. The coastguards at Hallsands also saw -lights, and fired off a rocket and burned a blue light to warn the ship -of her danger, but the vessel's lights were only seen a few minutes -before they disappeared. - -In spite of all the efforts of those on shore no trace of a ship could -be seen, and it was not until daybreak the next morning that a man -was discovered lying on a low rock, known as John Hatherley's Nose, -some 500 yards from the spot where the _Dryad_ ultimately proved to -have struck. Help was at once sought for, and Mr. Briggs, one of the -keepers, and Mr. Pollyblank, the coastguard, then returned to the rock -with ropes. They threw the rope on to the rocks, which fell only about -a foot away from the sailor. He saw it and then slid down, evidently -with the intention to secure the rope, but he seemed to be afraid, -and instead of slipping on the lower ledge of the rock where the rope -was, he climbed on the top of the rock again, and laid himself flat on -it on his face and hands. He then seemed to lose his hold, and slid -down, holding on to the rocks for several seconds, when he fell head -over heels, and was washed away and drowned. Those trying to rescue -him, seeing how exhausted he was, had fetched a ladder to get to him, -and Mr. Briggs fastened a rope to himself to swim out to him, but in -the meantime he was washed away. He was a young man. Grave doubts -were expressed as to what vessel he came from, for it seems almost -impossible he could have got to the rocks from the _Dryad_; and there -was some wreckage visible near the rocks that did not appear to have -belonged to the _Dryad_. The coastguards at Hallsands said distinctly -that the lights they saw were a steamer's lights, whilst there is no -doubt that the lights the lighthouse-keepers saw were those of the -_Dryad_. Only a piece of the bow of the _Dryad_ was discovered in the -morning, but a large mass of broken wreckage was discovered along the -coast, and tons of it were washed out to sea by the next tide. Eight -bodies were recovered, and friends of those composing the crew of the -_Dryad_ journeyed to Hallsands for the purpose of identifying their -friends or relatives. There were no survivors, and consequently no -details are known, but a statement has been made that the channel pilot -had warned the captain that the ship's compass was two points out. - -Whilst Mr. Crickett and some of the coastguards under his charge at -Hallsands were at the Start Point on the night of the 9th, trying -to render assistance to the stranded steamship _Marana_, they saw a -light in the bay, and they answered it by burning a blue light, and -one of the coastguards was sent back to try and discover the place the -light proceeded from. On the remainder of the coastguards returning -to Hallsands shortly after, a light was seen near Beesands, and on -reaching that place they found the schooner _Lunesdale_ stranded. -Mr. Ridge, the chief officer of coastguards stationed at Torcross, -had arrived with some of his men, and they, with the assistance of -the Beesands fishermen, were trying to effect a communication with -the vessel. The captain was in the fore starboard rigging, and the -remainder of the crew, four in number, were in the starboard mizen -rigging. All these men were thus on the weather side of the ship, and -the captain not being so exposed from his position as the others, -succeeded with the utmost difficulty in getting round to the other, -or shore side of the vessel. A fisherman named Roper, of Beesands, -then at the risk of his own life, made a desperate effort to save the -captain. He got a line with a lead attached to it, and threw it close -to the captain's feet, the latter succeeding, after a frantic effort, -to fasten the line to a lifebuoy, and attached himself to it, and was -then safely hauled on shore. The other seamen were not so successful -in changing their positions, and in their endeavours they were washed -away and drowned. All this time the seas were breaking right over the -vessel. The coastguards and fishermen remained by the vessel for nearly -an hour afterwards, shouting to see if they could get any response -from the crew, but getting none, all hope of saving them was given up. -When it was found that the Prawle life-saving apparatus, in charge -of Mr. Hewett, could be of no service to the _Marana_, a message was -left at Start farm for it to be brought on to Beesands to the help of -the _Lunesdale_, but it arrived too late to be of any service. The -_Lunesdale_ was a three-masted schooner of 141 tons register, owned by -Messrs. James Fisher & Sons, of Barrow, and was bound from London to a -Lancashire port. - -While efforts were being made at Beesands to save the crew of the -_Lunesdale_, a schooner named _Lizzie Ellen_, 73 tons register, and -belonging to Mr. Samuel Coppack, of Chester, with a cargo of clay from -Charlestown for London, went on shore just opposite Hallsands. In spite -of the tremendous force of the wind and the blinding spray and snow -six fishermen, named T. Trout, George Stone, Robert Trout, James Lynn, -William Mitchell, and John Patey, at the imminent peril of their lives, -made a gallant effort to rescue the crew of the vessel, which consisted -of four hands. With great difficulty, and by the aid of ropes, these -men succeeded in lowering themselves to the bottom of the cliff. By -throwing lines on board the schooner the mate and the third hand were -saved, but the captain and the boy were lost. The captain, Robert Dood, -urged the boy, who was crying bitterly, to jump over into the sea, with -the chance of being drawn on shore, but he could not persuade him to -take the leap. At length the captain jumped himself, but at the wrong -time, and he was carried out by a receding wave. The boy, Frank Davis, -also perished. - -For some time after this week of tempest, all along the coast from -Prawle to the Start, could be seen broken wreckage. Such was the fury -of the gale that everything seemed split to matchwood. It is supposed -that other wrecks than those of which some knowledge has been obtained -occurred on this eventful night. Mr. Crickett, a coastguardsman, picked -up on the following Saturday a board bearing the words "Nymph of -T----," it being broken off at the letter T, and it is conjectured that -this may belong to one of the vessels referred to. A painful sequel -to the wreck of the _Marana_ occurred on Wednesday, March 18th, nine -days after the catastrophe. A molecatcher of Prawle found at about -half-past eleven, in a field half a mile from a village named Furze -Brake, and about a quarter of a mile from the sea, the body of a man. -The corpse was lying flat upon its face, and was clothed in an oil-skin -coat in addition to the ordinary kind of seaman's dress. A life-belt -was lying close by, and the locality was not more than a hundred yards -from the spot where the two survivors from the _Marana_ had been found -supporting to the best of their power their dying comrade. Unknown to -the other survivors this man must have succeeded in reaching the shore, -but only to die. Undoubtedly he walked in search of help and shelter -until he sank from exhaustion, and was covered with a fall of snow -thick enough to screen his body from view until a thaw had set in. - -The inquests held on the bodies of those unfortunate seamen who lost -their lives in the vicinity of the Start have had the effect of a -communication being made to the Board of Trade as to the necessity -of life-saving apparatus being placed at Hallsands. In the face of -a hurricane of almost unprecedented force, many gallant and eager -attempts were made to save life, but with only a very limited measure -of success, owing as much to the want of suitable appliances as to the -rugged character of the coast, and the merciless fury of the gale. - -Along the coast, in the neighbourhood of Falmouth, which from its -exposed position was fully open to the strength of the blizzard, there -were more disastrous wrecks, and here also the loss of life was great. -The most serious calamity occurred at about half-past one on Tuesday -morning, and was that which, at Penare Point, near Helford River, -befell the four-masted steel ship _Bay of Panama_, of London, 2,282 -tons register. This vessel, owned by the Bullock's Bay Line, was from -Calcutta, with a cargo of 17,000 bales of jute for Dundee. The captain, -David Wright, of Liverpool, his wife, all but one of the six officers, -four apprentices, and six of the crew, were either frozen to death in -the rigging or drowned. This made a loss of eighteen lives out of a -company of about forty all told. - -At the village of St. Keverne, not far from Penare Point, it became -known at about noon on Tuesday that a wreck had occurred at the mouth -of the Helford River, and from there the first news of what had -occurred was conveyed into Falmouth, with great courage, and in the -face of tremendous difficulties, by Mr. J. H. James, of Old Vicarage, -St. Keverne. At one o'clock, Mr. James started on his pony for Helston -in the midst of a terrible snowstorm. His intention was to telegraph to -Falmouth, but all the wires were down, and communication was impossible -except on foot. This he undertook, and by dauntless perseverance at -length accomplished; but his experiences during the journey are among -the most thrilling personal incidents connected with the gale. After -proceeding for about two miles, he could only get along by crawling on -his hands and knees through the snow, and his face had become coated -with snow, and icicles hung from his ears. He at last found shelter -at a wayside cottage, and at daybreak next morning again set out, -reaching Falmouth at 9 o'clock, and giving information to Messrs. Broad -and Sons, who sent out steamers to the scene of the wreck. The _Bay -of Panama_ was discovered with her head to the north, broadside on to -the sea, and jammed under the Nare Head, close against the cliff. Her -mainmast was gone, and the sea was making clean breaches right over her. - -Fortunately for the survivors clinging to the stranded ship, before Mr. -James had started on his adventurous journey to Falmouth, on Tuesday -morning, the rocket apparatus, in charge of the coastguard, who were -aroused by Mr. Nicholls, of Penare, had reached the scene from Helford. -The first rocket fired threw a line right over the ship, and within -fifteen minutes the whole of the survivors were safely on shore. -Chief boatman Fisher, of the coastguard, went on board the vessel -after the hands taken off to see if any one was left alive, but his -self-sacrifice was without result. Accounts of survivors, including -those of Mr. Fred Evans, boatswain's mate, Mr. Charles Higgins, -quartermaster, and Mr. Beresford, apprentice, relate that the _Bay of -Panama_ was 111 days from Calcutta when she struck. There had been -forty-two days of severe weather before reaching the western end of -the English Channel, and here severe snowstorms and heavy squalls were -encountered. At half-past eleven on Sunday night they sighted a light, -and being in a position of danger they burned several blue lights, the -captain thinking the light came from a steamer. The vessel was now -drifting to leeward without a stitch of canvas on her, and the captain -soon expressed the opinion that they were to leeward of the Lizard and -clear of all land. At half-past twelve the watch went below, put on -some clean clothes, and got into their bunks. The captain remained on -deck, his wife being in her cabin. - -Within an hour from this time the ship struck and began rapidly to -fill. Most of those who had been below went forward, though the -forecastle had been burst in, and was flooded. Seas were breaking -over the vessel, and nearly all the officers were early swept away. -The second officer went to fetch a rocket, and was never seen again. -Attempts were made to get a line on shore, and one seaman is said -to have volunteered to swim the distance, but the former was found -impracticable, and in the latter case the other seamen held their -comrade back. Some of the crew took refuge in the rigging, and at -daybreak the second quartermaster died there, the mate died an hour -after, and the boatswain, in a state of delirium, jumped from the -mizzen-top into the sea and was drowned. Just before six o'clock in the -morning, the after-end of the ship broke in two, the mainmast having -previously fallen. It is said that, at the time the rescuing party -arrived on the scene, six men were frozen in the rigging. The survivors -were taken to St. Keverne Farm, which they reached at half-past ten -on Tuesday morning, and where they were kindly treated. They remained -there until four in the afternoon, when they were conveyed to Gweek -in a 'bus. From here it was absolutely necessary for them to walk to -Falmouth through the snow, and as many of them were thinly clad, -and had no boots, their trials were not over until Falmouth was -reached, where Messrs. Jewell and Burton, and Mr. and Mrs. Weir, of -the Royal Cornwall Sailors' Home, treated them with all the kindness -and attention they so much needed. Most of the bodies from the _Bay of -Panama_ were recovered, that of the Captain's wife having been found -lying on the shore early on the morning of the wreck. - -Though this was the most serious wreck near Falmouth, it was far from -being the only one. Reports of wrecks and loss of life continued to be -received for many days following the beginning of the gale on Monday. -Near Porthoustock, on Monday night, the sloop _Dove_, of Topsham, was -lost, but in this case the crew were saved. The _Dove_ left Exmouth -Bight on March 8th, arriving at Plymouth Breakwater early on Monday -morning. Just after daybreak, in company with several other vessels, -she left for Falmouth. There was a strong wind blowing, which, as time -went on, increased with much violence, and was followed by a blinding -snowstorm. The captain and mate of the _Dove_, who were both at the -helm, could, they said afterwards, scarcely see their hands before -them. At about three o'clock in the afternoon the vessel was near the -Manacle Rocks, and off Porthoustock Cove, and here, while in a most -critical situation, the tremendous sea lifted the little craft clean -over the rocks, and she was washed up on the beach. The skipper threw -his little boy overboard, he and his mate following in the same way, -and all were rescued by those persons on shore. Near the same spot, the -ketch _Aquilon_, of Jersey, and the ketch _Edwin_, were reported lost -with all hands. - -The steamer _Stannington_, from Newport to Exeter with a cargo of -potatoes, broke her shaft on Monday off the Longships, and was towed -into Falmouth on Wednesday afternoon. The barque _Frith_, of Lorne, 333 -tons, from Hamburg to Glasgow, in ballast, was in a critical condition -on Tuesday, about ten miles south of the Lizard. She slipped from the -tug towing her, and was on her beam ends, and fast making water, when -she was picked up by the S.S. _Anglesea_, of Liverpool, and towed into -Falmouth. A German steamer, the _Carl Hirschberg_, from Hamburg to -Cardiff in ballast, drove ashore at Portscatho. The schooner _Agnes and -Helen_, of Beaumaris, went ashore on Tuesday morning in Bream Bay. A -steamship named the _Dundela_, from St. Michael for Hull, with fruit, -was totally wrecked at Portloe, near Falmouth, on Monday night. All the -crew, except a boy named Taylor, who was lost, were brought ashore over -the rocks by the aid of the fishermen and coastguard, who contrived -to get a line from the shore to the vessel. The brig _Crusader_, of -Aberystwith, from Carnarvon, with slate for Hamburg, was abandoned -at one o'clock on Tuesday off Trevose Head, with seven feet of water -in her hold. The _Crusader_ left Carnarvon at nine o'clock on Monday -morning, in fine weather. It remained fine up to six o'clock the same -evening, when severe weather was encountered. At nine o'clock, off the -Bishop, it was blowing a gale, and the brig was fast making water. -The pumps were kept going until one o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, -when it was found impossible to keep the water under. The brig was -therefore abandoned, having seven feet of water in her hold. The -captain and crew, seven all told, took to the boat, in which they were -tossed about for nineteen hours, enduring great privation. The weather -was bitterly cold, and the men were almost frozen. One of the crew, -Thomas Owen, succumbed to his sufferings at four o'clock on Wednesday -morning. "Another two hours in the boat," remarked Captain Williams, -"and we should have all perished." To keep the boat from being swamped, -she rode with sea-anchor out, and everything was thrown overboard, -including spare clothes. At eight o'clock on Wednesday morning, when -thoroughly exhausted, they were fortunately picked up by the fishing -smack _Gertrude_, about thirty miles off the land, and arrived at -Falmouth on the same day. The crew were received at the Sailors' Home. - -The crew of the Netherlands barque _Magellan_ were taken into Falmouth -on the evening of Sunday, March 16th, the vessel having foundered on -the previous Thursday in the Channel, in lat. 47·48 N., long. 6·53 W. - -A large number of minor accidents at sea occurred on this part of the -coast, and while the Channel outside contained numerous traces of -floating wreckage, disabled vessels of all descriptions were either -being towed or making their way into Falmouth. Rumours of missing -vessels were being continually received, and the time was one of great -anxiety. All the help that could be given was needed for those who -had escaped with their lives, and others who were known to be still -at sea, probably in situations of peril, and this assistance was very -willingly afforded. Most efficient and welcome aid was rendered by the -local Branch of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Aid Society to the distressed -crews. The captain and crew of the _Crusader_ (six men), the crew of -the _Agnes and Helen_, the crew of the _Dungella_ (eleven men), and -the survivors of the crew of the _Bay of Panama_ (sixteen men) were -provided with free railway passes to their several homes, and each man -supplied with food for the journey, by the hon. agent of the society at -that port (Mr. F. H. Earle), who also boarded, lodged, and otherwise -provided for the crews of the two first-named vessels, the men being -more or less destitute. The homes of the men were Bangor, Aberystwith, -and other places in Wales, and London, Liverpool, Hull, and Great -Yarmouth. At a public meeting held in the public hall on Tuesday -evening, many promises for subscriptions towards a fund in aid of the -boatmen were received. - -Some dissatisfaction was expressed that during the wrecks at -Porthoustock and Porthalla, on March 9th, when about thirty lives -were lost, no life-boat had been launched, and the National Lifeboat -Institution sent to St. Keverne, about a fortnight after the -occurrence, Commander Biddors, R.N., who made inquiries into the -matter. It appeared on investigation that some of the life-boat crew -did not readily respond to the call signals, their explanation being -that they did not hear or see them. When they arrived at the life-boat -station the storm had increased, and it was dangerous to put to sea. -A proposal for the provision of a smaller life-boat, requiring fewer -oars, has been submitted to the life-boat committee. - -Off Scilly, several accidents occurred, but they were neither so -numerous nor attended with the same fatal results as those on the -coast further east. The ketch _Aunt_, Bude, was taken into Plymouth -in a disabled condition, and with only two of the crew that remained -severely ill from frostbites. On Saturday morning, 14th March, when -in latitude 7·20 W., and longitude 48·7 W., about 233 miles S.SW. of -Scilly, the _Astrea_, Captain Burton, sighted the _Aunt_ some miles off -with her sails down and flying a signal of distress. She bore down upon -her, and Captain Burton sent alongside a boat's crew, who found the -captain, H. Hines, and a sailor named Jewett wrapped in the mainsail -in a shocking state, and scarcely able to speak. Their hands and legs -were also so much swollen from frostbites and exposure that they could -not handle anything or lift themselves up or stand. Brandy and medicine -were administered to them, and after a time they sufficiently recovered -to be able to inform their rescuers that the _Aunt_ was ten days out -from Sandersfoot with coals. Four days before a lad named Stapleton had -died from exposure, and his body was thrown overboard. - -A serious collision, resulting in the loss of twenty-two lives, -happened during the week of the gale about 140 miles south-west of -Scilly, at 9 o'clock on the evening of Friday the 13th March. Two -vessels, the _Roxburg Castle_, of Newcastle, a steamship of 1,222 tons -register, and the _British Peer_, ship, 1428 tons, came into collision -just as the gale that had been blowing all the week was moderating, and -the steamer was struck with considerable force by the _British Peer_ -a little abaft the funnel. She was almost cut in two, and filled so -rapidly that in about ten minutes she sank, losing twenty-two out of a -total of twenty-four hands. As a further result of the collision, the -_British Peer_ had her bows stove in, and carried away her bowsprit, -jibboom, and head gear. The forward bulkhead held good, and kept the -vessel afloat. After the collision nothing could be done to save the -lives of the crew of the _Roxburg Castle_, although their piteous cries -for help were plainly heard on the _British Peer_. Captain Tyrer, a -splendid swimmer, whilst in the water combated the waves, took his -clothes off in the water, and was picked up by the _British Peer_, as -was also one of the seamen, an A.B. The drowned men are reported to -be principally from Newport. After the _Roxburg Castle_ had sunk, the -_British Peer_ was fallen in with, about ninety miles south-west of the -Wolf Rock, by the steamship _Morglay_, of Southampton, Captain Hughes, -from Cardiff to Marseilles, and towed to off the Manacles, where she -was transferred to the tug _Triton_, and taken into Falmouth harbour. -Captain Tyrer was very much knocked about during his swim to the -_British Peer_. - -The Hamburg American Company's steamship _Suevia_, 2,440 tons, had a -narrow escape in the Channel on Monday night. The _Suevia_ passed the -Lizard on Monday morning, and there were then evident indications of -a coming storm. At 11 A.M. the wind began to blow heavily from the -north-east, and at 2·30 P.M. it raged with hurricane fury, accompanied -by a blinding snowstorm. The seas ran very high, and the ship laboured -heavily. At about three o'clock, when eight miles east of the Start -Point, the engineer reported that the lower pressure piston rod had -given out, and that in consequence the machinery was disabled. An -endeavour was then made to work the other engine, but unsuccessfully, -and sail was then put on the vessel. By this means she was prevented -from driving ashore during the terrific squalls that were blowing -dead on the land. After a night and day of great danger, a schooner -was sighted on Tuesday afternoon, which the captain of the _Suevia_ -considered went down in one of the squalls. On Wednesday the steamer -_Acme_ was fallen in with, and on her the chief officer proceeded -to Falmouth for assistance. During Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, -efforts were made to repair the machinery, and these meeting at last -with some success, by early on Friday the vessel was headed up channel, -and proceeded at a slow pace until the Eddystone was sighted. The -passengers of the _Suevia_ were landed at Plymouth, from whence they -were sent on to Hamburg. The distance the _Suevia_ drifted from the -scene of the accident until Friday at noon was 125 miles, and it was -very fortunate that they were able to keep clear of the coast. Steamers -from Plymouth, London, and Falmouth, the latter with the officer of the -_Suevia_ who had gone on shore for help, were looking for the vessel, -but happily their services were not required. But for the excellent -seamanship and mechanical skill of those on board, another dreadful -calamity would doubtless have been added to the long list already -recorded. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -IN TOWN AND COUNTRY. - - -ASHBURTON.--Enormous drifts fell at Ashburton during the blizzard, -and most of the roads were completely blocked. At Holne Turn, half a -mile from the town, there was an enormous drift a quarter of a mile in -extent, and varying in height from eight to twenty feet. Railway and -postal arrangements were pretty well adjusted by the end of the week, -and business began to proceed as usual. There were some serious losses -of stock by farmers in the neighbourhood, and apple-orchards were -greatly injured. Masses of snow lodged in the branches of the trees, -and broke them down, many of the younger trees having every branch -broken off close to the stump. In sheltered valleys the drifts of snow -were so great that scarcely a tree escaped injury. Bakers who supplied -country residents were unable to go out to them with their supplies. - -BARNSTAPLE.--The chief town of North Devon had a very harsh experience. -Traffic was for some time suspended, but the inconvenience in this -respect was not nearly so great as in the south of Devon and in -Cornwall. In the districts around Barnstaple there were very heavy -losses of sheep and lambs. Farmers near Morthoe were particularly -unfortunate, nearly two hundred sheep and lambs belonging to them -having perished. Through roads and railways being blocked the markets -were greatly interfered with, and this, besides cutting off from many -of the country people their weekly supplies, was a great loss to the -tradespeople of the town. - -BIDEFORD, which has already been referred to, did not suffer so -severely as many other North Devon towns. Railway communication with -Ilfracombe was entirely suspended throughout Tuesday, the 10th, but -as the weather moderated the line was cleared without any very great -amount of inconvenience having been experienced. - -BODMIN.--In this important western town there was an almost entire -cessation of traffic from Monday afternoon until the closing days of -the week. The telegraphic and train services were suspended, causing -the usual amount of loss and distress. Business on the Tuesday was -entirely suspended, snow falling heavily all day, and a large quantity -of snow in the street stopped all vehicular traffic. The drifts were so -high that residents who had driven from the town on Monday could not -return, and great anxiety was naturally felt for their safety. It was -found on the following day, however, that in all cases, the travellers -were safe. Not infrequently they had been obliged to take the horses -out of their vehicles, leave traps or carriages in the roads--often -under the snow--and seek shelter in the nearest farm-house. There were -very serious losses of sheep in this district. Among others, losses -of this description were sustained by Mr. Rowse, of Llancarpe, Mr. -Glanville, of Pen Bugle, and Mr. G. Spear, of Bodmin. Many sheep were -rescued, but only after great difficulty. On Thursday night there was -again a heavy snowstorm, accompanied by a gale of wind, but it was -neither so severe nor of such long duration as the blizzard of Monday -and Tuesday. - -BRENT.--This moorland town has grown famous through the snowing up at -its gates of the "Zulu" express, from London, on the memorable Monday -night. Snow fell there from Monday afternoon to Wednesday morning. A -snow-plough with three engines arrived from Newton Abbott on Thursday -morning, but for some time it was not very effective, the snow being -so high on either side of the line that as soon as the way was fairly -clear the banks in the rear of the plough toppled over, and the line -was once more blocked. The depth of the snow in the town was so great -as to be frequently above the windows and doors of the houses. A road -cutting scene was photographed at the time by Mr. Rowe, of Devonport, -to whom we are indebted for the view. The loss of cattle here was very -great, nearly every farmer having suffered. A large number of cattle, -sheep and ponies in the possession of residents of the neighbourhood -grazed upon the adjacent moor, and many of the former, at all events, -perished. Mr. Linerdon, of Yelland, lost cattle to the value of over -£100; Mr. Pinney, of Diptfort, dug out 100 sheep from the snow; while -Mr. Heath, of Brent Mills, Mr. Vooght, of Lutton, and Mr. S. Northmore -were heavy losers. Mr. Luscombe, of Hall, Harford, had on the moor -600 Scotch cattle and 1,200 sheep, a large proportion of which he -has not yet recovered. Mr. J. Smerdon, of Brent, and Mr. Hurrell, -of Bradridge, lost sheep; and Miss Maunder, Mr. B. Hingston, and Mr. -J. Hard lost ponies. Until Saturday the residents of Binnicknowle, -a village about two miles from Brent, and largely dependent upon it -for supplies of food, were unable to obtain provisions. On that day, -however, a party of labourers succeeded in cutting a footway and thus -communication was opened up. - -[Illustration: CUTTING A ROAD AT BRENT.] - -BRIXHAM.--This historic fishing town, which has before now witnessed -some dreadful instances of the disaster to life and property that -furious gales with blinding snowstorms can bring about, was not on the -occasion of the blizzard of 1891 allowed to pass off very lightly. -There was no loss of life, but some rather serious injuries happened -to the trawlers at their moorings. At daylight on Tuesday it was seen -that many of these had fouled each other, by dragging their anchors. -In the inner harbour most of the craft had broken adrift, running -against the quays and other places, and doing themselves all kinds of -damage. One trawler, named the _Alice_, which broke adrift at high -tide, was carried up to the head of the harbour with her bowsprit eight -feet in over the Strand, close alongside the Prince of Orange statue. -About 200 feet of the breakwater was washed away, and its pedestal was -lost. Timber in large quantities was washed away from the yards of the -principal shipbuilders, and in addition to the wreck of the French -brig, and others before mentioned, a boat was driven on the rocks at -Fishcombe, and the Seamen's Orphan Home lifeboat went ashore, and was -badly knocked about. In the town many houses were unroofed, and slates -flew about, serious damage being also done to a wall and embankment in -Higher Street. Large quantities of glass-roofing were smashed in, and a -good deal of glass was destroyed at Newmarket Hall. Many farmers lost -sheep and lambs in the snow-drifts. - -BUDE.--The outside world and Bude were not so thoroughly estranged -during the days succeeding the storm as was the case in some other -instances, telegraphic communication remaining unbroken. All the other -inconveniences of the blizzard--absence of mails, presence of immense -drifts of snow, and similar discomforts--were freely experienced. There -was an anxious time among the shipping interest in the port, many of -the coasting vessels being at sea at the time the hurricane was raging. -These vessels did not all escape without calamity, but, on the whole, -the damage wrought to the shipping of Bude was not great. - -CALSTOCK.--The mining town of Calstock received some rough treatment -during the Monday and Tuesday of the storm, and damage was here and -there done to house property, but as far as the town was concerned it -may be safely said to have escaped marvellously well. Bearing in mind -its exposed position on the river bank, and the many tall chimneys -that rear their heads from the hillside, it is singular that no smash -of any magnitude has to be recorded. This is all the more remarkable -when the tremendous destruction that occurred in the district, and even -close to the town, is considered. On the opposite side of the river, -the tracks leading through the woods to Buralston Station were rendered -nearly impassable by the number of trees that fell, and the whole wood -through which the path runs was a complete wreck. Mr. James, at the -Passage Inn, from which the ferry leaves to cross to Calstock, was -very unfortunate, his loss being a severe one. In addition to great -damage to his rose-trees, for which his house has for many years been -famous, the well-known blossom-covered wicker bower, standing to the -left of the house, was blown bodily away into the orchard, and almost -simultaneously his cherry and apple trees began to fall. Of these he -lost fifty-six. - -One curious incident happened at the grounds of Mr. James, in the -apparently narrow escape of a couple of geese. The geese were sitting -behind a barn, with twenty-two eggs under them. During the storm of -Monday, the barn having been badly knocked about, and the whole -orchard in a state of wreck, the fate of the geese was not held in -much doubt, and the depth of the snow in the place making salvage -operations very difficult, their place of concealment was not reached -until Thursday after the storm. The snow being cleared from the back -of the barn, however, the geese were found still sitting in the same -position as that in which they had last been seen. With the exception -that they had evidently worked their heads about, keeping the cavities -large enough to give them breathing room, it was quite clear that they -had not attempted to move. Warm food and hay were at once given to -them, and they were made as comfortable as possible, and in due course, -eleven goslings were hatched from the twenty-two eggs upon which the -parent geese had sat through such a trying time. The young geese are -now as sturdy as could be desired, and Mr. James is naturally very -proud of them for having seen the light in spite of such difficulties. -The mother geese will also, in all probability, be preserved as -curiosities for some time to come. - -On the other side of the river a shed belonging to Mr. Goss's -shipbuilding yards was blown down, and cattle-sheds were unroofed and -carried great distances by the force of the gale. At Danescombe Bottom, -at the foot of Kelly Rock, an iron schooner, the _Naïad_, 250 tons, -owned by Captain Samuels of Calstock, was blown over on her beam ends. -The river banks, against which the masts of the vessel struck, only -prevented her being turned completely over. After considerable labour -she was righted, but was found to have sustained some damage. At the -Rumleigh Brick-works, and at the yards of Mr. Roskelly, builder, of -Albaston, much injury was occasioned. The mineral and goods line, the -property of the East Cornwall Mineral Railway Company, running from -Calstock to Kelly Bray, near Callington was blocked with a drift of -snow some eight feet deep, and work was stopped for two days. At the -end of that time it was cleared by a gang of the company's own men -acting under the direction of Captain W. Sowden. On the same property -about fifty yards of fencing were completely levelled. Honeycomb House, -about two miles from Calstock, was damaged to the extent of about £100; -Mr. Gill, of Tray Hill, lost over 100 apple trees, and Mr. German 250 -fruit trees. The heaviest damage to trees was at Cotehele Woods, the -property of the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, and overlooking Calstock, which -would appear to have received the full fury of the blast. The terrible -night passed here, and the extent of the destruction to timber, will be -found dealt with at length in the chapter on Parks and Forests. - -CAMBORNE.--The change at Camborne would appear to have been an -unusually startling one, since a few days before Monday, butterflies -were to be seen flying about. Snow commenced to fall in the district -at two o'clock on Monday afternoon, and this soon developed into the -blizzard. The storm is described as the greatest and the most severe -known by the oldest residents in the parish. The telegraph wires were -blown down, and, lying across the streets, threw several horses down. -The houses were so covered with snow as to be almost unrecognizable, -and in many places the drifts were over six feet deep. Ornamental, -and other trees in the town were completely spoiled, and traffic was -suspended. Anxiety was at one time felt in the town for the safety of -four young girls, dressmakers, of Beacon village, who left the town -on the Monday evening, but it was afterwards learned that they were -all in safety. In Burse-road and Pendarmes-road the shrubs and trees -were broken down, and lay overhanging and obstructing the footpaths. -Passages had to be cut to get to the houses, half as high as the houses -themselves. A 'bus running between Camborne and Truro was snowed up -near Pool, and left in the road; and near it was an abandoned organ, -the peripatetic performer on which had been unable to bear it with him -to a place of safety. - -At a village about a mile and a half from Camborne drifts of snow were -observed thirty feet deep. In the town the Board schools were closed -for the week. All communication with surrounding towns was, as a matter -of course, cut off for several days. At Beacon and Troon, adjoining -villages, people were taken from their bedroom windows by means of -ladders; and in one case, at a funeral, the coffin had to be slid down -over a snowdrift. At Breage a woman was found dead in the snow. Farmers -were busy in every direction rescuing their cattle and sheep from the -exposed positions, but the losses in the neighbourhood were very great, -hundreds of sheep being buried. Among others who suffered in this way -were Mr. Carter, of Troon, who lost nearly twenty sheep and lambs; Mr. -Hickens, of Tregear; Mr. Glasson, of Crowan; Mr. Josiah Thomas, of -Roskear, Tuckingmill; and Mr. P. Thomas, of Camborne. Several donkies -and ponies in the district perished. The little villages of Penponds, -Kehelland, and Pengegon, presented a wretched appearance, and at -Penponds especially it was impossible to distinguish any hedges. Mr. E. -Rogers, who had undertaken to carry out some funeral arrangements at -this village, was obliged to take the coffin over hedges and ditches -in order to get it to the house. At Pengegon, where the water-supply -is solely obtained from wells and springs, it was found necessary to -use melted snow for domestic purposes. The old thatched farmhouse of -Pengegon, on the Wednesday, when the sun shone, presented a strikingly -beautiful appearance, and was a prominent feature of the landscape. - -The village of Treslothan also shared the effect of the storm. Trees -were damaged and blown down in large numbers, and even as late as -Good Friday snow nearly a foot deep lay on some of the paths. A large -amount of damage was also done to trees and shrubs at Reskadirmick, -the abode of Captain W. C. Vivian, the beautiful carriage drive to -the house being terribly disfigured. At the factories and mines -business operations were, for some time, entirely suspended, and it is -calculated that during the week quite a thousand persons of both sexes -were enforcedly idle. Work might have gone on at the factories, but -in many cases the operatives were unable to leave their homes. At the -mines there was great anxiety, it being feared that the engines would -stop for want of coals. Passages were, however, in time cut through, -and not more than two or three engines actually ceased working. -Cuttings were made from the railway station to South Condurrow and -Wheal Grenville mines, a distance of more than a mile. So urgent was -the need for coal at West Seaton mine on Saturday, the 14th, that forty -miners were sent to help the labourers from Portreath to make a road -from the railway to the mine. The Wheal Grenville and Newton mines -were stopped for want of coal for some days. At Dolcoath, however, -considerable difficulty was experienced on the floors in getting a -sufficient supply of water to work the stamps, owing to the leats -being blocked. At the fire stamps, in particular, both engines for a -time ceased work, and operations were not again renewed until late on -Tuesday afternoon. The openworks suffered considerably, as it took -nearly the whole of the week to clear away the snow from the frames -and huddles. The miners themselves were greatly inconvenienced owing -to some of their homes being situated at a distance from the mines, -and their being unable to get to their work; while many who had been -working underground during the afternoon, found, on coming to the -surface, that they could not reach their residences. At Crowan, the Rev. -H. Molesworth St. Aubyn, organized and worked hard with a body of men -to help in opening up communication with Camborne. - -CAMELFORD.--At this place experience, for almost the entire week, was -very bitter. The residents were absolutely shut in from Monday to -Friday. The last sign of the outer world was when the North Cornwall -Coach, notwithstanding the snow already accumulated on the moors, -passed through on its way from Launceston to Wadebridge. The market -on Thursday was a dead failure, no live stock being obtainable, and -carcases very scarce. There were many narrow escapes met with, but no -actual loss of life occurred. As the week passed away provisions became -very scarce, and there was a growing alarm. On Friday, however, four -persons on horseback, unrecognizable from the quantity of snow that -covered them, entered the town in single file. The party consisted of -Mr. George Martyn, late of Trewen, Manager of the North Cornwall Coach -Company, Mr. Hicks, one of the clerks at Wadebridge, and the coachman -and guard of the coach which had gone through on Monday. The party, -who brought with them a very welcome copy of the _Western Morning -News_, held an interview with Mr. Evelyn, the Town Clerk of Camelford, -and subsequently, under the direction of the road-surveyor, a body of -men was organized to cut through the three miles of snow-covered road -between Camelford and Wadebridge, for the purpose of opening up a means -of obtaining provisions from the latter place. This was ultimately -accomplished, and by Tuesday, March 17th, the North Cornwall Coach was -once more able to run to Launceston, and the Mail, from Camelford to -Boscastle, also ran. Hundreds of sheep were lost, the drifts of snow -being so high that much time was lost in getting at those that were -buried beneath, and they were taken out dead in large numbers. Mr. -Pethick, Mr. Inch, Mr. Lobb, and Mr. Greenwood, in addition to many -farmers, suffered severely in this respect. - -CARGREEN.--At this riverside village, situated on the banks of the -Tamar, the gale of Monday and Tuesday caused great havoc among the -fruit-trees. Mr. E. Elliott, of Landulph, lost about three hundred -apple-trees, many of which had been planted by himself thirty years -before. - -DARTMOUTH.--At Dartmouth the storm was severe, and all telegraphic -communication was cut off during the week of the gale, but by the -following Sunday a staff of telegraphic engineers had restored -communication with Exeter by a single wire, and also with Brixham. On -one night during the week a wall gave way at the Castle churchyard and -fell on to the rocks beneath, carrying with it several tombstones, and -disturbing the coffins in the graves. At the market on Friday morning -buyers arrived in the town by train, from all parts, for the purpose -of buying provisions, but their journey was fruitless, as the farmers -had not been able to get into the town, the roads being impassable for -vehicles. Railway traffic was only partially suspended, but the first -through communication to Kingsbridge was not effected until Monday the -16th, when Mr. Sanders, driver of the Dartmouth coach, managed, with -the assistance of Mr. Cross, of Strete, Mr. Watson, of Chillington, and -a number of volunteers, to get a conveyance through from Dartmouth. -They had to cut their way through about two miles of snowdrifts, which -in many places, were upwards of six feet deep. When Mr. Sanders and his -party got to Frogmore they invited the co-operation of the villagers, -offering money and beer for help. This, however, was declined, but -the party arrived in Kingsbridge shortly before three o'clock, about -two hours later than the usual time of the arrival of the Dartmouth -coach. Messrs. Cross and Watson rendered admirable service. The only -papers delivered between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge since Monday the -9th, were the copies of the _Western Morning News_ and _Western Daily -Mercury_ distributed by Sanders along the line of route on Thursday -and Saturday. Among other damage enormous destruction was done to the -plantation at Blackpool, almost the whole of the young trees being -spoiled. - -DAWLISH.--During the progress of the storm at Dawlish on Tuesday, -the Ladies' Bathing Pavilion, which stood on the beach in front of -the Marine Parade, was carried away by the sea, and almost entirely -destroyed. The pavilion was erected by a limited liability company in -1880, and the annual income accruing from it had reached between £70 -and £80. The fishermen and others of this attractive watering-place -sustained great losses by the destruction of fishing and pleasure -boats. At the Coastguard Station the boathouse was partially unroofed, -and large blocks of granite were hurled a great distance. As on -Plymouth Hoe, the iron seats on the sea-wall were rolled over and -broken. Houses in various parts of the town lost chimney-tops and -slates, and some large trees, standing in the grounds of the Manor -House, were stripped of their branches. At Dawlish Water, a cow, -belonging to Mr. Dufty, was killed by a falling tree. Discomfort was -experienced by the few passengers who travelled from Exeter to Dawlish -on the night of Tuesday, by the train which should have reached the -latter town by about eight o'clock. On reaching the boathouse, near -Powderham Castle, a block in the shape of a snow-drift was encountered, -and the passengers made for a hut which was found not far off, and -a fire being got alight, they remained there until five o'clock on -Wednesday morning, when a relief engine and snow-plough, with a -carriage, arriving, they were conveyed to their destination. - -ERMINGTON.--Roads everywhere here were completely blocked for a week, -and neither supplies of provisions, letters, nor newspapers were -received. The farmers were great sufferers, scores of sheep having -been buried in the snow, which in some places was fifteen feet deep. -The work of digging out the sheep commenced during the bright weather -of Wednesday, when many ewes were found to be dead, the lambs, in some -cases, being found alive by the side of the dead mothers. Instances -were met with as late as Saturday where sheep got out of the snow fresh -and vigorous, after having been buried since the Monday. At Kingston, -near Ermington, nearly thirty sheep belonging to one farm were blown -into the sea, and from Ringmore, another village in the same district, -350 sheep were lost. - -EXETER.--In addition to the interference with railway traffic, and the -collapse of telegraphic communication between the capital of the county -and the other portions of Devon and of Cornwall that has been already -briefly described, great inconveniences were experienced in the city -and all the surrounding villages through the violence of the wind and -the depth of the drifts of snow. Several accidents to house property, -in the way of falling chimneys and walls, occurred, but nothing of -a particularly serious nature was heard of. Business was partially -suspended, and the streets were almost entirely deserted. Great -interest was felt in connection with the railway blocks further west, -and various exciting rumours were circulated from time to time, many -of them being, fortunately, without foundation. - -EXMOUTH.--In the outlying districts in the neighbourhood of Exmouth, -a peculiarity in connection with the late blizzard that also struck -observers in many other parts of Devon and Cornwall, was very -noticeable. This singularity was that localities, commonly regarded -as the most sheltered, suffered most severely. In such situations the -drifts became impassable, and the cottagers were without fresh supplies -of provisions until footways were cleared across fields. The narrow -lanes were filled with snow. Near the Littleham Church the drift was -so deep, that a tunnel was made sufficiently wide and high for carts -to pass through. At one part of the road leading from Lympstone to -Withycombe, a lane had to be cut for a considerable distance, the drift -being five or six feet deep. By the end of the week the Exmouth streets -were all clear, and business was going on much as usual. - -FALMOUTH.--Some of the disastrous effects of the blizzard at this -sea-port have already been recounted, but Falmouth was unfortunate -in other respects, besides being the scene of so many wrecks with -attendant loss of life. The weather has been described by residents -as the heaviest experienced in the district since 1853. Scarcely a -house exposed to the gale escaped injury, and in many cases property -suffered severely. Were there space to record them, innumerable -instances could be given of roofs being blown off, chimneys having -fallen, and marvellous escapes of residents having occurred during -these accidents. At the well-known "Curiosity Shop" of Mr. Burton, a -slate from some opposite premises went through a large window, and -two vases within, valued at £85, narrowly escaped destruction. The -back premises of Mr. Webber, jeweller, which overlooked the harbour, -were completely washed away, and all the fowls in the fowl-house were -drowned. In the rope-walk several fine Cornish elms were uprooted, one -of them cutting through a neighbouring roof. Telegraph wires also were -broken by the falling timber, and many huge limbs of trees were blown -down outside Grove Hill. Between Monday night and noon on Wednesday -no train arrived at or left Falmouth, and telegraphic communication -being cut off the inhabitants knew nothing of what was transpiring in -other parts. It was not until the Saturday evening that telegraphic -communication was re-established with Truro, and two hours later a wire -was got through to London. Messrs. Fox & Co., shipping agents, having -urgent telegrams to send to London, despatched them via France and -Spain. The London morning papers despatched on Tuesday reached Falmouth -on Saturday night, by which time postal affairs were commencing to be -put in order. All along the quays the damage to small craft of every -kind was immense, and the shore was strewn with wreckage and crowded -with damaged boats. At one spot on the market-strand, between the -King's Arms and the establishment of Mr. Grose, a big sail boat was -driven ashore, followed by a coal hulk belonging to Messrs. Vivian & -Sons, the latter knocking down a wall. The S.S. _Carbon_, belonging -to the Falmouth Coal Company, sank at her moorings in the harbour, -and the Harbour Board's steamer, _Armenack_, had a narrow escape of -being wrecked. About a dozen well-known residents had trawlers, -sailing-boats, and punts damaged or totally wrecked, but these form -only a small proportion of the losses by the gale. Among the fishermen -distress was great, and, as already stated on another page, a fund for -their relief was inaugurated without loss of time. - -FOWEY.--At this sea-port very severe weather was experienced. The whole -country round was covered with snow, and communication by telegraph, -except to Lostwithiel and St. Austell, was impossible. Fowey does not -appear to have experienced much of the effects of the gale on Monday -night and Tuesday, but a strong wind with snow showers, visited the -town on the following Thursday. There were no casualties, and no great -loss of sheep, as, though many were buried in the snow, nearly all were -recovered. - -GRAMPOUND ROAD.--Here snow commenced falling at about noon on Monday, -and continued with only a few minutes' cessation for twenty-four hours. -The blizzard nature of the storm was most severely felt, and among -other distressing events hundreds of sheep were lost. All telegraphic -communication was completely stopped. The last up-train from Penzance, -due at Grampound Road at about twenty minutes past eight in the -evening, was blocked by the snow a quarter of a mile west of the -station. The passengers were got out, and, under the guidance of some -of the villagers, made their way across the fields, and took shelter -in the hotels. Strenuous efforts were made to extricate the train, -but it was not until half-past four on the following morning that the -difficult task was accomplished, and that the passengers were enabled -to proceed on their journey. The loss of sheep in this district was -very great. - -GUNNISLAKE.--Throughout the whole of Monday night the blizzard raged in -Gunnislake, and only slightly abated its force on Tuesday. Havoc was -spread on every hand, and in one case a very serious accident, that -narrowly escaped fatal consequences, occurred. This was at the house of -Mr. Bowhay, surgeon, where a neighbouring chimney crashed through the -roof and fell into the kitchen. Two servants and an infant child were -in the kitchen at the time, and one of the former was knocked to the -floor, and on being extricated was found to have had her leg broken. -The other servant girl and Mr. Bowhay's child received cuts. On the -opposite side of the road a chimney fell upon a house named East View, -crushing in the end roof of a house in which, soon after, and in a room -immediately below that into which the rubbish fell, a child was born. -Large trees, over fifty years' old, were rooted up and thrown across -the main thoroughfares. At Drakewell's Mine serious damage was done to -the roofs, and at Heath Cottage, adjoining the mine, nine tall Scotch -firs, which stood within fifteen feet of each other, were rooted up, -and left lying in all directions. - -HELSTON.--At Helston, every road leading to other towns was blocked -up. No newspaper arrived, nor were any mails sent off until Saturday. -Telegraph wires and poles, and innumerable trees were blown down, the -plantations in the district suffering severely. - -HEMERDON.--No less than six engines were snowed up on Monday night -in the neighbourhood of Hemerdon, many of them containing parties -despatched from Plymouth by the Great Western Railway to the relief -of the train that left Millbay Station at 6·50 on Monday night, and -was snowed up on a bridge some distance beyond the Ivybridge Viaduct. -In two cases timely rescues of drivers were effected by Mr. Harold S. -Williams, of Torridge, the story of which will be found related in a -subsequent chapter. One very sad fatality occurred to the wife of a -miner, named Ann Farley. She left Plympton on Monday afternoon to visit -her father at Hemerdon village, and setting out for her home in the -evening would appear to have lost her way, as her body was found on -Thursday evening in a field at Lobb Farm, in about three feet of snow. - -HONITON.--In a path field leading from Offwell to Land Wood, in -the Honiton district, on the Sunday morning following the Monday -and Tuesday of the blizzard, the body of a man named Bidgood was -discovered. It transpired at an inquest subsequently held that the man -was a labourer, who had left work at Gittisham Hill on Tuesday evening -to proceed to his home at Offwell. After calling at the New Inn, -Honiton Hill, he was not again seen alive. The body was found, lying -flat upon its face, by Mr. F. J. Harford, who was looking for some -sheep. In many places near Honiton the snow drifts reached to a height -of twenty feet, and it was almost impossible to find the main road. -Sheep were buried in the snow in many parts of the district, and large -trees were rooted up and thrown across the road. - -ILFRACOMBE.--At Ilfracombe, during Monday night, a strong gale raged, -and the brigantine _Ethel_, of Salcombe, went ashore at Combemartin -early on Tuesday morning, and became a total wreck, but the crew -were all saved. The schooner _Pride of the West_, of Padstow, had -her bowsprit carried away, under Hillsborough, and was towed into -Ilfracombe harbour. Considerable damage was done to property, and -business for a day or two was suspended. Five large trees were blown -down in the churchyard. The last train from Barnstaple to Ilfracombe on -Monday night was brought to a standstill in the Burrow cutting, where -the snow had reached a great height. The passengers were got safely -out, and proceeded to the Fortescue Hotel at Morthoe. - -IVYBRIDGE.--A full share of destruction of every kind was experienced -at Ivybridge during the storm. Trees fell in all directions, a large -one breaking in the roof of the newly constructed Navvy Mission -Room. The Navvy Missioner, Mr. MacLean, was in the room at the time, -and had a very narrow escape. Over a dozen trees fell between the -station and the village, most of them being uprooted. For some time -provisions in the town showed serious signs of running short, but -by a laudable system of mutual accommodation between the residents -and tradespeople any actual privation was averted. Several of the -passengers by the 6·50 P.M. snowed-up train from Plymouth on Monday -night, and the down night train due at Plymouth about 8 P.M. on Monday -night, also blocked at Ivybridge Station, were located in the village, -but some of the passengers, as late as Thursday evening, were still in -search of lodgings. The railway guards and drivers were also in dire -straits, and Mr. Bohn (the proprietor of the London Hotel), promptly -and generously came to the rescue with free dinners to the railway -servants. Many hundreds of people visited the scene of the principal -block at Langham Bridge, where the unfortunate train from Plymouth on -Monday night became embedded in a deep snow-drift. - -KINGSBRIDGE.--This neighbourhood underwent some wretched experiences, -not only during the blizzard of Monday and Tuesday, but for fully a -fortnight subsequent to the storm. The roads leading to surrounding -towns were in a terrible condition through the fall of snow that -appears to have exceeded here the fall in any other part of Devon, and -the losses of farm-stock were very great. The first episode occurred -at seven o'clock on Monday evening, when the mail-cart for Totnes was -snowed up after having proceeded a mile out of Kingsbridge, and the -driver was compelled to return with his pair of horses, leaving the -van in the road. The mail-bags were brought back to the town on the -following morning. In another case, Mr. Waymouth, of Woolston, four -miles from Kingsbridge, started from the latter place in his carriage -for home on the same evening, but was stopped by a fallen tree, and -he and his coachman were compelled to take shelter at Coombe Royal, -and to remain there until the following Thursday. There were the usual -instances of damage to house property, and there was also tremendous -destruction to trees, and to the shrubberies of the various residences -in the vicinity of the town. All communication was cut off from outside -by the destruction of telegraph wires and posts. The telegraph wires -have been described as presenting a very singular appearance, the -coating of hardened snow in many instances extending to a thickness -as great as six inches in diameter. No communication with any other -town was received or sent for four whole days, and the post-office was -closed for three days, as no mails could be received or despatched. -Several commercial travellers who got into the town on Monday were -compelled to remain till Friday, when they escaped from confinement by -going to Plymouth by steamer. The hardships endured in neighbouring -villages for a week were severe, some of the villagers having been -without coals, and, the bakers having run out of flour, bread in -sufficient quantities could not be obtained. There was considerable -injury to some of the crops, and almost every farmer lost sheep in the -snow. Mr. Hooppell, of Bigbury, lost between three and four hundred, -the greater number of which were probably blown into the sea. Mr. J. -Langworthy, of East Allington, lost about seventy sheep and lambs, -computed to be worth £300. Mr. S. Square, of Thurlestone, also lost -over 100 valuable sheep and lambs. One gentleman had the task imposed -upon him of endeavouring to keep alive forty young lambs which had lost -their mothers. - -Great havoc was wrought in the grounds of Coombe Royal, the American -garden being laid almost bare. In the vicarage grounds many of the -trees and shrubs were blown down. Improvised sledges were used during -the second week by residents as well as the local carriers, these -being, indeed, the only vehicles that could be used with any safety. - -[Illustration: ST. CLEER ROAD, LISKEARD.] - -LAUNCESTON.--Considerable inconvenience was experienced in Launceston -throughout the week of storm, but scarcely anything more serious. From -Tuesday to Thursday there was a complete cessation of intercourse -with other parts of the country, no mails being despatched, or papers -or news of any kind being received, and no telegraphic service was -available throughout the week. Some damage was inflicted by the wind -to both glass and trees, and the roofs of houses were more or less -damaged, but altogether Launceston was much more fortunate than the -majority of west-country towns. - -[Illustration: COLDSTILE LANE, LISKEARD.] - -LISKEARD.--The greatest discomforts experienced at Liskeard were those -brought about by the impassable condition of the roads, and by the -blocking of the leat on Bulland Down, which supplies the town with -water. The reservoirs on St. Cleer Downs were nearly empty on Wednesday -morning, when Mr. Sampson, the inspector of the water, visited it, and -found that an immense snow-drift was blocking it on the north side of -the down. For nearly twelve hours a gang of men dug at the drift, and -succeeded in freeing the leat and saving the town from a water famine. -The leat was on a very exposed part of the down, and the height of the -snow-drifts in the locality may be judged from the view we give of one -of these. The illustration is from a photograph kindly supplied by Mr. -A. W. Venning, solicitor, of Liskeard. A horse and cart had been dug -out from this drift just before the photograph was taken. The town was -completely isolated for several days, and the distress among the poorer -inhabitants was very great. Everything possible was done to mitigate -the temporary distress, relief committees being formed under the active -superintendence of the Mayor of Liskeard--Mr. T. Lang. On Friday, after -Thursday's snowfall, the rural postmen could not go their rounds, the -height of snow in the roads being so great. Our view of Coldstile Lane, -near Liskeard (also from a photograph contributed by Mr. Venning), -which was impassable for days, reveals in a forcible manner the state -of this part of Cornwall. Here, as elsewhere, hundreds of sheep were -buried in the snow. - -LYME REGIS.--One of the heaviest snowstorms that ever visited the -south of Dorset was experienced at Lyme Regis on Tuesday, March 10th. -The town lies six miles from the nearest railway station, and the -only communication is by two well-appointed three-horse 'busses. On -Tuesday the 'bus, with an extra horse, left the town at nine in the -morning, carrying the mails. The conveyance, with great difficulty, -reached the high hill known as Hunter's Lodge, where, notwithstanding -all efforts, it was found impossible to proceed further. The one lady -passenger walked to the hotel at Hunter's Lodge, while the driver, Mr. -Blake, rode back to Lyme Regis and obtained assistance. By the time -the luggage and mails had been transferred to a light waggonette the -'bus, except for the roof, was invisible, and the roof was only kept -clear by the strong wind blowing at the time. Later on the same night, -the driver of the mail cart from Illminster to Lyme started to do the -journey on horseback, driving being out of the question. On about the -same spot as the 'bus had been buried, the driver lost his horse, and -accomplished the rest of the journey on foot, arriving at Lyme at one -o'clock on Wednesday morning. Both horse and 'bus were eventually -recovered, and the mail carts resumed running on March 17th. - -MEVAGISSEY.--The gale of Monday and Tuesday raged with great fury at -Mevagissey, blowing from E.S.E., accompanied by blinding snow. On -Tuesday morning the parapet of the new breakwater on the southern side -of the harbour was found to have been washed off for a distance of two -hundred feet, and the sea was rushing through the gap. By the end of -the week the breakwater was in three parts, and it was feared that the -whole structure would have to be taken down. The damage was estimated -at over £10,000. The fishermen suffered greatly through the loss of -herring and pilchard nets, which were shot at anchor in the bay, and -swept away by the gale. - -MODBURY.--The blizzard was very destructive in the Modbury district, -and the town was completely isolated from the Monday to the Saturday. -On Monday evening several farmers who had attended the market and left -for their homes, were driven back, and had to remain in Modbury several -days. The loss of sheep in the neighbourhood was unusually large, it -being estimated that within the postal district of Modbury nearly one -thousand sheep were lost, besides several head of cattle. Some of the -snow-drifts were immense, and one labourer had his house completely -covered. A boy, who had been sent on Monday to deliver bread at some -neighbouring villages, was discovered in the evening sitting in the -trap almost insensible from cold, while the trap was nearly buried in -the snow. The horse was released, and the boy taken to the nearest -house, where he soon recovered. - -NEWQUAY.--At Newquay there was a great fall of snow, and many sheep -were buried. Mr. T. Cardell lost over 100, and other farmers as many as -forty each. A man named Ambrose Matthews, a hawker of wild flowers, was -found dead under three feet of snow in a field near Tower Lane, where -he was probably trying to crawl into a shed for shelter. He was last -seen selling flowers in the town at half-past eight on Monday night. - -NEWTON ABBOTT.--The greater part of the railway traffic at Newton -Abbott was suspended. The last up-train that arrived on Monday was the -4·30 P.M. express from Plymouth; and the Monday evening's mails from -Paddington, and Tuesday morning's Bristol and Newton Abbott travelling -post-office, which arrived several hours late, were unable to proceed -further than this town, and about one hundred passengers were compelled -to remain in Newton. There was, in the streets, an average depth of -three feet of snow, whilst in some places the drifts were from ten to -twelve feet in height. Considerable damage was done to the trees and -shrubs in the park, and in the private gardens. - -PADSTOW.--This was another town that suffered very severely. Great -quantities of unexpected snow fell, and the gale was terrific on Monday -night and all day on Tuesday. People who were out of town on the Monday -night had great difficulty in returning to their homes, and one woman, -named Rebecca Chapman, did not succeed, but was found buried in the -snow on the following Sunday. Miss Chapman, of about sixty-two years -of age, who resided at Crugmere, about a mile-and-a-half from Padstow, -had been in the latter town on Monday, and left for home at about seven -o'clock in the evening. At a place named Trethillick she lost her -way, and calling at one of the houses in the village was put upon the -right road. She was never again seen alive. On perceiving on Tuesday -that the woman was not at home, the neighbours raised an alarm, and -search parties were instituted, but the body was not recovered until -the following week. From the position of the body when found, it would -seem that the unfortunate woman had mistaken the gate of the field in -which she was lying for that of her own home, and, entering the field, -had fallen exhausted. Her basket, containing the provisions she had -bought in the town, was found lying beside her. When the storm was at -its fiercest, on Monday evening, the dandy _Louisa_, of Exeter, in -entering Padstow harbour, ran into the schooner _Ballanheigh Castle_, -and damaged her galley and bulwarks. A praam, weighing nearly a ton, -which was lying keel upwards on the quay, was caught during one of the -squalls, and carried completely over the quay. On many farms large -numbers of sheep were buried, but in most cases these were rescued -alive. - -PAIGNTON.--Great damage was done at Paignton on Monday night and -Tuesday. The roof of one wing of the house of Sir Thomas Seccombe, -K.C.S.I., on Coninence, was blown in, and crashed through the building, -but nobody was hurt. In the Totnes-road the roof of Miss Scale's house -was blown off, and several trees were blown down. The landing-stage -of the Promenade Pier was washed away, and the sea-wall front of -Redcliff Tower undermined. The Artillery Volunteer ammunition shed was -completely wrecked. A tall elm at Dr. Goodridge's residence fell over -and nearly crushed the roof. Steam launches were much injured, and -several fishermen lost their boats. - -PENZANCE.--During Monday night's storm, at Penzance, there was such -a terrific sea running that the north dock gate was unhung, and -much damage was occasioned to the shipping in the port. Some of the -most beautiful trees in the vicinity were ruined. On the following -Tuesday the storm continued, and business almost entirely ceased, -no shops being opened for the day. There was a good deal of anxious -looking out for the return of travellers who had left the town before -the commencement of the storm on Monday, but by degrees they either -returned or their whereabouts was ascertained. At Wheal Vor, Breage, -however, a woman, sixty years of age, perished in the snow. Supplies of -food were almost daily fetched by boat from Penzance for little fishing -villages in the district, and a small coasting steamer was chartered to -take in a stock of provisions and land it on the sands at Porthcurno, -just within sight of Logan Rock. - -PLYMPTON.--At Plympton, matters were very serious. Hundreds of trees -were destroyed, and large numbers of sheep died from exposure and -starvation. - -[Illustration: CHURCH, AND CHAPLAIN'S HOUSE, PRINCETOWN, DARTMOOR.] - -PRINCETOWN.--This moorland town passed through some trying experiences -during the storm week. The roofs of several cattle and sheep-sheds were -blown away, and every house in the neighbourhood suffered considerable -damage. A part of the church roof was unslated, and the church -itself, and the chaplain's house, were almost buried in the snow. -An illustration shows the condition of these two buildings, for the -photographic views of which, as well as for the picture of the convicts -cutting a road, we have to thank Mr. J. Richards, clerk of works at the -convict establishment, who took a great number of interesting views of -extraordinary scenes to be met with after the blizzard. At the Prison -Officers' School, some four or five of the moor children had to be -detained all night, fires being lighted and hot provisions provided. -The block on the Princetown railway line, where the evening train had -been snowed up on Monday evening, was a very serious one, and it took -a gang of fifty men and a snow-plough several days to work through -the accumulated mass. The inhabitants were without letter, paper, or -telegram from Monday morning until Saturday, when the postmaster, Mr. -W. Tooker, with the rural letter-carrier, and a prison officer, Mr. -Rodway, who accompanied the party as a volunteer, risked a walk to -Yelverton. There they found twenty-five bags of mails awaiting them. -They succeeded in walking back to Princetown, taking with them fourteen -bags of mails and a small quantity of newspapers, and were received -with much enthusiasm. No fear was felt that provisions would fail at -the prison, as there was a large stock on hand, but it was deemed -advisable to kill a number of sheep and pigs belonging to the farm. -The roads were cleared after immense labour, some of this work being -carried out by convicts from the prison. - -[Illustration: CONVICTS CUTTING A ROAD AT PRINCETOWN, DARTMOOR.] - -REDRUTH.--On the Monday and Tuesday at Redruth there was such a storm -as had not been known for thirty-five years in West Cornwall. It -snowed almost incessantly for twenty-four hours, and left drifts, in -some parts, from ten to twelve feet deep. The trains could not get -into Redruth either from east or west for two days, and even Camborne -could not be reached. Trees in various parts were much injured. There -was little business done, and the quantity of provisions brought into -the town being so small, the prices were of the most extravagant -description. Milk could hardly be obtained, and what butter was in the -market was sold at the price of 2s. per lb., a heavy price for Redruth. -There was a scarcity of coals in the neighbourhood, and the stock -(of coals) at the brewery was exhausted before the end of the week. -Most of the roads in the district were impassable, and it was found -impossible as late as Friday to dig out the vehicles that Monday's -storm embedded in the Redruth highway. Mining operations were greatly -impeded, tunnels in the snow having in some instances to be cut to -enable the miners to get to their work. There were many rumours of -persons missing since the memorable Monday, and fears for their safety -were entertained which in one unhappy case proved to be only too well -grounded. A boy named Wallace left his work at the Wheal Basset mine -on the afternoon of the storm to walk to his home. He did not reach it -at the usual time, nor at all on that day, and great anxiety resulted, -search parties scouring the country in all directions. At length, ten -days afterwards, his body was found in a snow-drift between thirty -and forty yards from his home. Another lad had a very narrow escape. -He was missed for some hours, and was found almost unconscious in an -outhouse, where he had taken refuge under some straw. Not the least -serious inconvenience attending this week of disaster at Redruth was -the unavoidable postponement of a number of funerals, to make way to -the parish church and cemetery being found impracticable. - -ST. COLUMB.--The advent of the blizzard at St. Columb was sudden and -unexpected, and the force of the wind drifted most of the snow into -the roads and hedges in such a way as to completely stop all vehicular -traffic. In some spots the drifts were fifteen feet high. No letters -or papers arrived in the town from Monday until Wednesday evening, -and among other inconveniences was the unavoidable postponement of a -wedding which was to have taken place. As this event was not fixed for -any earlier date than the last day of the week, and could not take -place then, some idea of the condition of the country may be formed. -The farmers were apparently taken by surprise, as most of their sheep -were out, and hundreds were buried beneath the snow. Many lambs and -sheep were found at a depth of seven or eight feet, and instances -occurred of lambs, who had been born under circumstances such as these, -being found alive and healthy. Buried houses were by no means an -uncommon occurrence. At Winnard's Perch, about two miles from Redruth, -a woman was snowed in from Monday until Wednesday at noon, when she was -dug out. Great damage was also done to trees, and for a time business -was suspended. - -ST. IVES.--A tempestuous sea was the chief cause of suffering at St. -Ives. The blizzard blew mainly from the E.N.E., and caused sad havoc -along the coast on Monday night and Tuesday. Ships in positions of -peril were occasionally observed, and the lifeboat crew, with rocket -apparatus, held themselves in readiness, and in some cases, endeavoured -to get near the endangered vessels, but the tracks to the shore were -impassable. The window of a cottage on the Warren, overlooking the sea, -was blown in, and the sea rushed in and partly filled one of the rooms. -Slates and chimneypots were blown about to the imminent danger of the -inhabitants. A man named Metters left St. Ives for St. Just, with a -donkey cart, on Monday, to sell herrings, and after nearly a week's -absence his friends gave him up for lost, but he returned to his home -on the following Monday, having been snowed up at St. Just for the -entire week. - -SENNEN.--The Land's End district was altogether cut off from other -parts of the country from Monday to Friday, and even after that time -communication was only effected with great difficulty. The snow-drifts -were immense, and many sheep and lambs were buried. Supplies having -begun to fail by the end of the week, a shopkeeper inaugurated a novel -expedition which, grotesque as it was in its make-up and appearance, -succeeded in the object the organizer had in view. He obtained a -number of donkeys, and having placed baskets upon their backs, formed -them into procession, he leading the way with a shovel, with which -he cleared a path to St. Just. There provisions were obtained, and -the adventurous tradesman, followed by his donkeys,--now laden with -well-filled baskets,--returned triumphant to St. Sennen. Two cottages -near the Land's End were buried in the snow, and the cottagers had -to be dug out. The Rev. J. Isabell, of St. Sennen, by way of getting -the roads clear, set an admirable example. He headed a party of some -seventy men, all being armed with shovels, and effected good work in -making the parish roads fit for traffic. - -TAUNTON.--The train due at Taunton at seven minutes past nine and the -"Flying Dutchman" reached Taunton at about the same time on Monday -night, and were unable to proceed further. Among the passengers was the -Duke of Edinburgh, on his way to Devonport, who was detained for some -few days, after which he was enabled to reach Exeter, and from thence -to proceed without further mishap to his destination. - -TAVISTOCK.--Some account of the devastation caused in this district -by the storm has already been given. The destruction to timber was -especially heavy, but perhaps the most serious feature of all is the -loss of sheep and cattle. Mr. H. Dingle, of Taviton, had over two -hundred sheep embedded in the snow, and a number of these were taken -out dead. Mr. Perkins, of King-street, Tavistock, and Mr. Walkem, of -Hartshole, also suffered heavily in this respect. On the estate of the -Rev. J. Hall-Parby there was also a great loss of sheep. Out of sixteen -sheep buried in a drift, nine, belonging to Mr. Warne, were dug out -dead, while in the neighbouring parish of Walkhampton the loss was -still greater. Mr. Giles, of this parish, dug out 40 dead sheep. Mr. J. -Squire, of the Bedford Hotel, had a flock of sheep and lambs buried in -the snow, on his moorland farm on Whitchurch Down, but he succeeded in -rescuing most of them. - -TEIGNMOUTH.--The destruction wrought on the sea-front of this -well-known watering-place and sea-port, which has been briefly alluded -to in earlier pages, appears to have had the effect of waking up the -residents to a sense of the innumerable natural beauties that belong -to their town, and the advisability of preserving, and, if possible, -improving them. Not many months before the blizzard of 1891, a gale -from the south-east was near demolishing that portion of the bank above -the beach, that has since fallen before the action of the waves, and -from time to time the dangerous position of the houses abutting upon -it, and standing within a stone's-throw of the sea, has been pointed -out by a large number of the residents themselves. Nature has now taken -the matter in hand, and the probabilities are that a sea-wall will be -built that will extend from the "Point," or lighthouse, to the Hole -Head tunnel, a distance of over a mile and a half, and thus the finest -sea promenade in the country will be secured. - -TORQUAY.--The snowstorm was more severe at Torquay than at any of the -surrounding districts, the fall having been heavier than at either -Teignmouth or Dawlish. Few mishaps occurred, however, and there was not -any really serious damage. Railway communication with Exeter, London, -and the north, was never interrupted. Some injuries to trees occurred, -and a few telegraph posts were blown down, but, on the whole, Torquay -sustained its reputation as a desirable winter abode. - -TOTNES.--Some novel incidents occurred at Totnes during the week of -the storm. The town was for days completely isolated, the only journey -possible in search of news appearing to have been a perilous one, on -foot, to Brent, where ignorance of the doings of the outside world -was as great, if not greater, than at Totnes itself. A number of -travellers, among them Mr. H. S. Jenkins, of the _Western Morning News_ -(who had gone to the town on duty on the Monday night), were detained -until the end of the week, and all the inconveniences resulting from an -enforced imprisonment of such an unusual description were experienced. -The first indication of an actual block on the railway was at about -nine o'clock on Monday night, when the down-train, due at Plymouth at -ten o'clock, arrived at Totnes station, and was not allowed to proceed, -as no communication could be exchanged with stations further down -the line. After hours of waiting, some of the passengers sheltering -themselves in the carriages and others in the waiting-room (where -they were made as comfortable as circumstances would allow, Miss -Inskip keeping the refreshment-room open until four o'clock on Tuesday -morning), all were compelled to take up their quarters in the town -for what was to them, at that time, a very indefinite period. There -were, in the neighbourhood of Totnes, great losses among the farming -community, hundreds of sheep being buried in the snow. One farmer, of -Ashprington, dug out a flock of fifty, of which fifteen were dead. -Orchards were completely wrecked, and many fine forest trees were -destroyed. In the town the damage done to property was not very great, -but the glass roofs of several conservatories were broken in by the -weight of snow. The snow in the streets was three feet deep, and in the -adjacent country roads a depth of from six to eight feet was recorded. - -TRURO.--At the cathedral city of Cornwall trade was at a complete -standstill for days, owing to the heavy fall of snow. Snow lay three -feet deep in all the roads outside the town, and, going farther into -the country, the drifts were from ten to twelve feet deep. Great damage -was done to property, and some accidents, none of them, however, having -a fatal termination, occurred. To make matters worse for those having -business matters to look after, the train service was altogether -disorganised. The "Dutchman" arrived on Monday night forty minutes -late, and then had to wait the arrival of the train from Falmouth. -This, due at Truro at 7·25, did not arrive until ten minutes to nine. -Its course was blocked by fallen telegraph poles and wires, which -had to be cut away before the train could proceed, the most serious -obstacle being between Penryn and Perranwell. The "Dutchman" had to -pass by Grampound Road at full speed, or it would probably have been -in danger of being embedded in the snow. It was only when the end -of this memorable week had been reached that telegraphic and other -communication with neighbouring towns was restored, and that the city -once more returned to its usual condition of comfort and tranquillity. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -IN PARK AND FOREST. - - -There is no stronger testimony to the overwhelmingly destructive -character of the blizzard of March, 1891, than that afforded by -the spectacle of thousands of forest trees, that had, in numerous -instances, withstood the storms of centuries, lying, some with their -roots above ground, others snapped short off or twisted asunder, but -all mercilessly and hopelessly wrecked. Many of these fallen monarchs -had experienced heavier gales undoubtedly, but they had not been so -rapidly laden with the heavy burden of clinging snow that caused them -to sway and stagger, and rendered them helpless victims to the fury -of the blast. The effects of this blizzard-like nature of the storm -are apparent in the peculiar form the havoc in the parks and forests -has assumed--some trees appearing as if the tops had been wrenched -off, and in other instances a trunk being left standing--a mere bare -pole--denuded of all its branches. Many trees that were old and feeble -weathered the storm best, the apparent cause being that their stronger -brethren sheltered them from the fatal garment of snow as much as from -the gale, and that when the protector at last fell the fury of the -blast was spent. - -The manner in which the snow clung to, rather than fell upon, all -objects that it encountered, is strikingly shown in the accompanying -illustration of Membland after the storm. The illustration is from a -photograph of a water-colour drawing. The photograph, and the following -narrative, have been courteously supplied to us by one who was a deeply -interested spectator of the scene:-- - -"At Membland, Lord Revelstoke's place ten miles from Plymouth at the -mouth of the Yealm, the devastation and havoc caused by the storm of -the 9th of March are indescribable. - -"The appearance of the house on the Wednesday following, the 11th, will -not easily be forgotten by its inmates. That Wednesday was a glorious -day of sunshine. The house was entirely, to all appearance, snowed up -to the top storey; the wind in its fierceness having flung the snow -against the house, where it froze on the windows, giving a weird look; -a pane of glass here and there coming out in relief, and prismatic -colours darting across, in and out of the snow where the sun shone in -full power. - -"Where the ivy covers the north side, the effect was very beautiful: -each leaf covered as it were with a bell of crystal, and festoons of -crystal hanging down in every direction. Outside the front door the -snow was fourteen feet deep. From eight to ten on that memorable Monday -evening when the storm was at its height, the gardener, Mr. Baker, -stood out and saw the trees right and left, here rooted up, there -felled down with the rapidity and report of a volley of musketry. Over -a thousand trees are down, among them the finest trees surrounding the -house, and which can ill be spared, such as the Insignis, the Ilex, &c. -Every orchard is laid low. - -[Illustration: MEMBLAND, RESIDENCE OF LORD REVELSTOKE, AFTER THE -STORM.] - -"The two plantations near the house present the appearance of hundreds -of trees felled down for the advance of an invading and cruel enemy. On -the carriage-drive you come across a huge tree torn up by the roots, -leaving the whole road cracked as from an earthquake! By the side of -this devastation, at every turn, you see the most curious sight of -all,--a tree frail from age or extreme youth left untouched! The drift -at the lodge was from fifteen to twenty feet deep. The lodge-keeper -took one hour and three-quarters getting from the lodge to the house, -on Tuesday, the 10th; a distance under three-quarters of a mile. Mr. -Methyrell, a tenant of Lord Revelstoke's, residing one mile from -Membland, lost fifty of his sheep. Lord Revelstoke was fortunate in -not losing more than seventeen sheep and one black lamb. The village -of Noss Mayo, situated in the estuary of the Yealm, in the parish of -Revelstoke, has sadly lost in beauty and picturesqueness from the -destruction of trees, these falling headlong in some instances on the -boats of the inhabitants, and causing distress and ruin. - -"Lord Revelstoke was in London--Lady Revelstoke was alone in the house -with her niece, Miss Bulteel: the experience of being cut off from -all communication with the neighbouring villages, the impossibility -of procuring the services of Dr. Adkins were it a matter of life or -death, the cessation of all postal or telegraphic communications, being -told the last portion of flour was exhausted--this lasting from Monday -until Saturday--all the different incidents arising from this "_Great -Unforeseen_" are recollections which will never be effaced from the -memories of the inhabitants of the parish of Revelstoke. The postman -from Plymouth to Yealmpton and Newton Ferrers, including the parish of -Revelstoke, deserves praise. His return was looked for anxiously by the -inhabitants of Noss Mayo and Newton, morning after morning. He got to -Yealmpton, and sallied forth like the dove after the flood to try and -find his way to Newton, but was forced to turn back. He succeeded on -the Saturday, and was hailed with delight. - -"At Flete, Mr. Mildmay's place, three-and-a-half miles from Ivybridge, -the damage is great, but the loss of trees not as irreparable as in -other places. The family were away. But the snug little corner between -Flete and Membland, at the mouth of the Erme, inhabited by Mr. Bulteel, -was a haven chosen by this merciless blast upon which to vent its worst -fury. The peaceful valley strewn with trees, and the beautiful laurels -shattered. - -"A little incident is worth recording to illustrate the friendliness -and kind-heartedness of the neighbours. The town of Modbury is six -miles from Pamflete. Mr. Bulteel has for years dealt with Mr. Coyte, -the butcher. On Thursday, the 12th, Mr. Coyte feared Mr. Bulteel might -run short of butcher's-meat; he accordingly started three men at 8 A.M. -from Modbury, one man carrying a basket of meat, and the other two with -shovels, for places found too impassable to ensure a footway. - -"These men reached Pamflete (Mr. Bulteel's) at 6 P.M., after a struggle -of ten hours to get there. It is needless to say they were welcomed -by Mr. Bulteel, who was thoroughly grateful to Mr. Coyte for his kind -thought." - -Another account says:--"At Mount Edgcumbe Park, the principal seat -of the Rt. Hon. Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, the wreck to the timber is -enormous. So large are the gaps made in the groups and avenues of -trees, that the unaccustomed open spaces are distinctly visible from -Plymouth Hoe, and from even greater distances. Altogether, the Earl -estimates his loss at two thousand trees (at Mount Edgcumbe alone), and -calculates that it will take two years to sufficiently clear his park -of fallen timber to enable him to again throw it open to visitors." - -The reproduction of a photograph by Mr. Heath, of George-street, -Plymouth, shows the entrance to Mount Edgcumbe Park. Here there are -down three fine elms, each four hundred years old. One fell right -across the path, the other two fell towards the lodge, which they only -escaped by a few inches, the branches even sweeping off some of the -slates from the roof of the building. Had the trees fallen but a little -more to the north, the lodge must have been crushed like cardboard. All -the way up the avenue leading to the house the trees are lying in every -direction. In the private garden behind the house (the favourite resort -of the Earl and his family), the beautiful cedars, known only to those -who have had the privilege of visiting this retired spot, are all down -or shivered where they stand. Particularly and painfully noticeable are -a fine old lime, a chestnut tree, and a beautiful Turkey oak, not only -rooted up but split to pieces. These the Earl describes as having been -his favourite trees. - -[Illustration: THE ENTRANCE, MT. EDGCUMBE PARK.] - -"On the hill overlooking the ruins of the old castle, all but one of -the umbrella pines, so well known to all visitors to the park, are -rooted up, and scattered. In the laurel walk, dozens of fine trees -are down, quite obstructing the pathway, but the saddest scene of all -in this portion of the park is the fall of a fine silver beech, which -stood just at the end of the walk. Strange to say, this tree has fallen -in the opposite direction to every tree in the park, as if its sole -purpose had been to crush a beautiful camellia tree that stood exactly -opposite, and that has yearly yielded a thousand blooms. Close by is -still standing a fir, the tallest tree in all the park, looking as -though, through all the stormy night and day, it had reared its proud -head in defiance of the tempest. - -"The greatest havoc of all is in that part of the park known as -Beechwood, situated on a slope facing almost due east. This slope was -exposed to the full fury of the gale, and quite four hundred trees were -blown down. Our illustration, from a photo by Mr. Heath, pourtrays some -of this fallen grandeur. A gardener, who lives in Beechwood Cottage, -far more familiarly known as Lady Emma's Cottage, relates, that on -Monday night, when the storm was at its height, which was between -half-past seven and eight o'clock, he with his wife and young family -were in the house in an awful state of suspense and apprehension. -Momentarily they were dreading that a fallen tree would crush in their -cottage, and yet they dared not venture out among the crashing timber, -nor face the blast that would in all probability have blown them over -the cliff into the sea. Their terror can be well understood when it is -stated that from time to time the branches of falling trees actually -brushed the walls of the cottage. As if by a merciful dispensation -of Providence, a huge beech, standing almost due east to the house, -remained standing, while other trees, less exposed, were blown down. -If the beech had fallen, the fate of the cottage with its inmates must -have been quickly determined. - -[Illustration: BEECHWOOD, MT. EDGCUMBE PARK.] - -"In the English and Italian gardens more disastrous wreckage meets the -view. On the lawn, in the English garden, a splendid cork tree, and -also a famous holly, were uprooted. The orangery in the Italian garden -narrowly escaped damage by a falling elm." - -Many of the large trees, lying prostrate, and others completely -wrecked, are depicted in the accompanying view, also from a photo by -Mr. Heath. - -Seriously as the noble owner of Mount Edgcumbe suffered at his -principal seat, that was not, however, the extent of the calamity. The -condition of the woods was described by one who visited the locality -after the storm in the following terms:-- - -"At Cotehele, the devastation in the woods is beyond all description. -Few, indeed, except the very oldest persons, have ever been able to see -Cotehele House from the town of Calstock. This historic mansion is now, -however, in full view, and the monarchs of the wood have fallen low -to the extent of thousands. It is only as one goes through the woods -that the vastness of the destruction can be comprehended. In the glade -that fronts the house towards the Tamar, below the ornamental pond, the -crash and fall has been so great as to make a tangled mass of roots, -branches, and limbs. Most of the trees that are down are elms, though -beeches, ashes, and sycamores have also given way to the gale. Oaks -have held on at the roots, but the limbs have suffered, and firs have -gone by the board. Most of this species of tree have broken short off, -rather than have been uprooted. The beautiful walk from Cotehele Quay -to the house is a wreck that fifty years will not set in the same form -as it existed before the 9th of March. Trees three feet through have -been blown out of the ground as though they had been saplings, and in -some cases the weight of the earth and stones around the roots must -have been several tons." Not less than two thousand trees were blown -down in Cotehele Woods, representing over 100,000 feet of timber. One -tree alone contained over two hundred cubic feet. - -[Illustration: FALLEN MONARCHS, MT. EDGCUMBE PARK.] - -Mr. W. Coulter, the highly respected house-steward of the Earl of Mount -Edgcumbe, at Cotehele, and who resides in Cotehele House, has favoured -us with the following graphic account of what took place during the -early part of this eventful week:-- - -"The wind, having blown a gale the whole day, continued to increase -in violence as evening approached, and from 7 till 9 o'clock P.M., -accomplished, if not all, the greater part of the devastation to house -and woods. The noise of the storm resembled the frantic yells and -fiendish laughter of millions of liberated maniacs, broken, at frequent -intervals, by what sounded like deafening and rapid volleys of heavy -artillery, and, as these died away, louder and louder again rose the -appalling screams of the storm, with slight intervals of lull and -perfect calm, only to return with tenfold violence, which made the -whole house tremble and vibrate. At 7 P.M. two heavy skylights were -blown from their position on the roof of the kitchen, and from the -chimney of the same building a huge metal plate was hurled into the -court below, carrying the masonry through the roof and into the room -underneath. - -"Several of the windows facing the east were swept in as easily as a -spider's web; lead and glass, scattered all over the room, leaving only -the shattered frames, through which rushed the resistless wind and -blinding snow. One window, being almost new, the hinges and fastenings -were snapped asunder like joints of thread, the snow lying in heavy -wreaths over beds, furniture, and floor. Most of the windows on the -weather-side were more or less broken evidently, in the first instance, -by the scattered branches of fallen trees just in front of the house. -Through the joints of doors and windows the cracks and crevices, before -unknown to the eye, the drifting snow penetrated and piled up in -ridges, so that rooms and passages had to be cleared like the pavement -in the streets. - -"It is absolutely impossible to picture the scene of desolation -revealed at daybreak on the morning of the 10th all round the house. -The ground was strewn and literally covered with fallen slates and -branches of trees. The appearance of the courtyard, or quadrangle, -presented that of a grave-yard, the slates in all shapes, sizes, and -forms, standing on end, like grave-stones projecting above the snow. - -"Notwithstanding the great number of huge trees levelled all round -the house, neither the inmates of Cotehele, nor a single individual -outside, once heard the crash of falling timber above the fierce -howling of the blast. - -"We inside the house, at much risk, and after much labour, managed -to find and secure the displaced skylights, and from that time, 7 -P.M. till 4 A.M., we were hard at work clearing rooms of the snow -and barricading broken windows with whatever material came first to -hand, such as packing-cases, door-mats, old books and cardboard, -battened firmly into the granite mullions. Many times during the fierce -cannonade we feared the whole building would collapse, but beyond -shattered windows and roof, the granite walls remain intact, and during -the storm fires had to be extinguished, smoke and flames being driven -into the room and the occupants driven out. - -"A somewhat remarkable incident in reference to this may here be -recorded. Perched on the extreme point of an abrupt and precipitous -rock, overhanging the river Tamar, stands the venerable old fane, -better known as Sir Richard Edgcumbe's Chapel. Right and left of the -building, nearly the whole of the timber was levelled, but the Chapel -itself and a small clump of sturdy oaks surrounding the spot are, with -the building, left intact, save one small insignificant tree whose -roots and fangs were clinging to an almost barren piece of rock. - -[Illustration: A FALLEN MONARCH, COTEHELE, CALSTOCK.] - -"On an examination of the Cotehele Woods, the scene presented gives one -the idea of an earthquake rather than that of a storm. The majority of -the hundreds of trees vary from two to three hundred years and even -older, torn up by the roots, and tearing up like so much turf yards -of macadamized road and huge blocks of strong stone walls, leaving -their ponderous roots standing erect, to which may be seen clinging -several tons of huge rock firmly clasped by root and soil, and in -many instances, these giants of the forest are found lying athwart -each other, shewing the storm to have practised all the antics of -a whirlwind." A huge fallen tree, lying prone across a pathway in -the woods, may be seen in the above illustration, which is from a -photograph taken by Mr. Rowe, public librarian, Devonport. - -A description of another scene of melancholy devastation, written in -April, some weeks after the storm, said:-- - -"At Maristowe, the seat of the Right Hon. Sir Massey Lopes, Bart., -the storm did irreparable damage on Monday. The grounds presented on -Tuesday a scene of terrible desolation, and even now it can be seen -that the beauties of Maristowe are all destroyed. Mr. Merson, steward -to Sir Massey, states that fifty thousand trees are down, and that -the respected owner is much affected by his loss. Nearly all the lime -trees in the avenue leading from the croquet and tennis lawns to the -garden, and which formed the chief attraction to visitors, are lying in -hopeless confusion, and the avenue, considered the most beautiful walk -in all Devonshire, is now utterly impassable and destroyed for ever. In -the main coach road, from the gamekeeper's lodge to the mansion, fifty -beautiful beeches have fallen. - -"The greatest portion of the damage within the park itself, occurred in -the immediate vicinity of Mr. Merson's house, the occupants of which -expected every moment that it would be crushed by falling trees. - -"A strange incident occurred in connection with the sycamore trees. It -appears that on the Saturday previous to the storm Sir Massey decided -that two old and decayed trees of this kind, which were somewhat in the -way of contemplated improvements to the steward's residence, should -be cut down, and gave Mr. Merson instructions accordingly. The gale -came on, and hundreds of stately trees, one a monarch elm of unusual -size, and another a stately macrocarphus fir, sixty feet high, and -of exceptional beauty, succumbed within a short distance of the spot -where the two old and despised sycamores still reared their heads. The -storm could not destroy them, but they have since been sawn down. Near -this same spot some very choice laurels and rhododendrons were torn -up by the roots and hurled fifty yards away, being discovered days -afterwards buried under from twelve to twenty feet of snow. In the -fir wood, facing the mansion, on the opposite side of the Tavy, quite -half the trees are blown down, while the plantation close to the main -entrance on Roborough Down is almost entirely destroyed. The plantation -adjoins the residence of Dr. Clay, of Plymouth, and contained about -three thousand very fine firs and pines of which only about one hundred -remain. - -"Looking towards the woods opposite Maristowe House, the owner must -witness such a wreck as never was before seen since the house has stood -there. From the entrance of the road from Beer Ferris to Lopwell, trees -of every description lie twisted and thrown in every direction, and -the road itself must, for some time, be only available for traffic -with care. The great trees in falling have crashed through others, and -thousands of broken limbs are visible on every hand. On the other side -of the Tavy towards Denham Bridge, the damage is great, and in the -hollows, here and there, more than three weeks after the storm, were -considerable quantities of snow. At Denham Bridge several very fine -firs have gone, broken off short some five to eight feet above the -ground in most cases, and in the Tavy here and there are other trees. -On the road from Beer Alston to Tavistock one plantation of black firs, -consisting of several hundred trees, has lost to the extent of nine -trees out of every ten, and the cutoff ends of the trees jutting on -the highway present a remarkable appearance. A little further away, on -the road to Milton Abbot, another fir plantation has nearly every tree -down." - -At Buckland Abbey, famous as the ancestral home of Sir Francis Drake, -the ruin is singularly disastrous. Messrs. Ward & Chowen, of Burnville, -Bridestowe, have kindly forwarded an interesting communication which -sets forth vividly some startling results of the blizzard. They write:-- - -"As agents to the Buckland Abbey property, our Mr. Chowen visited the -Abbey on the Saturday after the storm, that being the first day it was -possible to arrive at the nearest station, namely, Horrabridge, and -in getting to the Abbey he had to walk over fifteen feet of snow in -some parts, the average depth being about five feet. On reaching the -North Lodge, he was astounded at the devastation which met his view. -The whole of the Rookery between the North and South Lodges at the -back of the farm-house, commonly known as Place Barton, was literally -levelled--scarcely a tree remained standing, and the few that were -left were completely shattered, partly by the storm, and partly by the -falling of the other trees in their sudden descent. - -"The fine old timber around the Abbey, which doubtless gave character -to the place in the renowned Sir Francis Drake's time, has been more or -less ruthlessly torn up by the roots by the effects of the disastrous -storm, and a noble avenue of beech to the north of the Abbey grounds -has suffered terribly, almost every alternate tree having succumbed. In -the Abbey grounds, an interesting sycamore, centuries old, on the stock -of which, at the point where the branches diverged, accommodation was -afforded by seats and a centre table for a quiet tea-party, shared the -fate of the others, and in its terrific descent crushed down another -fine ornamental specimen as if it were a sapling. Many of the fine old -cedars have been sadly mutilated, whilst some of the tulip trees have -been destroyed, but the Abbey buildings have, most fortunately, escaped -injury. - -"Our Mr. Stevenson, at the North Lodge, has recounted a marvellous -incident which took place on the Monday evening of the storm. It -appears a neighbouring farmer and his wife paid a visit to their -friends at the Barton, and discovering that the storm was increasing -in violence, decided to leave early. In passing through the Rookery -towards the North Lodge, the way by the South Lodge being already -inaccessible, they had arrived just where the Rookery terminated at -this point, when down came the last tree over them without warning, -and, marvellous to relate, the horse, conveyance, and occupants were -imprisoned between the large branches diverging from the stock without -the slightest damage whatever being done. After great difficulty in -clearing the branches, the party were rescued, but could get no further -than the lodge, the horse having to be put up in the kitchen or living -room, whilst the owners were accommodated in the sitting room, where -they remained until the following Wednesday at midday. Immediately -after this occurrence, the whole Rookery was swept down, completely -covering the road which had been so recently passed over, and one of -the trees was blown on the back roof of the farm-house, crushing in one -of the bedrooms to within six inches of where a child was sleeping. - -"In tracing the ravages of the storm it is most interesting to notice -the vagaries of the current, as it affected everything with which -it came in contact. In some cases the force would appear to descend -vertically in gusts, seizing the top or tops of trees lying together -and wrenching off the same as if turnip-tops, leaving the stock intact; -whilst other trees within a few feet escaped untouched. Undoubtedly the -force of the gale assumed a variety of forms. In some cases it could -be seen that the extreme violence of the wind reached a breadth of an -eighth of a mile, more or less, when in other places it was only a few -yards wide, clearing everything before it. In other parts it assumed a -circular or vortex form, and in its tortuous route decimated everything -in its way, tearing up huge trees, as if telegraph poles, and even -stripping off the thick bark of the Scotch fir, leaving it as clean as -a rinded pole. - -"So far as we know the buildings have pretty well escaped, only partial -damage being done, and in some instances trees which might have smashed -down dwelling-houses have been spared, whilst those immediately around -the building have been stranded." - -The Rev. Frederic T. W. Wintle, rector of Beerferris, who, in addition -to severe damage to his residence suffered considerably from loss of -trees, contributes the following information which was written on the -Wednesday after the blizzard:-- - -"The barometer on Monday morning at 9 A.M. had risen from 29·60 on -Sunday to 29·70. About 12 noon slight snow began and continued, but -did not lie much until towards evening; the gale freshened towards -sunset, and at 7·30 was furious. One of my chimney-stacks fell at that -time, wrecking the roof and three rooms, and it blew a hurricane for -some hours, with blinding drifts of fine snow. I dreaded daylight, -but was quite unprepared for the horrible desolation around me. I had -some fine fir trees, and others, almost everyone was blown down; and -oak trees either uprooted or boughs twisted and broken in a remarkable -way. I have nineteen good trees all down, and twenty apple trees in -an adjacent orchard. Indeed, my garden, of which I was justly proud, -is completely wrecked and ruined. The barometer had fallen to 29·20 -yesterday (Tuesday) morning, and there was a high wind and fine snow -partly falling, partly drifting, till after dark. The average depth -is from five to seven inches, but deep drifts all about, five feet at -least. This morning (Wednesday) we have a cloudless sky, calm, and -barometer 29·60. Great destruction is everywhere. In one orchard -over 100 trees are down, in another cherry orchard they are described -as lying as if they were mown with a scythe. The roads are mostly -impassable with huge drifts, so that we can get no communication at -all. No post, no papers. The trains are all blocked beyond Tavistock, -and the telegraph won't work. No doubt the accounts of the storm will -reveal some curious details. Although the whole of my place suffered so -extensively, in a field just outside there are several fine oaks which -are untouched. I imagine the storm to have swept down from Dartmoor -pretty well north-easterly, over a high hill and down upon us, and -we must have been right in its vortex: the trees all show signs of -twisting, as if there had been a circular force. I am curious to see -how wide an area it grasped." - -At Saltram House, a country seat of Lord Morley, four hundred trees -were blown down, and damage was done to the farm buildings. The -kitchen chimney at the mansion was also blown down, and crashed through -the roof into that apartment. - -The very fine beech avenue, leading from the entrance lodge to the -mansion at Bickham, the residence of Reginald Gill, Esq., banker, of -Tavistock, is totally destroyed. - -At Warleigh, the residence of Walter Radcliffe, Esq., two thousand -trees were blown down, and at Derriford, P. C. C. Radcliffe, Esq., lost -sixty. - -In the plantations at St. German's, between two and three hundred trees -were uprooted or broken off. The park covers four hundred acres, and -much of the damage is in the home plantations. - -On the Kitley estate, near Yealmpton, over 1,500 trees were blown down, -amongst them being some of the small leaf elm for which the property is -noted, while on the Blatchford estate four hundred trees fell. - -At Woodtown, near Tavistock, the residence of W. F. Collier, Esq., -hundreds of large trees were blown down, amongst them being several -exceptionally fine American conifers. At Foxhams, in the same district, -M. Collier, Esq., lost some magnificent Scotch and silver firs and -other trees, many of which had attained a great age. A large number -of conifers and rhododendrons, planted by Mr. Collier himself some -eighteen years ago, also perished. - -Pentillie Castle suffered very severely; the house and the gardens -both escaped with but little damage, but trees of all sizes and ages -were blown down in all directions, from the majestic oaks of two -centuries' growth to the more recently planted Pinus and other rare and -ornamental trees and shrubs. So far all the strength of the woodman's -establishment has been directed to the clearing of the roads and walks, -which of itself is a herculean undertaking. The wreck may be cleared -away in time, but restoration to its former state is impossible. - -At Efford Manor, Plymouth, the blizzard struck with great force the -edge of the lane on the eastern side of the house, and then recoiling, -and turning right and left, uprooted about twenty trees on the northern -side, and the same number on the southern side, leaving the house and -grounds untouched. - -At Greenbank, Plymouth, several very fine trees were lost, and others -old and withered were left standing. - -On Pitt Farm, near Ottery St. Mary, a magnificent Scotch fir, standing -alone, and measuring fifty-six feet to the lowest branch, was blown -down. This had for many years been a familiar landmark, and will be -greatly missed in the neighbourhood. - -What transpired at the Elms, Stoke, the residence of Dr. Metham, our -illustration, next page, from a photograph by Mr. Rowe, Devonport, -plainly shows. - -To enumerate here the instances of lamentable destruction to woods, -parks, and forests, all similar in character to the cases recorded -above, would be an impossible task. It will be long before the extent -of the damage is fully known, and where nearly every acre of ground on -which trees stood, more particularly in Devon and West Cornwall, has -been more or less rifled, anything like a comprehensive account is out -of the question. The same remark applies to the loss of fruit-trees. We -have hundreds of instances of farmers and fruit-growers who have to -lament the destruction, in some cases, of whole orchards; others, not -quite so unfortunate, having lost fruit-trees upon which for various -reasons they placed an especial value. The few facts given are but -typical of many scores of others, special reference to which the time -at our disposal does not permit. - -[Illustration: THE ELMS, STOKE, DEVONPORT.] - -Generally speaking, the nurserymen have not met with any very great -loss. Some glass has been broken, but in the winter season nearly all -the valuable stock, with the exception of choice trees and shrubs, -is protected. Among shrubs, many of the half-hardy specimens are -destroyed, their strength permitting them to stand an ordinary western -winter, but not one of the severity of that of the memorable blizzard -year of 1891. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -AFTER THE STORM. THE WATER FAMINE IN PLYMOUTH. - - -As soon as the gale of Monday night and Tuesday had spent its force, -and it became possible for the work of clearing up to be proceeded -with, movements in this direction were rapidly organized in the Three -Towns, as well as in all other parts of the west where men were -obtainable, or traffic was at all possible. In Plymouth, Stonehouse -and Devonport, the earliest opportunities had been seized of clearing -the snow away from the door-ways; to free the pavements as a whole was -the next important step; and finally, in the temporarily fine weather -of Wednesday, the congealed masses in the roadways were attacked, -and that to such good purpose, that by the following Sunday, while -traces of the recent fall were frequent enough, in the majority of -the streets pedestrians could walk about with comfort, and vehicular -traffic was fully resumed. George Street, Plymouth, assumed before -long a very different appearance from that which it bore on Tuesday -morning, when Mr. Heath took the photograph from which our illustration -is reproduced, and the marvellous wintry mantles that enwrapped the -other portions of the town were removed with equal despatch. Hundreds -of men were employed shovelling the snow into carts, from which it -was subsequently tipped into the sea at Sutton Harbour and the Great -Western Docks. - -[Illustration: CLOCK TOWER AND THEATRE ROYAL, PLYMOUTH.] - -The railways by the end of the week had commenced to run with something -like regularity, although there were one or two temporary hitches at -first; and the postal telegraph services had already been partially -restored. To effect the latter object, large numbers of engineers had -been at work, and in the course of their labours, as may be supposed, -they met with a great deal of discomfort, and some very startling -adventures. Bricklayers, plumbers and plasterers plied a busy trade -for weeks after the storm, their services being required to some extent -in every house. - -[Illustration: DEVONPORT PARK.] - -At Stonehouse, the main streets were soon freed from snow, and the -usual busy throngs of people began once more to pass along this highway -between Plymouth and Devonport. - -At Devonport, by Friday, in many parts of the town the snow had quite -disappeared, though in several of the streets heaps of slush remained, -and at the railway station business went on much as usual. In Devonport -Park great quantities of snow remained for a considerable time, though -the paths were cleared, and traffic for foot-passengers was made easy. -Mr. Rowe, of Devonport, has supplied a photograph of a very familiar -scene in the Park, which is here presented. The view of the Water -Steps, Milehouse Road, is also from a photograph by the same gentleman. - -All over the storm-swept district, farmers were busy looking for cattle -and sheep, and some marvellous instances have been told of sheep being -recovered alive after being entombed for various lengthy periods, one -term of snow imprisonment lasting as long as sixteen days. - -As early as the Tuesday morning following the storm of Monday night, -Mr. Bellamy, the Plymouth Borough Surveyor, notified to the inhabitants -of that town the imminent danger of a cessation of the water supply, in -consequence of the blocking by snow of the leat through which the water -is brought into the town. That these warnings were needed was evident -from the fact that since the Monday night the only water obtainable -had been from the Hartley reservoir, which, when full, contains only -two million gallons, or two days' supply. On Wednesday the whole of -the available staff of the Corporation, including the men whose usual -task is the repairing of the leat, were set to work, under the personal -supervision of Mr. Bellamy, to clear away the frozen snow which -completely filled the leat at the Head Weir, and prevented the passage -through it of any water from the river. The whole leat from the Head -Weir to Roborough was found to be one mass of frozen snow. On the same -day, the Mayor of Plymouth, Mr. J. T. Bond, accompanied by Mr. R. Monk -and Mr. G. R. Barrett, set out to walk up to Roborough, to ascertain -if possible how the work was progressing. The Mayor and his companions -arrived safely at Roborough, and were enabled to have communication -by telephone with the borough surveyor who was at the weir head. They -ascertained from him the condition of the leat, and received an urgent -appeal for at least two hundred more workmen to be sent up immediately. -The party then set out on their return journey, and again on foot. - -[Illustration: WATER STEPS, MILEHOUSE ROAD, DEVONPORT.] - -Arrived in Plymouth, a meeting of the Water Committee was hastily -convened, and it was ascertained that four Plymouth contractors would -be able to supply about one hundred men to proceed to Roborough. -This force was inadequate, and consequently the Mayor proceeded to -Devonport, and having stated the case to General Sir Richard Harrison, -K.C.B., commanding the district, at once received a promise of the -services of a military force of two hundred--one hundred of the Welsh -Regiment from the North Raglan Barracks, and another hundred of the -Royal Marines, the latter by permission of Colonel Colwell, second -colonel commandant. - -On Wednesday the efforts of Mr. Bellamy, ably supplemented by those of -Mr. Duke and Mr. Shadwell, to make rapid progress with clearing the -leat near the well-known Rock Hotel at Head Weir, had been somewhat -retarded. Many of the labourers employed were ill-clad, and showed -signs of weakness, and when it was found that no sufficient provision -had been made to supply them with food, they threw down their shovels -and returned to Plymouth. Others, however, worked gallantly on through -the night. On Thursday morning, things looked more promising. At an -early hour the new contingent of workmen engaged on the previous day, -and the two detachments of the military--the men of the Welsh Regiment -under Lieutenants de la Chapelle and Ready, and the Marines commanded -by Captain Kelly and Lieutenants Mullins and Drake-Brockman--were on -the spot, and these, being divided into gangs, set vigorously to work -on the leat at various points. During the morning large commissariat -supplies were received from Plymouth, and the men, besides having a -plentiful supply of food, were served at intervals with hot coffee. - -Some serious difficulties were encountered, and heavy labour on the -part of the civilian labourers and the soldiers was entailed. There -were nearly ten miles of leat to be cleared, and much of the snow was -frozen into hard solid masses, against which but slow headway could be -made. In some places the leat was completely buried under frozen snow -of great depth, and for hundreds of yards snow rose in drifts from -ten to twelve feet in height, burying the rails guarding the leat, -and rendering it difficult to trace its course accurately. The young -Welsh soldiers worked well, and the services of the Marines were found -invaluable. - -By nightfall, when work ceased, it was found that the leat had been -cleared for a mile and a half from the Head Weir towards Yennadon. -On Yennadon Down Lieutenant de la Chapelle's men had cleared the way -nearly as far as Dousland, and near the Roborough Reservoir a clearance -of three miles had been made. At about six o'clock the troops and -civilian labourers, numbering about 450, returned to Yelverton Station, -and ultimately, after a vexatious, but, fortunately, not serious -mishap, reached Plymouth. - -Fears were expressed during Thursday night that there would be another -snowstorm on Dartmoor, and this proved to be the case. A violent gale -raged on the moor, and three feet of snow fell, undoing much of what -the heavy toil of the previous day had accomplished. Much of the snow -that had been removed from the leat had drifted back, and part of the -work had to be done over again. - -On Friday morning, a special train left Millbay with 200 general -labourers. There were also 100 Marines under Lieutenants Sousbie and -Garrett; 150 men of the Dorset Regiment, under Captain Lushington and -Lieutenants Mangles and Household; and 50 men of the Welsh Regiment, -under Lieutenant Woodville. The civilians were under the direction -of Mr. S. Roberts, and the Mayor of Plymouth, Mr. G. R. Barrett -(deputy-chairman of the Water Committee), Mr. W. H. Mayne, Mr. R. Monk, -and Mr. G. Bellamy, junior, accompanied the party. The train had a -rough time, on account of the heavy gale that was blowing, and just -before Bickleigh Station was reached it was brought to a standstill by -a snow-drift. About fifty of the labourers had to cut a way through the -snow, enabling the party, after nearly an hour's delay, to proceed on -their journey. - -On arriving at Yelverton the weather was found to be so bad that, after -some consultation, it was considered advisable to send the military -back to Plymouth, and, after clearing the rails for the return of their -own train, they, with about fifty civilian labourers, started on the -return journey. Mr. Roberts, however, with his men proceeded along the -leat to a point near Clearbrook, but so fierce was the storm that work -could not be commenced, and an adjacent barn was used as a temporary -refuge. In less than two hours work was begun, and by four o'clock in -the afternoon a clear way of four feet in width was made from Yelverton -Bridge to Roborough Reservoir, a distance of six miles. A contingent -under the direction of Messrs. T. and W. Shaddock, and another directed -by Mr. Duke had been progressing most satisfactorily, and, when night -approached and success was within view, all the men expressed their -readiness to work all night if needful, so that the leat might be all -clear before the morning. This, however, was not necessary, and before -seven o'clock a clear passage for the water had been made along the -whole ten miles of leat. The water had still to be brought on, and a -hundred men volunteered to remain, under Mr. Bellamy, and work on until -a good stream was running. Their services were accepted, and the other -two hundred men, with the Mayor and Messrs. Roberts and Duke returned -to Plymouth by a special train at nine o'clock. The great piece of -work thus happily accomplished had been ably assisted by the Mayor -of Plymouth, Councillors G. R. Barrett, and R. A. Monk, and Messrs. -A. R. Debnam, S. Roberts, Duke and Shaddock, contractors under the -Corporation. Mr. Bellamy, with his staff, Messrs. Prigg, A. G. Davey, -S. Chapman, and G. A. Picken, worked without intermission, and had an -arduous and an anxious time. Messrs. Barrett, Monk, and Mayne, managed -the commissariat department, which was no light task, with admirable -efficiency. Before the party of workers broke up the Mayor thanked, in -the name of the town of Plymouth, all those who had assisted in the -labour of averting a great calamity. Thanks were also offered to the -railway officials for the efficiency of the train service. It was not -until Sunday morning that a full supply of water began to flow into the -cisterns, but after Saturday night all apprehension had ceased, and -within a few hours the discomforts of the previous few days, as far as -want of water was concerned, were removed. - -Although great and growing inconvenience was caused towards the latter -end of the week to all the inhabitants of Plymouth by the partial -deprivation of water, things never reached the same pass as they did -in the famine of 1881. Stonehouse had plenty of water, and was able to -assist in supplying the western end of Plymouth. By order of the Local -Board standpipes were on the Saturday erected at the Malt House, and in -Millbay Road, Union Place and Eldad Hill, and all day long residents of -Plymouth were supplied from these. In some parts of Plymouth families -were in great difficulty, and water borrowing, where practicable, went -forward on a large scale. Messrs. Polkinghorne, at their brewery in -Bedford Street, Messrs. Denniford & Son, mineral water manufacturers of -Russel Street, and Mr. Lewis, aërated water manufacturer of Athenæum -Street, supplied hundreds of the inhabitants, free of charge, from -their artesian wells. - -At a meeting of the Plymouth Borough Council subsequently held, formal -votes of thanks were passed to a number of citizens, as well as the -military authorities, for the services they had rendered, and a rate of -remuneration to the soldiers for their valuable service was fixed upon. - -As soon as the Plymouth water difficulty was satisfactorily overcome, -it was discovered that the Devonport leat, also on Dartmoor, was -blocked. Mr. Francis, C. E., manager to the Devonport Waterworks -Company, set out for Princetown to inspect the place, and as speedily -as possible gangs of men were put on to work on the different parts -of the leat. Some serious difficulties were encountered, most of the -snow being frozen quite hard, and forming barriers fifteen feet deep, -while in one spot, near Lowery Lane, a tree, fourteen feet in girth, -had, fallen right across the leat. This tree was removed by means -of lifting jacks, after having been cut in two. After many trials of -patience, extending over several days, the toilers were rewarded with -well-deserved success, and the water once more flowed freely. This -was a fortunate result, for, besides the inhabitants of Devonport and -Stonehouse, the regiments in garrison, the Naval Barracks, the Engineer -Students, and the Royal Marine Barracks, are dependent on the Devonport -Water Company for their supply of water. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -SOME STRANGE EXPERIENCES. - - -For many years to come residents of the western counties will have -tales to relate of marvellous incidents, involving both great and small -consequences, that occurred in connection with this memorable blizzard. -The remarkable tenacity of life exhibited by birds and animals had been -probably wholly unsuspected, until this recent sudden storm supplied -the opportunity for its discovery. We have already heard of lambs born -under the snow; of geese hatching their young within a day or two of -release from days under a heavy snow coverlid, which not only covered -but enwrapped them; and of horses being dug out alive and well after a -night's chilly burial. - -An experience of this kind, as curious as any, was that of Mr. J. -Trant, of Redlap, Stoke Fleming, who dug a lamb out of a snow-drift, -where it had lain buried for sixteen days. To quote the words of our -informant, "the little creature seemed none the worse for its long -imprisonment, but began to graze as soon as it was released. I have -just seen it, and it was busy making up for lost time." Mr. Trevethan, -of Beer Barton Farm, Beerferris, also met with some instances of this -kind. After he had succeeded in releasing his lambs, of which he had -missed a large number, he found them generally weak, and rather -drowsy, but they at once bleated for their mothers, and their call -being answered, they trotted off in the direction from which the call -came. A bottle of gin was kept on hand for the resuscitation of the -recovered creatures, and its efficacy in imparting the needed warmth is -highly spoken of. - -Mr. Trevethan's shepherd was making for his cottage on Monday evening, -carrying with him a basket of provisions which he had been into the -village to purchase. In attempting to get over a gate, within a short -distance of some outhouses that stood between him and his cottage, -he was separated from his basket by a violent gust of wind. Picking -himself up, he reached his home in safety, and his basket was found, -after a few days, empty. In the course of the following week, while -clearing up his garden, he discovered, under some feet of snow, -a package of tea, which had formed part of the Monday's stock of -provisions, lost from the basket. The package, which was unbroken, and -in good condition, had evidently preceded him to his home more than a -week before. - -"Mrs. Hatherley, living near Bickleigh, missed a hen, which she -naturally gave up as lost. After a lapse of ten days, a cackling was -heard to proceed from under a heap of snow. On going to the place, Mrs. -Hatherley was surprised to find the long-lost hen force an exit through -the snow, and, flapping its wings, make its way home to the house with -all speed. Mrs. Hatherley then examined the spot, and found on the -ground two eggs which the bird had laid whilst held prisoner by the -snow." - -Mr. George Sara, of Plymouth, traveller for Messrs. Cadbury Bros., -was enabled during the Monday night of the storm to administer comfort -to his fellow-travellers. The train by which he was travelling on the -Great Western line from Penzance to Plymouth became snowed up at St. -German's. Mr. Sara, happening to have his samples with him, and hot -water being available, was able to dispense cups of chocolate to his -companions. Some Easter eggs, made of chocolate, are described by the -narrator of the story as forming an excellent ingredient for a beverage -of this kind. Approval of the samples of Messrs. Cadbury Bros.' wares -was expressed by all the belated travellers who had the good fortune to -taste them. - -[Illustration: A ROOM AT WALREDDON MANOR, TAVISTOCK.] - -Snow effects resulting from this storm were remarkable in many places, -but perhaps none could be found more striking than the illustration we -give of the result of leaving open, a few inches, a lattice window, -facing north, at Walreddon Manor, near Tavistock, on the night of -Monday, March 9th. The illustration is from a photograph kindly -supplied by Henry D. Nicholson, Esq. - -At the Land's End the gale was very severe, and the snowed-up -passengers on the omnibus from Penzance to St. Just on Monday night -had a dreadful time. They left Penzance about six o'clock, and should -have reached St. Just by half-past seven, but it was nine o'clock -before the 'bus reached the point where it had to remain, some three -miles from St. Just. The horses failed to proceed, and the driver, a -young man about 20, was also very much exhausted. He unhitched the -horses, and proceeded to a farmhouse near and asked for shelter. This -was refused him, the people of the house saying that there was no room -for the horses, as all their cattle were in the house. He begged for -admittance, and offered to stand by the horses all night, but he was -again refused. Not knowing what else to do, he took the harness off the -horses, turned their heads towards St. Just, and told them to go home. -The horses went off in the darkness, and he saw them no more. They did -not reach home, but were recovered alive next day. The driver returned -to his passengers in the omnibus, and remained with them until midday -on Tuesday. - -Mr. William Penrose, of Bojewan, St. Just, had also a terrible -experience on Monday night. He arrived at Penzance by the half-past -six down-train, intending to catch the omnibus, but, finding it gone, -he walked after it. Not catching it, he struggled on through the storm -for several hours. Some time in the night he found himself near a -farmhouse. The people of the house had gone to bed, and there was no -light, but he knocked vigorously at the door, succeeded in awaking the -inmates, and asked to be admitted, as he was well nigh exhausted. The -farmer, however, refused to admit him, and, after a long rest under the -shelter of the house, he battled again with the storm, determined to -make another effort for life. He finally reached the snowed-up omnibus -at six in the morning more dead than alive, having been exposed to the -storm for twelve hours. Instances of inhospitality such as these were -rare during the blizzard, and they are worth recording on that account. - -Mr. Theo H. Willcocks relates as follows:-- - -"On the memorable Monday night, the storm raging furiously and showing -no signs of abating, I left the Molesworth Arms, Wadebridge, at about -eight o'clock, after being persuaded to do otherwise by the worthy -proprietor, Mr. S. Pollard, and numerous other friends, and made tracks -for Tregorden, some two miles distant. The town itself was desolate in -the extreme, the streets being absolutely deserted except by a passing -chimney-pot or tile. - -"The wind howled and whistled as I wended my way over the bridge, -hurling the flakes in my face with almost blinding force, but at the -far end I found myself greatly sheltered, and made fairly good progress -over the hill until I reached Ball, where I encountered the full -force of the gale. It must have taken me at least ten minutes making -100 yards, at the end of which I was thoroughly exhausted, but managed -to reach the cottage occupied by Eliza Burton, which I entered; after -furiously rapping the door to wake the inmates, who had retired for the -night. Here I received the kindest attention, also severe ridicule from -'Dick,' a person of no mean size, and the man of the house, for being -obliged to seek help. He immediately volunteered to accompany me, so -after lighting a lantern, and getting tied up securely, as we thought, -from the tempest we closed the door behind us. - -"By this time the snow in the highway was several inches in depth, and -the storm raged with greater fury than ever. On turning down Tregorden -Lane, this road, though running nearly at right angles to the wind, -was being rapidly filled, for the blizzard came rushing across a -twelve-acre field, with nothing to impede its course, and, gathering -the snow up in clouds, whirled it along until it reached this sheltered -lane, where it came over the hedge and through the bushes in streams -of sleet, and it was as though we were inhaling icicles, for when we -turned our backs it was just the same. It pierced our clothes, freezing -as it did so, and our hair and necks became saturated with the driving -snow which formed into a mass of ice. The lane was rapidly becoming -impassable, the snow being now even up to our waists. In this state we -plodded along for a short distance, I being determined that this time -'Dick' should be the first to be beaten, and I had not long to wait, -for he gasped out 'Let's turn back, I am done;' so round we turned and -struggled back to the cottage more dead than alive, having been out for -some twenty-five minutes. Eliza, prophesying our return, had by this -time got up a roaring fire, and at once forced some hot brandy down our -throats, after which we changed our stiff clothes and made ourselves -comfortable for the night before the fire, and I enjoyed a cup of tea -as I did not know how to before." On the following day the narrator was -able to proceed to Tregorden. - -Among other peculiar and beautiful forms taken by the blizzard snow, -and seen with great effect during the sunshine of the Wednesday after -the storm, were the huge, shell-shaped hollows scooped out by the wind -from the snow-drifts. An examination of many of our illustrations will -reveal examples of this very unusual feature. In the accompanying -scene, which is a view of a drift in the Liskeard cricket field, the -peculiarity is very marked, the hollow being apparently sufficiently -deep to cause the surface of the drift to overhang for some two or -three feet. - -Brief reference has already been made in another chapter to the gallant -exploits of Mr. Harold S. Williams, of Torridge, near Plympton. -On Tuesday afternoon, at about five o'clock, he left his home and -proceeded in the direction of the Great Western Railway line. Making -his way in the storm, he found No. 160 engine standing in a deep drift -which had formed on the bridge crossing the lane leading from the -George Hotel. Alone on the engine was the driver, Coleman, in imminent -danger of being frozen to death. Getting back as fast as possible to -Torridge, Mr. Williams procured stimulants. Returning to the driver, -he found him almost in a state of collapse. All he could say was, "I'm -dying, I'm dying." Mr. Williams, who showed great pluck and presence -of mind, got him off the engine, and conducted him towards Torridge, -nearing which a portion of a relief party was met, and they carried -the driver into the house. By that time he had become unconscious, but -restoratives having been administered, and Coleman's limbs vigorously -rubbed, he in about an hour was restored to partial consciousness. -He remained the guest of Mr. Williams all night, and next day had -sufficiently recovered to be removed to his home. - -[Illustration: DRIFT, CRICKET FIELD, LISKEARD.] - -Not long after Coleman had been received into Torridge, news was -brought that another driver, rather further up the line, was dying. Mr. -Williams, who is only nineteen years of age, again started on an errand -of mercy and rescue. This time he was accompanied by Mr. Thornton, his -tutor, and some of the relief party, who had helped to carry Coleman -into his hospitable home. About 150 yards beyond Coleman's engine the -party came across another engine completely buried in the snow, even to -the funnel. Lying near to it was its driver, who had evidently crawled -off the footplate in the hope of reaching shelter from the bitter -snowstorm. At once he was carried to Torridge, apparently dead, and was -laid on a mattress before a large fire. - -An attempt to administer restoratives failed, so tightly was the man's -teeth clenched. All that could be done was to promote circulation -by the warmth of fire and friction. Rubbing the limbs and body was -persevered in, and at length the man gave a groan. That, however, -was the only sign of life he gave for three hours, during which -time the rubbing was persevered in by relays of helpers. Two hours -afterwards--that is five hours after he had been brought in--he was -sufficiently recovered to speak, but it was some time after that before -it could be said that he was out of danger. When he first recovered -speech he was found to be delirious, and he continued in a state of -delirium, more or less, the whole of the night. - -When Mr. C. C. Compton, the divisional superintendent, called at -Torridge early next morning, to ascertain how the driver was, it was -reported that he was making favourable recovery, but that it would not -be possible to remove him for some days. The man suffered much in his -legs and feet, which are believed to be considerably frostbitten. His -hands appeared to be all right. He remained some time at Torridge, and -was most carefully tended. Eventually he and the driver first rescued -recovered. - -A plucky journey was undertaken on the Wednesday after the storm by -Captain Cowie, R.E., with a view to ascertaining the damage done -between Totnes and Plympton to the postal telegraph wires, and being -unable to proceed on the journey by rail in consequence of the blocks -_en route_, he set out from the former place with a determination to -cover the distance on foot. He was the first to attempt the venturesome -task, and the consciousness of the difficulties that would have to -be encountered did not appear to trouble him. Proceeding as fast as -circumstances would permit, he eventually accomplished the journey of -nineteen miles, meeting with hardly a solitary individual the whole of -the way. - -It is almost needless to say that his experiences were of a most trying -and perilous character. The road being impassable at many points he -mounted the hedges, and occasionally losing his footing he fell into -snowdrifts many feet high, being completely buried. He succeeded in -releasing himself from his dangerous predicament, but on each of -the occasions he met with this misfortune there was absolutely no -assistance at hand even should it have been required. He ultimately -reached Kingsbridge Road, and notwithstanding the adventures which he -had already experienced, he decided to continue the journey to Plympton. - -Having regaled himself with a little milk and some light refreshment, -he started off again, and the remainder of the journey was no less -perilous than the portion already accomplished had been. He had to -wade through accumulations of snow almost as high as himself, and -was frequently compelled to crawl along on his hands and knees. He -eventually reached Plympton, saturated with water and sore from the -difficult and dangerous ordeal he had passed through, and here left -instructions for some men to follow him, finding, however, that the -wires _en route_ had suffered very little damage. - - - THE END. - - - A. H. SWISS, "BREMNER" PRINTING WORKS, - FORE STREET, DEVONPORT. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes - -In the first chapter, much of the meterological data does not make -sense but there was no way to correct it. - -Obvious punctuation errors repaired. - -Hyphen removed: bed[-]rooms (p. 141), break[-]down (pp. 23, 44, 47). - -Hyphen added: down[-]train (pp. 46, 51, 120, 162), sea[-]port (pp. 98, -100). - -The following words appear both with and without hyphens and have not -been changed: farm[-]house, life[-]boat(s), mid[-]day. - -"a.m." and "p.m." changed to small capitals (pp. 33, 103, 110). - -P. 57: "on on" changed to "on" (Whilst the heavy squalls were on -Tuesday). - -P. 143: "thermometer" changed to "barometer" (calm, and barometer -29·60). - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Blizzard in the West, by Unknown - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BLIZZARD IN THE WEST *** - -***** This file should be named 43758-8.txt or 43758-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/3/7/5/43758/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Moti Ben-Ari and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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