A Mighty Gale

A terriffic storm raged off the French coast for 36 hours. At times the wind developed into a hurricane, uprooting trees, causing loss of life, sinking ships (nine), seriously impeding shipping.

At Cherbourg the Majestic, Minnedosa, Empress of Britain were obliged to heave to outside the roadstead for 24 hours. The Dover-Calais and Folkestone-Boulogne Channel services were held up for a day. The wireless installation at L'orient, Brittany, was smashed to pieces and two gargoyles of the famous Gothic courthouse at Rouen were torn off by the wind and hurled to the street.