One of the heaviest gales within recent years began on
Friday, October 28th, and caused the loss of at least nineteen ships in or near the British seas and several deaths on land. In the north-west of England coast-towns, notably Fleetwood, were flooded by extraordinary tides. The worst disaster was on the coast of Galway and Mayo where the fishing fleets were overwhelmed by the sudden bursting of the gale. Fifty-one fishermen were drowned. All visitors to the West Coast of Ireland can imagine what a sea must have been running at the foot of those cliffs, even within a few minutes, when the wind began to blow with hurricane force. An appeal for help for the destitute families of the fishermen has been responded to readily in England. We may add here that the total loss of life by the foundering of the Italian liner Prineipessa Mafalda ' off the coast of Brazil last week was much greater than was supposed when we went to press. It is now officially stated that the number of persons still unaccounted for is 314.
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