The Storm
On the North-East Coast
Renewal of the Gale
Further Wrecks on the Tyne
Stranding of a Russian Barque
Wreck of a South Shields Brig
Shields Pier, 10 A.M.
After lulling for several hours last evening, the gale came away again shortly after midnight, with great force, and has continued in the same manner ever since. The sea had not abated last night, however, and with the renewal of the wind has, of course, increased. It is now running tremendously high off shore. The wind has veered to full SE. Several steamers, a brig and a Russian barque entered the Tyne before and shortly after daylight. The latter came to grief on the edge of the Battery Rocks directly in a line between the South Pier Gangway and the Tynemouth Watch House. The topsails were lowered and the foresail clewed up. She stopped motionless for some time and then ran across to the Herd Sand on the south side where she again struck and remained fast. Two lifeboats then went alongside and the members of the Coastguard at South Shields, with several brigadesmen, not aware of the presence the boats, fired a rocket over the vessel. Shortly afterwards, the Kate got a hawser aboard and hauled her out stern first. She took another run and got fast again, nearer to the Fish Pier rubble, and remained for sometime, several tugs pulling her until she eventually was got into deep water and towed up the harbour. The barque is named the Vega and was flying the German flag.
A Rocket Astray
As stated above, the South Shields Life Brigade fired a rocket over the ship Vega when the vessel grounded this morning near the Fish Pier. The rocket was fired from the sands, its line of direction straight over Tynemouth. The officials in the new railway station were somewhat surprised a few moments after to hear a crash in the thick glass roof, and when they went to examine the cause to discover a. rocket still smoking on the platform below! As no other rocket had been fired except the one from the sands near the Fish Pier at South Shields, the fiery messenger must have detached itself from the cord, and sped on its way till brought up by the thick plate glass through which, however, it cut a fairly clean opening for itself. It was well it found so harmless a billet.
Source: Shields Daily Gazette 8 February 1883