TERRIFIC GALE - Shipwrecks, Loss Of Life, And Damage to Property. The whole of the West and South of England was on Friday and Saturday visited by a furious gale, which wrought grievous havoc by sea and land. We regret that we have not the space this week to do more than report the local disasters....At Westward Ho! the gale was felt in full force both days, and there was a tremendous sea....On Saturday, large quantities of wreckage were washed in, and by Sunday several tons of it were piled on the Pebble Ridge. Amongst the materials were boards bearing the names of three craft - the Britannia, of Glasgow, the Castletown [sic], and the Henry (the latter of Bristol). One or more of the vessels wrecked must have been steamers.

A dead body is reported to have been picked up between Clovelly and Hartland Point. The men at Hartland lighthouse state that on Saturday they saw a steamer suddenly disappear when about three miles out at sea.

BIDEFORD - A very severe gale prevailed here on Friday and Saturday last....At Westward Ho there was a tremendous sea, and large quantities of wreckage were washed ashore, showing that serious casualties had taken place in the [Bristol] Channel. Wreckage was also washed ashore at Clovelly and Hartland. The men at Hartland Lighthouse state that on Saturday they saw a steamer suddenly disappear when about three miles from land, and there is a sunken steamer and a sailing vessel in the Bay, the funnel of the one and the masts of the other being visible. No information with regard to either can be gained, and it is feared that the crews have perished. Up to yesterday no bodies had been washed ashore.

GREAT GALE AND FLOODS - A very heavy gale blew on Friday over nearly the whole Kingdom. In the early morning the centre of the disturbance had reached Ireland and at eight o'clock the wind had attained the force of a gale in most parts of England, as well as Ireland and France. The direction of the wind in the front of the storm's path was from south west, south, and south east, whilst in the rear, on the west coast of Ireland, the wind had already veered to the northward. Very heavy rain was experienced in the front segment of the advancing storm, and owing to the slow rate at which the whole storm area travelled [sic], the time that the rain lasted was considerably prolonged. In the course of the day the storm area passed slowly across the Irish Channel, and at two o'clock in the afternoon its centre was not far from Manchester, and the direction of its progress at this time was due east....It is a long time since so severe a storm has been experienced in England....

Reports which have come to hand from various parts of Devon and Cornwall tend to fully confirm the belief previously entertained that the gale of Friday and Saturday last was most disastrous in its effects and that the loss of life has been very great. A correspondent writing from Braunton states that the North Devon coast is strewn with wreckage, and that along the Saunton sands for a distance of about five miles the wreckage consists for the most part of cabin fittings, pieces of cork, masts, and figureheads. Among other things picked up on Saturday were a lifebuoy with the words "Nerbudda, London", painted on it, a piece of wreck bearing the name "Juanita", and the hinder part of a boat marked "Malleny, Liverpool". There is reason to suppose that several vessels have foundered just outside the bay, and there is very little doubt that the loss of life has been very great, although up to last night no bodies had been washed ashore.

MISSING CARDIFF VESSELS - Captain Lamey of the Charlotte which arrived in Cardiff on Friday morning, reports passing a large quantity of wreckage in Bideford Bay. On some of the wreckage he discovered the names were Castleton, Nerbudda, Oxen, and Henry. The Castleton and Nerbudda left Penarth Thursday, coal laden, and nothing has been heard of them since. Another Cardiff steamer, the Swiftshire is also considerably overdue, and grave fears are entertained respecting her.

LOSS OF A CARDIFF STEAMER - The following is a list of the crew of the steamer Castletown [sic], of Cardiff, which it has been ascertained, foundered with all hands in the Bristol Channel during the late gale. William Henry, master, Porthcawl, married; D. Kenny, mate; G. Howard, second mate; J. Prescott, carpenter; M. Moretti, steward; G. Mamrell, cook; G. Gambling, boatswain, Penarth; J. G. Brew, chief engineer; R. M. Connechie, second engineer, Cardiff; W. Williams, third engineer, Cardiff; A. Ollson, donkey-man; W. Farrell, A. Neitzrol, D. Drew, W. Hamilton, H. Bevan, firemen; C. Holmes, L. Lacy, F. Smith, W. Burnett, M. Burke, A. Mallar, seamen; F. Palmer, engineer's steward.

THE LATE GALES. BODIES FROM THE SEA - During the past week several more bodies have been washed up at different spots around the coast of Bideford Bay. They were all doubtless bodies of unfortunate seamen who met their death by drowning during the recent severe gale. In every case decomposition was so far advanced as to render identification by the features absolutely impossible. They were therefore, buried directly [after] the coroner's inquests could be held. The following particulars, however, which have been gathered at much trouble by one or two friends interested in the discovery of the bodies, may be of much interest to those who are also looking anxiously for signs of identification of the bodies of relatives or friends they have lost.

The first body of which we have had intelligence was picked up at South Hole, between Clovelly and Hartland. It was that of a man five feet ten inches in height, tattoed [sic] on the right arm with a woman holding a flag. When picked up the body had no clothes on whatever. The man had had dark hair.

The next was recovered from the sea at Hartland Quay, and was the body of a shorter man, 5ft 1in, with fair hair; tattoed [sic] on the left arm with the emblems of faith, hope, and charity. The clothes were of common description. The boots, for instance, were fastened with strings.

On Friday night or Saturday morning a body was picked up at Braunton. Height, 5ft. 10in.; no clothes and no marks recorded.

On Saturday evening a body was picked up at Bucks, which was evidently that of an officer - possibly that of a captain of a small ship. Both arms were tattoed [sic], the right with a sailor and a cross, and the left of a woman and an anchor. Height, 5ft. 7in.; hair black. Dressed in black coat and waistcoat and blue serge trousers; oilskin over. Underclothing, good lambswool and apparently new. There was a gold chain, with small locket (empty) attached; silver watch, No. 14673, bearing the name of the maker, "W.M. Gothrie, Wellington Quay." This description will, of course, be quite sufficient for identification, if it should reach deceased's relatives.

THE LATE GALE. MELANCHOLY REMINDERS - During the past week several bodies - no doubt those of sailors who lost their lives during the late disastrous gales - have been washed ashore on the North Devon coast. Particulars of the inquests will be found below.

On Thursday James F. Bromham, Esq., county coroner, held an inquest at South Hole Farm, in the parish of Hartland, on the body of a man, unknown, which had been washed ashore on the previous day. - Mr. Titus Oke (brother of Mr. Ephraim Oke, of South Hole Farm) deposed to finding the body on the beach. There was a pair of trousers and a pair of Blucher boots on the body, and there was a belt around the waist to which was fastened a knife. - P.C. Noah Mortimore added that on the right arm of the deceased was tatooed [sic] the figure of a woman holding a flag in her hand. - A verdict of "Found Drowned" was returned.

Mr. Bromham held another inquest at Hartland under similar circumstances. - Evidence as to finding the body was given by John Snow, labourer, of Hartland Quay, and P.C. Mortimore deposed that their [sic] was no means of identifying the deceased from the clothes found upon him. On the left arm a representation of "Faith, Hope, and Charity" was tatooed [sic]. The body was that of a young man aged about 25. Several ships had been lost on the Point during the past month. - Verdict, "Found Drowned."

On Saturday Dr. Slade King, Deputy coroner, held an inquest at the Black Horse Inn, Braunton, on the body of a male person unknown which had been washed ashore on Saunton Sands. - William Yeale, labourer, of Croyde, deposed to finding the body, and P.S. Rich said there were no means of identifying the body, which was that of a man 5ft. 10in. in height. The body was clothed in a dark blue sailor's frock jacket, underneath which was a dark striped shirt. - A verdict of "Found Drowned" was returned.

LAST WEEK'S WRECKS - Shipwrecks reported last week rose to 42 compared with the previous week, making the total for the present year 1235. British owned vessels numbered 21, including two steamers....