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Great Storm of 1901 - Editorial
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The Great Storm of 1901
Location: North Tyneside
On the 11th of November 1901 the wind started to blow. As the hours went by its intensity increased. All down the East coast ships ran before the wind and tried to keep off the lee shore. Many ships were affected, for this was still the era of ships, and not many of them had engines to allow them to make way against the wind toward safety. On the 12th the wrecks began. By the time the wind subsided on the 15th over 40 ships were wrecked on the North East coast and over 200 sailors drowned.
All down the coast brave men risked their own lives trying to save the sailors driven ashore in this near hurricane, for the wind was Force 11. Lifeboats and Life Brigades battled against the wind and the sea. Sometimes the rescuers succeeded, and sometimes not. In some cases the would be rescuers could see the helpless men but could not save them. Before the Storm was over rescuers too would be overwhelmed by the intensity of the weather, and would give their lives trying to save others. At Caister the lifeboat was launched to assist a Lowestoft smack which had gone aground but got off safely. While returning to Caister at four in the morning the lifeboat overturned and the men were trapped beneath it. Nine men were drowned and only three saved. Together the drowned men left 44 orphans.
Note: The Beaufort Scale describes winds on a scale between 0 and 12. Force 8 is a “Fresh gale”, Force 9 a “Strong gale”, Force 10 a “Whole gale” and only when we come to Force 11 is the word “ Storm “ used. Force 12 is a “ Hurricane”. Force 11 winds are between 64 and 75 miles per hour in strength and are “very rarely experienced; accompanied by widespread damage”. November 1901 was a Storm of Force 11.
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