Lynchburg Star

CHARLESTON, August 23.

THE GALE.

For three or four weeks past, we had experienced an almost uninterrupted series of W. and S. W. winds, until Sunday evening last, when the wind shifted round to the N. E. and continued vibrating between that point and S. E. for two or three days, though moderate. On Wednesday night an unusual roaring was heard from the bar occasioned by a heavy swell breaking upon it, which indicated an approaching storm. On Thursday the wind continued fresh at N. N. E. and in the night it blew with increased strength: yesterday morning the wind remained in about the same quarter, and in the course of the forenoon increased to a complete gale, accompanied with a considerable fall of rain, and in almost every respect resembling the first approaches of that tremendous gale experienced on this coast in the month of September, 1804.

Precautionary steps were taken by our seafaring brethren in securing their vessels at the wharves: and it gives us pleasure to state that little or no damage had been received by them when our paper went to press last evening, although the gale continued without little or no abatement.

The ship Halcyon, capt. Manley with a cargo on board for Havanna, belonging to Mr. F. Depau, and riding at anchor in Cooper River, we are sorry to state, drifted from her anchors and went ashore on James' Island; but it is expected she may be got off.

The ship Hope, capt. Hunt, from Philadelphia, belonging to Messrs. Kirk and Lukins, with a cargo of flour, goods, &c. also drifted from her anchorage in the river and is ashore on James' Island.

The ship Arctic, capt. Collins, lying at quarantine with a cargo of hides, tallow, cocoa, from Montevideo, and belonging to Philadelphia, also drifted from her anchorage, and went ashore on the reef off Fort Johnson, where there is every probability of her being lost.

The Revenue cutter schooner Eagle, capt. Payne, drove from her anchorage in Cooper River, and is ashore on James' Island.

A number of trees were blown down in the different streets of the city; but we have heard of no lives being lost.

The storm will undoubtedly be very detrimental to the crops of our planters, which had before suffered considerably from too much rain.

The vessels which were driven ashore in the gale on Friday last, we are informed, are likely to be got off having received very little damage.

The stage arrived on Saturday evening at Haddrell's Point, without the Northern Mail, not having been able to proceed farther, with the mail for this place, on Friday, than Sampit Ferry, where on attempting to use the ferry boat, it filled. We are sorry to learn, that one of the passengers, Dr. Irving of New-York, who with col. Swartwout, had arrived here the day before, and were on a visit to Georgetown, received considerable injury from the falling of a tree.