The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-03-06 00:00:00

THE FLOODS IN WEST 80MER8ET.

STORY.

A shocking case of 'affirms in consequence of the
floods in Wont Somerset has jaat coins to light. In an
isolated cottaer, situated In Wickmoor, at one of the
extremiticie of the parish of Drayton, eni nut the Wick
crossing of the Yeovil and Darst branch reilwey, for
some years there await a man na-ned S irou,l Talhot,
who is generally employed as a carter at Langport. At
times of floods, the recurrence of which has been fre-
quent since the fall of the year, this cottage is surrounded
with wets- the on, room downytairs is inundated, and
access to the dwelling can only be obtainad by means of
a boat. With Talbot lived an unfortunate woman, who,
up to Thursday night, the 1.1411 of Fehruary, eas the
mother of hi, five children, three boys and two gide,
the eldest of eh.= is a bow about ten years of yr-.
On thit night Talbot left the poor woman and ht.
children to the upp,r room of the cottage, surrounded
with water, and no other dwelling nearer than two
buudrel peed., in what rate and with whet supplies
ir be best gleans-I from the s aided An ieter.-1
of two days and three night, is y. t Li be accounted
for, and how the poor creatures fend daring that period
mast be patty left to the imie nation. Let. on Sour.
day night Policia-constable Wtilta, an Wither of Vie
S merest county police, received information that the
family of Talbot were meaning In the befthoded hut. Early
on Sunday morning the constable made the circumstance
known to the overseers of Drayton, one of whom (Mn,
Thomas Mead) give him Iself-airepsreign and requested
him to relieve their necessities as quickly as possible. Re
thereupon hurried to Lamaist and purchased Provistank
employing • men named Charles Rue-ell to row him over
the lIIOOf to the cottage in a boat. Arrieinw there they
could hear nobody about, and were unable th enter owl g
to the depth of the wet... Upon the consteble calling
out, however, the elder chili came toile bedroom window,
end, with obvious trepidation, White &eked him if his
mother and his brother. and eiat-re were all alive, The
POof little fellow aneeered "Ye.." and White then
handed to him the bread and other necessaries he had
brought with him, at the same time, to eatiefy him-elf so
to the vitality of the others, asking the lad to bring hie
brothers and siaters t 3 the wtndo or that he might see teem
This was done, and it was noticed that all the children,
excepting the eldest, were in a perfect state of nudity.
The constable and eis companion left, ant thus ended
the first visit, nothing haying been wen of the mother.
Oa his arrival at C ivy !Leal, White informed Mr. Charles
Fry, • charitable pietism', thee., of this deplor-
able state of things. Mr Fry immediately Re,.
directions for soup to be made, and the circumvent',
haying been made known to other charitable wale,
donations of bedclothee and children*, apparel were
quickly forthcoming. The next morning, with these
means of relief. the constable and Mr. Fry proceeded to
the aottage, being taken to their destination in • boat by
one named Philip Lengfoed. This time WOMB wag
obtained to the cottage. Two planks were floating on
the water from the open doorway to the stare, by means
of which the constable and his oomp anion made tear way
to the upper room. Deplorable and almoet incredible
were the spestaelee which met their ease, and the circum-
etantes which their visit brought to light The mother
was lying upon the sacking of an old bedstead covered
with sacks, with • babe at her bosom. one little girl by
the .1 1. of the babe, and another at the in ither's back.
With the exception of the sacks, which also covered the
woman, thew three infants were perfectly desVtieta of
clothing. The three elder children, CI bore tinder 10
years, were huddled toaether before • few lighted coals,
placed in • cavity in the chimney, Vie in ith. r herol
some time or oth -r beaten • hire in the wal, t s •rye as
a fireplace Two of thew boys were perfectly no le, the
oldest being the only one of the children haying say
pretence of being clothed. His clothing was .c.atti
enough an old pair of trousers an 4 a short tacks', but no
shirt. Horrible to relate, in the interval between Thurs-
day and the constable', firet visit, the poor women had
been delisted of the sixth child. surrounded by the other
Ave Chili's., and no per-no near. There wae a
lamentable bluenose of furniture in the abet% end She
only niggo of orok.r,:gralp• were • pint tap, destitut• of
• handle, •net 4 tea-cup, with about one-third of it broken
ewer, tiaegrata we. sent In his boat he the bowie of
4,111t4 100 distant, where he
...••••• tom, galena, with which the man
obtained • Matt a.
sot t' work.
and fad the iittildren with the soup, and
some
wee given to he mother. On the following day
C. White called on several charitable families in Curry
Rival, who all eantribut,d money and rl and on
Wednesday tbe child-en were comfortably Gloated and
supplied booth, Mr. Charles Pry, -hiss kind sym-
pathy t
Psuppliedwh
throughout blibly commenieble, again contri-
buting food. Toe family I. now, happily, in a more
comfortable state. It it but 'oat now to "tate that the
poor-law authorities cannot be blamed in the matthr„ as
the relations between the man and woman precluded any
relief being given I4th'ln.xoeptine in the house. T'he cue
it now under the notice of the sanitary authorities.

BYRNE AND HIS COUNSEL.
PAM. Monday.—M. Clunsts has withdrawn irons
Byrne's Cu.. owing to the latter baying published M.
Outlet's letter offering hie services.

THE ATTACK ON LOAD ARDILAUNKS
BAILIFF.
Lord Atii;anne'e baillff, Flynn. Peve rely beaten
Lt week on th., alum of the Ruddy murders, new!
last (Sunday) night.