The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-07 00:00:00

THE TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE AT

HOLMFI&TII.

To hove ao idea of this awful calamity, the raider
INNS balli•• a body of water about 200 yuds wide and
Ihng deep, rushing for stiles through • deep nu-
m" weley, thickly studded with mills, cottages, pops-
bahtSwM, and hamlets, over spies of many miles in
with an inclination or fall is the nature of the
gtaO sallcUnt to add an imeneaso impetus to the rush
of the water. The town of liolatilrth contains • population
of 6,000 souls on either bank of the river. The great bulk
of the inhabitants were in bed—fur it was the dead hour
of night; and the only warning given was by a few of the
watchers, who started off when it was seen that the meet-
voir was rosily about to buret its bounds, running down
the river side, shouting, casting stones through bed-roost
windows, end startiisig people from their shop u but they
could. But even this brief warning extended only to the
satrattee of liulmtirth ; fur there the flood overtook them
sat rendered further effort• of no avail.
. _

The property over which the torrent tint rushed was Bil-
berry Mill, a woollen manufactory at the foot of the reser.
voir, on the right bank of the River Hearne. It was a stone
building of three stories, and something like 20 yards long,
with • cottage at the gable and towards the river, in which C.
Batty, the taller, resoled. The cottage and greater portion
of the mill were swept away,with the heavy iron machinery
of the mill, and the property was • perfect wreck in
almost • moment. Rutty had been to convinced of what
was coming beforehand that ho had sent his wife and family
away from the hone, and had even removed his furniture.
He himself had been one of the watchers on the embank
ment all night. About a quarter of • mile lower down the
river was the residence of Mr. John Funks., which, with
• barn, cow-house, three cows, and a @Ludt of hay worth SW.,
were all swept awe; from the belt bank of the stream. Mr.
Fuentes and his family had received warning, and hastened
to a wood up the side of the valley for shelter. The !hairy
woollen smile, the property of Mrs. Hunt, occupied
both banks of the river, half a mile below
the reservoir. On the right bank was a flue
stone erection of four stories, forty yards long, fur
scribbling and spinning, with valuable mule frames; and on
the lift was an eztenove weaving mill, lac-house, and Mrs.
Hunt's dwelling. All that now marks the spot is a tall
chimney, which alone escaped the wreck. It is extraordi-
nary to think that the heavy machinery, steam-engine, huge
boiler*, and everything, should have been boated away like
toys before the torrent of water. Mrs. Hurst was warned
is time ; but, either from incredulity or terror, would not
move from the house till something more than gentle com-
pulsion was used. Her family also of course escaped. The
destruction of this property is estimated variously at
20,000/. to 30,0004 '1 Ile Bank End woollen mid, the pro-
perty, or at least in the occupation, of Means. John and
Willies Roebuck, stood about three quarters of • mile
below the reservoir, on the left bank of the river Holrao.
It was a substantial stone erection of four stories,
with one cod abutting on the river. Some yards
of this end has been carried away, the iron spinning
mules and weaving loom. being torn asunder, and left pro-
jecting Irons the ruin. The damage will probably be from
1,000!. to 2,0001. At Ilolme-bridge, a little further, the
church was inundated. The pews were lifted from their
position and thrown transversely in rows across the aisles;
the walls rotund the }aid were torn down; the grave-stones
were swept away, and coffins with their corpses lifted from
the new graves and floated down the river. The water
made • clean breach across the bridge itself. and swept
away its stone battlements entirely. Hincheliffe woollen
mills, the property of Messrs. Butterworth and Co., a mile
and a half below the reservoir, stand upon a firm, rocky
foundation, and escaped destruction; but the water made •
cleau breach through the windows of the drat nod second
storey, and probably has destroyed and damaged property
of the value of dOW. On the opposite side of the water was
a row of ten two-storey cottages, occupied by operatives;
these were on the left bank ; there is not a
stone of them remaining. The houses and their
occupants were taken away at one fell swoop.
From one of thew houses 10 Lunn beings, composing one
family, were *cot to their account es with • blast of wind.
Altogether it is supposed nearly 40 persons residing in these
houses, surprised in their sleep, perished in the flood. One
man only was rescued, and he was floated down a quarter
of a mile lower, into • mill dam ; his escape appears to have
been almost • miracle. The Bottoms mill, further down,
belonging to Meese*. Barber and Co., was inundated with
water, but, standing some distance from the direct nurse
of the river, it escaped destruction. Two or three mechanics
wen at work in the mill, and had a narrow escape : ono of
them resided in Water-street, and be probably owed his
escape from the melancholy fatd'of his wife and family, who
had already perished, to the necessity of working during
the night. The Victoria woollen mill, belonging to the re-
presentatives of the late Mr. John Harper, magistrate, is a
mile and three quarters below the reservoir. It was flooded,
and • good deal of damage sustained. Four cottage homes on
the opposite side of the river were swept away, but the
inhabitants fortunately had escaped. Messrs. Dyson's
woollen mills, also on the opposite side of the river at this
point, occupied by Messrs. Roberts and Sendford, were
flooded, and a goad deal of property destroyed. Jonathan
Sandford, the engine-driver, lived in a cottage by the side
of the mill, and that was swept away, Sandford and his two
children, and servant girl all perishing in the flood. Their
bodies were afterward, found three miles down the river.
We now come to Prickleton, at the entrance of Holmfirth,
two miles and • half from the reservoir. Here the extensive
dye-works of Mews. George Fans, and Co. were carried
away, and considerable damage wee done to the spinning
machinery. Probably the lees will be 3,000!. The spin-
ning and weaving mill of Mr. James Hobson Farrar is on
the right bank of the river. The engine•house,steast-engine,
end immense boiler were swept down before thetorrent. Here
also the water swept through • row of 14 cottages, known by
the name of Scare Fold. The buildings consist of two-
storey cottages fronting to the river, with a second row of
two-storey cottages on the top of them, frosting the oppo-
site way, and on a level with the highway. From the lower
tier of cottages the occupants of the first escaped. In the
second Richard Woodcock, aged 18, and his sister, aged
14, were drowned. The father and mother and two children
broke a way through into the knees above and escaped.
In another of these houses Joseph Helliwell's wife and five
children all perished ; but he soaped in the second story
by fleeting on the top of his weaving-loom till the water
went down. The furniture of the poor people in all thus
cottages was wrecked, and those who escaped with life had
nothing left but their night dedies. Near the middle of
Holmtlnb, at Upper Bridge, the And burst through the
Elephant and Castle public-hows, and made • complete
wreck of the furniture, bat the occupants 'soaped. The
battlements of the bridge won entirely destroyed.
A three-story house adloinbeg the bridge, with its
owner, Mr. Miner Bailey, tailor, and his wife and two chil-
dren, were all swept away. Mr. Bailey was aftewards
resened, but Mrs. Bailey and the 01111161110 perished. The
nen bare, salaried by ltr. JohoSesth, was pertly
het he and hb so os the opposite
saitell2the river to thole Is • Meet the Hollow-gate.
• wow of three storey bean ail Asp hen was gutted,
sod the eatirest• are wer awn isms. Mr. li'Clellas,
haler:m."‘„ N. a thins. sad MI wan stock-in.
wide was out of the "her by the Geed, not leaving
him • • worth. The loon, window, window net-
ems, ad wevtlting was swept from the frost of the build.
• Mre, oodhead, grocer ; Mr. Abraham Earley,
pear ; Pir. Henry Swift', elecre; Ms. 21.8L111141M
pear; and Mr. Joel "(sigh, , whe ere ether
aempaata of these shops, all shared in the Assereetion of
their property, bet they and their families ampal with life.
In hot the debris of ruined boas" and peeperty hen
shawl up the bed of the rhea, dieerisd the gig.
rest, and Hollowptearat I sew the damsel he
the waters of the Helms, The tellatteand tellbesee ea
the opposite side of Melharrite, mks" to the liar, wen
seeps away, and the gatekeeper, Smug Greenwood, to-
gether with his wife and child wall asehmi away with the
ham, and ail perished. Mr. Pimps" a Agin, had his
has' gated. but escaped with hie feasilahe header.
Thu peteisee et Mann with
sad, anise% wave
swat awneringsbuither with • setters ha bit eaves;
who had of the premise. weideill. The sonatas%
his wife, and all
in which
these
cretwell= atheirs.
resedess. woe she
swept we/ Kay and hie haat wege 111.111.1 id dews
with the Seed, but • etish wee hal est te bin from •
window *bin he Mina. MIMI we, seareed. 11 &tighter,
grandchild, and another maim al the Mistily, however
perished. Mr. Beaty Flab% slap was carried
away, but he and his holly. uuseped. On ,the
left bank of the river, the de*. stove, wage-
house, barn, and Makof Mr. Joshes- eerie,M were de-
stroyed : lose about The battlegesets of Victoria-
bridge wen next sway. The beaus ad shape is
iessiaareet were shwa rim al Oen Mies
steak to the amount of AK 1,111111. The settlers n-
abob Mr. Juba Watisete, drover; Mr. RAM Outs,-
ridgebesenesallederw ; Mr. Joha Hargreaves, asemaker;
Mr. , demi* ; Mr. Edward William's, diaper;
Mr. herbs lieserk, gam; Mr. Lure" timer; Mr.
Beetison, poem Ilene eattura at fosewbffier,
Melatirth sow flooded, mil is one of then es ski sae
man Jams Lee, was teed drowned. A swam of
asp au he. were eampist* gaud. The it,., lUbble
hue hill Ye the Holing. nodes:eh of Holman\ was
Seeded, ha me great damage be... Several coats and
bean IMOD Gatedost of die raveyerd. We could give a
lit of wan ass 30 other shops, the owners of which
11610•611114 great less. Momse. Therein and Bower,
spinaen is.d dyers, nuelsed damage to the en-
list of over 2,0004 we were informed. Sidney
Hartley, who slept on the pesain, was carried
away and drowned. Hides' Illiashkaa, his wife, and
children, also living on the premises, wen swept away with
their cottage, and perished. The wool warehouse of Mr.
John Wood was swept away. The battlements of the
bridge at Brigs were swept away.
It is said that the body of water pasting through Holm-
, firth was at one time seven or eight yards deep. I have
not inquired the amount of destruction caused by the flood
further down the valley ; but it is said that three Polies
had been taken nut of the river as far below Ilueldenfleld
las Minield, Id miles hence. The loss of life is still eni-
mated at upwards of 100; but to this time only SI bodies
ban bees recovered here, and four telegraphed as found at
Hull. in the Heather, 70 miles distant, make 68.

- - -
The following is a list of the dead ;
At Waggon and Homes,lrth : a male child one year
old, and a female four years, both unknown, and both much
mutilated. George Inn : Jonathan Cros.loud, Joshua
Crossland, Mary IleHaswell and her children, George,
Sarah, Elisabeth, John, and Ann, varying from one to ten
years old, and a female unknown. Crown Hotel: Henry
Hartley, Charles Earnahaw, John AsheU, Margaret Agt-
ell, Miss Sandford, • young woman and a child unknown.
Oddrellows' Arms: Row Charleimorth. Golden Fleece:
Abel Earnshaw and Jane Metterick, and a boy and girl.
Jacob's Well, Honley ; Manna liartley, Charles Thorpe,

Barry Heikki, and • boy unknown. Travellers' lan :
Mazy Ass Hartley, James Hartley, end a boy and a girl
unknown. Rock lan: Elisabeth Rellawell, William Met-
Wick, and a girl named Pbeanee. RM. and Croon,
Thong's Bridge : Anna Bailey, Richard Shackleton (a
II boy), and an infant unknown (horn in the water !). Royal
'Oak, Thong's Bridge : Joseph Earnehaw, Tamar Shackle•
ton, a boy two years old (supposed to to a Absekleteo).
a girl 2i years old, and a girl a year old (ssempeged be be
Herilley's). King's Head, Ilinchliffe MOI: Abel Zan-
shaw (a child). Elephant and Castle Inn, Heimarth : Ann
Greenwood, James Lee, Joshua Marsden, Milani Raley.
Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Holmarth : Amelia Fearne, Joshua
Charlesworth, a boy (unknown). White llart, Ilelmfirth :
Ann Crossland, Mr. Sandford's housekeeper, a woman (un-
known), two boys (unknown). New Inn, Ilinchlitfe Mill
James Booth, Nancy Booth, William Hetley, Betty Brook,
Hannah Brook, Elisabeth Dodd, Martha Ilinchliffe.
I have been informed that the act of parliament consti•
titling the commissioners a corporation received the royal
assent in July, 1837. The contract to make the Bilberry
reservoir was let in 1840, but it occupied about three years
a completing. An error was eommittcd, it has bees
alleged, by the contractor in placing the embankment arrow
a spring, so that the foundation was insecure from the hest.
The embankment gave way. perceptibly, and the contract
was taken from him, and given to other parties, which led
to a Chancery suit, and protracted litigation. After
that, a cofferdam was sunk through the embankment
to the spring, and measures adopted in the hope of
remedying the imperfection in the foundation. These mea-
sures were never considered very satisfactory. The perpec.
dicular cylinder or funnel described above has given way,
and got twisted, so that the valve at the bottom could not
be lifted. Could this valve have been lifted on Wednesday
night, to let off the water, it is thought the catastrophe
might have been avoided. The whole amount of Ims has
been estimated today at 600,01.001. And besides this, many
families in wealthy and easy circumstances, have been en
tirely ruined. The mills, it is thought, cannot be started
again anywhere down the valley
.for four month.; and
thus great numbers of the working classes have been
thrown out of work, and will probably be dependent
un the pour rates. The bed of the river has beets in
places choked up and diverted, and it is not known by
whom or bow the carotene is to borne.

Mr. Dyson, coroner, of Halifax, visited the town this
sorniug and swore a jury, hot they have been occupied all
day in visiting the bodies at different public houses over •
distance of several milts, (or the purpose of proving ideu.
tity ; and after that they adjourn until Wednesday the
18th inst.

At the time our correspondent wrote last evening the town
of liolmtirth was crowded by thousands of people from a
distance poured in by railway, in pie sue parties,
anxious to see the bodies of the sufferers and
satisfy their curiosity. Though mostly such people conduct
themselves with great propriety and feeiing, yet their ap-
pearance altogether strangely contrasts with the air of
sadness and gloom which has settled upon the inhabitants,
but few of whom have not a relative or friend to deplore
the loss of. Bodies of special constables keep the roads,
and keep the crowds back from the labourers who are en.
gaged in removing the (kb. is and wreck from the street,
choked up and impeded. The bridges and roads have been
destroyed nearly in all directions. Great fear has been co-
, tenable,' that another reservoir, said to be in a dangerous
state, would come down, but the water has been dis-
charged to the depth of two yards, and this course has
much quieted apprehension.

DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD AT HEREFORD.
HEREFORD, FRIDAY EYRNINO.
The river Wye has, from the continued rains, been
flooded for a fortnight, but yesterday its sudden and swollen
boundaries became matter of much anxiety to all the
dwellers on its banks. Last night it enlarged its borders to
a more than common extent; but this morning its im-
petuosity reached its climax, running for several feet deep
along Bt. Martin's-street, Chain-causeway, sod Blackmer-
stone. Walls were thrown down, palisades choked the
roadway, and an immense debris was lying promiscuously
in the rued and street. The water at nine o'clock +ea up
to a horse's middle, and the Mamppa day-coach t Ciloures-
ter made two ineffectual attempts to leave the city on its
usual route to the Great Western and South Waleetermini.
The Odle of the city has been stopped, and no intercourse
could be kept up with the inhabitants in the above-named
districts except by boats ot waggons. Up to twelve o'clock
the water was still rising, and the Aberg y tram road
is impassable from the flood. A quantity of Sour us the trams
for delivery to South Wales is greatly dameard, the sacks
being saturated with water belt way up. The bee-hives of
that well known naturalist, Dr. Bevan, were swept away'
early this 'naming, sad the boom is wholly surrounded by
water, which is several feet deep in the rooms. No aid.can
be given or seesaw, rendered to the imprisoned inhabitants,
as hardly • boatman can be found to undergo the peril of
putting out. Several hundred hurdles, camases of sheep
and other animal., with farmingimplements of various sorts
tell a tale "posing strange ' in their hurried passage
through the arches of the city bridge. At Eign, Sent Mill,
DI 'Milord, and Hampton, a similar scene of death to flocks
nod destruction of valuable property presents itself to the
beholders. A barge loaded for a voyage broke from her
moorings at Bredwardine, and has just dashed against
the bridge with a terrific crash, and the hull is now Riming
about. Three empty boat, followed it, having also been
drifted from their holdings. They appear to have come
some miles. A poor old man and woman were
nigh being drowned in their bed, at Eign. A float
of timber, hurled from its fastenings, became jammed
is one of the arches of the bridge shaking it to its
foundation. Casks, timber, and valuable article, are con-
tinually floating through the arches. Thousands of persons
are passing to and from the most exciting scenes, the sun
shining beautifully. Some begin to dread the security of
the buttresses of the Town-bridge, the only one which spans
the Wye. Not one of the five daily coaches have left the
city for Oloseester, owing to the flood.
Up to this time (half-past 4) them is no sign of the waters
ebbing, and from the lowering aspect of the distant clouds,
• farther fall of rain is not unlikely to add to the force and
extent of the devastation.