The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-10 00:00:00

MANCHESTER WATERWORKS.

BURSTING OF THE WEIR, AND DESTRUCTION
OF PROPERTY BY THE FLOOD.
In the Express of Monday we mentioned the
°eminence of a violent mow and thanderctoem as having
oomined on Friday last at Glossop. at the foot of some of the
Yorkshire sad Derbyshire hills. Sines that occurrence the
exceedingly heavy and continuous fell of rain and snow on
the neassit of the hills In question has been productive of
much more serious MIMI. Tbe Manchester corpora-
non has commenind a of works for We colleen= of
the flee streams which flaw from these hills through the
Leitrim&le Valley, peincipally fed by some powerlal
wi=e near Woodhead, with a view to 'applying Manches-
ter with this beautiful water. The works are under the
direction of Mr. J. F. Bateman, civil engineer. The cost of
the =servo= and other works will probably be not =while*
thane million of money, and their oonstruction has proceeded
very satisfactorily up to Sunday largo/hen an arnidentoccurred
which will probably throw the works back by several
months. For about tan days there had bean an almost un-
interrupted fall of rain en the hills. The weather cleared
up for some hours on Saturday, but about 10 o'clock cia
Saturday night the rain commenced again, with • strong
easterly wind, and never ceased till 10 o'clock on Sunday
night. The water ensue down literally in torreuts. The
Eden-brook and the river Etheron aro the principal feeders
to the intendea waterworks, and are united at Woodhead.
These streams were considerably swollen at this paint, owing
to the fall of rain, and from comparatively shallow but
rapid streams they became torrents of great bulk. The
volume of water is estimated to have increased on Sunday
to nearly 300 cubic feet per second. About 2 o'clock on
Sunday the flood down the Eden-brook se completely over-
topped the new weir which the company have erectei across
that stream as to completely carry off the coping of the im-
mense barrier of stone-work. In consteuence of the break-
ing down of this weir the new river course, for the purpose
of carrying off the floods, was rendered useless, and the
water, consequently, impounded into the valley behind the
I aggloiLkmeate of the river (which had been raised to about
24 feet above the pipes), and collected there until at half-
past five o'clock on Sunday evening it flowed over the top
sad cut down and swept away the embankment itself. The
Immense volume of water thus liberated from all control
burst down the vele of the Etheron with fearful violence.
sweeping everything before it. At Vale House Mill, three
miles down the stream, where the spinning and weaving mills
el Messrs. Hobbs and Sidebottom are situated, the flood is
described as making its appearance, between six and seven
o'clock in the eve.ung, like a well of water, fully five feet
above the level of the ordinary stream over which it was
r along with fearful rapidity. There is a village of
e:avleVhundred people there, and such of the inhabit
wen were on the alert ran screaming into their houses with terror.
The lower story of the mills of Meten. Hobbs and Side-
bottom were ft waded in an ins ant, and with such violence
did the water rush into this part of the building, that it lifted
the stone flooring above the lower story completely up, and
almost filled the room over it. From two to three thousand
pieces of printing cloths and shirtings were entirely destroyed
in this mill, besides • quantity of yarns, and the flood wane=
down the day and Sunday school attached to the premises,
and part of a warehouse. It also washed down • great num-
ber of yard walls, and the fences of the surrounding fields.
A bridge for carriages across the river Etheron at this point
was partly swept aw..y, and will have to be re-erected, seve-
ral of the piers being destroyed. The banks of
the river were here sufficiently high to prevent
the flood going over them in such a force as to
destroy the village, but most of the houses were,
for a time, under water, and on its subsiding the floors of
them were left covered, as were all the surrounding fields
and property, with mud and wreck. The fall of the river
from Woodhead down to this point is estimated at 80 to 90
feet per mile, and the force of the torrent was so great that
it burs down with it some of the huge blocks of Ashlar stone,
two to three tons weight each, of which the works at Wood-
head are formed, for more than two miles.
The loss to the Waterworks Company at Woodhead is esti-
mated at • little over 5001., but the damage to the mills and
works down the stream is more serious. The loss of Messrs.
Hobbs and Sidebottom is said to exceed 1,0001.
The next mills the flood cams in contact with are a mile
or two lower down the valley, being two spinning and weav-
ing mills belonging to Mr. Samuel Lees. The machinery
is partly turn, d by a water wheel, and being in gear at the
time would have been considerably damaged, but that the
volume of water drove three or four sections of the mill-
wheel out of their frame, and thus brought its revolutions
very speedily. to an end. The water is described as rising at
ones to a height of eight feet above the previous level of the
flood, and into the lower part of the two mills, filled with
several hundred looms, in which is many pieces of alining
were in the course of weaving when the machinery had been
stopped on Saturday night. Great injury was sustained by the
owner. The neighbouring cottages were flooded to a con-
siderable depth, and the damage at this point sustained by
Mr. Lees alone is said to exoeed 5001.
The print-works of Messrs. Dalton, called the Holling-
sworth Mill Print-works, still further down the river, were
also flooded. The flood reached this mill a little before seven
o'clock, snapping asunder the cut-iron pillars which support
a bridge for carriages, and carrying away the whole fabric se
though it were a feather. The inhabitants of the neiglp
bowing cottages were taken by surprise, and the first floors
of their dwellings being filled at once to a height of several
Oat, they were compelled to seek safety, which they
did with the moat pitiable cries and lamentatione,
in the upper stories. The valley here spreading out.
however, to a considerable width, comparatively, the force
of the torrent was spent to a great extent. The printworks
stand close by the river side, and the water ran into the lower
stories, filling the vats and upsetting the colour tube, besides
wetting and Injuring a quantity of cloth. A poor farmer,
named Thomas Holland, occupying Woolley Farm, by the
side of the river, had a quantity of corn cut and in sheaf,
which the flood carried entirely away. Mears. Dalton sus-
tained a less of 5001, or 6001., and the farmer estimates his
loss at something like 601.
Messrs. Sidebuttom's mills at Waterside having been pro-
tected by • high mound of earth, escaped more lightly than
the others. These mills are situated about five miles down
the stream from Woodhead. A good many fences and walls
upon the property adjoining the river belonging to Mr. Side-
bottom were prostrated, and the handsome suspension bridge
erasing the Etheron to Mr. Sidebottom's residence,
was Wand by a baulk of timber borne down
by the stream, the handrail b-ing broken, and some of the
ornamental work. Messrs. Sidebottom's loss, however, will
probably not exceed 1001. The cottager, living by the side
of the Etheron hays suffered considerably, though not no-
minally to a large amount. Many of them had yirotes,
and other premises by the side of the stream ; and an addi-
tion to theme places being washed down, their pigs and other
property were swept away.
No doubt much injury was done which has not yet come
to our reporter's knowledge, and 30001. would probably be a
low estimate of the whole, besides the alarm and inconve-
nience sustained. Several of the mills have had to mime
running through it, and thus the poor werkpeople will also
sustain a further lees by remaining unemployed for • time.

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL.—IS
has been reported that the proceedings against Mr. Whiston
have been abandoned. This is not the cue. On the con-
trary, we have authority for stating that the Dean and
Chapter have overruled Mr. Wnision's demurrer, prepared
and presented, by the adrift of the Solicitor-Omura], and
have given him notice to appear before them on Wednesday
(this day), to make answer to the charges named in their
filiation of Aug. 14.—Makieton• Jaffna,.

IMPROVED DWELLINGS POR LABOURERS.—Let
week the first public meeting of the Tunbridge Wells branch
society for improving the dwellings of the poor, was held in
the Corn Exchange in that town. Notwithitandiag the
extreme wetness of the day, which no doubt prevented many
attending, the large room was well filled with • highly re-
spectable and attentive audience. The chair was taken b
Lord Ashley, M.P. The report stated that the society had
last year purchased about five acres of land on the London
road, on which were at present erected six cottages for sepa-
rate families, as well as a lodging-house, capable of accommo-
dating 14 unmarried labourers of good character. To each
cottage was attached a piece of land for garden-ground, of
about the eighth of an acre. On the remainder of the
ground the society contemplated building eighteen addi-
tional cottages. Among the rides to be observed by the
tenants, were that the children were to be sent regularly to
a day school, and a strict observance of the sabbath wee to be
attended to, and a punctual attendance at some protestant
place of worship.
CABE OF SUSPECTED POISONING AND ROBBERY:.
During the summer months, Jane Hamilton, a servant girl,
resided with her mother in the town of Strathaven. She
had been for many years a servant to a clergyman in Edin-
burgh, and had returned to her native place in a delicate
state of health. She had accumulated upwards of 201. of
her fees; and of these in her chest, along with • few loose
pound notes, was a bank receipt for 201. She wee lattetiy
confined to bed ; and her mother was assisted by Janet Len-
nox, who was married to Jane's brother, Andrew Hamilton.
Janet prepared drinks, and the doctor's medicines for the use
of her Siang slater; and both she and her husband were in
frequent and clogs attendance, as became affectionate relative,.
Jane began to show symptoms of recovery, so much so es
to induce the medical gentleman to discontinue the usual
visit. On the following day Jane's mother stepped into the
doctor's shop. Mother : ThL is a 'Ridden change wi' Jane
—Doctor : What way ?—Mother : She's awe' I—Doctor (in
astonishment): Where to ?—Mother : She's dead!—Doc-
tor : Dead ! When did she die ? This is a sudden change,
indeed.—Mother : But what way did ye no come yesterday,
when ye were sent for ?—Doctor She was so much better
that I did not think it necessary to call ; and to my know-
ledge I was not sent for.—Mother: That's strange !
Janet Lennox left my house o' her tun
accord to gang for ye, and she cams back 'ey-
ing that you would be directly. This was the first ground
of suspicion of foul agency. Jane had thus died suddenly,
and death had been attended with retching and burn-
ing pains. Arsenic is alleged to have been purchased by
Janet Lennox from a druggist's shop in Strathaven, and
arsenic is alleged to have been found, on the body of the de-
ceased being opened. Before suspicion had been matured and
legal steps taken, Janet absconded, but afterwards came back,
when both she and her husband were apprehended. Jane's
chest, on examination before relatives, was found robbed
of all money ; and it is alleged that the sister, Janet,
has been identified as the person who cashed the 201. re-
ceipt in the bank. Litters have been run, and the trial
will shortly take place in Edinburgh. Remembering all the
circumstances of Mrs. Gilmour's trial, this may be considered
peculiarly fortunate for the female prisoner. Altogether,
the non-publicity of this atrocious case of murder and robbery
exhibits • striking centrist with the courts and press of our
English neighbour..—Reformers' Gazette.