The Express.
London, England, 1853-07-21 00:00:00

THE FLOODS IN ESSEX.

On Wednesday night and Thursday (says the
Chelmsford Chronicle), Chelmsford was visited by an
alarming de.ceot of rain, the like of which has not been
witnessed since the memorable flood of 11124. The neigh-
bourhood of Chelmsford was completely deluged, the trees
of the meadows being the only vestiges discernible above
the wide expanse of waters. In the town itself no little
injury was inflicted, the houses near the river being inun-
I dated to the depth of two, three, and four feet. The
farmers will be great suFerers by the lose of their hay
crops, several hundred ecru of hay being either swept
away or rendered almost worthless. Many haycoeks
were carried down the river, and in Beddow Mead hun-
dreds were floated away. The crops of wheat have also
suffered, in some fields the corn being completely pros-
trated. It has been estimated that the crop generally
will be injured to the extent of a sack per acre. Mr.
Francis Marriage lest a valuable crop of flu; it was being
dried at Waterhouse-farm, Writtle, but the waters sud-
denly rose and carried the whole down the stream. The
Blackwater bridge, over which the railway runs, had a very
narrow escape : a large portion of the brick wing
nearest Chelmsford was thrown down, and several
huge pieces of timber, with the earth-work, were washed
away, and carried a long way down the stream; one piece,
about two feet feet thick and nearly 40 feet long, was forced
over some iron hurdles in the park, through a plantation,
and ia now left high up from the river; in addition to which
a considerable portion of the embankment of the down line
gave way, and bad tenet been for the forethought and pru-
dential care of • plate-layer, who, thinking some
would accrue, repaired to the spot and cautioned
guards, loss of life would have been inevitable. The danger
was so great on Thursday night that the seven and eight
p.m. trains were stopped, and the pueeneers had to slight
and walk ammo the bridge, whilst the carriages were
compelled to proceed with great caution ; and the danger
had, by half-past 10 o'clock, become so imminent that a
goods train had to be stopped, and was compelled to return
to Ingatestone, where it exchanged lines and proceeded
down the up-lice, and now only one line of rails is consi-
dered safe. The telegraph was immediately put in requisi-
tion, and a large number of hands, with materials to repair
the breach, were quickly in attendance. From Halstead
the correspondent of the Essex Herold writes :—" About
4 o'clock on Thursday evening the haycocks began to float
down the river, end so fast did they come that at Boxmill
flood-gates it required the constant attendance of two or three
men to keep the gates clear, and it was computed that not
fewer than • hundred punt' through in one hour.
Taking the course of the river through the Yeldhsmr, the
Hedingbams, and the northern portion of Halstead mea-
dows abutting thereon, the aggregate amount of grass and
bay—some of which wee nearly fit for carting—floating
down this stream mast be estimated at least at 50 tons.
Hundreds of acres of 'meadow land along the banks of the
rivers Stour and Coyne have been completely inundated,
and vast quantities of hay have been carried off and de-
rroved by the floods. Hundreds of tons of hay he em-
bedded in the river, in many instances so as to impede the
course of the stream, and mill-wheels and flood-gates have
been choked up, and their banner operations for a time
suspended. The loss to farmers is incalculable, and such
calamity I. their hay crops can scarcely be remembered. We
also hear of buildings being damaged, and two bridges at
radium and Wormingfurd actually swept away."

BELFAST AND COUNTY DOWN RAlLWAY.—Traffic
for week ending July 17, 1853.—Paessengers, 1861. 75.6 d.;
subscriptions, 3U. Ile. Id. ; goods and parcels, 501. 21. 7d.
Total, 2681. Is. 2d. Corresponding week last year,
2851. 3s. frd.