The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1866.

lialutt

THE FLOODS IN LANCASHIRE AND YORK-
SHIRE.

GREAT DESTRUCTIONF OF PROPERTY AND LOSS
O LIFE.
Serious accounts continue to be received from
various parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire of the effects
of the floods—which have not only been destructive to
property on • large scale, but have resulted in the low of
many lives. The most afflicting report comes from Leeds,
where a fearful catastrophe occurred on Saturday morn-
ing. It appears that about a quarter past 7, from 20 to
30 persons, men, women, and girls, were crowded on
to a narrow landing projecting from the premise
of Mr. Conyers, leather merchant, on the north-
west side of Leeds-bridge, watching the wreck in
the river, when it suddenly gave way, and the
whole of them were thrown into the water. The
current was flowing very rapldly,and they were immediately
swept beneath the northernmost arch of the bridge, thence
under a landing stage, and into the main current of the
Miriam. The bridge at the time was thronged with spec-
tators, and the scene which followed was painfully ex-
citing, and harrowing in its results. A rush was
made to some barges moored to the quay, and though
the interval of time could only be measured by seconds,
six or eight women and men were rescued by boat
hooks and ropes. At the same time, however, others
were seen carried past, without chance of rescue, and
clinging to each other in hopeless despair. A few heads
buoyed for a moment above the seething waters, a few
hands thrown frantically into the air, and those so full of
life end excitement a few moments before were gone for
ever. After the rescue of those named it was discovered
there were others still alive beneath the landing stage, and
in a short time two or three were taken out, and assisted
away. The body of a man was directly after found en-
tangled in the ropes and drains on the outer edge of the
landing, and after a good deal of labour it was detached,
and removed to a public-house.
The excitement for some time after the occurrence was
too intense to ascertain reliably anything like a justifiable
approximation to the number of lives lost, but those who
were near to the landing when it gave way concur in esti-
mating the number upon it at from 20 to 30, whilst so far
as we could learn not more than 12 or 15 were saved. It is
to be hoped that the excitement of the moment exaggerated
the number upon the landing when it gave way, and that
others were rescued who could not be traced at the time.
In addition to this lamentable occurrence there has been
great destruction or injury to property all along the banks
of the river, and several barges have, in the course of the
night drifted from their moorings. At Warehouse-hill
the mooring posts were entirely immersed, and there was
a depth of three feet of water above the banks of the river.
The boatmen say that they have not known such an over-
flow for forty years.
At Dewsbury eight persons were drowned, and others
are missing.
The flood M Blanchester had greatly subsided by Satur-
day morning, but there was a great deal of water still left
in cellar dwellings, and in others on low ground near the
river. The loss of life ascertained so far has not been
great considering the dimensions of the inundations. On
Friday a horse and cart and the driver, passing over the
bridge from near the assize courts into Salford, were swept
away by a strong deep current of water across the bridge,
and were lost. The horse was found dead yesterday morn-
ing, but the carter has not been heard of. The man was
in the employ of Mr. Edge, wholesale coal dealer, Harris-
street, who had cautioned him by no means to attempt
the passage of the bridge. A two-story building belong-
ing to Messrs. Lockett and Co. engravers, close by the
Irwell, fell owing to the water weakening the foundations,
and one of the men in their employ was swept away by
the flood. His dead body was found on Saturday, near the
Victoria-bridge. A man in Lower Broughton, on Friday,
was wading through the water along a footpath, when he
alipped into a hole cut for the foundation of some build-
ings and was drowned. These three deaths were all that
had been asccrtdined up to Saturday.
During the progress of the storm on Friday an accident
happened to the 1 o'clock train from Darlington to Tebay,
near Kirkby Stephen, Westmoreland. The immense quan-
tity of rain which had fallen hail washed away the ballast
in which the sleepers are embedded about a mile beyond
Warcop station, and the passing of the train forced them
from their po.ition, dislocating the rails. The engine and
several passenger carriages at once left the line and were
projected against an enihankment. Strange to say, neither
the engine driver, nor the stoker, nor any of the passengers
were injured beyond a severe shaking, the train fortu-
nately not having attained its speed at the time of the
accident. Assistance was telegraphed for, and the line
whs repaired as soon as possible, though a temporary stop-
page of traffic was occasioned. The country is very moun-
tainous, and had the train been ou some of the inure ele-
vated portions of the line at the time of the accident, the
results must have been truly appalling.
The flood in the Wakefield district has turned out to
be the heaviest and most disastrous ever known. After
the despatch of our correspondent's parcel on Friday after-
noon the waters continued to rise with alarming rapidity
until three o'clock next morning, about which hour the
flood turned and began to subside. The height reached
was aft. tin. more than any on record. The town was in a
state of intense excitement and perturbation all Friday
night. In many quarters of the town access to the dwel-
lings was impossible. On Westgate-common any
mode of conveyance was prohibited after eight
o'clock, as the drains had fallen in, and
several carts and cabs had been upset in consequence.
The more the nature of the flood becomes known, the more
disastrous does it appear. Miles upon miles of land have
been inundated and are still under water, and the damage
done is at present incalculable. liel.feaV, is but a moderate
computation for the loss occasioned inWakefield alone; and
at the r;ver towards anti above lierhury and down towards
Stanley, the flood's course is marked by equal devastation.
The district which has suffered such an awful visitation is a
thickly populated one, and the loss will fall heavily
upon a }trze number of people. Collieries have been
flooded, vessels have been stranded, live stock carried olf
from farms. hedges, walls, and such landmarks destroyed
—in fact all manner of things, all trades, and innume-
rable private individuals have fallen victims to the general
ruin. There is not one among the many manufactories
standing on the brink of the river, in which serious aped
extensive damage has not been inflicted upon the
machinery. and in which, on Saturday at all events
works lid not cease. in several instances not to by
resumed for w, eke. Railway coe in unication hes been con-
siderably obstructed between Wakefield and Manchester,
Barnsley, London, and other places, in consequence of,the
flooding of tuncels, or giving way of embments ; and
the wires of the several telegraph companies have also
suffered. Narrow escapes from death are numerous, many
of a most affecting character.
Excepting the great flood of 1842, Derby has not had so
great a flood as the one now deluging a portion of the
town since the year 1824. For some days past the river
has been very high, and on Friday last it was observed to
rise rapidly. Shortly afterwards a terrific storm broke
over the neighhourluxal, and doubtless very heavy rain
must have fallen in Derbyshire, as during the night the
Derwent had again swollen exceedingly. Thousands of
acres of water spread from towards Little Eaton over the
whole of Chester-green, and past the Midland Railway
goods station, on to the Nottingham-road as far as the new
maltings of Mr. Geo. Wheeldon and Mr. Thos. Clarke.
It is six years since the Chester-green was flooded before.
but that was only a small affair compared with the present
one. The men employed at Messrs. Sutton., Fox, Brothers,
and other works in City-road, were compelled to leave,
being completely flooded out first thing in the morning. In
North Derbyshire the flood is very great. The water came
roaring down the Peak Hills, overflowing the brooks and
streams, and then emptying itself into the Derwent, the
Wye, and the Amber. Along various parts of the Midland
line of railway the water found its way, but nos sufficient
to impede the traffic. The sight, however, to the travellers
on the North Midland Railway was an unusual one, as far
as the eye could reach being one sheet of water. In South
Derbyshire the Trent overflowed its banks at Willington,
Swarkestone, Shardlow, King's Mills, and other place., and
the damage done was considerable. Happily we do not
hear of any loss of life.
The waters rose very rapidly, in the counties of Notts,
Derby, and Leicester, on Friday, Saturday, and yesterday
morning, owing to the inmiense quantity of rain which
fell during the latter part of the week. The Trent. the
Soar, and the Smite have ove72owed their banks, and the
meadows adjoining are flooded. In the neighbourhood of
Kegworth there is a considerable overflow. At Bingham,
Ratcliffe-on-Trent, and other places in the valley of the
Trent, there is agreat deal of water out, putting a stop to
farming work. Nottingham, West and East Croft are
submerged, but at present no disaster has occurred.
A keen frost set in on Friday night and continued
throughout Saturday. Early yesterday morning, however,
rain began to descend in torrents, the weather continued
id tempestuous,and there was every appearance of continuous'
rain, as the barometer was falling quickly. The flood was
rather more than a foot lower than the one of 1864.
The river Don and the canal at Rotherham overflowed
in consequence of the recent heavy rainfalls, and a number
of gardenswere submerged. The water was said to be higher
even than on the occasion of the Sheffield flood. Considerable
damage has been done to the new railway works. A breach
was made by the water in the bank which divides the river
Don and the bed of the canal now in course of formation.
Efforts were made in vain to fill the breach. Beyond this
no serious mischief is reported. The Woolley tunnel on
the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, situated about
midway between Barnsley and Wakefield, was so flooded
on Friday afternoon by the late heavy rains, that all
traffic had to be temporarily suspended.
A correspondent, writing from Great Yarmouth, on Satur-
day, says :—" A very severe gale from the north-east burst
over this coast yesterday, accompanied by showers of sleet
and snow. There was a very heavy sea on ; but a
fleet of colliers, merchantmen, and steamers rode out=
storm in safety. In the immediate neighbourhood, how-
ever, other vessels were not so fortunate. Two ships were
driven ashore between Becton and Hasbro'; they were
speedily knocked to pieces and their crews were drowned,
but up to a late hour to-day their names had not readied
this port. A French schooner, the Amazon, from Grave-
lines for Hartlepool, was driven on Palling beach. The
coastguard were at head, and by the use of Manby's appa-
ratus, a communication was effected between the easel

:Mark

ADMIRALTY Apporramam.—The followinEt
pointments Were made on Saturday :—Lieutenant
H. Rainier to the Terrible. Marter'sAmistant Rdmrgr.
Robb to the Victory. supernumerary. Firsbolam Assistant-
Engineers Joseph B. Firth to the Osborne ; Thomas Hur-
ray to the Sylvia.
_ -

°HAMAN, Nov 18.
A general order has been received at this garri-
son, from the Horse Guards, limed by command of the
Duke of Cambridge, laying down an importart code of
rules and regulations for conducting trials by courts-mar-
tial. In future at general oourtemartial the officer con-
ducting the prosecution is to be allowed an opening ad-
dress, and at the close of the evidence for the prosecution
the prisoner is to be asked by the Deputy Judge Advocate
if he intends to adduce evidence. Should the prisoner
reply in the negative, the prosecutor will address the
court a second time, for the purpose of gumming up his
evidence, after which the prisoner will address the court
in his defence. At its conclusion, the Deputy Judge
Advocate will, in open court, sum up the case to the
court. Should the prisoner state his intention to adduce
evidence, he will open his case with an sddress before
calling his witnesses, and at the conclusion of the evidence
he may again address the court, after which the prosecutor
will be entitled to a reply. In those special cases where
eviderce is allowed in reply, the second address of the
prisoner will be after such evidence, and immediately
before the prosecutor's reply. After the Deputy Judge
Advocate has Token, no other address is to be allowed,
and the court will retire to consider its finding. If any
question should arise incidentally during the trial, as upon
the admissibility of evidence, the party requesting the
opinion of the court will speak first, the other party will
then answer, and the first party will be allowed to reply.

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 18.
The Orontes, 2, iron screw troop-ship, Captain
H. W. Hire, arrived at Queenstown on Thursday last,
from Bermuda, which place she left on the 3rd instant.
She brings home the 2nd Battalion of the 2nd Queen's
ent, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Henry
1, consisting of 27 officers, 616 non-commissioned
cancers and men, 36 women, and 45 children. She also
brings home Captain Shiffner, of the 61st Regiment ;
Captain Charles Alfred Gorham, and a few soldiers,
women and children belonging to the Royal Artillery.
The Orontes received orders to proceed to Kingstown,
Dublin, to disembark the troops and to embark detach-
ments of other regiments for conveyance to Portsmouth,
where she is expected to arrive towards the close of this
week.