The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-07 00:00:00

DISTRESS IN HANOVER AND ITS VICINITY

COPY OP • LETTER, DATED TIANBFRO(Dtteuv Or LUNE-
nolo, IN RANOVER), mt. 9, 1825.
We had just begun to recover our spirits; we thought that Na-
ture was tired of spreading destruction over our country, which had
suffered so much by conflagration and ieundatien in the months of
November and December last, and were dreaming of the pewpeaceand
comfort which the new year was to bring us But alas !it was
decreed otherwise. These beautitul valleys and plait's, which bed
hitherto escaped the rage of the elements, now present nothing bat
scenes of misery. I will not attempt to describe all the honors we
have endured since the 2d of this month, nor to detail the manifold
distress to which thousands of our neighbours have been reduced.
I will only mention untie of those lamentable circumstances, of
which I have been an eve-witness, and which will be sufficient to •
give you some idea of the hours of danger and terror which hare
passed over our beads.
During the whole day and night of the 2d instant a heavy gals
from the west had caused a great accumulation of water in the
Elbe ; it rose to an unusual height, and we felt great alarm ; but
on the next day, time weather being much calmer, our fearer gave
way to hope, and in the evening every one went to rest, having
passed the preceding night without sleep. In the dead of night,
however, the elements all at once began again to rage with in-
creased fury. The sea way driven higher and higher up the Elbe
by the irmeistible power of a most violent hurricane. and with in.
expressible rapidity ; and the waves were dashed with s terrible
noise against cur Alert.% The dykes, our only protection, were •
quickly overflowed ; they held firm for several twere ; but about
four o'clock in the morning they could no longer withstand the im.
mcnse masses of water thus pressing against them • they brae ha
hundreds of place+, and the raging floods now spread with redoubled
speed over the country around.
Two of the widest breaches were made in the priecipal dykes
above and below this city, at the distance of about two English
miles. The strong dyke in Neuland, which had resisted in the
former inundation of the bailiwick of Winsen, was the first that
gave way ; a wide opening was formed in it by the floods, and in
half an hour 25 English square miles of the low country, on that
side where it is thickly peopled, were deep under water. The howl-
ing of the hurricane, the rolling of the thunder, and the thick fall
of snow, had prevented the alarm guns from being heard by the
inhabitants even at a short distance. They knew nothing cf the
danger which surrounded them, until the floods reached their
dwellings, and they had hardly time to hasten up to the lofts of their
frail habitations. But very few could save their cattle and some
other mote able property.
The other dyke, situate below our city in that part of the Ham-
burgh territory, called Alorburg, was also broken through. The
ruins were carried far into the country by the &ode, whose rapid
coume was directed towards the house or farm of a wealthy cow-
keeper: with a lighted lamp in his hand, this unfortunate man
was just removing some of his most valuable effects up to the loft,
when in his hurry he approached too near the thatched roof, which
caught fire, and was soon completely enveloped in flames; but
the sea, as if unwill:ng to leave its prey to the other elements. tore
the burning house from its foundation and hurled it into the
floods with its inmates, the father, the mother,and their five children,
who miraculously escaped from under the ruins. The waters not being
yet limy d eep e he mother and the two youngest children were promptly
rescued by the r.ciehbours. The father with two other children
climbed up into a walnut tree, where they remained for a long Hoe
exposed to imminent danger, till a resolute boatman succeeded in
releasing them. The fifth child, a daughter 15 years of age, was
carried off by the stream, leaving nothing to her distracted parents
but the remembrance of the heart-rending manner in which she bade
them a last farewell.
You may imagir.e What I felt in witnessing such scenes of horrcr.
Unable to render any assistance here, I hastened towards the great
sluice. There it was an appalling sight to behold the immense
sheet of water, which, tire English miles in width and fourteen
feet higher than the land around, threatened evety instant to burst
the narrow bunks between which it raged and foamed. A long,
melancholy procession of fugitives, men, women, and children,
driving some of their cattle before them, and bending under the
load of all kinds of property, of which many in their flight had not
made the best selection, were approaching the bridge which eon-
neva the citadel with the town. 'I tie brjdge, which is but slightly
built, was on the point of being blown away by the hurricane, as.
slated by the rower of the rapid stream ; the artillery men were busy
in loading it whit heavy mlon, and they succeeded in securing it.
A barge, which was to be sent to the assistance of the sufferers in
the country. approached ; one of the drawbridges was opened to
let the barge through; the storm dashed the drawbridge so vio-
lently between the posts, that for a long time it withstood every
exertion to bring it down again, while the crowd of unhappy fugi.
tives Inc:tented, and thus stopped in their progress. were waiting in
despair, and their most pitiable lamentations mireed with the
deafening noise oe the furious elements.
While with many thanks to God they hastened to escape, the
distressing new. arrived, that from the side of Alnrburg, in an op-
posite direction to the other floods, the waters were spreading in the
suburbs and in part of the town. Thai every minute the Carers
increased. Uncertain to which of my friends I should hash n
a farmer froth Heimfeld, well known to me, came running, while
he exclaimed, " 0 ! bir, two of my ploughboys and my maid ser-
vant are drowned in the fields of Lauenbrach." Scarcely had he
finished these words when a peasant, who had just approached us,
cried out, " What 1 your maid servant drowned ! ! Gracious
God, she is my daughter !" and the unhappy man fell senseless
to the ground. At this instant another peasant, in breathless hare,
called out to the farmer—" Go back as fast as yeu eats ! yearn n
servant has been killed in attempting to save some of your weigh-
bone's horses !"
With what dismal feelings did I now hasten to see my friends !
They were all safe, but still in a state of alarm and terror. Their
massive houses, though much exposed, had withstood the rush of
time floods. As neon approached. the elements ceased to rage, and
the sun shone with his wonted mildness on the scrum of itietress.
I then endeavoured to reach my friends at Al orbutg. But, Oh Hea-
vens, what a eight ! All the houses deserted ; die fleet!, passing
freely through doors and windows; the people shipping some of
their property on plank, and rafts. The cows and homes were put
in the best rooms. We presently came to a more open spot, whence
we had it view of the whole adjacent country. What a sad change!
Houses everywhere immersed in the flood up to their roofs ; people
on the tops of them making all sorts of signals of distress : ruins of
houses and barns, whole roots, chests, trunks. furniture, beams, beds,
cradles, &c. all floating about. We at last came near to Cie ruins
of the dike where the floods rushed majestically through the wide
opening into the newly-formed ocean. In the midst of the princi-
pal stream, part of a house remained standing—a genuine picture
of the misery of its late itimateia who stood motionless on the ruins
of the dike. gazing with looks of despair at the spot, wionce their
former happiness had departed perhaps for ever.
Still we must consider that our neighbours down the Elbe have
suflkrcd ten, nay a hundred times more than we have I—but
what you have read in this lent' will be more than enough to fill
your heart with compassion. ltly dear frierd, if you can cormr u.
nicate your feelings to others, do with an much misery around tee.
and so deeply afflicted oil:eche.% we can scarcely enjoy the pleasure
of giving, but must be thankteil fear that of receiving. Can yea
procure us any assistance? 1 sin ready to be your Almoner.
Extract of a Letter from Alte Land, 10th February.
While, according to your desire, I was eceurictl in describing
the revages caused in this district by the iron lations of November
and December last. a new and much more destructive calamity has
befallen us. To give a description of it is impossible, and all the
horrible details which will reach you, will not be sufficient to give a
true picture of it. This tine country, formerly so beautiful and
rich, presents nothing hut ruin and desolation. We have more
than one hundred dead bodies placed in our lit e churches. The in-
habitants areruined for ten years to come. The growing winter
crops are destroyed ; nearly all the cattle drowned : the cherry.
trees eradicated or toter to pieces. We cannot hope to be released
from the waters before lalideunimer. The clergymen suffer equally
with their congregations. Our fate is niost melancholy, but we
trust in God, who, his wisdom, has visited this industrious and
peaceable population with this trying calamity. We cannot expert
to have one doller's wenh this year. Pray for us, and recommend
us and all the thousands of our fellow-sufferers to the powettill pro-
tection of the Almighty.