The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

THE CALAMITY AT SHEFFIELD.

SHEFFIELD, Monday Night.
It is only now, when the first agony of alarm is
over, that people begin to realise the full extent of
the disaster which has inflicted such destruction on
this neighbourhood. Even yet, however, the actual
loss and damage done to property can bo but roughly
ascertained, for even the loss of life occasioned by
it is but imperfectly revealed. Scarcely an hour
passes which does not bring intelligence of other
bodies found, or, what is almost the same, of per-
sons missing of whom no tidings can be gained.
The greater number of the bodies have been re-
moved to the wards of the Sheffield Union, and up
to Sunday night 92 had been identified. Very
many were lying there, however, of whom nothing
is known, and there is scarcely a pubiichouse which
has been spared in the neighbourhood of where the
greatest damage has been clone which does not
contain one or more bodies waiting identification
or removal. Six it is known have been recovered
as far down the river as Doncaster, a fact that
seems conclusive as to many being still beneath the
long extent of stream between Doncaster and this
town. From various sources it can be gathered
that apparently not less than 200 bodies have been
found, and time alone can tell how many more will
be added to this fearful list. Certain it is that
many more are missing, and to be missing after
such a fearful calamity augurs the worst that can
be feared. Those identified in the wards of the
workhouse include males and females of every age,
from children of 14 days old to men of nearly 80.
Almost one-half are persons between the ages of 20
and 40—adults in the prime of life, whom we
may fairly presume possessed physical attributes
of strength and courage sufficient to have saved
themselves if any merely human means were of
avail against the tremendous catastrophe which
came unon them. Nothing, however, but those
providential accidents, if we may so term them,
seems to have averted the common fate from the
occupants of all the houses which the flood reached.
A few who by terror or instinct climbed to the roofs
of the submerged houses were thus saved ; many
who no doubt succeeded in gaining such temporary
asylums were afterwards drowned as the increasing
might of the waters swept walls and all before it.
Thera are instances of almost miraculous preserva-
tion from the flood, but none of escape from those
who were caught in its tremendous rush. For
those once in the flood there was no hope. They
were whirled away in what for the time was the
cataract which whelmed old and young in one fear-
ful death, and tall powerful men and unweaned
children are now lying side by side in the wards
devoted to the reception of the dead at Sheffield
Union. We subjoin the names of those who have
been identified, and from this it will be seen at a
glance that many more have yet to be recovered.
Only four of the Armitages have been found, though
10 are said to be missing, while only two of the
Tricketts have been recovered, though it is thought
certain that at least 10 were in the farmhouse on the
night when farm and homesteads were swept away
to the very foundations :
Ellen Chapman—William Halbert—Henry Gan-
non—Peter Gannon—George Snape—MaryCrump,
aged 74—Samuel Crump,3B—Martha Needham, 2
Thomas Petty, 34—Margaret Petty, 34—Mary
Petty, 11—Catherine Petty, 7—Thomas Petty, 3
Peter Webster, his wife, and three children—
Greaves Armitage, 28—Tarton—Isaac Turner, in-
fant—Alfred Coggan, 13—Eliza Coggan, 8--
William Coggan, 6—John Glover, 25—Sarah Ann
Glover, 25 Emma Sparks, Alfred Sparks,
Emma Sparks, Jane Peters, Julia Peters, Chris-
topher Peters, Phcebe Mead wood, 38—Christopher
B. Arculus, 3 John Hudson, 40 George
Harloon, 5 06riotophor Cahou, 10—M4Ly, Ca,itou,
30—Richard Hazlehurst, 70—Eliza Crownshaw,
Thomas Spooner, jan., 11—Charles Armitage, Ro-
bert Greavenor Marshall, Samuel Chapman, infant
—Thomas Bullard, James Atkinson, 40—Mrs,
Jepson, Benjamin Spooner, 75—Hannah Spooner,
64—Sarah Ann Spooner, 7—John Vaughan, 64
Elizabeth Vaughan, 53—William Wolstenholme,
74—Thomas Ellstone, 34—Elizabeth Ellstone, 33
Thomas Ellstone, 14 days—Elizabeth Pickering,
23—Eliza Bright, 9—Alfred Bright, 4—George
Mills, 62—Caroline Okeley Watson, 9—Sidney
Varney, 21—George Tingle, 21—Susannah Gill-
yet, 53—Joseph Dyson, 40—Mary Dyson, 25
Dennis APLechlan, 68—Thomas Frarist, 47
James Trickett, 40—Jemima Trickett, 17—Mrs.
Armitage, 60—Mrs. Price, 28, and her son—Thomas
Atkinson, 14—Joseph Crapper, 14—Mrs. Snape,
Eliza Mappin, Thomas Spooner, Mrs. Pickering,
23—Alothea Hogue, 14—John Frith, 34—Thomas
Winter, 70—Sarah Bisby, 43—Arthur Doyson, 11
—Ann Armitage, 42—Ann Miles, 53—Isabella
Fould, 3—John Fould, s—Richard Snape, 20—
Selina Spooner, 38—Betsy Spooner, 9.
As regards the condition of the embankment or
dam which restrained the waters of the great
reservoir at Bradfield the most contradictory state-
ments are in circulation. To speak of it as an ordi-
nary reservoir would convey but a slight idea of
the mass of waters which was pent up between the
hills of Stannington and Loxley. It was, in fact,
a small lake formed by building a dam or em-
bankment across a narrow valley, which collected
the watershed of the bills around. The area of water
thus enclosed was n early a mile and a quarter in
length, and about a quarter of a mile broad, with a
depth varying from GO to 70 feet in its centre, and
probably averaging about 40 feet throughout.
The Sheffield Daily Telegraph, which gives a most
clear and graphic narrative of the disaster through-
out, says, with reference to the dam, that to all
appearance the towering embankment intended to
confine the water within the prescribed limits was
powerful enough to bear whatever pressure might
be brought against it; but the result proves that,
strong as it was, the water was far mightier. The
reservoir had been filling for some time past, and
on Friday it was full. The body of water was im-
mense, and before the strong wind which prevailed
on that day it rolled on to the embankment with
terrific force. These symptoms created fear in many.
The embankment was looked upon with some dis-
trust, and its power began to be silently questioned.
The fear spread, and Mr. Gunson, the resident en-
gineer, and:llr,Craven, the contractor, were sent for.
A warning was conveyed to Dimflask and Low
Bradfield, and the people waited in terror for the
The navvies laboured on; all hands
coming signal.
worked with a will to avert the impending calamity.
On investigation large deep cracks were seen at the
top of the embankment, and this was considered of
sufficient importance to warrant speedy and deter-
mined efforts to let off the water, and so reduce the
pressure. The water was turned into the by-wash
and down the pipes ; but soon after half-past 11,
when the reservoir was still only sft. or 6ft. from
being full, the evidences of danger became more
alarming. With a sudden rush, which caused a
sound similar to that made by the letting off large
quantities of steam, the water threw down the top
part of the embankment, and rolled through the
opening with frightful force. As it rushed down the
other side to the valley beyond it seemed to lick up
the materials of which the embankment was formed,
causing it to grow weaker and weaker, till at length
it gave way to its entire depth, and the mass of water
burst forth with a volume and power utterly over-
whelming. The workmen ran away in dismay, and
the stream dashed along the valley with fatal force.
Huge rocks, strong trees, bridges, mills which with
their heavy machinery seemed completely immov-
able, and houses were washed away as though they
were mere toys, and the catastrophe occuring in
the dead of night, brought with it a loss of life
in comparison with which the loss of property, great
as it is, sinks into insignificance, The gap made in
the embankment measures at the top from 80 to
100 yards, and at the bottom about 20 yards.
Through this opening the overwhelming body of
water dashed with terrible impetuosity, and as It