The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-16 00:00:00

THE CALAMITY AT SHEFFIELD.

, I The great mass of the flood waters seems now to
have passed off from the Don, and the streets in its
neighbourhood at Sheffield begin to wear somewhat
of their old appearance. Not so, however, with
the district over which the deluge poured. Many
months must elapse before the buildings are re-
stored, and years must go by before the face of the
country can wear the aspect of verdure and careful
cultivation which it bore on Friday night. The river,
though fallen, is far from being as low as it generally
is at this time of the year, and every furlong of the
stream's banks exhibit almost innumerable traces of
the inundation—such as trees, balks, and beams of
timber firmly embedded in its bed. The open land
in this neighbourhood is still for the greater por-
tion under water, and, as that drains off, a number
of bodies will, it is feared, be exposed to view. The
large hollows which abound are being filled up by
hundreds of cartleads of mud which are being de-
posited in them. The great manufacturers are busily
engaged cleaning out their warehouses, and polish-
ing their machinery, which had become rusty by
the water. Harvest-lane presents the same picture
of mud, cinders, dead horses, cows, and pigs, that it
did on Sunday. Biidgehouses was as busy as ever.
The Whiterails has been cleared. A great portion of
the thick deposit of mud has been carted away, giv-
ing the street somewhat of its usual appearance. In
Nursery-street, with its now silent manufactories,
is the Lady's-bridge. A great portion of the rub-
bish has been removed from beneath the arches,
and the water now flows freely as far as the Monk-
bridge, where the stream is still impeded by a mass
of rubbish. Blonk-street yet remains in the same
state as on Sunday. The works in this vicinity are
also stopped for repairs. As a rule, however, the
damage done to the great manufacturers in the town
has been slight. Mr. John Brown's works and
those of Mr. Bessemer escaped without injury, and
were at work as usual on the Monday following the
calamity. Messrs. Caramel's works were only de-
ranged, so to speak; but the new works building
for Messrs. Naylor Vickers were rather serenely
damaged. Round Neepsend and by Hillsborough
and Owlerton-road, where the great mischief fell,
the inhabitants of the houses are busily engaged
pumping the water out of the cellars. " Wailers"
and masons are engaged in rebuilding, wherever
practicable, the walls that have been washed
down. Further down in the gardens opposite,
at the other side of the river, a very painful
incident occurred. Two or three men were en-
gaged in removing the rubbish of cne of the small,
inhabited garden-houses. Near them stood a
young woman, with two children clinging to her
dress, the only ones saved from the wreck of their
cottage. The rubbish had almost been cleared
away when the leg of a human being was exposed
to view. Brick after brick was removed, until the
poor woman recognised the remains of her husband.
A little above where this incident occurred the
corpse of a child was brought out of the mud in an
open space near the Old Brewery. About 20 yards
from this the body of a man was also found. As
these bodies were carried on stretchers to the work-
house a large crowd followed, but the greatest order
and decorum were observed by every one.
Writing to the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, a corre-
spondent who resided on Bacon-island, thus de-
scribes what he saw in a glimpse of the flood :

" I was seated at my fireside a little after 12 o'clock on
Saturday morning when my attention was arrested by a
strange noise, together with a shouting of many people.
Alarmed, I hastened to my front door; upon opening it I
was completely bewildered by the frightful sound that fell
upon my ears. It has never yet been truly described, nor
can it ever be ; the nearest approach to a correct definition
of it that I have heard was that of a poor man.whose house
withstood the s'orm that swept away his furniture, &c.
Sir,' said he to me, I heard it coming just like hissing
thunder.' I was so stupified by this horrid sound that I
did not see the wild waters immediately before me, nor did
I dream of the nature of the calamity by which I was
threatened, until 1 actually stepped into the water at my
garden gate. lat once mounted the railings, and was ter-
rified by the sight of the rushing flood. Sharman's house
was immediately opposite, only across the road. My eye
had but just caught the waters foaming at its base, when
the end fell into the flood, affording a glimpse of the
rooms, furniture, &e. It was but a glimpse, for in a moment
the remainder of the house fell towards the road, and sank
like lead in the waters, not leaving the slightest vestige
visible. As I was not aware that Sharman and his family
had escaped a few minutes before, I supposed th, y were all
lost, and a thrill of horror came over me that caused me to
turn my head from the deep that had, as I supposed, swal-
lowed ahem up. I then perceived that the waters had risen,
and surrounded me in my garden. I at once leapt back and
retreated into my house, which is considerably elevated
above the road. The stream rose rapidly, until it reached
4ft above the level which it had attained when it swept
away Sharman'e house. As it had now reached my door-
step, I requested that my children should be taken out of
their beds and carried to a neighbouring house on higher
ground. Before this could be done I fancied the waters
ceased to rise ; presently I had the happiness to see that
they were subsiding, so that anxiety for my family and my.
self was at an end. When the fl sod invaded it rose rapidly,
but when it retired it seemed to sink slowly, very slowly.
At length the road was clear of water (not of mud) ; we
then perceived that the bridge leading to the island was
swept away. Anxiety to know the fate of the cottagers on
the island constrained some to creep over the top of the
shuttle. I essayed to follow, and succeeded. Upon reach,
ing the other side we found we were landed in chaos, and
had to grope our way (the darkness was terrible) through
thick mud, under and over trees, timber, stones, and wrecks
of every
kind. Upon reaching the cottages we were rejoiced
to find all their inhabitants safe, excepting poor Wright,
his wife, and the little girl who was visiting with them.
The end of Wright's house jutted out into the stream which
brought down a beam that broke a large hole through it;
into this the stream poured until it threw down the front of
the house, carrying away the door, the stairs, all the fur-
niture, and we think Wright, his wife, and the child too ;
but, as the flood never reached the chamber in this house,
we are driven to the conclusion that the three persons who
perished must have been down stairs."

In the Keihsm rolling mills the escape of the
workmen was very narrow indeed. The first alarm
was given by a man who had been asleep at the
bottom end of the mill, and who was awoke by the
rushing in of the waters. He hastened to where
his fellow- workmen were getting dinner—these men
being what are called the "night shift"—and gave
them warning. Fortunately, the gates of the yard
were closed, and the men had no means of getting out
by these means. Had they done so they would in-
evitably have been swept away by the tide which
passed in front of the bui:dings. They climbed on

the roof, and as has already been told contrived, in
their extreme eagerness to escape, to set it on fire in

doing so. Bat the more remarkable Circumstance
remains to be told. The man who gave the alarm,
and who was the means of saving the lives of so

many of his fano w.workmen, lost his father, mother,

wife, and two children, who lived at Malin-bridge ;
and his own bedstead, with other of his furniture,
floated into the mills where he, with others, was a
prisocer—a distance of not less than 2 miles. In
another part of Kelham island a man and his wife,
who occupied a small cottage, on hearing the noise
of the waters, went out to save their pig. Both
were swept away by the torrent, and the pig as well.

MEETING IN AID OF THE SUFFERERS.
A public meeting was held in the Town-hall yes-
terday for the purpose of considering and adopting
such measures as may be deemed necessary to relieve
the distress sad suffering occasioned by this cala-
mity. The Mayor (Mr. Thomas Jes3op) presided.
The Right Hon. Earl Fiizwilliam, the Right Hon.
Lord Wharneliffe, and nearly all the gentry of
position in the town and neighbourhood, were pre.
sent. Among them were the following—Mr J. S.
Stanhope, Mr Dunn, Mr J. Brown, Mr W. F.
Dickson, Mr W. Butcher, Mr S. Butcher, Mr H.
Vickers, Mr T. W. Rodgers, Mr H. Rodgers, Mr
J. W. Hawksworth, Mr H. Wilson, Mr J. N.
Mappin, Alderman Matthews, Mr R. J. Gains-
ford, Mr 11. Unwin, Mc C. Atkinson, Alderman
Jackson, Mr H. Harrison, Mr M. I. Ellison, Alder-
man Fisher, Mr J. G. A. Crebwielr, the hsv. Dr.
Sale, the Revs. Mr Blakenev, Newman, Aldous,
-Wilkinson, C. Wilkinson, and Lorton, &c. The
meeting was crowded.
The MAYOR having briefly opened the proceed-
ings,

Earl FITZWILLIAM,Who was received with cheers,
moved—" That the fearful inundation which hae
caused such awful loss of life and such immense de-
' struction of property, necessarily occasioning wide-
spread misery and desolation, calls upon the inha-
bitants of this borough and neighbourhood and all
who sympathise with the sad event at once to sub-
scribe so as to alleviate as far as possible this great
distress, and that a subscription be now come
menced." On such an occasion as this, added his
lordship,it affords me the very deepest gratification
to perform a duty at once so pleasing and melan-
choly. A subscription has already been commenced ;
noble sums have already been subscribed to alleviate
the suffericgs caused by this dreadful calamity. We
must bear in mind that the first thing to be done is
to alleviate those whose all has been taken from
them. I fear that to a very large extent this will be
found to be the case. Not only have persons, but
families been swept away. Those whom we are
accustomed to call the "bread winners" have been
swept away in many cases, leaving fatherless fami-
lies. These are the cases which must first call for
our attention, und to these cases our subscriptions
must be first directed. (Cheers.) That there is other
wide •spread distress no doubt is true, and that, I
hope, can in time be alleviated. Bat the first must
be alleviated, and that immediately. (Cheers.) I
will not detain you longer than by making that one
observation, because I am sure there is so much to
be said on such an occasion as this, so much detail
to be gone into, that I should be taking up too much
of year valuable time were I to trespass long by
making a speech. I shall be happy, as you know I
always am, if I can come among you to assist
with pleasure on such an occasion of alleviating the
distress of, as I will call you, my fellow townsmen.
I do not know whether any kind of subscriptions
have yet been made known, but I wish on behalf of
myself and family to subscribe £l,OOO. (Protracted
and reiterated cheers.) To the mayor and gentle-
men who will form the acting committee I must be
allowed to say that I hope what I give will be most
speedily placed to the use of those who most need
it. (Loud cheers.)
Lord WHARNCLIFFE, who was most warmly
greeted, said—Yesterday I addressed a meeting in
the Council-ball, and I ventured on that occasion to
recommend the people of Sheffield to make such a
' subscription as should be worthy of the town, and
I am happy to find that the few words I said on that
occasion have borne some fruit. (Hear.) The mayor
informs me that the sum of £6,000 is available for
the purpose of relieving the distress occasioned by
the inundation. I have often occasion to sit in the
place in this court where your worthy mayor now
sits, and although my duty on these occasions are
sufficiently melancholy in their nature, yet these
only refer to evils which we may hope in the course
of time to extirpate altogether, but this is one of
those calamities which no human means, by any
possibility, can totally and thoroughly alleviate.
(Hear, hear.) It is a calamity involving not only
the loss of fortune and happiness but involving also
the loss of life, which is the thing that touches us
most nearly. lam happy to see that we have been
honoured by the presence of the noble Lord Lieu-
tenant of the Riding, who has shown such readi-
ness to meet the men of his county in this matter,
and who is now, as he ever is, ready to open his
t eart and his purse to all who come to him in need.
We all owe him our most sincere thanks for his mu-
nificent donation on this occasion. (Hear, hear.) I
hope every one of us will do his duty iu like man-
ner. (Hear.) The example that has been set us by
the highest in the roo:n ought to be followed
down to the lowest. This is not an occasion on
which to indulge in platitudes as to the necessity of
subscribing. (Hear.) The necessity is one which
we must all feel, and I believe the county at large
is quite alive to the intense suffering that has been
occasioned in its neighbourhood by this disaster.
(Hear.) I believe we shall find that the whole of

England will rally to the assistance of the people
whose homes are desolate in the same way as we
have rallied to the relief of their distress in every
other part of the country when any calamity has
fallen upon it. We need not refer to the Holmfirth
or the Hartley catastrophes, or to the more extended
calamity which prostrated the whole of Lancashire.
I hope we shall find the whole of England will meet
together to render assistance to us in the time of
need ; but, as I said yesterday, we must first set
our own shoulders to the wheel—we must first set
the example. That we did yesterday to some ex-
tent; don't let us fail to-day in doing our part. I
have great pleasure in seconding the resolution pro-
posed by the noble lord. (Loud cheers.)
The resolution was carried.

The Rev. Canon SALE, D.D., Vicar of Sheffield,
moved a resolution appointing a committee to receive
and distribute funds, &a. He congratulated the
meeting on the readiness which all classes of society
had shown to unite together for the furtherance of
this good work. The Archbishop of York bad sent
a subscription of £5O, and would have attended this
meeting if he could have possibly neglected press-
ing engagements at York. (Applause.)
Mr. T. DUNN seconded the resolution. He ear-
nestly impressed upon the town the necessity of
united action, and called upon the young men of
the town to band themselves together to seek out
deserving objects, and holing their cases under the
notice of the committee at once. He was afraid the
distress would prove wider spread than they were
aware of at present, but he had no doubt that the
sympathy of the people would be equal to the relief
of it.

The resolution was carried.
Mr. J. BROWN moved that the Mayor be requested
;o act as treasurer.

Alderman VICKERS seconded the motion, and an-
nounced that the town trustees, at a meeting this
morning, had agreed to subscribe £5OO. (Cheers.)
Councillor HARVEY, who spoke amid some ex-
pressions of disapprobation, was of opinion that the
leading gentry of Sheffield had not done enough to
show their sense of the overwhelming nature of the
calamity. He urged them to double their subscrip-
tions, and then they would have a good case on
which to appeal to the country.
Dr. HALL, speaking as a medical man, said there
could be no doubt that if the mud and filth were
not soon removed from the houses, some serious
epidemic of fever or other disease would result.

Mr. J. DODWORTH, a small manufacturer,. sug-
gested that the working men of Sheffield should

each give one day's wages. His men had done that,
and he had no doubt the working men could raise
in that way £lO,OOO. He gave £25. (Cuero.)
The resolution was carried.
Mr. .1. Yeomans (town clerk), 11.2 v. J. Aldous,
Mr. C. Doncabcer, and Mr. T. Chambers were ap•
pointed honorary secretaries of the committee.
Mr. W. S. STANHOPE, of Cannon-hall, said be
would calls public meeting in Barnsley, and he had
no doubt that meetings would be held throughout
the length and breadth of Yorkshire.

With regard to Mr, Dodwortlea ouggeition, it

appeared that the workmen of Messrs. Guest and
Chimes, of Rotherham, had agreed to give the sum
of £lOO, at least, by setting apart portions of their
earnings.

Mr. J.
,G. CRESWICK, of Ecciesall-grange, sug-
gested that property owners who had houses empty
should offer them to persons rendered houseless by
the flood. (Cheers.)
Mr. MARcus SatiTH, agent to the trustees of the
Duke of Norfolk, announced that they would sub•
scribe liberally, bat he had not yet received in-
structions as to the amount.

Several suggestions for the collection of old cloth-
ing, the distribution of coals, &c., were made, and
on the motion of Earl Fitzwilliam, seconded by
Lord Wharneliffe, a cordial vote of thanks was
passed to the Mayor.
The committee met at 5 o'clock in the Council-
hall, and began operations; at once. At the close of
the meeting the following subscriptions were an-
nounced Fitzwilliam, £1,000; Town Trus-
tees, £500; Lord Whamliffe, £200; Charles Cam-
melt and Co., £2OO ; Milner and Sons, Liverpool,
£100; Harrison, Hawson, and Co., £100; Martin
and Hall, £100; Mr. Benjamin Huntsman, £100;
Mr. George limes, £lOO ; Marsh Brothers, £100;
Mr. J. F. Mappin, £lOO ; Thomas Rawson, and Co.,
£lOO.

Other subscriptions were afterwards received,
raising the total to over £ll,OOO. Mr. Roebuck
telegraphed that his Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales will head the subscription.