The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-09 00:00:00

Destructive Floods in Lancashire.

On Saturday we gave the particulars of some
very destructive floods which had visited a portion
of the agricultural districts between Preston and
Ormskirk. It seems that the inundations have
been general on the coast land in North Lancashire.
Between Preston and Milnthorpe, the latter place
being only a few miles from Kendal, hundreds of
acres have been deluged, and very heavy losses have
been sustained by many of the farmers. For some
months past portions of land between Lancaster and
Preston, on the Fylde side, have never been free from
water. During the past week these low-lying lands
have been completely flooded. The rivers Brock
and Wyre have overflowed their banks in several
places. For many days much of the land in con-
tiguity to them has been seriously deluged. On
Saturday heavy rain set in, and more land was sub-
merged in Sowerby, Garstang, Catterall, St.
Michael's, and Raweliffe. At Sowerby the land is
situated very low, and acres were covered with
water. For miles fields are inundated, and in this
quarter some of the land belonging to the Earl of
Derby is deluged. This has been caused by the burst-
ing of the banks of one of the small rivers running
through the locality. Large quantities of grain, po-
tatoes, turnips, &c., have been destroyed in Sowerby
and the neighbourhood. Some of the farm-houses
are entirely surrounded with water, and the
entire land connected with two or three large farms
is completely out of sight. Wheat, corn, and bean
stacks are in water to the depth of several feet.
Transit by either foot or carriage is altogether
stopped in some places. Sheets of water, three or
four miles in length, may be seen on Sowerby
Meadows and the adjacent land. Much of the wheat
recently sown has been entirely ruined. Garstang
has been visited with a storm of both wind and rain;
Large trees have been torn up in several places .
cottages and out-houses have been unroofed; and
much devastation has been caused. Several acres
of land have also been flooded ; but the damage
from this cause has fortunately not been very
serious. In Catterall the wind has caused consider-
able havoc. Here, as at Garstang, trees have bean
torn up by the roots, and elates have been blown
from the roofs of several buildings. Several of the
meadows and pastures have been flooded. At St.
Michael's the storm has been very violent. Scores
of acres of land aro under water ; the boundary
hedges can scarcely be observed in some places;
and roads have been rendered impassable; grain
and potato fields have been flooded. In the
district of Rawcliffe the storm has been at-
tended with disastrous results. Buildings have
been partially blown down ; fields and roads
have been swamped ; trees, fences, &c. have
been washed away ; and the whole dis-
trict has assumed the appearance of a gigantic
lake. At Cartford, another neighbouring town-
ship, much injury has been caused. The roofs of
some of the houses have had to be tied down in con-
sequence of the severity of the wind. A good deal
of the land has also been flooded. Towards Lan-
caster—at Scorton, Galgate, Glasson, Thurnham,
&c., much of the land has been flooded. Beyond
Lancaster—in the districts of Hestbank, Carnforth,
Burton, and Milmthorpe—many meadows and pas-
tures are inundated. The entire damage caused in
the localities named will amount to many thousands
of pounds.