The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-22 00:00:00

Violent Storm•—(This Day.)

The metropolis and suburban districts were this
day (Wednesday) morning visited by a severe
storm of wind, rain, and snow ; at one time re-
sembling a perfect hurricane. During the early
hours of the day it commenced raining in such a
manner as has been rarely witnessed for years in
this country. The sleet and snow falling at the same
time led many to imagine that a fire had broken
out, for the scud from the rain was driven along
with such violence as to fill the streets, and dash-
ing against the house of Mr. T. Gibson, the
pyrotechnist artist, in Edmund-street, Camberwell,
it was apprehended that an explosion of no
small character had taken place. This was con-
firmed to some extent by a loud and fearful crash
being heard, but upon making inquiries it was
ascertained that the noise was occasioned by the
falling of a stack of chimneys at the corner of
Thornhill-square, Wellington. street, Camberwell,
and the upsetting of a van load of firewood, and
the carrying into the air the tilt of a waggon.
Several persons passing when the chimneys fell had
very narrow escapes, for the chimney-pots very
nearly struck them upon their heads. At the
same moment a tremendous pile of chimneys and
pots fell from the house top of a dyer in West-
street, Walworth-road, and several persons passing
at the time narrowly escaped. So great was the
noise occasioned by the fall that the horses drawing
the omnibuses were frightened, and they bolted
along the Walworth-road in the direction of the
Red Lion one way and the Elephant and Castle the
other way, almost uncontrolled. At the same
moment a butcher's cart, laden with meat, as it was
passing along the Camberwell-road, was blown over,
and the driver had one of his fingers smashed. In
the space of a minute or two afterwards the exten-
sive stacks and piles of timber in Mr. Wall's yard,
leading down Southampton-street as far as Edmund-
street, Camberwell, were blown down, and, falling
upon a large number of hot houses and publichouse
mahogany frames, demolished them, and did other
damage to a large extent. So great was the force
of wind that the railway trains were consider-
ably delayed in their journeys to and
from the metropolis. The scene upon the
river was singularly fearful. The small craft being
driven about in terrible confusion, and, bumping
against each other, were severely injured, and in some
cases the vessels were sunk. The shipping iq the
Pool and several colliers were also severely injured
by the force of the hurricane. The market gardens
along the Greenwich line of railway have become
some inches under water, and it is questionable
whether the crops of vegetation can be saved. The
Royal Parks—including the Hyde, St. James's, the
Green, Victoria,' and the Kennington, Camberwell
—have large limbs torn from the stately trees ;
whole beds of chrysanthemums have been fairly
uprooted, and the damage done in the neigh-
bourhood of Woolwich to gentlemen's gar-
dens is almost incredible. From Hackney
to Guildford the rain as it fell rolled down the hills
in such torrents as to resemble the bursting of an
immense reservoir. Between Datchett and Windsor
the guards of the South-Western Railway describe
the water to be between two and three feet deep.
On the Essex shore very little of the greensward
can been seen, as it is covered with a silvery sheet
of water. At Esher the railway guards pronounce
the carriage roads to be so deep with water that even
cabs in passing along have the water penetrating
through their bottoms, almost as high as the seats.
The most disastrous intelligence is expected from
the seaports, when the next mails arrive to-day.