The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-18 00:00:00

THE INUNDATIONS.

READING, July 16.—The fall of rain has this week
been such as has no parallel in this district at this season
of the year. Both on Monday and Tuesday the weather
was very favourable for hay making, and great activity
and energy were displayed to secure the crops of grass
then cut ; but a check was put to these busy operations
by a fall of rain on Wednesday night of the most fearful
character. The low lands in the neighbourhood have
been covered with water making a second flood within
a period of little, more than six months. In the parish
of Swallowfield, a few miles from this town, Mr. G. Cox
a farmer, had water in one of his meadows to the depth
of three feet, and it presented a singular appearance,
from the surface being covered with mown grass. At
different parts of Burghfield the hay meadows were in-
undated, and the road leading from that place to the
village of Theale was rendered impassable to pedestrians.
The injurious effects of the storm have been experienced
at Sonning, whore a great deal of hay was lying on the
ground ready to be carried. Near Newbury the flood
has considerably extended itself.
By this heavy rain the damage to some portion of the
corn crops it would be difficult to estimate. The barley
appears to have suffered to the greatest extent, for in
some districts whole crops are completely flattened, and
it is not possible they can recover. The wheat is less in-
jured, though in a few places it affords evidence of the
severity of the storm. The other grain crops are all
mare or less damaged.
This fall of rain, followed by strong and chilling
winds, has been unfavourable for the potato, and now
the tubers present appearances of the old disease. Up
to the time of this storm the reports of the crops of this
plant were generally good, but there is too much reason
to fear the truth of the rumour that they are attacked.
NOTTINGHAM, Satvrday.—This town and neighbour-
hood have, during the last several days, been visited by
heavy storms. A considerable amount of property has
been either spoiled or injured in the lower districts of
the town. In the neighbourhood of Poplar the river
Beck, which is arched over, and forms the main drain
of the district, was quite incapable of carrying away the
vast quantity of water that rushed into it ; the conduit
consequently burst at several points, making, in parti-
cular, a cavity of several yards in extent in a yard known
as Stevenson's-yard, thus filling the houses of the poor in
that district with the most offensive sewage matter, and
doing great injury to articles of domestic use. The
depth of water was such that the inhabitants of the dis-
trict were either obliged to retreat to their chambers or
leave their dwellings altogether. Two large stone slabs,
covering a portion of a small culvert in Plough-lane,
were forced up by the tremendous rush of water. The
cellar of a public house in Poplar was inundated, and
100 gallons of ale spoiled. This morning, in conse-
quence of the heavy rains that have fallen in Leicester-
shire and Derbyshire, the river Trent, in this neighbour-
hood, rose to an alarming height. In the East Croft
and meadows, near the town, some of the low lands
were flooded ; we have not heard, however, of any seri-
ous damage being done. At Kegworth and in that
neighbourhood the sudden overflow of the water has
done great injury to the crops.
THE PRINCIPALITY.—The recent heavy floods have
been attended with a considerable destruction of pro-
perty in the Principality, more especially in South
Wales, in addition to those already recorded. At
Cwm Neath alone no less than seven bridges (including
that of Pontwalby) have been swept away by the
heavy thunderstorms and the unusual rise of the waters.
In the Vale of Neath the fall of rain has been
heavier than has been known for many years.
The county bridge of Pontwalby was literally carried
bodily away, only a small portion of the eastern abut-
ment having been left; the result was, that the traffic
on the Merthyr road was completely stopped. In and
near Brecon the loss cf property has also been very great.
It is said that the river rose 15ft., and that the flood

was the effect of a waterspout. The Taff was also flooded
to such an unusual extent as to carry away the stone
bridge thrown over the river between Pentrebach works
and Abercannad ; its chief ravages, however, were in
the upper part of Brecknock, and in the adjoining vale
of Neath. Brecon town was flooded and filled with
mud ; a cottage, with five inmates, was carried away
near Builth, and the whole district was swept clear of
hay, potatoes, and all moveable articles. The river
Mellte carried away several small bridges, washed off all
the hay that was already cut, and did serious damage to
all the corn fields and meadows on its banks. The little
river Nedd. Vechan, prior to its junction with the Mellte,
carried off the parapets of Pont Neath Vaughan bridge,
and from the junction below that village the Neath
committed terrible devastations. The farm of Ynys
Sando was inundated, the cattle were carried away,
and the farmer only escaped with his own life, after
climbing with much effort from one of the outhouses
through the window into the upstairs room. The farm
of Ynys-y-Cymmer was denuded of its hay, and the
houses in the neighbourhood were filled with water and
debrittts. At Lougharne a great amount of damages has
been done to the wheat crops as well as the hay. The
flood likewise undermined a large piece of the ancient
castle wall, which fell with a tremendous crash. The dis-
trict of Marros Pendine and Amroth was completely over-
flowed, a great number of houses were inundated, and the
inhabitants obliged to make their escape through the win-
dows and roofs of their houses, and leave all to the mercy of
the water, and rushed with awful impetuosity, carrying
before it bridges, culverts, hayricks, and everything that
stood in its way. Great damage was done to the highways.
especially those places having any declivity, which were
completely blocked up, and it will take some time to put
them in passable repair. The brook at Amroth was
swollen to such a degree that the water found its way
into the Castle several feet in depth. The amount of
damage at this single place is estimated at from 2501. to
3001. At Haverfordwest some cattle were killed by
lightning during the storm that prevailed. At Cardigan
two pigs, belonging to Mr. John Havard, cabinet-
maker, were killed by the lightning ; and at Blaennerch,
near Tremaine, two horses, worth about 301. each, be-
longing to the Rev. Mr. Jones, of Blaennerch, were
killed. They were in a field at a farm called Cwm. The
farmer, George Griffiths, his wife, and children, had a
providential escape from being struck by the electric
fluid. While they were sitting at breakfast it entered
the room by the chimney, and in an instant cleared the
breakfast-table of everything, and struck down a little
girl ; it then passed out through the open door, leaving
the room filled with sulphurous smoke. T
slightly scorched on the arm, but happily yc_no. other
injury was sustained. Altogether such a widely spread
devastation occasioned by heavy floods has not been
known for many years.

THE GALE OF THURSDAY.
SHIELDS, SATURDAY.—On Thursday a violent gale
from the isi,N.E, raged cif the coast north of Flam.