The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-04 00:00:00

.
day mornika information ism iv:might by a carrier free n
Rushton, that a yolth, eight years' of age, the son of a farnse,
in that neighbourhood, bad been seeept away by a torrent eti
water during the storm, and drowneel-
LEICESTER, AUGUST 2.—The ina,ebitants of this towers
will for many a day remember the evening of the Ist of'
, August, 1846. Through the day the heat was excessive
and particularly oppressive, with every indication of
an approaching break-up of the late fine 'eathere The
lower stratum of clouds had every appearateee of being
highly charged with electric matter, and at six in the
evening, a most portentous-looking mass of black see,
burst and poured its contents in a deluge of rein, that le 'r
exceeded anything ofi the kind on record in Leicee ter. to
less than 15 minutes most of the culverts were choked up;..
and the streets became flooded; the water poured in at the
door-ways, windows, and areas of houses, and quickly the
lower premises were under water, and an indescribable scene
of uproar, confusion, and destruction of property followed.
By seven o'clock the water in many houses was from 3 to 12
feet in depth, whilst some of the streets were impassable. In
Humberstone-gate the water in the roadway was about four
feet deep, and persons going to the Bell Inn were obliged to
make entrance by the windows. From 6upto 9 o'clock the
peals of thunder were awfully tremendous, whilst the
lightning was of a most vivid character. In Shambles-lane a
building was ignited by the electric fluid, and at precisely
eleven minutes after eight o'clock the upper part of the tower
of St. George's Church was struck, and about fifty feet of the
shaft was hurled in all directions. A large portion of it, with
parts of the battlements and pinnacles of the tower, was
thrown on the roof, whilst several huge masses of atone were
forced through the roof into the body of the church, indeed
the roof and tower present the appearance of a perfect wreck.
It is lamentable to witness so much destruction, the work of
an instant, of the very handsome church of St. George's.
The clock work is destroyed, fused, and scattered in all direc-
tions. The bell, which had gone through ite last curfew peal
a few minutes before, is now prostrate, and tta ban ds of the
clock face point to the precise moment of its deeitruction.
The organ narrowly escaped annihilation too, a A 'asa of
atones brushed its face, and splintered the singers's sea'sim-
mediately before. It is much feared an architectural ex,
nation of the building will show that its restoration will be
one of no ordinary magnitude. Since the occasion the toe.
has been in high excitement, whilst the neighbourhood ee
the church has been thronged with anxious gazers. Durite
the night all the fire-engines of the town were employed hi
forcing the water from the inundated houses; and during
this morning many of the townspeople were toiling with
the bucket and baling out the water from their premises.
It is a general subject of remark, that the drainage of the
town is deficient, and the culverts too small to meet a cala-
mity of the sort that has taken place by the flooding of the
streets and homes. But, thank God, such storms are of rare
occurrence.
STORM AND FLOOD OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT.--(From the
Carlisle Patriot.)—During the greater part of the day on
Wednesday there was a heavy and continuous fall of rain,
which excited considerable mexiety among the farmers as to
the mischief with which it theeeitened the crops, but towards
night it gradually swelled into a tempest, accompanied by a
storm of thunder and lightning, unecaialled on any recent oc-
casion in this county. Shortly before nine o'clock the clouds
assumed a dense and lurid appearance, and the lightning
flashed, and the thunder rattled almost whilout interruption
until an early hour yesterday morning, while ~!hrongioout the
whole night there was a tremendous fall of rain, which pro-
duced, by daylight, the most extensive and sudden llo,od in
all the neighbouring rivers which it has been our duty fee re-
cord for many years. The Eden was swollen to a ferecfnl ax X.
tent, covering Riekerby Holnie and the Swifts, so as to renter
them impassable, and bearing upon its surface large trees'
and masses of hay which told its ravages. The bsk was
in the same condition, as was also the Trthing, the Lyne,
the Caldew, and the Petteril, and although we have not
been able to learn the particulars of all the accidents
which occurred, enough has transpired to leave the
extent of the damage beyond all question. In the
neighbourhood of Brampton a great deal of hay was
flooded and several sheep were destroyed; but the most
serious evil we have heard of there was the destruction of
Catnbeck-bridge, near Walton louse, which, we understand,
was completely carried away. ALI along the Irthing the
presence of the flood was also fearfuirev palpable, by which
it is feared that many sheep were washed away. The Esk
has also made fearful ravages, assisted by the .Lielet.le and the
Lyne. As far up as Cannobie we have heard tila! rumours
prevail of lives lost, as Langholm races took place on Ve .edues-
day, and several of the small bridges were swept away, but
throughout the whole course of the river the damage is pe're
ceptible. Indeed the oldest inhabitants do not recollect.
when the flood was more serious. AIL James Beaty, of
Riddings, on the banks of the Liddle Mean Netherby, has lost
51 sheep and five stirks on the occasion, besides having his
crop completely inundated. Mr. Church, of Parkhouse, Can-
nobie, is also reported to have lost many cattle and sheep.
Mr. Wright, who farms the Speard, near Longtown, has lost
12 or 13 sheep, and his crops are said to be literally covered
with wreck and sludge. Mr. Tweddle, of Loneetowtii
cooper, had his saw mill, sheds, sluice, and dam, with the
wooden troughs which conveyed the water from the dam to
the saw mill, carried away, and it is supposed that great
damage has also been done to the property on the opposite
side of Longtown Beck. The Lyne was also swollen to a
grievous extent, and owing to the bursting of the embank-
ment near Bush .on-Lyne, the farms of Randlinton, Parcels-
town, Hornick-hill, Burnfoot, and Stone, were greatly
inundated. But here the loss of cattle And sheep was
happily limited, although it was actually found neces-
sary to use boats to save the lives of M. and Mrs.
Johnston, who, with their servants, were driven for
refuge to the top of the house until that assistance arrived
from Longtown and Justustown. Lower down, however,
we regret to state, the embankments at Purdont's Crook
gave way, and the whole of the farm occupied there by Mr.
Richard Ferguson was seriously flooded. The whole stock
was at one time in danger, but by the most strenuous el,-
ertions the greater part was saved—although we have to Zee
cord that not less than 100 sheep, and, it is reported, two of!
three horses, are lost. We understand also that the flood in
this district was so great that the Edinburgh mail had to
go round by Astonby before it could proceed on its journey.
The flood in the Caldew was also most alarming, more se-
rious, indeed, than it had been recollected since 1809. Several
bridges and embankments have given way under the immense
pressure, and whole crops of hay were swept down the de-
structive stream to the great damage of the farmers. The
wood bridge at Dalston was completely destroyed, and toe
contiguous embankment carried away. Fortunately no cat-
tle were destroyed here. Several cows, however, swam dov.st
the river, but they were saved near Dalston. We have bean
informed that the whole of the hay on Cardew Mires ham
been laid under water, and that a part of the railway near
Crofton Bridge has been injured, and at this point the coat
train passing about 6 o'clock yesterday morning was thrown
of in consequence; but no person was injured, and in the course
of the day the damage was repaired. The injury on the Caldew
and its tributaries has not been fully ascertained, but it is
stated that along Cummersdale agreat deal of mischief has been
done; several small bridges broken down, including the re-
mains of the railway bridge, of which we recently noticed
the fall, and it was at one time surmised that the Corporation: -
bay was in great danger. In Shaddongate and Caldewgiste•
the flood so prevailed that, excepting in carts, a passage was
impossible, and the workpeople of the Messes. Dixon could
not reach their works without the conveyance of waggons ;
but fortunately in Carlisle itself very little inconvenience'
was experienced. Wigton was also exposed to all the rigour
of the tempest; there the thunder prevailed to the same
alarming extent as at Carlisle. A great deal of meadow hay
was swept away by the flooding of the rivers, and other da-
mage done, but of this we have not heard the details. A
correspondent from that town assures us that the barometer,
which was high at the commencement of the storm, did not,
fall in the least during its continuance, and this, with the
great quantity of rain that fell previously, were rather mi-
-1 usual features in the storm.

DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD.
One of the most dreadful floods that ever occurred in the
principality took place on Thursday, at Talsarn, soil in the
neighbourhood of Aberayron, Cardiganshire.
For two or three days previously to Thureday heavy
thunder-clouds had burdened the lurid atmosphere and ob-
scured the sun with almost murky darkness, but no fain fell
until the morning of that day, and then only on the hi2l-tops
in the neighbourhood. _ _

At about twelve o'clock, however, the long pent-up moo
tain-torrents broke their bounds, and lashing themselves into
fury as they rapidly descended into the valleys, became at•
length resistless in their force. The Tivy burst its banks,-
and flooded the highway leading from Lampeter to Aberyst-
with for many miles, duing immense damage to the roads, in
some parts of which gaps ten feet in width were caused by
the excited torrent.

But the heaviest visitation of this tempestuous deluge took
place at Talsarn. The river here, which had previously
been comparatively tranquil, and is at no time of any great
width or depth, rose at about twelve o'clock like a vast wall,
and, dashing onward in its headlong course, swept away no
less than twenty-five houses in the village, with all their
contents.
The consternation of the inhabitants at this fearful de-
struction of their property may be better imagined than de-,
scribed. Of the whole twenty-five dwellings
stone remained upon another, while the furniture oft
instances, never seen after, or if seen it
mates was, in many Ins • scarcely one
was, when found, broken into numberless pieces, and irre-
coverably ruined.
But the most awful part of the tale remains to be told.
Not only property became the prey of the remorseless de-
stroyer, but even life did not escape. Dr. Rogers, of Aber-
meirig, a gentleman of property and highly respected in t
neighbourhood (being also a county magistrate), was pro,-
ceeding along the highway leading from Talsarn to Aberyst-
with, accompanied by his servant, both being on horseback.
Suddenly the vast flood swept across the road, and in an in-
stant both human beings and quadrupeds were snatched from
existence, the sudden deluge paralysing all efforts at escape,
and suffocating and destroying its victims.
The inhabitants of Talsarn, already horror-stricken at the:
calamity that had befallen themselves, found all their sym-
pathies aroused anew when the dead bodies of llr. Rogersani
his unfortunate servant were whirled through their village
by the infuriated stream. The lifeless carcases of the horses
following their rider's remains completed the dismal realities
of this awful scene.
After the violence of the storm had in some measure abated,,
the devastation that was perceivable was truly lamentable..
Numbers of families had been rendered houseless, and in con-
sequence of the loss of their furniture utterly ruined, while
the swollen and mangled body of Dr. Rogers bore melan-
choly evidence of the fatality of the event.
Within the memory of man no such flood has ever occurred
in the Vale of Ayron.
Lower down the river, at Llandissil, several women were
peacefully engaged in washing clothes by the side of the
Tivy, when the same wall-like deluge of water suddenly
cttne upon them and swept away every vestige of clothing,
together with all the tubs and washing utensils. The tem-
pest then pursued its course onward to the sea.
The loss at Talsarn is estimated at about 1,000/., which for
the most part is irremediable, since the inhabitants arc prin-
cipally of the poorer class.
The floods have not yet subsided, and the corpse of Dr.
Rogers's servant has not been recovered, nor have the bodies
of the horses been found.

In addition to the damage done at Talsarn, there aro no
less than four bridges between Aberayron and Aberystwith
that have been utterly demolished by the flood. One of
them was a strong, new bridge, having only been erected
about three years.
It is needless to add that the crops in the fertile Vale of
Avron have suffered severely, the amount of injury sus-
tained being incalculable, while the sides of the stream are
strewn with the carcases of sheen, horses, and cattle, almost
irnutnerable. Scarcely a farmer for miles around has escaped
this dreadful catastrophe, which has caused so much and
such disastrous consequences.

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LlFE.—Yesterday the marriage
f Viscount Seaham, son of the Marquis and Marchioness of
Londonderry, and Miss Mary Cornelia Edwards, 0ri1,4
daughter and heiress of Sir John Edwards, Bart., of Maci•,,,Z.
Ileth, Montgomeryshire, was solemnised at St. Ge.j4(i,3
Church, Hanover-square. A very numerous circle of
the
friends of both familes were present on the interep;dng cere-
mony. The Bishop of Durham performed the ceremony in a-
de2ply impressive manner. The bride was 'given away by
her father, Sir John Edwards. The bride, and bridegroom
left for Sir John Edwards's residence i 1 Portman-square,
taiument to celebrate the auspicious; tyent,
where Sir John and Lady Edwards gave a splendid enter-