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

DESTRUCTIVE FLOOD.

One of the most dreadful floods that ever occurred in the
principality took place on Thursday, at Talsarn, and in the
neighbourhood of Aberayron, Cardiganshire.
For two or three days previously to Thursday heavy
thunder-clouds had burdened the lurid atmosphere and ob-
scured the sun with almost murky darkness, but no rain fell
until the morning of that day, and then only on the hill-tops
in the neighbourhood.
At about twelve o'clock, however, the long pent-up moun-
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, doing 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-live 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 whale twenty-five dwellings scarcely, one
stone remained upon another, while the furniture of the in-
mates
w‘hvae:
found,
pieces, and irre-
nancinestn, nnewnverb
seen
sn after,
irre-
coverably ruined.
onumnda,nybrionket
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 the
neighbourhood (being also a county magistrate); was pro-
ceeding along the highway leading from Talsarn to Aberyat-
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 Dr. li?gereatut
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
came 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 1,0001., which for
the most part is irremediable, since the inhabitants are pie-
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 are no
less than four bridges between Aberayron and Abervatwith
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
Ayron have suffered severely, the amount of injury sus-
tained being incalculable, while the sides of the stream are
strewn with the carcases of sheep, horses, and cattle, almost
innumerable. Scarcely a farmer for miles around has escaped.
this dreadful catastrophe, which has caused so much And
such disastrous consequences.
ea

MARRIAGE IN HIGH LlFE.—Yesterday the marriage
of Viscount Seaham, son of the Marquis and Marchioness of
Londonderry, and Miss Mary Cornelia Edwards, only
daughter and heiress of Sir John Edwards, Bart., of Machyn-
11eth, Montgomeryshire, was solemnised at St. George's
Church, Hanover-square. A very numerous circle of the
friends of both familes were present on the interesting cere-
mony. The Bishop of Durham performed the ceremony in a
de,ply impressive manner. The bride was given away by
her father, Sir John Edwards. The bride and bridegrooms
left for Sir John Edwards's residence
ve
where Sir John and Lady Edward :g a
in
tainment to celebrate the auspicious lead enter.