The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-02 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, OCT. 1.

GREAT FLOODS IN CORK.
The Cork papers received this morning state that
on Tuesday a strong gale blew from the southward,
and towards evening rain fell in torrents, and so
ontitined during the greater part of the night.
Towards the west the rain mu-t have begun earlier,
'as ou Wednesday morning the-river was swollen to
a huge extent, and was-rushing through the town
with the rapidly of a torrent, bearing evidences of
is rage, in broken trees, spars, and other wreck.
Up along the banks of the river we understand
very serious damage has been done. Stacks of bay
fro n the meadows and of corn from the stubble-
fields have been carried off by the flow of the
water, and iu many places the surface has been
materially injured. At Bandon there was a
serious inundation, by which a great deal of damage
to property has been done. The flood did not
take place in the main river which, runs through
the town, but in a small branch called the Shane-
gool, which overflowed its banks this morning,
burst open a small bridge by which it is spanned,
and rushed down the South Main-street with such
force that several shop fronts in that locality were-
torn away.
A second edition of last night's Cork Examiner,
contains the following particulars of the effect of
the floods in Bandon and the neighbourhood "A very serious calamity has befallen the town
'of Bandon, involving considerable destruction of
property and the less of a single life. During the
whole of the evening of yesterday and through the
night the rain fell in such torrents that between 2
and 3 o'clock this morning a small stream, which
comes down from the mountainous Cashel district,
by Mayfield, and thence into the south side of
Bandon, became swollen beyond its usual dimen-
sions. The little bridge near the old chapel was
inadequate to afford a passage for the immense
body of water, which, in consequence, overflowed
and rushed through the streets of the town, first
flooding the distillery of Mr. Fitzgerald and the
brewery of Messrs. Hurley, which are in the neigh-
bourhood. The force of the water soon became so-
groat that a.m.b.hilrl a small bridge called Ca-
vendish Quey Bridge, which in its fall considerably
damaged the house and tanyard of Mr. Lee,
situated clesed by its abutment. Its destruction,
however, involved a much snore melancholy result,
as there is but too much r, a.on to suppose that a
poor man, a watchman, named Thomas Kelly, whe
has since been toss-ing, was on the bridge at the
moment of its fall, and was engulfed in the rush-
ing water. The poor fellok's dog was afterwards
discovered running about the spot, and vainly
barking after his lost master. A little bridge,
which crosses the stream just at its junction with
the main river, and leads into the Presbyterian
meeting-house, was also destroyed, but without any
such melancholy accompaniment. Damages of
anether kind and to a very serious extent was also
inflicted after a different fashion upon the town.
The little angry river runs through a back street
parallel to, and at the rear of the South Main-
street. The confined water rushing through the
back of the houses escaped through the fronts,
carrying off with it in many instances the whole of
the shop windows, d, ors, &c. Among the chief
sufferers was Mr. William Bullen, the whole
of the front of whose shop was swept away.
Curiously enough, a box containing money, it is
said to the amount of 2801., was sent floating about,
but was recovered by Head-Constable Wright.
Mr. Beamish, dyer, suffered in a similar
Manner, a large quantity of indigo used in his manu-
factureslending to the water that deluged theneigh-
birhood an azure tint at his expense. Among the
other parties injured were Mr. B. Hayes, Mr.
Roche, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Moriarty, and a large
number that I cannot enumerate. As may be sup-
posed, great alarm was felt, but a large party of
police under the command of Head Constable
Wright, was soon on the spot and using every ex-
ertion to save property and life. Mr. H. Hassett,
J. P„ who was also present, by his presence of mind.
and energy gave much valuable assistance. A body
has been found at Collier's-quay, and though not
yet i 'edified is supposed to be that of the unfortu-
nate watchman. The damage that has been done is
not, I regret to say, confined to the town, no less
than three other bridges having beep destroyed,
one'at Ballyminahene, one at Ballinacurra (near
Bendon), and another at a place called Doundaniel.
An immensity of damage has been done to the
mailcoach-road, the parapet wall of the little river
being carried away in many parts, and the road in
some portions so cut up that it is scarcely an exag-
geration to say it seems torn up by an earthquake.
Of course it is as yet impossible to firm anything
like a correct money estimate of the damage done,
but undoubtedly it will be found to be very large.
The river Bencbin is sill greatly swollen and rushes
along by the railway in tremendous volume, flood-
ing the meadows at each side, but no further in-
jury is anticipated. The extent to which the inun-
dation has reached has become very serious. Eight
am a of oats belonging. to Mr. Townsend of Wood-
s'de, were completely swept away. At different
imes during the day a cow, a pig, A donkey, a butt.
and various other heavy ar int es, proving the enor-
mous force of the flood,, have been Caen floating
down (he river. The body of a woman, too, has
been found-, hut not yet identified. It is supposed
she was surprised by the flood and drowned. As
yet we have not been able to ascertain any further
particulars, but we have learnt enough to lead us
to believe that the la,e rains have produced far
greater-damage throughout this locality than we at
first anticipated."