The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-12 00:00:00

THE LATE STORM IN SCOTLAND.

(Further particulars from the Elgin Courier.)
When the storm and rains had somewhat sub-
sided, we visited several parts of the town and
neighbourhood to witness the effects which their
united influence had produced ; and never truly
did we gaze on so mournlid a scene—seldom,
indeed, has it fallen to the lot of mortal to wit-
ness such a one—as we then beheld. In what-
ever direction we cast our eyes we saw nothing
but desolation staring us in the face—large trees
uprooted, their branches broken ; the gardens
prematurely stript of almost Al their fruit ; ex-
tensive fields of corn, nearly ripe, prostrate with
the earth out of which it sprang, and in many
instances entirely under water. The river Lassie,
which runs betwixt Bishopmill and Elgin, over-
flowed its banks to an extent which certainly has
not heen paralleled within the memory of man—
perhaps not for a series of centuries.
About forty acres on the estate of Main, in-
cluding the garden, occupied by Alexander
Young, Esq., are entirely under water ; as are
also the greater portions of the neighbouring
farms.

Between Sheriffmill and Gallowhill there was
nothing to be seen during the whole of Tues-
day last, but one vast expanse of water—the
whole of the corn growing there being com-
pletely under the liquid clement.
The town of Oldmills was literally surround-
ed with water, of such a depth that a boat sailed
a considerable part of the day round about it,
rescuing pigs and other live stock from a watery
grave. It was with great difficulty, and not
without the aid of a boat, that some of the in-
mates of one of the miller's houses were saved
from being drowned in their own house.
Mr. Culbard's tan-yard, at the bottom of the
Shambles-wynd, was covered with water to the
depth of six feet, as were also parts of the ad-
jacent gardens. Mr. Culbard's cow was actually
drowned in her own byre ; and one of his dogs
shared the same fate in the tan-yard.
The excellent bridge of Bishopmill, which
was the medium of all intercourse between that
village and Elgin, and which about 18 years ago
was erected at an expence of many hundred
pounds, is now lying one heap of ruins—it was
entirely destroyed on Tuesday by the impetuo-
sity of the river. No less than 27 pigs belong-
ing to Mr. Smith, Brig-end, were either drowned
in their sties, or carried off to the sea. The
water also entered Mr. Smith's house, together
with the mills ; but we have not heard the
amount of damage done in them.
The Bleachfield, or Dean's Haugh, was pe-
cuiarly subjected to the fury of the watery ele-
ment. It was surrounded by it, and it was
something little short of a miracle that many
lives were not lost there. The water broke into
Mr. Pearson's house so suddenly, and to such
an extent, that escape by the doors or windows
would have been impossible. A boat was fortu-
nately procured, and the inmates were pulled out
at the roof.

From the top of Bareflat-hill the scene was
dreadfully grand. The vast extent of level land,
stretching from Leuchars, including Wester Cal-
cots, in the direction of Pitgaveny, and Loch of
Spynie, was one vast expanse of water, except-
ing in those places where the foliage of trees was
to be seen. The injury done on the farm of
Wester Calcots, and other places in that neigh-
bourhood, is beyond computation. If Lossie
after going through the Loch of Spynie had not
fortunately broken out at the canal, it would to
a certainty, by one fell sweep, have destroyed the
whole of the fishing district of the village of
Lossiemouth.
'Turning from the river Lossie to that of Find-
horn, the disasters of the recent tremendous
stdrm and inundation are equally numerous and
appalling as in our immediate neighbourhood.
The quantity of corn and the number of houses
destroyed by the river Findhorn are truly im-

mense.
The Lee-bridge on the Forres Burn is also
demolished by the force of that usually small
river, and one woman has been drowned, and
her house destroyed, either by it, or by the river
Findhorn, we are not certain which. In several
houses in the neighbourhood of Forres, the lives
of the inmates were in such jeopardy, that no
assistance could be given them but by boats.
One man is said to have clung to the roof of his
house during the whole of Tuesday, to whom no
aid could be, with safety to others, given. The
slated roof of the mill of Cothalt was carried
down the river entire, and had it not been for
the dreadful devastation witnessed all around,
one would in this particular instance have en-
joyed a good joke, at seeing a great number of
rats which were carried along with it, running
about the floating wreck, evidently in a state of
the most dreadful alarm, and yet having such an
instinctive dread of the water as not to jump into
it. What ultimately became of the numerous
little four-footed crew, we know not ; but there
is every reason to believe they were all totally
wrecked and drowned, as thousands of sailors
before them have been. In the neighbourhood
of Forres there were no fewer than six boats em-
ployed the whole of Tuesday, rescuing human
beings, horses, cattle, &c. from the destruction
which so imminently threatened them. One man
in one of these boats was unfortunately drowned.
The burn which runs by the village of Long-
bridge, about three miles eastward of Elgin,
although usually scarcely one foot in depth, has
also spread desolation to a great extent among
the corn-fields adjoining its banks ; and what is
more painful still, a man of the name of Proc-
tor, residing in Longbridge, in attempting to
cross the sullen burn, was carried away by it,
and unfortunately drowned.
Proceeding upwards to the river Spey, in the
neighbourhood of Craigellachie and Rothes, we
are presented with scenes of a still more appal-
ling interest. The destruction of houses and
other property in and about Rothes far surpasses
that in any other place, so far as we have yet
learned. The Rothes-bridge is broken down,
and many houses laid in ruins ; and to such a
height had the water attained on the adjacent
farms, that Mrs. Riach only escaped drowning
by getting on the roof of her house. We have
not yet learnt the particulars of the disasters
which occurted on the eventful Tuesday last, in
the intermediate space between Rothes and
Fochabers ; but the splendid bridge which
crossed the Spey there, we regret to say, has
been destroyed. This bridge was erected in
1801-4, at the enormous expence of upwards of
14,0001. A few moments before its falling, it
is supposed there were about forty persons stand-
ing on it ; but it having been observed when be-
ginning, to give way, they all fortunately escaped,
with the exception of a young lad, a son of the
toll-keeper, who being lame, and unable to move
without the use of crutches,- was.not so nimble
as the rest ; he fell with the tremendous crash,
and was instantly drowned.
The damage done to heritable as well as to
landed property in Garmouth and its neighbour-