Star.
London, England, 1824-05-18 00:00:00

THE HEAVY RAINS.

The following further accounts have reached us:
UXBRIDGE, SUNDAY NIGIIT.—The flood from the late
rains is increasing every hour here. The millers are
now at work removing meal, wheat, &c. to the upper
apartments of their milk, and the inmates of the houses
near the flood are also removing, apprehensive of a still
further increase of the inundation. Forty lambs were
lost in a field belonging to Mr. Elton, at Denham, this
morning. The water has not been so high here for the
last 20 years.
At Lea and Lewisham the waters were very high.
In some houses the flood was five feet deep. A brewer's
drayman was precipited into the flood, nod would in.
evitabl y have been lost, but for the intr pidity of :moths.,
person, who plunged in after him, and with difficulty
brought him to land.
The neighbourhood of Brixton, from the foot of the
to Kennington, has exhibited a spectacle of which
axle but a few of the very oldest inhabitants can recol-
iect any parallel instance. The little rivola, the Effra,
which washes the eastern side of the road, was swollen
to a rapid torrent, and caused great injury. The banks
upon each side were broken, and portions cf gardens,
shrubberies, and plantations hurried with the torrent
into the Thames, and hot-beds, plants, and glass frames
have floated like the wrecks of Noah's flood ; while rows
oi houses, whose foundations have been absurdly laid in
beds of clay and sloping hollows, have been flooded, not
only above the tops of the garden pales, but some cl
them almost to the ceiling's of the ground flaor. The
extent of the injury cannot yet be ascertained.
At Deptford, part of a sugar-house was washed
away, with several hogsheads of sugar, and the mill
below seriously injured. The Maidstone-road, from
Lea-green to Eltham, was one vast sheet of water of
considerable depth ; and froM Shooter'S-hill to Welling,
a greater part of the road was under water. At Cray-
ford, the lower rooms of a row of liou.,:es opposite the
Swan public-house were inunda:ed, and the inhabitants
obliged to take shelter in the upper storie. Several
carts were employed to carry persons over the water at
a penny each, going to and returning from Dartford.
But the most lamentable consequences took place in
the parish of Bexley. A stream of water passing
through the grounds of John Smith, Esq. M.P. uniting
with one from Danson-hill, the seat of John Johnston,
Esq. and which crosses the road just below Bridgen,
caused such a deluge, that about ten o'clock on Satur-
day night, the bridge thrown across the rivulet was
borne down by the force of the waters ; the bricks and
materials which composed it were carried into the
grounds of the Rev. Mr. Frith, of Bridgen-place. Soon
after, as a post-chaise, belonging to Mr. Plater, of
Foots'-tray, was returning from Plumstead, the post-
boy, not aware of the destruction of the bridge, at-
tempted to pass, but fell into the chasm, anti was car-
ried away by the violence of the current. The chaise
was broken to pieces, and the horses and a poor woman
of the name of Monk, who was inside the vehicle, were
drowned. The post•boy escaped by clinging to the
branches of a tree which overhung the stream. The
body of the woman was forced from the chaise, and was
not found till eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. Mr.
Charles Fraacis, surgeon, of Bexley, who was returning
from Lord Eardley's in his gig, accompanied by his ser-
vant, was providentially forewarned of the danger by a
woman, the wife of the London-carrier, who was look-
ing out for her husband with a lantern. His horse bad
entered the waters, when the cries of the woman, who
had joist perceived him, apprised him of his danger in
time to turn his horse's head. In another moment he
must have plunged into the abyss, where he must have
inevitably perished.
The destruction of fences, gardens, and habitations
by the descent of these torrents, may readily be be-
lieved. No less than seven bridges, over each of which
there was a good public road, have been swept down or'
broken in, and indeed it can only have been by the
timely falling in of those on the higher part of the tor-
rent, and which by forming dams above, turned so con-
siderable a portion of the water into the wider road,
that any of the communications between the villas and
cottages in this neighbourhood and the road escaped
from one common wreck. The inhabitants of the villas
and cottages whose grounds have been invaded, were
to be seen on Sunday morning, standing on the broken
verge of their yet. remaining territory, with dismal and
impatient faces, waiting the arrival of planks and tim-
bers to afford them the temporary means of communi-
cation with the road. The basement stories of many
houses have been filled with water ; and some families
on the western side of the road have been. washed out
of their ground floors. But some of the new cross
streets between the Brixton and Clapham roads exhibit
a still more melancholy picture. The extent of per-
sonal accidents which may have occurred is probably
not yet ascertained. But one Gentleman, it is known,
who had been obliged to wade across the flooded road,
plunged by mistake into the deeper waters on the other
side, and with difficulty escaped drowning. The like
accident happened to a groom, who, by a plunge of his
horse, was thrown into the current. One of the stage-
coaches broke down while struggling against the
stream ; the coachman was thrown between the horses,
and a boy that was sitting by his side was plunged over
head and ears in the water; while a carman, who had
been obliged to get upon the shafts, was washed from
his seat, and the wheel passing over his body, bad both
his legs fractured in a• dreadful manner.
To the north of Newark there has been no rain, and
the roads were inconveniently dusty for travellers. But
on Friday and Saturday the torrents of rain that fell
nearer town were such as to put an end to all travelling;
and at a village about two miles on this side of Caxton,
the Edinburgh and Abectleen down mail was stopped,
and the same mail up was detained at Caxton four
hours; this was occasioned by the flood being such as
to render it impossible to proceed, and when they did
so, the waver was up to the coach doors.
At Wandsworth, Surrey, the Wandle has overflowed
a number of houses in the lower part of the town, and
on Sunday, after the rain had ceased for many hours,
some houses were under water, and the stream was
ru 'ling like a torrent throve') others. The marshes and
meadows on the Wandsworth road are flooded to an
unusual extent.

On the Hampstead and Highgate roadi, on the level
near the Can/IL-bridge, the roads were impassable for
foot payengers, and for hours the water was above the
horses' bellies, and did not. subside till a late hour on
Sunday morning. .

It is ►aid that Mr. C. Wilson's crlebraTad hut se Reformer, which
so cleverly won the July Stakes last year, at Newmarket, and is
now second favourite for the Derby. has been purchased by the
Earl of Darlington for 3,000 guineas. His Lordship may now be
said to possess three of the finest horses in England. Barefoot, the
winner of tile St. Leger; Swiss, the winner of the Champagne
Stakes, anal lust favourite for the next St. Leger; and Reformer.

PLAN FOR BREAKING OUT OF NEIVGATI•'.

Sunday week a very desperate plan for effecting an
escape from the prison of Newgate was discovered.---A
Tope, 4.4 feet in length, was found in the coal-hole of
the middle yard, which is allotted to prisoners who are
to take their trial. It was found to he made from the
mats about the prison ; and the gradual diminution of
the mats was, we believe, the first thing that carised
the suspicion. It was while the prisoners were at Chapel
the yard was searched, and the discovery of the rope, to
one end of which was attached a piece °limn, forming
a right angle, one part of which was intended to catch
the top of the wall, led to a further examination. It
was then ascertained that the bars of one of the rooms
were partly severed through, and that it was intended
by two of the prisoners to get into the ard, in the dark.
to throw the rope to the top of the pi ison, to ascend,
and if the watchmen on the top should attempt to op-
pose their escape, to hurl them headlong upon the pave-
ment. But at the same time that these preparations
were going forward within, those who laid the plan of
escape took care that there should be a power ful co-
operation on the other si.le amongst their friends who
are candidates for the pillows. A great number of
thieves were to he stationed (acrording to the directions
of some of the most exre:ienced) in NewgLte-street, for
the purpose of preventing the interference of the ras-
sengers in the event of alarm in the prison. Those co-
adjutors were to be armed with pistols and cutlasses,'
and were, in fact, to cut down all opposition. The pri-
soners were to receive a brace of loaded pistols, in moist
sugar, calculating that no examination of that article
would take place; and those pistols they intended to use
against the watchmen on the roof, if there was too
much difficulty in dashing them into the strerr, upon
an outcry raised by them, or by others, for the purpose
of alarming them to their duty. There were other psi-
soners concerned in the plan for escape, but they were
rather silent spectators of the preparations than active
partners in the enterprise. They disavowed being par ties
to the breaking, but they have admitted that if the
ringleaders escaped, they should make the experiment,
as they could not bear to let so inviting a thing as a
rope-way out of prison lie idle. The prisoners who set
this scheme on foot were only waiting for the dark
nights to commence vigorously, and as their hope of
escape must be, considering the stupendous difficultie;
which, to the knowledge of every one in Newgate, pre-
sent themselves, but very slight, their desperation would,
if not checked in the outset, have undoubtedly caused
a horrible scene of bloodshed. The watchmen at the
top of the prison are constantly supplied with blunder-!
busses, pistols, and cutlasses, and to calculate upon
their not hearing the dashing of the iron of the rope
against the wall (for the prisoners did not suppose that
in one throw they could fasten the rope to the wall),
could be little less than madness. The necessary steps,
it is needless to say, have been taken to prevent those
desperate adventurers from engaging in any other plan
of escape. Perhaps there never was a more completely
digested and arranged scheme laid. In Mr. Newman's
time five men broke out at the top of the house, and ac-
tually escaped; four of them were afterwards hanged.
Since that time the top of the Fit ison has been as well
guarded as any part of the interior.

An Inquest was yesterday held at the King's Arms,
Bennet. street, Blackfriars-road, on the body of W. Kelly,
Esq. late of the Exchequer. Mr. Kelly went to the
Office on Saturday in apparent health, but soon after
requested a Gentleman to assist him home. They had
reached Blackfriars-bridge, when he fell on his knees
insensible, and died before medical assistance arrived.
Verdict—Died by the visitation of Gon.

Thursday morning, a little before day break, the
dwelling-house of Mr. John Boyle, of Lee Fair (about
six miles from Leeds), was broken into by a gang of
burglars: but this Gentleman, though in his eightieth
year, defended his dwelling and family (a wife and fe-
male servant), to ith a courage and decision which would
have done honour to a more vigorous period of life.
The following are such of the particulars of this extra-'
ordinary case as we have been able to collect. About
three o'clock in the morning, the servant was alarmed
by a noise, as if some persons had entered the house;
she immediately went to her master's room and com-
municated her apprehensions. Mr. Boyle instantly
arose, and after hastily dressing, armed himself with a
gun and two pistols, and descended the front stairs. On
opening the kitchen door, he saw a man in the kitchen
with a light in his hand. Mr. Boyle instantly fired the
gun, which was loaded with ball, and, as it afterwards
appeared, with such fatal effect that he mortally
wounded the robber ; but finding that the test of the
gang, two men and a boy, had gone up the back stairs
which communicated with the lodging-rooms, he im-
mediately returned to protect his family from their
possible violence. The servant girl on the fir st alarm
had bolted the door which communicated lion: the
lodging-looms to the back flight of stairs, a precaution
which obstructed their further progress, and the eport of
the gun so intimidated them that they rushed down
stairs and made their escape out of the kitchen door,
taking away with them their wounded accomplice. Upon
examining the house it was found that a cupboard had
been broken open and a quantity of silver plate con-
, sisting of a pint mug, cream jug, two table spoons,
and three tea spoons had been taken away. It was
I not immediately known what had become of the man
who had been fired at, but in little more than an hour
some colliers who were going to their work found a
ounded man in a dying state, about 100 yards from
Mr. Boyle's house; an alarm of course was instantly
given; Mr. Boyle immediately sent for a surgeon, and
the dying man was removed to the nearest public-house,
but he expired before any surgical assistance could ar-
rive, cut off in the very " blossom of his sins." Upon
searching his person three of the silver spoons stolen
from Mr. Boyle were found in his pocket. The robbers'
had entered the house by removing a pane of glass
from the kitchen window, which enabled them to intro-
duce a boy who had unbolted and opened the kitchen
door for his companions. Search was immediately
made for the other persons concerned in this robllery;
and a man of the name of Dixon and a boy named
Flardcastle, both of Morley, were taken into custody
in the course of the morning, and were examined the
same day at Lofthouse, before B. Dealtry, Esq. by
who:n they were remanded fur further examination.
—Tile name of the deceased robber was Scott;
he lived at Morley, and had only been from prison about
a week. Mr. Boyle had been receiving some rents a
few days before, a circumstance of which it is probable
these burglars were aware.
Two landlords of the Antelope Jim, Salisbury, were
successively named .Goon and-TuoG000; and the name
of their successor, the pteent landlord, is BEST.

F:I„I.VD.
ROSCOMMON, MAY 6.

• , ,

On the night of Wedoesday, a threatening noti-e, r.f
which the following is a copy, was po,ted on the ho I,e
of a man need Butter, of Curna'eer, in the barony f
Athlone, in the county of Roscommon ;

" Not-mu—Fallon and Ratter, ye scoundrels, let ye tot at: rl
keeping that holding, or else if ye do f will send a party r.
and consume the house, and ye shall have a shake hands :row, ..
ct•;f. I will make Mr. Fallon that he woltt he putting me ti. •;,,,
this tenable ; you and Mullett dime too much to me before,
the coarse• of a little time ye will see something wonderful ,„
No more from the Right Ifuttourahle Captain Saint Patrick
The persocs named in the above notice ate te.taiik :e
Colonel Fiends, whose houses sere attacked tie
of Noven,ner I.tst, by a large body of ltibht•nmct•,
were met by the police while patroling, between
an e.-g.rgement took place, when two of the to; rrer wet
killed, lnd one named Mulvey taken prisore:, w!if,
publicly flogged, pursuant to his sentence at ti.c A t,ze.,
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.