Star.
London, England, 1830-03-25 00:00:00

THE INUNDATION AT VIENNA.

Extract of a letter from Vienna, March 10:—µ When I last
wrote, a hard frost had set in, and has continued e•er since ; the
thermometer constantly at four degrees under freezing. The water
in the Danube has sunk seventeen feet, but has left enormous
masses of ice lying wherever it had risen. The whole of the Crater
and the March Feld is one enormous plain of ice, 'which will pro-
bably not have disappeared in less than a couple of months. The
number of persona that perished in the suburbs is now computed at
some hundreds: but the whole population of the March Feld, for
which so much apprehension was entertained, is luckily saved. Ali
the inhabitants of the numerous villages dispersed over this latgeplain
made a precipitate but dale!, retreat to the Dis-arn-Berg, celebrated
for the most famous Austrian wine, and to the chain of high
grounds to the East. They, however, were obliged to leave their
cattle behind, which has all been destroyed--horses, cows, oxen,
sheep, pigs, and poultry, not a hoof nor a feather remains ! Many
of the villages have been completely tiled; and In Others, but a few
houses and the church are standing. As long as the waters were'
up, you have no conception of the distress that reigned through the
suburbs. Here was a vast mass of population suddenly deprived
of the commonest necessaries of life, and, strange to relate, amid
the turbid waves that rolled around their dwellingi, they suffered
most front thirst. As the boats passed up and down the streets,
conveying supplies to the more favoured houses, they were as-
sailed on every side with entreaties for water--' Wager 1 was.
see ! wit brennen von thirst !' The difficulty of supplying so
large a district was, of course, extreme ; and many families are
said to have passed forty-eight hours without food. As soon
as the flood had subsided, the spectacle presented by the
slimy streets, and drenched habitations, was truly calamitous.—
In many of the court-yards, men, women, children. and beasts, corpse
and carcase, were lying promiscuously ; the latter were dragged off
as quickly as possible, while the former were wrapped up in
pieces of matting, and the name tacked to the clothing, when
it could be ascertained, with as much decency as the burry
and terror of the moment allowed; all the ground-floor win.
down and frames were smashed to atoms ; and even the iron
gratings, with which they are universally secured, were often
broken through, or bulged out, where the desperate prisoners
had either attempted or effected their escape. Some of the
bodies were found stiff; and clinging to the bats. Several
families were discovered drowned in their beds ; father,
mother, and children, all in a heap. in looking through the demo-
lished windoirs, the mortal remains of some unhappy sufferers were
to be seen, on an average, in every tenth house, and generally a
large hole was to be seen in the ceiling, which the wretched beings
had perforated in the last agony of despair, in order to make their
way to the fluor above. Nothing, not even a field of battle, could,
I think, have exceeded this scene of desolation. Every street
seemed to present a different aspect ; walls were washed down,
doors stove in, trees rooted up—not a spot could be identified :
the streets were choked up with mad, and large legs of wood
and timber floated into them by the current, and such
of the unfortunate survivors as were sot lamenting over the bodies
of their children or other loft relatives, were busied in hauling out
their soaked beds and damp furnittire to dry in the frosty sun,
whose rays were as a•mockery of warmth. But the sight beggars
all description ! I can give you no idea of eke calamity. Thanks
to the kind hearts of the opulent Vienese, however, the warmth
of whose feelings is, I believe, nowhere surpassed, much has
already been done to alleviate the distress. A subscription
has been opened, to which the emperor instantly contri-
buted 4,0001. the empress, 1.2001. the four great merean.
tile betimes of Arnstein and Eakelea, Oeymullev. Siena, and
Rothschild, 3.0001. in equal parts. This collection is still going
on briskly, and a very considerable sum will no doubt he the re-
sult. In addition to this there is sinextensive Lottery set on foot,
the prizes in which are valuable articles of luxury, all voluntary
contributiens, many of high price ; though the tickets cost but
In. each, it fast number have been sold, and the produce of
this Lottery, which is to be drawn in a few days. is expected to
be large. For the last ten days, there is not a faMily in the town
that has not been engaged in rummaging out of every odd comer
such old clothing, bedding, and furniture, as they can spare, to send
out for the relief of the inafihren ; so that at last, it is hoped many a
little household will perhaps be in a more prosperous condition than
before they were visited by this direful event. The inhabitants of
the March Feld have not yet been enabled to re-enter their
villages ; as moon es they return, they will have enough to du
with re-building their cottages; as for their little property.
with the exception of their fields, all has been carried
off, their benefactors are. however, not without hope that
sufficient funds will be collected to furnish them again with
the live stock. In case you shetild •tuake this gommunicatiiin
publie. it May be as well to add, for the satisfaction of their
iriends. that two English gentlemen who ate here on the steam.
heat speculation, for the nevigation,of the Danube; ire saved, fogs.
then with the vessel they are building. As the nature of their Itc.-
cupation obliged them to fix on very low ground, close to the biotin
ut the main branch of the steamer, great anxiety s•as excited about
iheni, especially as all the mills on this part of the Danube were)
swept off, with every one of their inhabitants."

Ansinitton's examination costinised—Mr. Harnermn rcamh-ed
his wife's trinket ism in the prosence of the witness, and found there
some letters from Mr. Bruhe, and she a miniature picture of him.
In answer to questions by Lord WYNFOND, she stated that
Mr. Harnerton had mumbled the trinket came alone before he de.
sired her to attend, and had taken out but one letter, as he told het.
Lord WYNFORD--He might then have put letters and por-
traits into the ease as well as have taken them out. It would be
desirable to have betteievidence of the adultery than letters taken
from that box. A noble and learned lord (Eldon) who sat long on
the woolsack, expensed considerable doubt whether letters from the
adulterer or the Waitress ought to be received in evidence at all.
Some letters of Lady Ellenberough had been recetved, however, the
other day, and, thevefore, he would receive there letters In the mean.
time What effect they ought to have would be a question after-
wards to be considered.

The postmasteriiCheltenharn knew Mrs. Hanseeton and Mi.
Bushe when they resided at Cheltenham in 1828 t Mrs. liameron
used to all at the post.office for letter* addressed to Mts. Oodol.
phin ; he identified some letters 'therm to him as having been deli.
vexed to Mrs. Hamerton, although addressed to Mrs. Godolphin.--
In answer to a question by Lord Wynford, he amid only say that
he delivered some letters to Mrs. Itamerton which were addressed
to Mrs. Godolphin, but whether these were the litters he could net

William Pitt proved that the letters were in the handwriting of
31r. Mahe, althmigh Lord Wynfmd doubted whether on this evi.
derive they ought to be received.
atoOther servant-plaid of Mrs. Mathews, at whose Mors the
Ponies were accustomed to meet, stated that *hen they were there
together she had orders from 31m. Mathews to admit no other
vi-
altua; 31ts. Ihmeiton and 31r. Bushe used to be to/ether by
themselves In a Teem in the house for a neasidetable time. The
witness mentioned some appearances 14oni which she inferred the
fact of the adultery. 31r. Bushe gave her money, sometimes ten,
sometimes seven, and sometimes five shillings. He was the oily
visitor who gave her money.
Examined by Lord ‘V YNFORD:— Mrs. Mailiews was not here ;
she was a Color el's widow ; she was accustomed to allow the parties
to remain together in the room with the blinds down ; she did not
say to Mrs. Mathews that it was discreditable to her to allow such
things at her house.
Lord IVVNFOHD: No, no; the ten, the seven, and the five
shillings quleted'your conscience on that subject.
A person, who, In 1820 or 1827, attended as a waiter at the house
of a Colonel Crowder, at Cheltenham, when he had a party, among
whom were 31rs. Ilamerton'lnd Mr. Bushc, stated, that after the
party broke up, he saw Mrs. Hamerton and Mr. Bustle kissing each
other. The lady at the time must have seen the witness, but the
gentleman could not see him.
Lord WYNFORD The wee must be carried • great deal far-
ther before this Bill can be passed. The further peuceedings must
I be adjourned for the present.