The Sun. — 1841-01-20 (London, England)

EDITION. E The effects of the it most4everely felt in the town of WIL .ei6.hotirhood of that place. Between fou_ _14)4 An immense body of water came from the river Colne:Which speedily overflowed its banks, and rushed with the utmost impetuosity into the town ; the rush of the flood was so sudden and violent, that the watchman on (Ratty at the water works had hardly time to make his escape, at d he was obliged to wade up to his middle in water Mete he could get to a place of safety. The whole of the timber upon the works was washed away and lost, mai the water poured with frightful violence into the High street of Watford, and at eight o'clock there was e depth in some places of from six to eight feet of water, which completely filled the lower parts of the houses, and the inhabitants were obliged to take shelter in the top rooms, as from the suddenness of the Lod they had no opportunity to leave their habitations. A!l means of communication were of course entirely :topped, .nJ it was at one time feared, from the imaeuse bony of water, that the bridge over the Coke would have be destroyed. The water continued to inereas, for se..Ae.l hours, and in the middle of the day the whole of the meadows, ex tending on each side of the town of Watford to the embankment of the London and Birmingham Railway, preset t d the appearance of a vast lake, and it is fear( d that, the embankment has received sonic injury ; for, stare the water has subsided, workmen have been constently employed upon the eurbisnktnent, and the trains pass over the whole of that portion of the line at a foot-pace. A great dee' of property has been washed away, and a number of pigs and sheep were also lost ; but happily no human life ha's been sacrificed. A rather ludicrous occurrence took place in the town during the flood. Au old man, who preaches at a place he calls Gilead Chapel, near the bridge, at Watford, and who lives in a cottage adjoining his chapel, was surprised by the approach of the water ; but not imagining that there .was any danger, he retired to his chapel, taking with him a pipe and some tobacco. The water speedily began to rise, and he was obliged to betake himself to his pulpit, where he began smoking, and hoping for tine speedy retreat of the water, that he might be able to retire. A number of the Gileadites, as his followers term themselves, went to him, and one of them wished him to ride on his back through the water ; but the old man would not venture, and he remained in his pulpit smoking his pipe, and suerounded by the water for nearly niae hours. A man named Hudson had a narrow escape from losing his life. His cottage was situated at the lowest part of the road, where the water would consequently be the deepest, but he refused to leave it, and said he knew the water could not do him any harm. In a short time the lower room of his house was filled, and at length he was obliged to get upon a table, which soon floated with him, and pitched him into the water headforemost. He contrived to scramble into the street, and assistance being near at hand, he was rescued from what appeared to be almost inevitable destruction, as the water at this spot reached nearly to the first-floor windows. A medical gentleman named Piddock, residing at Watford, also had a narrow escape. He attempted to drive through the water in his gig, but when the horse got to the middle of the water he became alarmed and would not proceed any further, and the chaise was nearly overturned, when a waggon was drivers into the water, and Mr. Piddock was brought out, and after considerable difficulty the 'horse mid chaise were also brought out of the water. On Sunday morning the flood began to subside, and on Monday the houses were kit free from water, and the road was also open, and the parish officers immediately, very humanely, ordered a supply of coals and other necessaries to the poor persons who had been sufferers by the flood. At Harrow a similar inundation took plac,e and there is too much reason to fear that one young man has lost his life. It appears from inquiries made by a correspondent that this young man, whose name is Chapman, had borrowed a lantern to light him home on Sunday eweeing, and on his way he would have to pass the stone bridge, where the water was very deep. The lantern was found the next morning, but the unfortunate young man has not since been heard of', and it is feared he missed his way and was drowned. The water throughout all this neighbourhood is now, we are happy to say, fast subsiding.  Just published, price 2s. 6.1. APRACTICAL ESSAY on the DEBILITIES of the GENERATIVE SYSTEM, their Varieties, Causes, Treatment, and Cure.  By a MEMBER of the ROYAL COLLEGE of SURGEONS, London, and Surgeon to a Metropolitan Infirmary. " I am impotent, and no fit to live."—Last's Records of a Suicide.  Sold by Onchyn, Catherine-street, strand; Ross and Nightingale, Liverpool ; Barlow, Birmingham ; and all Booksellers in 'Down and Country. N.B. Persons in the Country may have th:s work forwarded by post. (free), upon addressing either of tho above Booksellers, and inclosing a remittance 3s.  ST.