FAMOUS WELL RUNS DRY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3022, 8 March 1917, Page 6

FAMOUS WELL RUNS DRY

ST. WINIFRED'S, THE LOURDES OF WALES. There was recently a veritable Black Friday' in the district of Holywell, iu •' Flintshire, it was noticed by mills dependent on St. Winifred's Well for their water supply that the flow was falling off.j Investigation soon proved that the celebrated spring had utterly ceased to flow. The incident caused consternation in Holywell, and will ba felt throughout the British Roman Catholic world.

The flow was normally over 2000 gak lons per minute, and has been so from time immemorial. The stream served many* mills along its banks, and tho spring has been celebrated for the miraculflus cures that for. hundreds of years are alleged to. have been obtained by bathing in the waters. It was styled, the Lourdes of Wales.

The early history of the well i* wrapped in a charming legend. It is alleged that here, early in the 7th century', Gwenfrewi, or Winifred, a beauti J ful maiden of noble parentage, related to St. Beuno,'refused the proposal of her ardent lover, Caradoc, Prince cf Wales,' who, in a moment of exasperar tion, drew his sword and decapitatctt her. The head, so the legend runs, rolled down the hill towards the church, and at the , spot where it rested tha spring burst forth. The deaf, dumb, blind, and the para- , Jysed for centuries have sought its healing virtues, and cures are said to Lav* been effected even within recent years, in proof of which visitors are shown the: crutches, chairs, and other votive gifts hung over the well by pilgrims who have been able to discard them. A! hospice for the reception of the poorer class of Roman' Catholic pilgrims was opened in 1870, and since then interest in the' shrine has greatly revived.

A short time ago the effect, of mine drainage work's on the Halkyn mouip tain and the possible effect on the well was fought out in the House of Conn mon's.

For some time tunnelling has been in progress with the object of draining old! lead mines in the district, which it is proposed to reopen. Yesterday afternoon, when, the men engaged in tunnelling had exploded a blasting charge, thero was a great rush of water,',from which the workmen had to flee for their lives, and j shortly after this it was noticed that the flow of the well had ceased.