A Fearful Visitation.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 251, 25 September 1883, Page 2

A Fearful Visitation.

..; FLOODS IN AMERICA.

HOU3ES SWEiPT AWAY BY FLOODS AND MA.KY LIVES LOST. (BY BtECTBIO TSIEaBIPH.— OOPYBIGHT.) (rbuter'B telegrams.) " New York, July 12; The Herald's London, Ont., special of yesterday Bays :— Two o'clock thia morning the school bell m the tillage of Petsville Bnbvrb', JLondon, began to clang an alarm, which, ia . due; time, was taken npby the city fire bells. The morning was calm- and still after the storm, so that the citizens when aroused by the bells, heard the air filled with shrieks and cries mingled with sounds jof vigorous chopping with axes. The thriving suburb named, comprising about 1,600 goals, had been suddenly overwhelmed with a torrent, caused by a tremendous cloud which burst some miles up the country. ■ The water rushed down m one resistless wave, raising the river to twelve feet above the ordinary flood mark, and destroying about 200 dwellißgs. . The village to-day presents a sight of sickening ruin, brick houses having been levelled and frame ones, either carried bodily down the stream or tumbled over and over and left m inextricable confusion. People took refuge on roofs ot buildings that remained Btaudin.g nqtil relieved by men with boats, which work occupied six hours. Many of these people ; had to cut their way o«t through 1 , the j roof with axes. So sudden .was the; catastrophe, that men nho left home io rouse the neighbours, found themselves born away oa the crest of the flood,

wbile^their houses and little ones were carnadaway by some mad current One house floated down with lights burning inside, and inhabited by a lady -Miss Wright It struck the railway br^o, and the lady was taken6ut» rating maniac. A cradle pagße d down amid : the confus.oa of f arnitar9t and contained a baby, which was dea-? A httle boy passed over the waterworks dam, and was engulfed. It is Opposed there is great loss of life, as fifKf sons remain to-night unaccounted for" This afternoon the waterworks pall ang-hojise^wenl^-by-ijhe-bWar^Thft the Byron the iron bridges gone, except bte ,aad the city is solated. fchlffffi fireaat^a^as^^swere^t^htS and he mains broken by the wffiS and the city is also m darkness. ; DaS Colhns.'B ice house wa' B s ^ cp t gj? together with 5,000 -tons o ic 3 eight, houses. College Hall In SV is now filled wifh^gS 8 ?e^I churchefandresideuces oath! u-l ground are also fill^ L P Tff ** threw open his house : m the^eS^ ing heicht, and had tables snr!^ the lawn to'feed the hungry Xl? A mass meeting of citizena^s J2 T night to^vise relief m^^ damage done as not more than 50.00?

A LATER AOGOOHT. ' A'special says : The rain of 'the light violence, ibont 3 a^W^Tt:: rap'dly, mandating West London and nearly erery one i a the vUlaee whj?h numbers about two thdu&hd / had to take refuge on housetop*. Many men xere droned. ffou&were^S Waßi f bail to f^ Bteboa^ d Sd down the river. The water was never known before to reach such a height;., A full' hat of fatalities cannot be dSn Only one bridge m the of L X don is fit for travel Three or four $ ,tMtaUycamd.away,andother Bdania<red.8 dania<red. Both railway bridges are badly sprun* and traffic is suspended. On tha&re? t Western Railway men are working hard to Mje the remaining bridges. .In the neighborhood rivulets were swollen toy rents and didterible damage In places houses were carried down the river with people screaming on the roafe and inside. Une house wwiqdged againstsome trees *mile below; Cecity. A, boat followed, attracted by screams, but was' drawn away by persons on the roof tops,. whom they rescued first. When they a*airi went to %ji6use there w^no^spund. The family m supposed , to ,haW beea %£%?&■ i J he faCts are - not 'S» JP»im. The list of dwwned will reach perhaps 30. The town of London: , West is' stUl under water, .