OVERFLOW OF THE THAMES— IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 443, 13 July 1850, Page 3

OVERFLOW OF THE THAMES — IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.

On the 29th January, the tide in theThatne* rose so extraordinarily high as to overflow the walls of the river and inundate the various thoroughfares along either shore. So unexpneted wai it that no one hod made any preparation to preserve their property, and the consequence was that mischief to an incalculable amount was done. Tin tide on the pieviom day was lower than it was known to be some considerable time pait, while that of Tueid*y lose t«o feet one inch higher «han it did in October, 1844;, when so much proyerty wai distrojed. About half an hour before high water the ri»er brgan to flow ovar the banks, but as such had frequently been seen before no particular notice w*s taken of that circumstance ; but in the space of another ten minutes it became appearent to every beholder that a fearlul destruction of property, if not of human life, was invitable. The various wharves nlong the river goon presented immense sheets of waur, timber and other articles bein^ forced about with the strength of the tide in terrible confusion^ whilut the small craft lyin^ on the shores of the Thames were either filled with water or forced into the open streets. The property destroyed in Lambeth and the two adjoining parishes must reach to many thousand pounds.

In Col'ege Street the tide rose to the end of the dock at the^ bottom of the street, then rushed down the •'tlioro*hfaffe- frith a noise like the roaring of a furnace, "BllingTiie" itit&lrfns of every house and raising leveral feet in the ground floors. The whole of the itreet was one grent expanse of water, and the ouly means for the residents to leave their habitation! were in cart* and bonii. From College Street, the water rushed into the Belvidune Road, crossed the York Road, flooded Vine Street, nnd travelled as f*r as the terminus of the South-Western Railway, in the York Road, the whole of the opea piece of ground belonging to the Railway Company, in the York Road, being several inches underwater. In Vine Sticet, the water nuhed into the kitchens, and forced Ihe furniture up to the ceilings. In Edward Street, the water rose so high, and beat so furiously against a wheelwright's shop, that it was partially destroyed, the wails falling against the back of the houses in Prince's Buildings knocking iv the windows, and nearly killing the affrighted occupants, who had taken chelter in the upper rooms. In the Belvidere Road, under the arch of Waterloo Bridge, the water rose several feet, so that no person could pass cither up or down without the aid of boats or vehicles. In the ctescent of Belvidere Road, the houses have sustained great injury, and the furniture is destroyed. At late as eight o'clock last Tuesday evening, the whole of College Street was under water about four feet ; the lower floors of the homes being full of water, whilst the residents were anxiously looking from the upper windows for the water to recced. Even that peiiod, the residents were obliged to be taken to or from their residences by means of horses and carts. The furniture belonging to • neatly fifty persons in this street is either destroyed or extensively damaged by the visitation. So deep oil the water rise in the Commerc'al Road, that boats were employed during the day in convey, ing people a'ong. Fore Strte f , Lambeth, Bishop'a Walk, as well as the several wharves on the oppoiite side of the river at Millbank, were all under water, the tide crossing the public load, and rushing down the street opposite. At Foie Street, Limbeth, the traffic was entirely stoppi-d during the afternoon ; the water rose to high that boats wtre obliged to be ustd to remove the inhabitants. Fortuuately, when the predicted high tide three w-eb since was talked of, many person* were induced to make preparation for keeping the enemy out ; the same remaining on Tuesday, much property bjf that means was saved. Nut a single house, however, which was not so protected eicnped, and the licensed victuallers' cellar stocks have been greatly damaged by the floating and striking of the casks. A long Viuxhall, the Lammas Lands at Fulhatn and Battersea, the open country presented hroad sheeti of water, in many places being 6cveral feet deip. At Banksitle. near Barclay's Brewhouse, the thoroughfare! were under water, in some pluees rising to the hordes' bellies. At Bermondsey and llothehithe a vast amount of damage hi.s been done ; but many o f the granary keepers having, when the hiuh tide was predicted, taken the precantion to block up the lower windows and door*, in some measure checked the ravages of the water. The whole of the wharvei along the Strand were alto undtr water. At the Halfpenny Steam Boat Pier the water entered the premises to a fearful extent, to that the money takers w<*re obliged to make a precipitated retread. The Fox-uuder-the-liill, at the Adolphu Pier, wai also under water, and the itock damaged. It would be impossible to give a list of the whole of the premises injured, as scarcely a buiUing on either •ide of the river escaped, and the fumituie destroyed mUit amount to many thousand pounds. The tide oomplttely oveiflowed the Temple Girdens, and, instead of the gtass plot, nothing but water could be seen for upwardi of half an hour. The various pieri both up and down the river hava sustained-much damage by the unexpected swelling of the water. Had the tide risen so nigh in the ni^ht time instead of the day, the destruction of lie tint must have followed wou'd be fearful to contemplate. The tide has caused much da nage along the whole range of the eastern coast of the uland* Scarcely a port haa eictped being flooded. On the Essex tide of theThamei, the fishing villages and marsh land were swamped, as well as a large portion of the inland country , where the effect of a high tide was least expected. The tide rose in the Medway to an extraordinary height, and for more than a hour previous to the time of high water, the river in many parts oveiflwd its banks, and by thewaight of water broke down the land- wall* by which it is usually kept within its limits . The various wharves in the neighbomhood weie flooded and in the High Street of Strood a boat plied for tbe conv.yance of pis'engers, many hou&es be n^j inundated to the depth of levera! feet. At Ipswdich it rose more than two feat above the average spring tides. Higher up the co(ut, toward* tbe the Great Wuh, tbe water rush <1 in with great imp.tuosity. At Lynn, tlu* whole of the lower por ion of tbe town was inundated. Kjstoti experienced a similar flooding, and a serious damage of property is rep>rtid. The Hucnber rose to 29 feet 7 inches by the Huraber dock-gates, and before high water the lower part ot the tjwu was inuu<Uie.d. biavlar account,*, of ths disitsUmu effects of the tide lute be>-u received from many other places on the coast. The unexpected influx. is attributed to the conunuasice of the recent we»terly gale*, which forced a great body of water up the channel into the N >rth Sea, and the wind then inddenly veeiing to tbe N.E. on Monday night! dtove it up tlie rivers on the east-rn and north eastein coasts of Engalad.—Edinburgh Advertiser, February 1.

The iiATB Lord Jeffrey.— A desire is beginning to be expressed for the erection of a monument to tins great man, and we are happy to learn thai arrangement! are in progress for holding a public meeting of the citiz ns to lake measures for recoi cling, by some v slble token, the admiration and esteem wi h whicli Lord Jeffrey was regirded. Already a subscription has been opened among the ineicbers of the bar fora private memorial of his L>rdship. Oar townsman Mr. Stee'e ii to be commissioned to execute a bu<t for tlie Advocates' Library. Tlie accomplished arusc is well acquainted with the fea ures and tbc expression of thu deceasedjj udge, who waua fiequcnt visitor to bisjs'ulio. He will have the advantage, besidov, of the 1-tbours ot other sculptors. It will bis obs^ived iom our advertising co umns, that the FdcuLyof Advocate-, havu appointed a larg*. Committee to " co-operaie wuh other public bodies or individual as to the ben means of raising a public monument to the lite Lord Jeffrey," — Edingburgh Advei User. Colonel Green (retired from the East India Compsuiy's Service) ha» been appointed Superintending Engineer and Director ot Wotks, in the room ot CM. Ii vine, deceased. A Sailor's Opinion of Kughthiod. — When Lard .Sandwich was 10 present Admiral Campbell, he tolJ him thit probably the King w,uld knight him- The Admiral did not much relish the honour. •' Weil but," said L)rd Sandwluch, " perhaps Mrs Cunpbell would like if" "Tuea let i lie King knight her' auiwcrbd, the rough teaman. — Edinghnrgh ddveittsev