Heavy Floods in England.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2180, 29 June 1886, Page 2

Heavy Floods in England.

The heavy rains of the past few dayi (from the 15th May), which appear to have been most abundant in the Midland counties of England, have caused the rivers to overflow their banks to an ex* tcut uot before experienced for some year;-, and in many places the roads and railways have been submerged so deeply that traffic . ha? been temporarily suspended, while colliery works, ironworks, and other industrial establishments have been inundated, leading to the stoppage of work. The Manchester, Sheffield, sad Lincolnshire main line between Sheffield and Doncaster has suffered severely by the overflowing of the river Don. Fifty yards of the embankment at Mexborough has been swept away, and the water in the cuttings was in several places ten feet deep, leading to the stoppage of the entire railway service on that section, passengers having to be conveyed by way of Retford. In the valley* of the Don, pearne, and Rother the country is a series of vast lakes. Much damage is reported from Sheffield, Rotherham, Mexborough.Tinsley, Bright side, Beighton, Woodhousc, Eyang Stoney, and Middleton, by the flooding of works, and the loss of cattle and stock by farmers. At Doncaster the lower parts of the houses were inundated, and roads are impassable. In Derbyshire the banks of the Derwent were flooded, and acres of land are under water. Th© valley at Peterborough was submerged. The water was yesterday rising rapidly, and several roads near Ouudle were subtnerbed. The railway near Trent is under water, and the traffic on the Trent Valley Line is interrupted. la Worcestershire the meadows along the banks of Severn for miles are completely inundated. Never before lias the Severn been known to rise with such rapidity, A railway bridge over the river Tame, near Worcester, has fallen, and the trains to Hereford and Bromyard are stopped. A number of excursionists to Bromyard races were thus unable to return. Several bridges near Shrewsbury have been washed away, and traffic bctweeu Craven Arms and Hereford is Mispnnded. In the lower part of the Stour Valley the floods are unpre* cedented. The. roads near Cheltenham wfere submerged by the water which descended from the Cotswolds. The railway station at Hereford was flooded, and the wide marsh of the city was covered with water, while at varioat

places in tin- county house* were Mihmerged and a railway bridge was swept away and some cattle drowned. Wonmouth was partially submerged by tlie rising of the Wye and Monnow livcis, and the inhabitants had to use boati in the principal streets. The Avon overflowed its banks at Stratford, and communication with some of the outlying villages has been cut off. Lar«o tracts of land are covered, and the river has risen seven feet. The rainstorm visitrd Co. Down, and the accumulation of water flooded the railway between Downpatrick and Newcastle, so that traffic had to be suspended. A fireman was severely scalded as an engine was attempting to force a passage through the water. At Leominster the morning letters were not delivered until 4 p.m., in consequence of two railway bridges having been washed away. The Lngg and Arrow continued to overflow, »nd last e\ ening the flood was increasing with considerable rapidity. A Kendal correspondent telegraphs :— A remarkable effect of the recent pale is the wholesale destruction of swallows and other small birds in the northern counties. In Cumberland and Westmoreland the slaughter was terrible. In the gravel at Baosenthwaite Station 200 swallows ami Band martens have been picked up dead ; and at Appleby, Windermere, and other places in the Lake district swallows have been found dead in scores. Many sheep 'on the fells have also been killed. A later telegram last night reports an increase in the floods at Stratford-on-Avon. Thousands of acres are submerged, and it is feared all the moving «jrass in the neighbourhood of the river fs spoilt, At Derby the floods have increased to an enormous extent, and scores of houses have been rendered uninhabitable. Several foundries and other works will be stopped. A Leicester telegram states that navigation on the Union Canal has been stopped, and serious damage to property in the valley of the Soar is feared. traffic around Shrewsbury is much deranged, and a week must elapso before the traffic between Craven Arms and Ludlow can b0 retunfed. ItC the suburbs of Chestorfießl the inhabitants have for the past two days been obliged , to live,in upstair rooms. Messrs. Mason's 'ta/ge jfcobacco factory' has been compelled to close. All incoming steamers to tho Clyde report heavy weather. The Irish steamers were several hours late.