Thames Overflows its Banks

Evening Star, Issue 19759, 9 January 1928, Page 5

Thames Overflows its Banks

A Night of Terror

Many People Drowned

Terror-Stricken Women and Children

Press Association—By

Telegraph—Copyright,

LONDON, January 7

The Thames floods are unprecedented. Even Richmond and Twickenham were invaded, and street traffic was suspended lower down the river. The convent at llcsworth was marooned across the flooded fields. Water demolished the walls of the-ancient palace below Richmond.

A woman’s body lying iri a coffin floated away.

The principal incinerators are flooded, preventing the collection of garbage for several days.

The Kow green and the Royal Gardens, also Chiswick, on the opposite side’ of the river, have been severely damaged.

At Fulham at high tide the water rose above the stage of the theatre. The Chelsea and Pimlico districts were inundated, the river breaking its banks in the vicinity in two places 50yds long. Many living in these thickly-populated districts were driven out of their homes. It was a night of terror all through the flooded areas.

In one case a bedridden woman of eighty was caught in a basement. A man dived in and found the bed floating against the ceiling making rescue impossible. Escapees clad in night clothes crowded the streets, and the children were terror-stricken.

The police reserves were called out, and the mounted men traversed the streets, knocking at doors and rousing the inhabitants. They rescued many on horseback from the windows.

A man was trapped in a basement at Ponsonby. A hole was cut in the floor of tho room above, and lie was lifted out in an unconscious condition.

Swans swam along Horse ferry road —A. and N.Z and ‘Sun’ Gable.