Storm Havoc in Britain

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 10, 13 January 1936, Page 7

Storm Havoc in Britain

Sixteen Deaths and Extensive Damage

FLOOD WATERS RISE

British Official Wireless.

RUGBI, Jan. 10,

The death roll in a great gale wiucn swept the fnitisn rsies iast nignt numbers Hi, of wnica seven were lost at sea. xitc sole survivor of the crew of six of me 200-ton cargo boat Bradda, of me iste oi Man, which foundered in me mersey, swam two miles to ranu. Lifeboats were out at several points' along tho coasts early to-day.

The lull severity of the gale was experienced in tho Irish Sea and ou tho coast of Wales, where the wind reached 100 miles per hour. Several coastal \ essels caught in the storm were m danger. Lifeboats went to the assistance of a small French steamer in distress oil Bullhead, Devonshire, but when tlie sea moderated slightly she was able to ride out the storm and await the arrival of tugs.

The storm on land resulted iu several deaths and injuries owing to falling trees und masonry. When the gale was at its height in Manchester, the Chief Constable broadcast a wireless warning to the puulic lo remain indoors till the storm abated.

The Meuui suspension bridge, which is the only lino of communication for road traffic between the Island of Anglesey und tho mainland, had to bo closed to traffic owing to the unseating during the gale of an axle on which the end of tue bridge rests. Scores of motor-cars, many of them belonging to merchants who had been attending tho weekly markets on the island, were left stranded. It will probably bo some days before repairs are effected.

Windows were broken iu carriages of the Loudon-Manchester express, which fouled the upper branches of au uprooted tree near Stafford. The trunk of the tree fortunately fell short of tho line.

A breach in the sea wall at Burnham, Somerset, caused flooding iu purls of

the town

The electricity supply in many parts of North Wales failed during the storm und towns were iu darkness.

Heavy sca s broke through, the coast wails at resorts on the south coast and in North Devon,-and- there-dravo been a number of cliff falls. Considerable damage was done to overhead’telephone wires but the trunk lmes on'the whole were not much affected.

There was serious dislocation in the London telephone area, where 59 exchanges and thousands of individual lines wero affected by the galo or flood. The floods, which wero subsiding in most parts of the country, rose rapidly again after the gale and the accompanying heavy rain. The Severn overflowed its banks and invaded tho neighbouring pastures, causing widespread damage to livestock. At Lydticy the river is now three miles wide. Many farmers, after battling waist-high iu the water to savo sheep and pigs and poultry, have suffered heuvy losses. Koports of motoring organisations from all the low-lying districts show that the roads, which had in the last few days been reopened to traffic, are again impassable. The Thames is also rising again, at a rapid rate, the flow increasing iu the last twenty-four hours by 1,009,000,000 gallons to 7,500,000,000 gallons. Both the high winds and the inundated landing grounds interrupted air services to-day. Tho terminus of one Continental air service had to be changed.