GALES AND FLOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19214, 31 December 1925, Page 9

GALES AND FLOODS.

GREAT STORM IN ENGLAND, THE WHOLE COUNTRY SWEF*T. - « ANXIOUS TIMES ON THE COAST, While storm-tossed shipping battled with a great gale in the English Channel re- s '■ontly. wild weather prevailed in many parts of Britain. In the South and Mid- ' lands rain and hail fell, accompanied by a wind of great force, and snow fell in the Loch Lomondside area and in the upper reaches between Tarbet and ArdJui. Heavy floods were reported in several parts, and in the Manchester district train drivers were warned to travel slowly on account of the possibility of loosened sleepers. Residents near,. Leigh were marooned. ' The Thames was considerably swollen I throughout its course and ran almost level with the banks along some reaches. Near Shepperton, where it is joined by the River Wey, it rose two feet in 30 hours and reached a height of five feet above normal. During a hurricane which lashed the j| waters of Plymouth Sound into fury the 1 Scientific Association's three-masted auxiliary yacht St. George, which arrived only a few hours previously from Dart- | raouth for dry docking, was torn from ,ier moorings inside Drake's Island and driven broadside on the rocks under Plymouth Hoe. Although a fierce gale was blowing, with blinding rain, a big crowd of people was brought to the scene of the wreck by the firing of the lifeboat rocket and by the shrieks of syrens. The King's harbourmaster immediately sent a tug to the ship's assistance, but it was not until some six hours later that she was refloated. She was apparently undamaged. The lifeboat crew manned a cutter and took off Mrs. Burnard, wife of the mate, the rest of the ere*- of seven remaining on board. A Thrilling Experience. Describing his thrilling experiences,: Mr. Burnard explained that his attention was attracted by the uneasy movement of the ship. Suddenly the shackle mooring parted and a new 6in. Manila rope slipped over the bollards, leaving the ship at the mercy of the tempest. The anchor was lowered, but sufficient chain could not bu -released in time to bring the vessel- up The St. George recently returned from a long exploration trip in the Pacific. At | Plymouth she is to be fitted out for a treasure-hunting trip to Cocos Island—a tiny island 600 miles west of Panama, ' where treasure buried by pirates is known to be awaiting discovery. 1 The Southern Railway steamer Laura fl was reported to be disabled through a H fractured rudder and was towed to I Southampton by the steamer Magic Star. I For 24 hours wild weather prevailed at Bj Scarborough. The crew of the lifeboat I stood by with lifebelts on and ready for I j a launch. Anxiety was felt for two motor n fishing cobles, but, skilfully handled, both [B safely reached port. A storm, accoro» IB panied by wind of unusual force, with fl rain and hail, vivid lightning and fl thunder, broke over the armouth and fl Lowestoft area. || There was great anxiety as to the fl safety of the large fleet of herring-boats fl out at sea. || Damage to Seawall. || The eastern seawall at C'lacton, which. H had withstood the waves for 25 years, fl succumbed to storms. Huge cavities fl developed in the apron, and one ot the fl huge bastions, weighing several tons, was fl washed out. The pounding of a heavy || sea on the cliffs between Weymouth and ■ Swanags dislodged many thousands of tons ■ of cliff, and sea erosion distorted tha fl whole coast line in this area. ■ Torrential rain caused severe floods inH Monmouthshire. Over 5000 acres, were m-W undated near the Severn Tunnel. Farmers* withdrew most of their cattle. Bettws H Boad was flooded 3ft. deep in the lower H parts. Postmen and goods deliverers hadH to wade through it or make a detour ofß four miles. | ' When cycling to Brighton market ■ Alfred Mustchin. aged 63, a greengrocer,* of Portland Road, Hove, was blown oSH his bicycle. . He struck his head on theH pavement and died on the way to hos-H While herring fishing at Margate &jj|| boatman named William Brown caught in the gale and blown out to soajH in his tiny craft. After drifting afcout forH six hours in heavy seas he was picked upßjg six miles from shore in an exhausted con-jH dition by the P. and G. liner MooltanH and landed later at Chatham. H The [Margate searchedH for Brown for seme time before the Mool-M tan wirelessed his rescue to North Forc-M Earn Causes Floods. Rain fell heavily and continuously in|H the Peak of Derbyshire lor 19 hours andH the rivers Wye and Derwent were in fnllH Floods were reported in the Leigh disJH trict. Tho river Glass overflowed its banks and residents in New Bold Street and The Avenue, leading to the infirmary, were cut off. Ships arrived in the Mersey after having suffered severe buffeting. The Ish of Man steamer Tynwald had a severs crossing and reached the Mersey twe hours late, having come through a heavy gale. In Liverpool there.was 20 hours' continuous rain and some of the streets wett like running rivers, houses near the dockj being flooded. j"; The barge Scone, of Rochester, loadec with stone, had to seek shelter in Newhaven Harbour Early in the morning the Scone dropped anchor, but she swung round and her bowsprit raked the motoryacht Astrid from fore to aft, tearing away the wheelhouse and shifting itfli bodily about 10ft. before smashing ikflK Tho Astrid's funnel was also torn A small 50ft. motor yacht lying outflj side the Astrid suffered even worse, for glass-sided cabin aft was carried comK pletely away and she was also holed bolo tJH' the water-line, and was with difficulty®!; provented from sinking. In the Chorley district there was ex-ID tensive flooding owing to-the river ChoiHi! bursting its banks. Three houses iiiHl Harper Lane were flooded, occupants hav-fllj ing to take to the upstairs rooms foiHf At Adlington torrents of rain floodedM|j a length of main line on the main PrestopHi and Manchester raiiws.y line and it feared that the sleepers would be loocenedJflr