THAMES FLOOD MENACE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 843, 11 December 1929, Page 9

THAMES FLOOD MENACE

RIVER SWELLS TO HUGE VOLUME CONSTANT WATCH KEPT Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Tuesday. Since yesterday, the Thames has risen nearly one foot at Wolseley, and the rate of flow during the last 24 hours was 9.000.000,000 gallons. as compared with the average flow of 2,000.000.000 gallons for this time of the year. The authorities have established a special watch on the river, so that adequate warning can be given if a danger arises of floods breaking through the embankments. In London there is no iuimediu e fear of this happening, but the floods in the upper Thames valley are higher than when it occurred last year, and more rain is forecast. At Reading, which is almost surrounded by water, the river is 2(5 inches above normal, and at Maidenhead it is four feet above normal. Whole tracts of the countryside are flooded, and the Thames is becoming a series of great lakes, in some place two miles wide. The position in the Thames Valley was referred to yesterday by Lord Desborough, chairman of the Thann s Conservancy Board. The total rainfall in the valley in the last 10 weeks alone equals the average fall for the six winter months. There are 325 men on special duty keeping the weirs free from obstructions. A further rise in the next two or three days is inevitable, even if the rain ceases. The prolonged drought of the summer enabled the rivers to absorb the heavy rainfalls without flooding in November, -but the December rains brought floods. For the first time on record the Royal train, in which King George and Queen Mary yesterday travelled from Sandringham to London was late. It reached London about l!) minutes behind its scheduled time, owing to the winds encountered on the journey. The villages which fringe the Somerset moorlands have been flooded, and 400 persons are homeless, and have taken refuge in neighbouring places. The losses of shipping amount to 100,000 tons, by vessels stranded or rendered in distress. The insurance losses are heavy, but spread over various underwriters. Many fatal accidents, due to the wind, occurred on land, and three people suffered serious injury through the collapse of a church in Glasgow during a severe thunderstorm. Landslips and fallen trees interrupted road and rail traffic in some areas. The chief anxiety, however, caused by tile swollen condition of the rivers, which in all parts of England are in a state of flood. In some counties traffic has been disorganised in consequence, and the occupants of house 3 in low-lying areas have had to vacate them. Minor damage has been done to property in south coast towns. Scoio of buildings along the cliffs at Bournemouth have suffered, and six chimnev stacks collapsed in one gust. Colliery work is stopped in the Forest of Dean.