The Bishop’s “Sea”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 886, 1 February 1930, Page 22

The Bishop’s “Sea”

The Bishop of Bath aud Wells, Dr. Wynne Wilson, part of whoso see bo came an inland sea in the recent English floods, was rowed in a flat-bot-tomed boat to the inundated area around Athelney. He made a special visit to Stoke St. Gregory district, which had suffered severely, and called on several families who were clinging to their homes in upstairs rooms. He tried to persuade Mrs. Joshua Boobyer, aged 88, the oldest inhabitant of Athelney, who is living in the upper room of her cottage, to leave it for more comfortable quarters. She thanked him, but said she preferred to remain there with her blind son. Bishop’s Boat Ships Water The Bishop’s boat frequently shipped water, for the rising wind whipped the flood waters into waves like the sea. Before returning, the Bishop handed

a cheque for £SO to the Rev. H. L. Walker, vicar of Stoke St. Gregory, for the emergency relief fund. Slim defences held back the 120,000,000 tons of flood water that swallowed up Athelnej-, Stathe and Stan Moor, and threatened Bridgwater, seven miles away. Exhausted watchers, who worked frantically all night piling up the dykes with sandbags and reinforcing them with stone from neighbouring quarries, stood gaunt and despondent, watching the water leaking through their defence. Hopeless Plight Fortunately the moor was wide, and the water was diffused. Villagers who were threatened by the cutting of the dykes and men from Bridgwater formed themselves into the vigilant patrols to watch the dj'kes and supplement the sorely tired watchers of the Somerset Drainage Commission.