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I aBV'I'ER 's jL 'EG RAVS.)…

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TEBKIBLE FLOODS IN SOUTH WALES.

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TEBKIBLE FLOODS IN SOUTH WALES. EXTRAORDINARY RAINFALL. IMMENSE DAMAGE AT BRIDGEND. SHOPS AND HOUSES GUTVD. BRIDGES WASHED AWAY. RAILWAYS INUNDATED I GREAT LOSS OF LITE STOCK. SCENES IN THE RHONDDA AD ] LLYNVI VALLEYS. MIDNIGHT ALARM AT PON'Y- I PRIDD. PEOPLE WASHED OUT OF BID. LANDSLIPS IN MONMOUTI- I SHIRE. Disastrous M have been many of he autumnal floods by which South Wales hs been visited, none will be so memorable lor the magnitude of its mischief as that of 1?7. From Bridgend to the Rhymney Valley, &lug the buay Livelli of the Rhondda, and parallellfith the course of the Taft, storm and flood dtring tho past couple of days and nights iave wrought a picture of continuous wwck, Scenes of the most exciting description have taken place; bridges, a week ago firmly planted in rock hewn stone, bare been jerked out of place, and bonM away by swelling tides. Collier] works, railways, streets, roads, moun, tain cottages, pretentious buildings and pit, men's dwellings have all alike suffered from the sudden vigour and overwhelming rage oj the Taff, the Rhondda, the Llynvi, Ogmore, and Rumney rivers. Cattle and goods have helped to swell the floods that flow down to the sea the usually peaceful nights in the agricultural districts of Glamorgan have been spent in struggling for life with the boiling mass of treacherous waves; ordinary industry has come in many places to a standstill; mail carts have had to lie by with their precious freight; engines to steam like hissing fiends in an enemy's territory through the savage waters that covered those shining metals along which they were wont to speed gaily; men and women, some on business, some on pleasure boulk to turn back after vain attempts to reach railway stations; whole families to leave their homes by boat and by rail; watermen, watchmen, signalmen, police, railway servants to perform, or, rather, attempt to perform, their ordinary duties under circumstances of the most excep. tionally trying character imaginable. As indicating the extent of the recent rains, we may mention that the fall registered at Ash Hall, near Cowbridge, during the 24 hours ended 9 a.m. on Tuesday reached the excessive limit of 1-58 inches, equal to a fall of about 160 tons of water to the acre. This is the heaviest rainfall registered in Glamorganshire since September 30, 1876. The following reports from our various correspondents furnish in detail particulars of the damage done, and the incidents arising out of the calamitous event BRIDGEND. I Accustomed as tho county town of Bridgend has been to autumnal floods, no one in the whole district, not even the very oldest inhabitant," recolleots to have experienced anything like such an overwhelming deluge of water as that in which the town was submerged by the overflow of the Ogmore and Lljnvi rivers on Tuesday morning, In common with other towns similarly situated, Bridgend has sustained damage periodically to the extent of, perhaps, a couple of thousand pounds, by the water of the rivers overflowing the roads and flooding the cellars, but the loss and incon. venience thus experienced has been infinitesimal compared to the present visitation, from which it is computed that ^650,000 worth of property has been destroyed. Alighting at the railway station at middle day, a casual visitor would have noticed nothing to have disturbed the usual quiet life of the district, but on descending into the town his thoughts would have been entirely changed, and he would have wondered whether or not the place had been visited by a deluge. It would soon become apparent to him that something most unusual had occurred whilst the thick deposit of river mud which covered the streeta-in some places more than a foot deep-would have given him an inkling of the visitation which had taken place. As is pretty well-known the principal trades. men's shops are located in the lower part of the town, and from these countless men and women were busily engaged in cleaning out the filth which had been left behind by the reoeding waters, and removing from the shops the numberless articles whioh had been injured or totally destroyed. So sudden was the calamity that it was hardly possible to realise at first the extent of the mischief occasioned. Fortunatelj there has been no loss of life reported in the town although there were many narrow escapes; bu it is feared that the number of animals destroye will be found to be very great. To give ani thing like a detailed account of the damage doid to individual property would be impossible t present, but we may dwell upon 8019 of the most important particulars of tie catastrophe. The part of the town whii suffered most was Queen-street, Dunrava- plaoe, and Union-street, where the water roe to heights varying from five to eight fe4, although in some of the outlying districts tb depth of water is said to be much greater. h the streets mentioned the furniture of the privae houses, and the stocks in the shops of the varion tradesmen, were literally wrecked, oounters beioi lifted and overturned, fixtures and their content overthrown, and valuable furniture and sttod broken to pieces and destroyed in a moat Unten- able manner. The office of the well-candnatd local paper, the lIentral Qlamorqan Gazette, all. tained such a visitation from the flood thatfit seems nearly impossible to print the paper tlJre this week. Nearly six feet deep of wter found its way into the offioes, an cvtf- turning almost everything but the mokiie, rendered the condition of the office vhafis familiary known to the typographer as pj," Hope Baptist Chapel, which is nearer ojpoijte, had its doors forced in, and a portion of the pulpit washed away, there being in the hefehi of the flood some five feet of water. The effect of the pobt-office near were almost entirely des ¡ the telegraph apparatus was thoroughly disaied, and in order to carry on the postal businel it waa found necessary to extemporise a post-Bee in one of the higher parts of the townind make a fresh connection with, the telegraph vies. The oounty court office] were entirely flowed, and it is feared that the whole of the neoe-til1 valuable papers have been destroyed. Thejrge drapery establishment of Mr. lawis, 11 Ltion House," must have Sustained an immensAes- truotion of property, all the heavy woollen pda and valuable silks Kind velveteens being gi tly damaged. Great damage was sustained i the establishments fit Messrs. Sankey, grooera. ive horses belonging to this firm, in a stable nea | the slaughter-houses, were in imminent r. Although abvut 8 feet of water rose in the s let the horses maintained their footing, and are after muob difficulty extricated. At Mr. Beha's, watchmaker, the articles, ing of a Mn'aUer and lighter nature, but of a ?vy valM., were lifted out of their places by the 4a, and thrown into heaps on the floor. In tnj ia^tanoes the large panes of glass, and the 4uts lot the shops, were foroed out and broken nto splinters, every resident at l Dnnraven.place having the lower portion of their establishments almost demolished. At the New. bridge, the lower portion of the house of Mr- George James, grocer, which abuts on the river, was washed away, whilst two caravans, which [were pitched in a meadow adjoining, were lifted up by the power of the water and carried bodily down the stream. A wooden bridge, which was erected by Mr. Wm. Price, merchant, from Donraven-plaoe to his extensive works on the other side of the river, was entirely swept away, and not a vestige remains. £ he oontents of Mr. Robert Evanm's office (auotioneer) were literally waahed out, and the furniture in the lower part of Dr. Verity's house adjoining were almost totally destroyed, and the lives of the inmatei at one time were in great jeopardy. In front of this lut mentioned house a culvert under the road burst, and an immense heap of dibris was colleoted. In Union-street the road was literally torn up, a long piece of wall was thrown down, and the water here being over six feet, some of the smaller houses were submerged almost up to the upper windows. At the Star publio.: hense, the landlord, an elderly man named John Gwyn, whose bedroom on the ground floor was filled with water to the oeiling, had a narrow escape from drowning, and a like fate nearly befel a friendly publioan-Mr. Thorne, York Hotel, who went to his rescne. Several inmates of the police-station were saved with much difficulty, and both the dwelling-rooms of the sergeant in charge wore submerged. A man and woman who were looked up had to save themselves from the rising waters by olimbillR into the small windows which light the oells, and Sergeant William Martin's family were obliged to stand up on the windows to save them- selves from the flood. One of the children, an infant, yearly lost its life by falling from the window sill into the water. The reading-room of the Mechanics' Institute was visited by the water, and some of its literature damaged, but it would be almost impossible now to describe the damage done to the Wyndham Hotel, in some of the rooms of which the water was between 6ft. and 7ft. high. At the shop of Mr. J. W. Roberts, grocer, and the Red Lion and Ship, adioininsr, howAVAr. the water rose as high as 8 feet. At the bottom of Caroline-street, where the depth of water gra. dnated from nearly 7 feet, every establishment up the thoroughfare suffered more or loss, according to the nature of theirgoods the marks of the floods might be distinctly seen upon the windows, and amongst the prinoipal sufferers were Mrs. Martin, draper the Bridgend Clothing Company;. Mr. East, olothier j and Miss Stuoh- berry, milliner; the Mitre Hotel was also inundated, and much damage caused in the cellarage. The market was but little damaged, but some of the articles which were left about were sent adrift, and a large deposit of mud and debris was left behind. No less than five of the bridges on the Llynvi and Ogmore Railway have been washedsway, and a large portion of the railway embankment on the Portheawl section having subsided, traffic on this line has been very seriously interfered with. The passenger traffic has been continued by passing the passengers from one side of the stream to the other, but the heavy mineral traffic must be suspended for some time to come. At Aberkenfig the low lying parts suffered groat damage by the inundation, the chief injury being perhaps sustained by Mr, John Jones, innkeeper, around whose premises were eight feet deep of water. About two miles from Bridgend, some 290 yards of the projecting river embankment has been washed away, as well as a considerable portion of the solid masonry which protects the exorcise ground of the Bridgend Asylum. The asylum buildings were nearly surrounded by the flood, and it is said that some 50 or GO pigs from the asylum farm were carried away and lost. The effeots of the inundation also entirely stopped the machinery at the asylum, so that it was found necessary to send to Aberkenfig for a supply of 300 loaves for the maintenance of the inmates. Mr. Styles, brewer, phose premises are on the banks of the river, and Here entirely swamped, is one of the greatest pseM by the calamity. It is calculated that no ass than 300 barrels were washed away, whilst iome of his horses sent out to graze on the side If the river were placed in great jeopardy. They fere only saved by the intrepidity of three men who tripped and went into the water and drove them at. Mr. Styles's grounds were also very much evastated. At Mr. Robert Price's premises, by lie side of the river at the bottom of Queen, steet, a quantity of lime was placed in the tan. yrd, which got over-heated, and set fire to wious combustibles around, so that Mr. Price bi to contend at one time with the two elttents of fire and water. A larara aiisln. tit of valonia, a preparation reoently intro- dtfed for the preparation of hides and other eku, was destroyed upon his premises. It is fated that Mr. Hopkins, innkeeper, of Bridgend, hslost three fine beasts, of the value of 'some JIZ), which he had purchased at St. Mary Hill Wr, on the preceding day. Mr. Yarworth lost a irpp quantity of valuable skins, which were pasied away; and Mr. Morgan, butcher, is said o have lost a large number of sheep. We lave thus briefly run over the principal ncidents of the catastrophe at Bridgend, but we have by no means exhausted the details of the damage which has been done, which it would almost be impossible to do to-day, seeing how very general the destruction was. The outburst of the water was most rapid, and was somewhat of the same" effeot as if a reservoir had burst over the town. It is said to have begun to rise over the roads between lOand 11 between I and 2 it was at its full height, lushing in a fearful torrent through the town, and in many oases oarry. ing everything before it. Doors, windows, and even the woodwork outside the houses, were torn away and carried off by the overwhelming mass cf water, and the wreck created was most pitiable to behold. All kinds of business wore suspended during the day, and the banks were closed, whilst the post-office and other public places of business struggled through as best they coald. Everyone seemed busy in sweeping the remains of the flood from their shops, carting away the injured articles of stock, and in putting their houses in order so as to resume business. The slush deposited by the flood, and the refuse swept from the inundated houses into the streets, filled the roads in a moat disagreeable manner to the pedestrian, and, as there were not wanting plenty of those who had an eye on the salvage," it will not be strange if some indi- viduals are brought before the magis- trates who have failed to discern the difference between meum and tuum. Remarkable as it may appear, the residents of the higher portions of the town, although fully ilware of the heavy storm of rain which fell, had no idea of the destruction which was going on in tl:e town, and in the morning were horror- struck at what had taken place. THE SCENE ON THE GREAT WESTERN I RAILWAY. Travellers from Cardiff down the South Wales branch of the Great Western Railway were struckjwith surprise, as well they might be, at the scene which presented itself along the whole track of the railway by the sudden overflowing of the river*. The meadows on either side were submerged, and near the Ely station the mid-day train had to run through some three feet of water, which, coming in contact with the lower part of the engine fires, caused them to hiss in a manner which made the passengers fear that they would be extinguished, and the train brought to a standstill. Such, however, was. happily not the case. The train kept on its way, running again through water into the St. Fagan's Station, at which plaoe the river was rushing down at a tremendous speed. An unfortunate pionio party from Cardiff, who had chosen Tuesday for their outing, and who had, doubtless, laid themselves out for a (food day's enjoyment, were Inaturally horrified at the watery reception they here met with. As at the Ely Station, all the approaches wee several feet under water, but they were oonveyed from the platform in carts to a spot out of the reach of the watery element, and no doubt enjoyed the novelty of their day's outing. At least, they came back in the best of spirits, and seemed to treat the matter as & good joke, Along the greater part of the rwlway track, sometimes on one side and some- times on the other, and often on both, the meadows were inundated, and it was impossible to tell which was the ordinary course of the river. The damage done to the standing crops must have been great, extensive fields of corn being under water, and laid by* with the reoeding current. Luckily, the greater part ot the railway was above the level of the flood, but to the passengers the appearance in many places was that of gliding over an immense lake, the waters stretching away over the meadows for an immense distanoe, trees, hedges, and oottaces arising every here and there from amidst the flood to show what was onoe dry IADcL At UantrUant Station, WIKM thi. flood rose to the level ctf the platform, persons were talking of bridges carried a?y by the flood, which had risen in th?t 100&UtY a foot higher than it was ever known before, and of inhabitants who had to be rescued from the eottages by boats. It was alto here stated that Mr. Thomas, miller, ofBrvnsadler Farm, had loot no less than 19 pip, and Many stories were reoounted of the disastrous effeots of the flood. Every new passenger who was taken up in th. train had some new inoident to tell in oonnection with the flood, whioh seems to have beea very general, and which, rapid as was the rising of the waters, almost as rapidly subsided, although a very large portion of the low-lying lando remained submerged last night. I PONTYPRIDD. Our correspondent writes on Tuesday Last night and early this morning Pontypridd was delnged with rain. All day there had been a steady downpour, but from one to three o'olook this morning it came down in torrents, and the Taff and Rhondda rivers, which meet bore, were soon overflowing their banks. The rain was accompanied by terriSo gusts of wind. People inhabiting houses in the lower portion of the town were in great distress, the water from the Taff river having suddenly come into their houses. It is stated that a man and wife 00011- pying a ground floor bedroom in a house in this locality were awoke by the water wetting their bed. They made their escape upstairs through the water, which was soon over the bed they had left. The back premises of all the houses in Taff-street, in the oentre of the town, were under water to the depth of abont a yard. Mr. Mordecai, baker, had his bakery submerged, and serious damage was done to several sacks of flour, and some bread was completely spoilt. Between Taff-stroet and the river are slaughter- houses and pigetves-the Pontypriddlhamblel. In the styes were about 40 pigs in water. They were making a frightful noise, but it was found for a time impossible to induce them to come out, and their owners expected every moment to see them Bwept away by the racing torrent of the river. A woman, however, named Mrs. John, boldly waded in to resoue her pig, and brought liim out, in her arms, ms cries making night hiceous. Her example was followed by a young butcher, who waded into one pig-stye after another, and each time he entered he succeeded in inducing a pig to come out with remarkable alacrity. His modus operandi was giving a sudden twist to the pig's tail, whioh the pig oonld not withstand. In another part of the town, at Rhondda Mill, three pigs, the property of Mr. David Williams, were drowned before they could be reached. Nine, however, were saved. On the other hand, many amusing incidents were witnessed. It seems that lodging near the slaughter house was a tall thin tailor, who had been forgotten during the hurried retreat. With tho dawn he was seen emerging hurriedly from one of the houses, with only his shirt, trousers, and a box hat on. His trousers were rolled up, and under each arm was a bundle. When spoken to he appeared to be in very bad humour, and walked down the road as jf resolved to leave the scene of danger far behind him. A man with a wooden leg, who is well known in the town as a vendor of fish, was seen struggling manfully in the water to bring his donkey out of danger, in whioh he suooeeded. About five o'clock in the morning he was riding on his donkey about the town, declaring that neither he nor the donkey had a place to go to. By this time the alarm had considerably abated, and the orowd enjoyed a hearty laugh at the above and other incidents of a like nature. I regret to state that in Mill-street serious damage was done to two houses, the property of Mr. Geo. Davies,Llanwyno, The Bhonddariveris spanned here by a large bridge of several arches, over which the Taff Vale Rail- way runs. Above this bridge the river sweeps round a sharp bond, and the current shooting through the large centre arch is in a straight line with the back of the houses in Mill-street, the foundations of which are in the river. Early in the morning the back of these houses gave way. One of them is oocupied by Mr. Benjamin Davies, printer, well-known throughout South Wales as a publisher of Welsh books connected with the Baptists. He had succeeded in clearing away many articles before the crash came, but about a thousand numbers of the history of the Baptists ready for distribution, a quantity of type, a ohest of drawers, and other articles, were carried away. His loss is very considerable, and much sym. pathy is felt for him in the town, where he is pro. verbial for his industry. The next house but one is occupied by the aTchdrnid, who was in bed at the time the crash took place. I am happy to state that the patriarch's premises weathered the utoriiit Tlio tiUjriu ut Lt." tuiio tiliio terrible in its intensity. The Llanwyno and Llantrisant roads were veritable mountain brooks, and in some places gutters half a yard deep were ploughed in the roads by the water. An immense quantity of timber passed the town on the bosom of both rivers. From the Rhondda Valley, especially, a large number of small wooden buildings, which travellers in the valley frequently see in the rear of cottages in close proximity to the river, were swept away. No human life was 10811 in this neighbourhood. Old people state that sueh a flood was never before witnessed by them in these rivers. The mail cart was unable to go up the Rhonnda Valley this morning owing to the disturbed condition of the road caused by the flood. NEATH. I The storm and incessant rain of Monday night appears to have caused most serious damage in the Neath Valley. Aberdylais was eompletely inundated, nearly every house on the lower ground being submerged, while the gardens were utterly ruined by the deposit and the rush of water from the river and canal; The Llantwit Marsh was the seeneof great eicitement. About four o'clock on Monday mornin^oattle, sheep, and horses were seen vainly endeavouring to swim to the higher banks; while a strange miscellaneous lot of furnitire floated rapidly by, washed from the cottages through whioh the tributaries of the Dylais and the Neath rivers had broken. The farm bridges between Hirwain, Glyn-Neath, Resolven, and Aberdylaie were all washed away Hayricks were irretrievably damaged, while various farming implements were washed bodily from the fields and left lying on the bed of the river. The damage all through the valley is most distressing, falling as it does upon the humbler classes, who inhabit the oottages by the oanal and river sideB. Two stone bridges were washed away at Aberavon, and the roads gutted. The Neathwern fields were flooded again, but the Onoll brook was, through the late improvements, held baok. It is impossible to form anything like an estimate of the extent of damage done in the district, so widespread and disastrous has it been. MAESTEG. I Although the Llynvi Valley, in whieh Maesteg is situate, ia physically in a position likely to preserve it from the evil effeots of storms, still the heavy rain and floods of Monday night did very considerable damage from Cymmer to Llangyn- wydd. Several cellars were, flooded, and the buttresses of two bridges on the Llynvi and OpJore Railway were washed away, so that railway oomuroaioatiun between Maesteg and Bridgend was broken, the former place being quite isolated. At Cymmer a water engine entirely disappeared, and stones of bn. mense sizes were carried off by the rapid mountain torrents into the river with tremendous noise. The damage on the railway and other places in Cymmer is estimated at £ 1,000. Three piga belonging to Mr. John Evans, carrier, were saved from drowning, though the stye waa washed down the river Llynvi. Much damage was caused by the flood in tte cellar of the Qneen's Hotel, and the Maesteg meadows were oompletely inundated. Most of the inhabitants- of jBcidgend-road were up all the night battling with the gushing Iwaters that were rapidly filling their houses. Fortunately no great harm was don'a in these private dwellings, beyond causing much disoomfort to the terrified inmates. But for the rapid descent of the valley from Maesteg tA). Bridgend the destruction would be terrifio. All sorts of rumours have reaohed here as to the damage done in Bridgend. I PENTBE. I ine keavy nuns of Monday oansed the moun. tain brooks and river to rise to an unprecedented height. Even the oldest inhabitant cannot remember so fearful a flood. The main abutment of the new bridge at Treorky has been so seriously damaged that it will be neoessary to rebuild i. A portion of a tip with a bridge has bean swept away at Cmnpark, together lritha pile of pit timber that was stacked upon it for oolliery purposes. The eulverts of the siding connecting the Pentre Collierlvs with the railway have also been swept away. The houses in the neighbourhood at the flats, near the Rhondda ""fM works, were fonr feet deep with water. Mr. EUu. H. Davies, Baglan Howe, together with ajariy of trade*- men, were busily engaged ttyroaghout the wWe night ia to-lng W peopk nd pvportr. ÐeI4. cattle and pigs were found in the vicinity; the footbridge connecting Pentre with the engine works was carried bodiiy away. The oellars of the Alexandra Hotel were filed with water, which did great damage to the stock. Theabutmenta of the Tynybedw Bridge are fajured so that the colliers were unable to work. On Tuesday a nvm. ber of valuable dressed Bath stones were carried off by the force of water from the Congregational Chapel in the oonrse of construction. The whole of the works in the neighbourhood an, idie. RHONDDA VALLET. I x ne nooa nere on Tuesday was the greatest ever witnessed. At Treherbert a butober's shop was carried away. The new bridge over the river at Treorky had the oentre pillar much damaged. Tynybedw, Pentre, Maindy, Bodryngallt, and Dinas sidings were damaged. The damage done to Pentre siding in weidmbb, and it will be impossible to resume work there for several days. Part of a new bridge in course of erection by Mr. Mathiae, for the Dinas Company, was washed away. The loss to the contractor is estimated at between £ 150 and X200. The following bridges were washed away Trcalaw, Davies (Adare Colliery), Llwyn- celyn Colliery, Ynysyrodjn (footbridge), pillar of the old Cymmer bridge. The river flooded the road in many places. At Cymmer it washed away a large portion of the road in two or three places. In the neighbourhood of the Porth Hotel many houses were flooded, and some live animals were carried away, but no human life lost. GILFACHGOCH. A correspondent, writing from this plaoe on Tuesday, says:—This mountain ravine has been the scene of much excitement during the last few days owing to the large quantity of water which has rushed from the mountains. The houses are built on the side of the mountains on each side of the valley, wnile below runs Nant Rhyd y Gmg. So great was the rush of water from the mountains that nearly every house UI, the place was flooded. Two houses, in the occu- pation of William Rosser and William England, were in imminent danger, owing to the torrent dashinar njninaf. i.})cot. A etn.tu of weCer five or six feet in depth flowed through tham, and the gardens in front were completely swept away. The houses that suffered most were those in Blandy-terraco. Another current flowed towards the Gilfach Pit, and the downfall into the shaft at one time was very great. The space in front of the boilers was flooded. Scores of men were employed to divert the streams, and in this they ultimated succeeded. The roads in some places aro covered with large boulders, which rolled with the streams from the heights above. TONGWYNLAIS. The floods at this place have caused great destruction. The Pentyroh Forgo was inundated and a considerable quantity of timber was washed away. The occupiers of houses on the banks of the river had to quit them, and seek safety and shelter elsewhere. The bridge which spans the Taff, a short distance below Tongwynlais, and called the Iron Bridge, and over which the bar iron was conveyed from Pentyrch Forge to Mellin. griffith Tinworks, was washed away. The destruction of this bridge will not interfere with the carrying on of the works, and a new bridge will be, immediately erected. The bridge was built in that ever-memorable year of the battle of Waterloo, ard has consequently withstood the battering of the "swift Taff" for upwards of sixty-two years. A large quantity of poultry was drowned, and a great amount of garden produce and hay swept away. TROEDYRHIW. A correspondent, writing on Tuesday night, saysAt nearly six o'clock this morning I was on the premises of the Merthyr Vale Colliery, near Troedyrhiw, when I witnessed an exciting scene. The river overflowed to such an extent that the works presented the appear, anoe of being one extensive mass of water. Owing to the great pressure of water against the roadway leading from the houses nearest the oolliery to the other parts of the premiaea. it broke through and entered the main river- cironmstanoe which greatly endangered the com. pany's property. Happily every man was at his post, and every official active in doing all that was possible to save the company from damage. Mr. Dawson stood bravely in the midst of the flowing current with a great pole and a staff of men round him, using all their strength to stay the timber from entering the main river. During the night the women and children in the locality were much frightened. ABERAVON. On Monday night Aberavon was visited by an awful flood, which caused a great deal of excite- ment. A discrepancy exists as to the time when a similar nooa toog place before. II would appear, on investigation, that two, or even three, floods occurred over 50 years ago, and that the cireumstances are now confused in the mettoiy of those who lived at that period and were able to remember them. At that time the river was much shallower than it is now, and such a volume of water as flowed on Tuesday morning was not required to flood Abaravon. It is stated that at that time øewin were found in the kitchen of the Bear Inn. On Tuesday eels were found near the Old Town- hall, and were caught by persons with a view to put them into a warmer climate. The flood was so high that it blocked itself when in contact with Aberavon Bridge, and this fact caused it to find an oatlet through the Globe Inn premises into the High-street, along which it flowed about 70 yards from the bridge, and took a down. weadcourse toward the lower part of the town. About two o'clock a.m., thero was great excite- ment, and from that to three the flood was at its highest, and a sacrifice of life was apprehended; but owing to the promptitude and energy of Thos. Howells, Councillor Phillips, Mr. Jones, Mr. D. Jones, and others, the apprehension was, happily, averted. Mr. T. W. Jenkins suggests that a subscription list sbould be opened to aid the most necessitous who have suffered any loss. The damage done, taken altogether, may be estimated at about .£500. FERNDALE. I The &01 was very great here early on Tuesday I morning. A large portion of the new r9il_y between Ferndale and Mardy was carried away. Damage was done to the railway in two ether places d1 the neighbourhood. TREDEGAR. I The fioodB of Monday night caused untold damage to house property in this town, and on Tuesday the ash cart was employed almost solely in clearing away the rubbish washed from the hill sides and adown the gutters and sewers. The river rose to an unusual height, and did not recede many inches throughout Tuesday, copiouo showers coming down during the day, when thera was no eign of an immediate change of, weathen posceptible. YSTRKD MYNACH. I The roads have been flooded aronnd here by the I heavy rain that fell on Monday night. The pariah road bridge over the Cwm Cilia brook was damaged-only slightly, however—by a bursting of water. A very heavy flood was running early on Tuesday morning, when the wind was rough. Towards evening it had abated a great deal. I CAERPHILLY. I The effeots of the storm cf Monday night are visible in this distriot to a great extent, especially on the roads, which are "swilled" considerably just above the Darran-y-Mwyrthyl Farm (Rook and Hammer Farm). The heavy floods during the night forced the banks of the old sawpit down,actil the turnpike road was blocked up with the dtbris. Men were employed there on Tuesday to clear it away in order to allow traffio to be resumed. At Tremaen Farm, near Nantygarw, a flock of 40 sheep is reported to have been washed away by the overflowing of the river Taff, "d several pigs and other animals were seen going down. RHYMNEY VALLEY. I Throughout the whole of Monday the rain fell incessantly, and towards evening the storm com. menced. In many parts along the banks of the river Rumney the fields were oovered to a considerable depth with water oa Tuesday morn- ing. The marks along the river show that the flood rose about half a yard higher oa Monday night than it has done for the past ten years. The roads have Buffered badly in many plaoes through the overflow of the culverts, and at Bar*. goed the water entered several hoafieB. ABEBCARN. There was a. very heavy fall of rain here 011 Monday night, and in consequence the numerous mountain brooks were swollen to nvera, and the Ebbw to a vawt me. The quantity of trees and timber carried down by the flood gave -;A& A' able evidence of damage done higher np valley. There were a.lew laadaUpBoa the TKet. tern VaBeys line of railway, aad the trains- ..pe. may the morning trains were muoh delved m oonaeqaence. COWBRIDGE. IOn Mon6W bsht -rY BMTY tM? dMCtmd?. I no dvar wIMO "IO)kll oeMt<??My aad is 20 dsbw' NoMO?Mdt?o??tjMMAt?d by the flood. Telegraphic eonnavnioatioB M interrupted, bet only for a short time. All mow I lands and many meadows were flooded to am depth of about one foot. No damage to baSdiaga has been reported here. LLAKDAFF. I In oonsequenoe of the reoent hsavy rains, the river Taff has been much swollen at this end, aDd farmers having low lying lands adjoining it have suffered a great deal. Mr. Thomas, of Oreat House Farm, has had a large field of wheat washed away, as weU as some sheep and oattle, A number of very valuable pigs have been carried off from Upper Boat, and foot bridge at the same place has also been removed by the flood. Mr. Wm. Smith, O Radyr QUMTJ, and family were obliged to leave their bouae, and go by aa engine to Penarth junction for safety. Mr. P..ith had also to draw all his horses out of the ftriHn or they would have been drowned. Mr. Lewis, the Wilderness, Llandaff, had nearly all his Itraw- berries taken away, and the greater portion at his cucumber beds. So rapid was the rise of tha water, that at eight o'clock on Tuesday morning, between Llandaff bridge and the Cow and Snuf. fen," there were four feet of water on the road, ADd many persons who proposed going by tram from Llandaff station were obliged to return. Shortly after six o'clock ontoesday morning J. Warbar- ton, an ostler employed by Mr. Smith, Badyr Quarry, was obliged to; have a hole broken ia the end of his house and himself and family taken out of bed in a boat belonging to the Taff Rowing Club. None of them were able to get their clothes, and had only their nightdreeees on. At Maindee the people were obliged to get out of the upstairs windows the beet way they oould, and the lodge belonging to Lord Bate at that place was so completely submerged that a boat could be rowed in the garden. In several places the Glamorganshire Canal has overflowed its banks, laying large tracts of land under water. The iron bridge over the Taff, connecting Pen- tyrch forge with Nelin Griffith, gave way before the force of the water. CARDIFF. The Taff, usually placid in ite course in and around Cardiff, has, during the past few days, owing to the almost inoesaaat downfall ot rain, become very much swollen, and, on Tuesday assumed the proportions of a flood, higher than has been rememberied for many years, without, however, occasioning any material lass to property, and no sacrifice of human life, go far as we can learn up to the latest time. During the day the rising of the river was watched from the Canton Bridge by a large number of spectators. The portion of the Sophia Gardens and Cooper's r ieid abutting OR the river's banks were considerably inundated, and the flood reached the Bute lodge on the former grounds. It has been reported that several logs of wood were seen floating down the river, and rnmoar has it that a horse-box was seen carried onward in the flood. It has beea estimated that during the night the water roee from eight to ten feet, and at some points near the town the rise was calculated at 10 feet. I TO THE SiDITJB. .Lou lnow °?c?M befoM this of the terrible flood that ha?ea?ed such deaatation m our town this day. The -nee we have had to witness will never be forgotten. Many of our brave tradesmen have been se3n in the faoe of this calamity to weep like children. In facCthia flood of waters means floods of tears from hundreds. And no wonder, for the contents of many shops and homes have been dealt with as with the besom of destruction. Just notice the expression of one of our most active men There in a few hours I have lost the labour of 20 years." And his expression is the expression of many more. I have been informed that the county membam will at once summon a meeting for the purpose of taking into consideration the best means to help to meet the awful loeBes that have been euet&iBed, and that the-leading gentlemen of our neighbourhood have kindly promised their hearty co-operation. I eiBoerety hope euah a meetM? will be ?etd without the least delay. The exigencies of the case )?M such that no time should :i:t:ierat=t;'h:sue e i:t all that can sympathise show bow spM<Mly 8: aw:sati::t' hJ: Thereby hearts filled with grief wiU be oomforœd, and euch as have had a bright future made dark as night will have that light to shine upon them that will make their faces beam cmoe more with heoi I and )01.-1. 4.C., and joy.—1 am, &0., J. P. JONES, English Congregational Minister. Bridgend, August 28.

BOARD OF GUARDIANS.