The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891Unknown
History
The Blizzard in the West: Being as Record and Story of the Disastrous Storm which Raged Throughout Devon and Cornwall, and West Somerset, On the Night of March 9th, 1891
Unknown
Blizzards -- England -- Cornwall (County) -- History; Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Devon (England) -- History
SENNEN.--The Land's End district was altogether cut off from other
parts of the country from Monday to Friday, and even after that time
communication was only effected with great difficulty. The snow-drifts
were immense, and many sheep and lambs were buried. Supplies having
begun to fail by the end of the week, a shopkeeper inaugurated a novel
expedition which, grotesque as it was in its make-up and appearance,
succeeded in the object the organizer had in view. He obtained a
number of donkeys, and having placed baskets upon their backs, formed
them into procession, he leading the way with a shovel, with which
he cleared a path to St. Just. There provisions were obtained, and
the adventurous tradesman, followed by his donkeys,--now laden with
well-filled baskets,--returned triumphant to St. Sennen. Two cottages
near the Land's End were buried in the snow, and the cottagers had
to be dug out. The Rev. J. Isabell, of St. Sennen, by way of getting
the roads clear, set an admirable example. He headed a party of some
seventy men, all being armed with shovels, and effected good work in
making the parish roads fit for traffic.
TAUNTON.--The train due at Taunton at seven minutes past nine and the
"Flying Dutchman" reached Taunton at about the same time on Monday
night, and were unable to proceed further. Among the passengers was the
Duke of Edinburgh, on his way to Devonport, who was detained for some
few days, after which he was enabled to reach Exeter, and from thence
to proceed without further mishap to his destination.
TAVISTOCK.--Some account of the devastation caused in this district
by the storm has already been given. The destruction to timber was
especially heavy, but perhaps the most serious feature of all is the
loss of sheep and cattle. Mr. H. Dingle, of Taviton, had over two
hundred sheep embedded in the snow, and a number of these were taken
out dead. Mr. Perkins, of King-street, Tavistock, and Mr. Walkem, of
Hartshole, also suffered heavily in this respect. On the estate of the
Rev. J. Hall-Parby there was also a great loss of sheep. Out of sixteen
sheep buried in a drift, nine, belonging to Mr. Warne, were dug out
dead, while in the neighbouring parish of Walkhampton the loss was
still greater. Mr. Giles, of this parish, dug out 40 dead sheep. Mr. J.
Squire, of the Bedford Hotel, had a flock of sheep and lambs buried in
the snow, on his moorland farm on Whitchurch Down, but he succeeded in
rescuing most of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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