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Floods, St John's in the
Vale
Dreadful Storm in Cumberland
THERE happened about four years ago a most dreadful storm of
thunder and ligtening (sic), in these parts, which bursting
over the mountains, was attended with such a torrent of
rain, as considerably changed the face of the country, and
did incredible damage, in the vale below
The vale is called St John's Vale, and as I lately passed
through it, I took a draught of the mountains, as they now
appear, which I send you, with a more particular account of
the storm, than has been yet published.
The precipices on the left of this vale, as you pass along
the road D from Keswic to Ambleside, very much resemble
volcano's, and look as if they were half burnt. The ascent
is for several miles covered with rude fragments of
different sizes and figure, which storms and torrents have
torn from the native rock, and is ploughed into many
hollows, down which the cataracts have poured, when a water
cloud has been broken at the top, which very frequently
happens, and produces such rain, as the inhabitants of level
countries have never seen.
Above these precipices other mountains, still higher,
terminate the view, and the vale below is a narrow, but
fertile spot, the inhabitants of which, have, from time to
time, removed the loose stones, which were driven down upon
them, and formed them, by degrees, into a fence, against the
fury of other inundations.
The hollows, or channels which wind down the declivity, and
when I saw them were dry, become gradually wider, and more
shallow, as they descend to that part of the mountain which
is less steep; the waters in proportion as they spread, lose
their force, cover a larger tract, and fall with less
rapidity.
In the afternoon, which preceded the storm, it was perceived
to thunder and lighten incessantly beyond Skiddow, (see v.18
p.291.) is one of our highest mountains, the cloud from
which the tempest proceeded, came at length, up to the
mountain, but not being high enough to pass over it,
divided, one half of it went away north east, and meeting
with no opposition, it discharged a great quantity of water,
on the plains of Wigton, and Carlisle, over which, it
hovered till about nine o'clock at night, and then moved
farther in the same direction, but so slowly that its
explosions were not out of hearing till two in the morning.
The other half went through a vale called Threlcot, and over
the rocks on one side of Keswic, called Lady Rocks, meeting
no opposition till it came to the mountains which bound St
John's vale, and by these it was stopped. It became every
moment more dense, by the accession of vapours, which being
still in motion, pressed upon it, and soon after it poured
down a torrent of rain, which lasted eight hours. The
thunder still continued, and the darkness which might almost
be felt, became more dreadful by the flashes which broke it
at short intervals with a sulphureous light; to the noise of
the thunder, was added that of the cataracts, and of the
fragments of the rock, which they drove before them; the
fences were overturned in a moment, the fields covered with
the ruins of the mountains, under which, the cottages were
first crushed, and then swept away by the torrent. The
inhabitants, who were scarce less astonished and terrified,
than they would have been at the sound of the last trumpet,
and the dissolution of nature, ran together from under the
roofs that sheltered them, less they should be beaten in
upon their heads, and finding the waters rush down all round
them in an impetuous deluge, which had already covered the
ground, such of them as were able, climbed the neighbouring
trees, and others got on the tops of hay stacks, where they
sat exposed, at once, to the lightening and the rain,
discovering by the light of every flash, some new ruin, and
every moment ex-
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