THE EMBANKMENT GIVES WAY

Just before the stroke of one, whilst the moon was shining brightly over the varied romantic landscape, the ponderous embankment with a roar as loud as a peal of thunder, burst outwards, and the pent-up waters escaped on their mission of death and desolation. 

Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey

One eye-witness who saw the embankment give way, described the scene as the rising of an immense sheet of mist, accompanied by a rumbling sound like thunder. 
In about thirty minutes the immense reservoir was emptied of its waters.

On rushed the waters, roaring with renewed fury as they swept down each successive obstruction, carrying with them amongst the wreck of houses, mills, and other buildings, struggling men, women and children, and the air was filled with death shrieks, which were heard above the roar of the waters. 

From statements made at the time, it would seem that the whole body of accumulated waters had tumbled down the valley together, sweeping all before it, throwing a four storey mill down like a thing of nought, tossing boilers about like feathers, and carrying death and destruction in its progress. 

The passage of the waters down to Holmfirth, a distance of three miles occupied about twenty minutes.

In consequence of the narrowness between the mountain bluffs on either side, a vast volume of water was kept together to spread its force upon Holmfirth, where the mass of shops, houses, and other buildings might have been expected to present a formidable barrier to its further progress. 

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service.

The check, however, was but momentary, for the flood, with the mass of floating wreck which it carried in its bosom, shot through buildings, gutting some and tumbling down others, until it found a further outlet, and passed on, doing more or less damage lower down the valley at Thongsbridge, Honley, and Armitage Bridge. 

After passing the latter place the flood got more into the open country, spreading itself out in the fields, and swelling the rivers down below Huddersfield, and even so far away as Mirfield and Wakefield.