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UPPERBRIDGE AND HOLLOWGATE

The flood now dashed impetuously upon Holmfirth. 

A young man was seen running down the valley giving warning by crying “Flood! Flood!” and here and there a few sleepers were awakened by the ominous sound; but at last this herald of woe sank exhausted to the ground, and others had to take up the alarm. 

Mr Lomax, surgeon, heard the warning, and jumped out of bed.  Running to the window he was horrified to see the water surging and boiling in the road in front of his house.  He saw the toll-bar house carried clean away before his eyes.  He at once alarmed the house, and he, his wife, and family escaped by a back window to neighbouring heights. 

At Upperbridge, a house occupied by Aner Bailey was swept away, and, in spite of all his efforts to save them, he saw his wife and two children carried away by the flood, and the furniture was served the same fate. 

Bailey himself grasped hold of a beam which was floating down the stream, and by a sudden sweep he was brought safely to the left bank of the river, and scrambled out into the turnpike road. 

Hollowgate, a long street on the right bank of the River Holme, suffered severely. 

The bed of the river at this point being hemmed in on both sides, was completely blocked with the accumulating ruins of mills and houses, and the current was consequently diverted from its usual course. 

The toll-bar previously mentioned was situated in Hollowgate, and was occupied by Samuel Greenwood, his wife and child, all of whom perished. 

Greenwood had been seen to come to his door with a lighted candle in his hand, evidently to ascertain what was the matter.  He at once closed the door, but the rushing torrent washed the building away, with its occupants. 

On the same side of the street an extensive warehouse occupied by Messrs. Crawshaw, of Dewsbury, leather curriers, was completely destroyed, and the manager and his family all lost their lives. 

Two cottages a little lower down were occupied by John Ashall, his wife and child, and John Kaye, with whom resided his daughter, her husband, and their child.  All these persons were carried away by the flood and drowned, with the exception of John Kaye, who was driven by the force of the current into Victoria Square, a little lower down the street, near to the Rose and Crown Inn, the landlord which from a window saw Kaye floating in the water, and he put a pole our of the window, which was grasped by Kaye, and by this means his life was spared.

The premises occupied by Mr. Thomas Ellis, a plumber, were inundated by the water, and the lives of the persons sleeping on the premises were placed in great jeopardy. 

Mr Ellis had the presence of mind to force open a small portion of his ceiling of his workshop with a crow-bar, and by this means he got into an upper room, which was on a level with the road at the back.

 Richard Tolson, one of his workmen, lived on the premises, with his wife and four children, and a lodger named James Roberts.  These occupants, on seeing the water already up to the lower edge of their bedroom, and having witnessed the destruction of three houses opposite, made their way up the narrow bedroom chimney and got into the house above them, and were all saved.