Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 11 September 1931
Floodlights.
Incidents of the Week-End.
Tragedy and Comedy
Though there are no reports from the urban districts that damage to roads by subsidence through the floods was caused, we learn that expense will be incurred owing to road surfaces being washed away in many parts. Officials of the district councils have been put to a great deal of inconvenience and extra work.
At Swinton the new sewage works, where most of the machinery is below ground wets flooded and disorganised, but fortunately the most important part of the plant, the paddles, was not stopped, and by Monday everything was in order.
At Piccadilly waterworks, where some machinery is also below ground, flooding occurred, but the pumping was not interfered with for any length of time.
The sewage works at Wath were stopped at 9-30 a.m. on Friday, when there was four and a half feet of flood water over the engines. The water receded rapidly and the engines were going again on Monday evening. The flood entailed a thorough cleaning of the engines and engine -house. The Wath waterworks boreholes were flooded during the week-end, and thousands of gallons of water had to be pumped away day and night.
The most serious road damage in the Wath urban area was in Midland Terrace where, when the floods were at their highest, there was well over five feet of flood water. As it receded it took the causeway with it and a length of fencing. Water also found its way into the gas mains and caused considerable trouble.
From the beginning of the month up to Sunday, 2.43 inches of rain fell in the Mexboro’ urban area, 2.37 falling on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This is not a record by any means, for several years ago over three inches fell on Bank Holiday Monday. But the floods filled the sump at the pumping station, which was surrounded by water’ to a depth of three feet on the north side, and two feet on the south side. The sewage works, being on high land, were not affected, though they were surrounded by floods.
Swinton Looks On.
Swinton, though surrounded by devastation, escaped serious damage. The Don overflowed and covered many acres of arable land, including a field of growing wheat and a field of cut grass owned by Mr. J. Sharpley. but the effect may not be so disastrous as it at first appeared.
On Saturday crowds watched corn, timber, and all kinds of debris, including a hay stack, swirl past at easily 15 miles an hour. Never before has such a sight been seen, though the river has occasionally swamped the fields between Kilnhurst and Mexboro’.
Wood Street allotments escape miraculously because for several years this region has been the first to suffer from heavy downpours. Trippers by a L.N.E.R. excursion to Scarboro’ on Sunday made the outward journey easily, but during the day the flood water near Malton rose to such an extent that it was only with the utmost care that traffic could pass. This caused delay, and the excursionists reached home several hours late,
Rafting at Thurnscoe
Though the floods at Thurnscoe were not so extensive as some in the lower parts, they were the worst experienced for quarter of a century.
The Houghton – Thurnscoe road was converted into a wash, Merrill road was 18 inches under water, and a new spot for Thurnscoe was introduced into many of the fields: that of rafting