Cambridge Independent Press

Cambridge Independent Press 20 November 1875

The year 1875 will be remembered by the inhabitants of Ramsey by the great loss occasioned by the overflow of an immense quantity of water this autumn. On Saturday night, between nine and ten, there was considerable alarm lest part of the High Street should be flooded, which was never the case by the largest overflow that was ever known. If it had occurred three hours later, when the people were in bed, some part of the High Street must have been flooded.

It appears that the large gratings all became choked by the rubbish brought by the water from the fields and land leading towards Bury. Finding no escape by the usual channel, overflowed the road and rushed along the High Street, and would soon have been in the houses had not the rubbish been cleared from the gratings.

On Sunday a bank in Walton Fen gave way, and the water suddenly overflowed the Old and New Fen, and the cottagers had to leave their homes to save their lives, not having time to save scarcely anything. The land in Meer-side is to a considerable extent covered with water, and in the Hollow, with a first-rate steam engine, the water cannot be kept from overflowing the low lands.

Lots of farms in the parish are covered with water in the different districts, and it is thought the corn already sown will be destroyed, and that it will be some time before the land will be fit to allow the farmers to sow again. This year, on some of the lowest land, the loss to the agricultural turf men will be very great, more than ever known in the memory of man. The stacks of corn in the flooded parts are several feet under water, and also a great many stacks of turf belonging to poor men, dug during the winter, and potatoes which have been stored will be worthless, as they invariably rot when 24 hours under water, whatever care may be taken of them afterwards. The extent of the loss we cannot estimate.

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