1852.] PRESTWICH ON THE HOLMFIRTH FLOOD. 229 



stroyed, and no inconsiderable injury otherwise done ; whilst the 

 fields, that were overflowed, are covered in places by sand and gravel, 

 which, however, gradually decreases in quantity and becomes finer. 

 The last strong action of the flood is exhibited at Berry Brow, within 

 two miles of Huddersfield. The stone walls of the churchyard, which 

 is situated in the valley, have, on the two sides transverse to the 

 valley, been thrown down, and the stones carried a distance of 100 

 to 1 50 feet. Near Huddersfield the waters rose 6 to 8 feet, but, 

 beyond covering some of the meadows with sand, they did no material 

 damage. 



The large iron boilers of various mills destroyed in the course of 

 the stream were carried to considerable distances by the flood. That 

 at Digley Mill, which weighed 10 to 12 tons, was found more than a 

 mile lower down the valley. At Smithey's Place, two miles below 

 Holmfirth, an equally large boiler was swept away, and now lies in 

 the bed of the river at Berry Brow. 



Notwithstanding the force and violence of the torrent, fishes, with 

 which the reservoir was well stocked, were transported a long way 

 comparatively uninjured ; many were picked up around Holmfirth 

 in a state perfectly fit for use. I could find no shells or fragments of 

 shells in the transported gravel or sand ; neither did I observe any 

 in the bed of the reservoir. 



The fragments of rock show but little or no water-wear. They are 

 chipped, much broken, and angular. 



Of the slope of the valley I cannot speak. Between the Reservoir 

 and Holmfirth, judging from the number of mills, the descent must 

 be considerable. The passage of the flood-waters down to Holmfirth 

 is said to have been effected in a quarter of an hour, and in an hour 

 the waters had retired. The main fall of the flood was, however, almost 

 as rapid as the rise. In some of the descriptions of this catastrophe, 

 it is said that the debris of the embankment was carried down the 

 valley to a distance of three miles, but this, owing to the structure of 

 the valley, appears to me to be questionable ; for, as before mentioned, 

 the valley consists of open flats and narrow passes, and it is in these 

 latter that the force of the flood has been especially felt. This is 

 particularly apparent in that part of the valley which is only 20 to 

 30 yards vride, just below Digley Mill. The diagram, fig. 2, p. 226, 

 shows generally the form of the excavation effected at the base of these 

 passes : c marks the position and usual highest level of the stream ; 

 a represents the sloping surface, to a height of 10 to 20 feet Above 

 the stream, as it existed before the flood ; h indicates by a dotted 

 line the surface as it now exists after the flood. In these parts of 

 their course the waters rose from 20 to 30 feet. Field-walls, houses, 

 mills, and bridges, in these narrower places, were swept away with 

 irresistible force, and many hundred tons of debris scattered over the 

 valley. 



But it seems to me that the debris has in almost every case been 

 deposited, as might be expected, in the more open space succeeding; 

 each pass ; and there the trail of debris gradually diminishes. At the 

 passes, the waters, being again pent up, have torn up fresh materials 



