THE SEVERN TUNNEL. 



63 



On another black board, in tlio porcli of tlie same cliurch, 

 is written : — - 



• " On November 27t;h, 1702, a flood occurred, destroying the sea-bank, 

 drowning mucli cattle, and destroying hayricks, etc." 



It is observable! lioi'O tliat tlio biggest tides never ooour 

 either in January or in IToveraber. 



These great storms on a very big spring-tide are so rare 

 that they hardly occur perhaps once in a century, and people 

 generally do not believe in a thing that has not happened in 

 their lifetime, or in that of their fathers ; hence the notion 

 of these great sea-banks to keep out Severn floods has been 

 somewhat ridiculed. The writer may mention here a singular 

 case which occurred later on. In 1883, on the occasion of a 

 visit of some of the directors to the Severn Tunnel works in 

 the middle of Septomboi', the chairman laughingly I'emarked 

 that he thought those high banks could hardly be necessary, 

 for the South Wales line had now been opened thirty-five 

 years and the rails had never yet been flooded, the sea-bank 

 there being nine or ten feet above the rails. The wi'itei''s 

 reply was tliat he was cj^uito confident tlioy would bo wanted, 

 and that, at any rate, they cost notliing, foi' tliey were made 

 by barrow woi'k, and the saving in the cost of the earthwork 

 more than paid for the additional land. And tlioro the 

 matter dropped; but on the 18th October following a heavy 

 S.S.W. gale occurred upon a big spring-tide, and blow the 

 water to such a height that it flowed over tho commissioners' 

 sea-bank and flooded tho marsh lands to such a depth as to 

 run over the South Wales line of rails eighteen inches deep, 

 and at tho same time to flood the Marsh shaft, and pour 

 down it in a great cascade. There were fifty men below at 

 work ; they all ran to the cage to be hoisted up, but the 

 water had put ont all the engine fires. Thi'ee or four of 



