South Eastern Gazette - Tuesday 03 January 1837
LOCAL EFFECTS OF THE SNOW STORM.
Rochester, Chatham, &c.- On Saturday the wind blew tremendously from the north all day. Sunday came with still greater terrors. The hurricane was scarcely less violent than that of the 29th Nov. The destruction done to the craft in the river Is very great. Several poor fishermen have lost their boats, and indeed, the damage done far exceeds any thing remembered. Boats from Strood to Sheerness have been either blown on shore and destroyed, sunk, or driven from their moorings. A barge, laden with lime, near Rochester Bridge, caught fire, owing to the sea washing over her, and ultimately sunk. Another barge off Joslin’s wharf, Chatham, also sunk on Sunday night. The damage done to houses has been extensive. At Brompton, a stack of chimneys of a house, occupied by Mr. Hayes, hair dresser, was blown down, beating in the roof and burying the inmates in the ruins. They were providentially got out without sustaining any very serious injury. The water mill, belonging to Hulkes' brewery, was blown down in Chatham, and large tree was torn up by the roots, on the brook. A man was passing at the time, but fortunately escaped. Balance, the watchman, of St. Margaret's Bank, whilst on duty, was blown down five times, and bruised very severely. Trade was entirely suspended. On Monday and Tuesday there was scarcely a shop open, and the streets were literally choked with snow. Not a stage coach passed through the towns for three days— although upon an average forty pass daily. On the main road, on each side of the town, snow laid in many places seventeen feel deep; and in the cut at West Hill, known as "Davis’s Straights." the snow had drifted to the depth of thirty feet. The Yarmouth steamer was driven into this port on Monday evening, with the loss of bowsprit, anchor, &c. A man arrived here with foreign mail in a cart, from Gravesend, having effected his journey across the fields in six hours. It was found impossible, however, to forward it on. On Tuesday morning, a mail was dispatched to London, about seven o'clock; and it was ascertained that in four hours it had reached no further than Chalk; after a severe struggle over hedges, fields, &c, An application was made for the military on Monday night, to open the road leading to Gravesend, which was readily granted; and about four hundred soldiers marched from the barracks, on Tuesday morning, each carrying shovel; and before night effected a passage. On Wednesday, the vans began to run, and the "Commodore" coach, for the first time in the week, made its appearance for London. At Strood, at the bottom of the hill near the milestone, a cottage was completely buried in snow, and the inmates had to be dug out.
