1927 - Talsarnau Swamped by an Exceptional Tide referred to as The Llanw Mawr (The Exceptional Tide).
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE 1927 TEMPEST written in 1977.
There are few events that linger long in an area's memory. Such an event for the people of Talsarnau, near Harlech, is the storm of October, 1927, when the sea wall was breached.
That was exactly fifty years ago, and to commemorate the occasion a feature programme was held by the Adran ac Aelwyd yr Urdd, Talsarnau, at the village hall last Thursday evening.
The CYMRO was in the area, asking about the recollections of some of the older residents, and having a chat with some of the people who arranged the feature programme.
Talsarnau is a village about four miles from Harlech. It is raised on level ground just above sea level. Like the former Cantre'r Gwaelod, a sea wall had to be erected to protect Talsarnau from the sea's rage.
Friday, October 28, 1927 was a very rough day. The wind was howling and the sea was very rough. It was a similar scene across the country. The storm raged into the evening, reaching its peak between nine and ten o'clock at night. Even the 1905 Reform did not see such a mighty tempest and such sweeping torrents!
It whipped across the country as a whole, but in the north, Cardigan Bay seemed to suffer the most. The force of the water and wind proved too much for the sea wall at Talsarnau and there the most damage was done. Many animals and property were lost and destroyed, but by a strange miracle no human life was lost.
However several people had narrow escapes. Such was Humphrey Williams, his son and son-in-law. They were caught in a field not far from the station, but seeing that they were in danger the three climbed to the top of a haystack. The sea carried the hay-stack and all, and when the water subsided the roof lay on the hay but no one was injured.
The torrent struck the house of Llys Myfyr without warning. It came in through the back and Mrs Evans escaped out through the front and to Mrs Evans' house, the Chapel House opposite. The water was up to her shoulders and when the door was opened, she was carried in by the force of the water.
John Jones, Bryn Street was at work cleaning the school and was trapped there by the storm. He escaped by climbing to the top of one of the beams, and managed to ring the school bell to let it be known that he was safe. He was there until two o'clock in the morning.
ON TOP OF A LAMP POST
Mr William Owen, Penbryn, was caught by the tide, and had to climb a street lamp-post near Talsarnau Village Hall. He hung there with his feet in the water until he was rescued.
It was the following morning that the aftermath was seen. Animals lay dead, haystacks torn apart and carried a distance from their original places; walls collapsed and fallen trees. Many of the houses, chapel and school were flooded and thousands of pounds worth of damage caused.
HEARTBREAKING
"The scene was certainly very heartbreaking", said Celt Roberts, headmaster of the local school and one of those busy preparing the feature programme on the occasion of the disaster's 50th anniversary. "Looking back today, it's an unfortunate piece of the district's history and hardly a handful of the inhabitants of the locality remember the history. Some of the older residents remember the incident well and others just have some childhood memory", he said wryly.
ENTERD THROUGH THE BEDROOM WINDOW - THE STORY OF MRS SHANW WILLIAMS (PICTURED)
Mrs J C Williams (Mrs Shanw Williams as she is known in the neighbourhood) was in service in Dorchester at that time. She had come to stay with a friend of hers to Denbigh but decided to come home to Ty'n y Ffridd, Yr Ynys, Talsarnau. "It had been a terrible storm across the country", she said "and I remember arriving in Corwen by train and seeing the dead cattle in the ditches".
Onwards then to Dolgellau and the station master ordering everyone to get out of the train and sending them to a hotel in the town. She knew that the Barmouth and Harlech areas had been worst hit by the storm, and naturally she was worried about her parents. "I finally managed to catch a bus to Barmouth, and walked home from there ". There was a grim scene awaiting her in Llanbedr - drowned sheep and a terrible mess. "When I got to the top of Harlech and looked about, all I could see was the tops of the trees".Although several begged her not to go any further, Mrs Williams carried on. Walking on the road up to her knees in water and climbing into the higher fields every now and then until she reached Ty'n y Ffridd.
Seeing that there was a ladder up against the side of the house, she shouted to her mother and was relieved to see that all was well and went in through the bedroom window. "Water had reached up to the ninth step on the stairs ", she said.
BORN IN A STORM (PHOTO)
A few minutes after midnight on that unforgettable night in October 1927, a daughter was born at Ty Newydd, Yr Ynys. The local nurse and doctor were at the house that night. Mrs Roberts, Ty Newydd, had meant to name the girl Mary Gale, but the doctor suggested the name 'Mordon' (which means sea wave) to commemorate the evening.
Miss Mary Mordon Roberts still lives there today. "According to the history my mother's sister had come to stay here from Shrewsbury for a while, and the nurse was also here", said Miss Roberts. "The storm had been raging for hours. My father heard some noise outside the door, and when he opened it the water came flooding in. There was probably about three and a half feet of water in the house, and it put the fire out". The nurse and her aunt moved to the bedroom and the father went down to the bottom of the garden to try and save the two pigs. "He brought them both to the house and put them on the table in the middle of the supper dishes", said Miss Roberts, "and there they were until the morning completely worn out!
FISHING WOODBINES FROM THE WATER - (The story of William Defi Jones - Wil Dei)
William Defi Jones - Wil Dei known to everyone in the area, who now lives in Harlech but hails from Talsarnau, was the link between the items in the Feature Programme. He was seven years old when the great tide came and lived at 5 Bryn Street, Talsarnau."
"One of the things I remember about the incident was seeing packets of cigarettes swimming on the surface of the water the next morning. They were packets of two Woodbines then – and I remember the lads fishing them out of the water and taking them home to dry them in the oven. Not that I am proud of it, he said, but I have smoked ever since".