South Yorkshire Times, June 21st, 1969.
Car And Van Completely Submerged On Main Road.
The occupants of a private saloon car and a Barnsley British Co-operative Society van had to scramble for their lives when their vehicles became completely submerged in six feet of floodwater at the height of Wombwell’s worst storm within living memory, on Saturday afternoon.
This was at Aldham Bridge on the main road between Wombwell and Barnsley,at a point where at one stage water was rising at the rate of about eight inches a minute.
To Safety
Mr. Jack. N. Nicholls, (42), of Spring Bank, Darfield, field service engineer employed by a Leicester mining machinery arm, and his 16 year old daughter, Barbara, a pupil of Wombwell High School, had to scramble out of their car and dash for safety to the Barnsley side of the floodwater, and the driver of the Cooperative Society’s radio and television department van, Mr Frank Brook, of 36, West Pinfold, Royston, made his escape in the Wombwell direction.
Barbara Nicholls
Attempting to make their way through an accumulation of floodwater, the drivers became stranded and water then rose so rapidly that they had to “bail out”, and within minutes both vehicles were completely submerged.
Both vehicles were travelling towards Barnsley, and it appeared at the time that the water was no too deep for the to negotiate
Deep Waters.
Mr Nicholls told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter, i was following the van under Aldham ridge and it stopped. i pulled round to overtake, and by doing so got into the middle of the road where the water was deeper. The engine cut out, and would not restart. I tried to get out by moving the car on the starter motor, and though i managed to move some eight or ten yards in that fashion the water was coming up so bad that it was beating me. It came up about eight inches in a minute.
Barbara said the van had turned around, but we realised it was just going round carried by the water. Water was coming up from the car floor and started trickling underneath the door. Loose carpets on the floor and papers i had in the car started floating. I told Barbara it as time we got out.I could not open the door at my side because of the force of the water, but Barbara managed to open her door and we both scrambled out. Not until we actually got into the deep water did i realise how deep it was.
Over The Top
“We were at the Barnsley side of the bridge, so we made a dash for a double-Decker bus which was standing there, and we just dived on to it to escape the storm. The bus driver said he had been watching us and because he feared we were leaving it too late he was ready to come to our aid. When we got on to the bus we could still just see some of the car, but within minutes it was right over the top.
“Then the car started floating back under the bridge and the van was just swishing round and round in the current. My car stopped just short of the wall of the bridge, and then went under completely.”
Mr. Nicholls added. “Had we left it another two minutes before getting out, the car would have been completely flooded with us inside. Barbara is a strong swimmer, and had I not managed to scramble put she would of given me assistance.”
Mr. Nicholls said he never saw the driver of the van, who must have got out and made his way toward Wombwell side.
Dry Clothing
Immediately Barbara phoned her mother to tell her they were safe, and went to the nearby home of a friend, Christine Slack, of Roy Kilner Road, to borrow some clothes, and was given a hot drink. Mr. Nicholls went to the home of another friend, Mr. Raymond Shaw of Wainwright Avenue, where he was given a change of clothing and then taken home by car.
In scrambling on to the bus, Mr. Nicholls injured his leg. When Mr. Nicholls car was recovered by the firm of H. Sykes Ltd., whos Spion Kop garage is nearby, it was covered in weeds and grass. The car is only five months old.
One of the first on the scene was Wombwell Urban Council highways workman, Mr. Ron Bell, of 21, Wainwright Avenue, Wombwell, it was nothing more than “intuition” which took him to the scene, and he was at Wombwell Road Safety Committee’s gala at John Street school after having driven a vehicle carrying the Queen and her retinue.
For Help.
He said, “Knowing that Aldham Bridge is susceptible to flooding i made my way there,and saw two vehicles in the water. They were buoyant, and the van was going round in circles. I dashed to inform the police, and went to the council yard to get some of my colleagues to give some help. When we got back to the scene the vehicles had disappeared under the water, but someone said the occupants had got out safely.”
Mr. Jack Nicholls.
Also quickly there were Me. Charles Wild, of Roy Kilner Road, and Mr. Ian Sykes, of The Hollow, Park Street, Wombwell, both directors of the garage firm. Mr. Sykes was wearing waders, and tried to get to the vehicle, but could not make it.
“I thought at that time someone might have been fast in the vehicles, but was informed that the occupants were safe,” he said. Mr. Wild and Mr. Sykes said they realised there was nothing they could do while the water was rising so they just remained at the scene until they could be of some assistance.
Unawares
The storm shattered a long spell of hot weather, and though it had “threatened” for two days it caught shoppers unawares. With most people wearing summer clothing, they where forced to seek shelter in doorways, entries and anywhere else they could find. Traffic which attempted to keep moving had to plough slowly through torrents of water in the streets and on the slightest incline water gushed in rivers. Mr. Wild said. “Water was rushing down Aldham House Lane like a waterfall. At one time the bungalow situated in the grounds of Priestley’s textile factory at the bottom of the lane was completely marooned.”
The force of the water was so great that a stone wall with four feet high wrought iron railings on top, surrounding the works of Priestley’s factory was smashed.
Two Stranded Vehicles caught by the freak flood waters under Aldham Bridge, Wombwell on Saturday.