Mayor calls meeting to help alleviate flood distress
FREDERICK H Lewis, the Mayor of Belfast, had convened a public meeting in the Town Hall to make arrangements for the relief of "the poor people" who had suffered from the effects of floods in the town this week in 1869, reported the News Letter.
Attending the meeting were Thomas McClure, MP, Samuel McCausland, JP, J Mehan, JP, William Mullan, JP, the Rev Charles Seaver, the Rev Hugh Hanna, Robert Boag, Esq, John Browne Jnr, and J Clarke.
The Mayor having explained the object of the meeting, said that whatever steps the meeting deemed advisable and necessary to take to alleviate the distress and suffering occasioned in some districts of the town by the floods ought to be taken promptly.
He added that during the mayoralty of both Mr Mullan and Mr Taylor they had had to deal with something of the same kind and thus he turned to these two gentlemen for suggestions on actions which could be taken.
Mr Mullan said that during his year of office the Sandy Row district had been inundated by the overflowing of the Blackstaff.
He recalled: "There was a great deal of distress caused by it amongst the poorer inhabitants in the locality, but the suffering was very much alleviated by the measures adopted for drying and warming the houses of those who were not themselves able to afford to purchase the coals necessary for the purpose."
Mr Mullan said: "In some of these tenements – indeed in a great many of them – two or three families resided, and for those living on the basement and first floor, immediate assistance was absolutely necessary, in the shape of a liberal supply of coals."
As for what had happened in 1869 he said he would suggest that 30 or 40 tons of coal should be sent round the districts affected immediately. In Mr Mullan's view he thought there were no more efficient or reliable a set of persons to undertake the distribution than Belfast's own sanitary staff.
He added: "I do not approve of the plan formerly adopted of issuing tickets, which was productive of evil as well as good, as many of those to whom they were given sold their tickets and bought whisky."
He continued: "Nor would the system meet the requirements of the case, for it happened in some instances that, the head of the house being at work, there would be no person to come and take the coal but perhaps an old or infirm person, who could not do so."
The Mayor then told the meeting that he had asked Mr Boag, the chairman of the Sanitary Committee, to send the staff officer to the different districts affected by the floods ahead of the meeting to assess the situation.
Mr Boag handed in the report which contained in a concise tabular form the names and residences of the different families requiring assistance and which also showed that Ballymacarrett had suffered "very severely" from the flooding.
Next to speak at the meeting in the Town Hall was Mr Taylor who said that he had "about 21 or 22 on hand" which the balance of an old fund which he would make available and which would be "a good beginning" in alleviating the suffering from the floods.
Meanwhile, the Rev Charles Seaver suggested that it would be better to hold this money over for future contingencies..."
This suggestion was adopted and a subscription was then opened. Alderman Mullan and Mr Browne were deputed by the meeting to purchase the coal and ten cart-loads were immediately to be sent to the suffering districts.
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Weather for Belfast
Wednesday 15 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 8 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South west
