Steve T
Secretary & Website Editor
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Keawyed City
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 Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject: Cattle in the Irwell |
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Last night Graham and Chris were talking about the time cattle were washed down the river, and Graham has emailed me the details:
From here: http://archive.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.uk/2000/10/10/710980.html
| Quote: | Thugs stampede cattle into swollen river
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Tuesday 10th Oct 2000.
GUNMEN stampeded a herd of cattle into a swollen river where they were carried downstream for two miles.
The animals were eventually rescued after being washed over a weir and narrowly missing a group of canoe enthusiasts.
Farmer Eric Entwistle branded the gun-firing thugs who forced the 28 heifers into the River Irwell "evil and sadistic".
He and fellow rescuers faced a frantic race against time to save the young cows from drowning as they became more fatigued and distressed.
The drama happened at Mr Entwistle's Springside Farm at Walmersley at noon on Saturday (Oct 7).
He heard the gunfire but thought nothing of it until he went into his field 15 minutes later to discover his cattle in the water. "These people had been shooting guns at them and had driven them from the field into the Irwell," said Mr Entwistle.
"They must have known they were probably driving the heifers to their deaths."
Minutes later, the countryside ranger at the Burrs Country Park reported seeing the struggling cattle in the water. Shocked canoeists were forced to paddle out of their way and back on to dry land.
One man suffered bruising when he was attacked by one of the cows as he tried to force it from one side of the riverbank to a rescue point on the other side.
The plight of the animals also caused upset to many passengers who witnessed the drama as they travelled on an East Lancs Railway train.
"The animals were floundering in the river. It was very fast flowing and deep. All you could see were their nostrils," disclosed the farmer.
Apart from being forced to keep themselves afloat in the torrent, the cattle also had to negotiate a 25ft weir at Burrs as they were carried towards Woodhill, Bury, near to the Peel Mills.
Mr Entwistle went on: "I alerted my nephew at his farm at Woodhill. He took his own cattle towards the riverbank.
"When the heifers saw them they fought their way to the banking."
Later, he and his nephew had to separate both sets of cattle. The distress caused one cow to abort her calf.
An upset and angry Mr Entwistle (60), who has been farming for 35 years, blamed youths for the incident.
"They must have known the heifers would have had very little chance. But, by some sheer miracle, they survived."
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph
http://www.lancashireeveningtelegraph.co.uk
© Newsquest Media Group 2000 |
He has also found this picture of the weir at an even higher level:
Steve
_________________
Steve Thomas
Secretary & Website Editor
www.westhoughtoncanoeclub.org.uk
website@westhoughtoncanoeclub.org.uk |
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