Transcribed from the Clare Journal and Ennis Advertiser, Published 11 December 1856 STATE OF THE TOWN The recent bad weather has revealed the fact, that the cleaning organization of Ennis is not equal to the emergency. It will be handed down to posterity as an important piece of information, that our Town Commissioners have the bump of faith so largely developed that they believe the same staff, the same appliances, and the same energy, only is required on a slobbery winter's day, as when the warmth of May dries up the stagnant pools in our confined streets and narrow lanes. We have heard of a person, who has actually returned from a journey down Mill-street and back without the loss of life or limb. A person in ignorance of the locality, may smile at this, and think it no wonder; but a visit would at once show the dangers to be encountered, and the contrivances necessary for a successful journey in that region of mud and puddle. We have received several communications respecting the manner in which the Town Commissioners perform the duty entrusted to them. With the solitary! exception of Jail, and Church-street, as far as Bindon-street, the rest of the Town is almost neglected. The spasmodic efforts of the wretched staff are wasted in the localities first mentioned, and the rest has to content itself with a mere apology for cleaning. There are neither sufficient men, horses, or cars, and the result is dirt, and a want of economy. It is useless to try and impress on the Commissioners the saving that would result from the increased quantity and value of the manure, if better arrangements were made for collecting it. As it is the arrangements, answer tolerably in fine weather, but on the approach of winter, they are like the Crimean transport system, rotten and defective when most required. There is also another serious cause of complaint, in the neglect of the Inspector of Nuisances. There are parts of the town that have not been visited for months, and the most useful officer the town can boast of, is of very very little use for the purpose for! which he was appointed. We shall have to refer to this subjec! t again before long, when we hope to be able to state that these abuses have been rectified. THE STORM Inundation at ENNIS. - We have to report one of the heaviest storms of wind and rain which has visited Ennis for some time past. As we mentioned in our last, the atmosphere for some days last week had been surcharged with moisture, and the heavy falls of rain had filled the water courses. On Monday night the wind rose, and Tuesday morning it was blowing a hurricane from the south-west. It raged with terrific violence until the close of the day, stripping several houses of slates, blowing down corn and hay stacks, and even levelled a house at Kilnamona. At Newmarket and Quin it was very violent, though unattended with serious damage. In the Shannon the waves rose to a great height, breaking over the usual boundaries in several places. In Ennis about half-past three o'clock, the tide met the floods from the lakes, and being unable to find an exit from the storm blowing up the channel, overflowed its banks and laid the lower part of the town under water. The water extended a co! nsiderable distance up Church-street, the Causeway, and Mill-street, and although it caused considerable inconvenience it did no serious damage. Between Ennis and Clare it carried away a portion of the embankment recently erected under the superintendence of the Board of Works. While inspecting the injuries done to the bank, we understand that Mr. Kelly, Civil Engineer, was placed in considerable danger, the water rose above his knees, and were it not for his perfect knowledge of the locality, his life might have been forfeited. Several persons were struck by the falling slates, but the injuries they sustained were unimportant. At Galway the violence of the storm was similarly felt. At Cork is was very severe. That its violence was in some measure abated when it reached Dublin. Repeating it ravages at Limerick, we et, the Reporter speak for itself. LIMERICK, Tuesday. - Last night Limerick was visited by a most violent storm of wind and rain. The wind blew in howling gusts, driving the rain on before it, with a velocity that was really fearful; and at the moment we write, (12 o'clock this day,) the gale continues with unabated fury. It would be almost impossible to say from what point the wind is blowing, for to whatever place you turn out of doors you are made to feel its force, particularly in open spaces, where it has full room to play. Several houses were much damaged; slates and tiles were driven off them in large quantities, and, as these fell into the streets, the danger to passers-by became very imminent. A woman, passing along Francis-street, was struck in the back with three or four slates that same whirling down from an adjacent house; but she was not materially injured. Persons going along Bank Place, Merchant's Quay, &c, had narrow escapes of being hurt by the falling slates, and many walked in the centre o! f streets, dreading the danger of keeping to the flag-way, occasioned by the falling thereon of tiles, chimney pots, bricks, and the top most parts of decayed houses. A timber theatre, the property of a peregrinating company, which had been erected on the wide open at Bank Place, was blown to the ground; and a similar establishment; erected near the county court-house, on Merchants' Quay, though not blown down, was much injured. It was partially preserved by the shelter of the court-house, and by ropes fastened from the wood work to the iron bars that surround the potatoe-market. It was only the very strongest description of building that could bear the fury - the rage of winds. No material injury has been otherwise sustained as far as we have heard, except to the Magneyic Telegraph poles which have been blown down, in some places, by which the wires have been cut through, and the communication impeded. We are thus without intelligence of any description by Magnetic Telegra! ph up to the present hour (half past twelve o'clock.) The roof! of a ho use, property of Mr. G. M. Goggin, in Cornwallis-street, was completely blown off, and one of the chimneys of the Presentation Convent, Sexton-street, was hurled to the ground with great violence. There was a very large flood in the Shannon this evening, and boats plying on the North Strand and Arthur's Quay. - Reporter.

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