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Cliff Fall buried POOLE dwellinghouse - more detail
POOLE FAMILY TRAGEDY 1910:
Dover, December 14.
A most melancholy and fatal accident happened here this morning. - at about a quarter past six an immense portion of the cliff situated directly over the Ordnance Yard at the top of the Upper Rope Walk adjoining Guilford Battery, came down, burying the unfortunate inhabitants of the house below. By this dreadful catastrophe, a woman and six children were crushed to death. The father of this unhappy family - a Mr POOLE - a worthy and industrious man, was just leaving the door of his house at the moment of the accident, part of the rubbish fell on him but he was extricated alive, although most dreadfully bruised. Within a few minutes after, an immense number of persons were collected together and commenced digging with the hope of extricating some more of the sufferers but from the great quantity of earth which had fallen several hours elapsed before they came to any of the bodies, which have been all taken out except one of the children. All of course dead and shockingly disfigured. -
The quantity of earth and chalk fallen down is computed at many thousand tons; - indeed it is impossible to form an idea of the ravage it has occasioned. The greatest praise is due to all the persons employed in clearing away the rubbish for their prompt and unwearied exertions.
Dec. 16: A coroner's inquest was yesterday held on the bodies of Mrs POOLE, her five children and a child of Mrs POOLE's sister, who were crushed to death by the falling of the cliff on Friday morning last. Verdict. - accidental death. - the poor man is as well as can be expected. The last body was taken out about five o'clock on Friday evening. - most fortunate was it the accident happened so early as a workshop adjoining POOLE's dwelling was also buried and in a few hours many workmen would have been employed therein. - Certainly with the exception of the Earthquake, this is the most dreadful of all human calamities - not a moment's warning to the unhappy sufferers of their approaching fate - all instantaneously crushed to death!!
(Kentish Gazette 18 Dec 1810 back page col.4. )
------- and the next paragraph reports there was a tremendous fall of cliff in the middle of Snargate Street, eastward of the Barracks which stood above the street. Many people left their beds to run across the street. Both these accidents have happened in parts of the cliff which appeared to have been the most solid.)
POOLE family - Dover Cliff Fall of a Century Ago: (from report in newspaper):
The incident recorded on the following memorial card sent us by Mr C.H.GARDNER of Ringwould, is well known to older Dovorians, but will be new to many present day residents:-
"SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF Eliza Poole, wife of John Poole, aged 48 years; also of John Poole aged 13 years;
Luke Poole aged 11 years; Emma Poolel aged 9 years; Benjamin Poole aged 6 years; William Poole aged 4 years and Sophia Javes aged 6 years, niece of the above;
who, in the hours of sleep, and in the midst of health and happiness, were all destroyed by a fall of the Cliff, on the 14th of December 1810.
Free from the cares that cross this fleeting stream, Here rest the victims of a helpless doom,
Unconscious of the blast or day serene That blows or beams upon their humble tomb.
Sleep on, sweet innocents; fond mother, sleep, Till heaven shall call thee to the realms of joy,
When angels blest eternal vigils keep, And all is happiness without alloy.
[The above is copied from the stone on the vault in the East corner of St James's Churchyard, Dover]
The above melancholy event took place about six o'clock in the morning, between the Gas House and Guilford Battery.
A singular circumstance occurred in connection with this fatal fall of the cliff. A pig, belonging to the family , at the rear of the premises, was buried beneath the fallen mass, and dug out alive on the 23 May 1811, after having subsisted without food, thirty feet under the surface of the earth, for the space of 160 days. The weight of the above animal was eight score when buried and on being dug out was reduced to two score. It was kept for some considerable time after, and when killed weighed 13 score 8 lbs." (Dover Express 14.1.1916 p.4 col.3)