MR MILNE ON A REMARKABLE OSCILLATION OF THE SEA. 625 



From this register it appears that the storm was little felt at Greenwich, and 

 that the barometer reached its lowest point about 6 P.M., some hours later than 

 at Plymouth and Bristol. Farther, it is important to observe that the gale (if such 

 it can be called) began there with the wind at SSE., and ended in about twenty- 

 four hours after, with the wind at WSW. 



Gloucester. The storm is said to have been at its height here, between 3 and 

 5 P.M. 



Doncaster. Almost immediately after noon, the atmosphere exhibited signs 

 of great disturbance. At 3 P.M. dark clouds, mass rolling over mass, approached 

 from the SW., bringing with them comparative darkness. After a short pause, a 

 sudden rush of wind indicated, that a more violent storm was at hand. It speedily 

 approached with increasing gloom, and blew a complete hurricane, but it was of 

 short continuance. 



Derby. The storm of thunder and lightning commenced about 4 P.M. A 

 house was struck. 



Brimington, Derbyshire (about ten or fifteen miles south of Sheffield). The 

 storm is described as the most terrific remembered. At 5 P.M. it thundered inces- 

 santly, and continued till 6 P.M. without ceasing for an instant. At 6 P.M. the 

 storm came on in all its violence, accompanied by wind and hailstones. 



Sheffield. The following account is extracted, in a letter addressed to me by 

 Mr LUCAS of The Mills, near that town : " The storm, as you will have learnt, 

 was most disastrous in its effects, considering that it only lasted in its utmost fury 

 for about five minutes, in which time something approaching to L.I 0,000 damage 

 was done, and the town afterwards presented the appearance of having sustained 

 a siege, or of having been in the hands of a mob for some hours ; for not only 

 were the windows broken, but in some instances even the frames were partially 

 destroyed. 



" There had been evident indications of an approaching storm all the after- 

 noon ; and having occasion to pay a visit to a friend, resident across the Derbyshire 

 moors, about twelve miles in a direction about due west of the town, I observed 

 several heavy storms pass off on each side of me as I rode along, and fully 

 expected to have been caught in one myself, but I luckily escaped. I also observed 

 that there was an accumulation of nimbi in the zenith, that appeared perfectly 

 stationary, at the same time the atmosphere was densely close and oppressive ; 

 and although we had a heavy thunder-storm where I was, at about 7 P.M., there 

 was little or no hail, and no damage done. At the town of Sheffield, however, it 

 came on about the same hour very suddenly, with a fall of hailstones, some of 

 which were the size of marbles, or rather perhaps of large hazel nuts, as they 

 were of a very irregular shape, and somewhat oblong. As far as I could learn, the 

 storm approached from a point rather S. of W., and passed off in a direction some- 

 what N. of E. The fall of hailstones, however, appears to have been very capri- 

 cious, and to have been confined in some instances to a limited space ; for all that 



VOL. xv. PART iv. 8 P 



