14 



lightning is from us. Eoughly approximating the distance an electric dis- 

 chai'ge is from us, for every five seconds between vrheii the lightning is seen 

 and thunder heard may be reckoned one mile. 



The general direction of the storm was from K.W. by W., or in the 

 general direction of a line drawn from Hampton Park to Morton Jeffries. 



William Holt, who lives near the wood, and whose house was within the 

 influence of the whu-lwind, informs us that the noise from the thunder and 

 the crashing of the trees was terrific, and lasted not more than two minutes. 

 It occurred about four o'clock p.m. on Sunday, the 7th July. We are inclined 

 to agree ^vith him that the duration of the whirlwind was much nearer two 

 minutes than live to fifteen minutes, as given in the newspaper reports. 



There is one oak tree with a straight stem 50ft. long up to the beginning 

 of the branches, and Cft. Sin. in girth, and containing about 100 cubic feet of 

 timber, thrown down at right angles to the general direction of the storm 

 before it arrived here. In this wood the trees are thrown and twsted in 

 every direction ; large trees are twisted and rent into laths. Two or more 

 •."iolent storms must have met here, causing the whii-lwind, so called from its 

 rotary character. Mr. and Mrs. Holt call it by the very descriptive name of 

 "whirligig." 



Whirlwinds are usually attended with thimder, lightning, and other elec- 

 trical phenomena, and they constitute the centre of an aerial commotion, all 

 around the focus of which a profound calm prevails. This whirlwind was of 

 large diameter, about 200 feet, a size never recorded as exceeded in this part 

 of the world. We have every reason to think that nothing like this whirl- 

 wind has ever been observed, or at least recorded in England. The force 

 exerted must have been most terrific, and beyond all calculation. 



However, to give a rude guess to the force exerted by this whirlwind, let 

 us compare great things to small. A horse power is equal to 60,0001bs raised 

 one foot high. This whirlwind threw down and twisted the trees of a ten- 

 :\cre coppice in two minutes, and it will be no exaggeration to state that the 

 force that caused this was greater than could be exercised by all the locomo- 

 tives in Great Britain at the same time. 



We would strongly recommend the Woolhope Club to have photographs 

 taken at once before the fallen trees and branches are removed, and we would 

 suggest that an additional meeting of the Club to visit tlie place be shortly 

 held. 



We next visited an orchard belonging to Mr. H. Griffiths. Nine-tenths 

 of the trees are blown down, and they contain more ai)ples and pears than 

 any trees we have seen this year. There is a {lear tree down that measures 

 6 feet 3 inches in circumference, at G feet above the ground. 



Mr. Sessions, who kindly gave us a good deal of information, has had his 

 orcliard entirely thrown down. 



Two large trees were blown down across the cottage of Edward Chandler, 

 witliout doing any very great injury except displacing some bricks in the 



