142 



•* As the cloud passed on to the north-east, and I looked after 

 It, the end next me had the appearance of a vast crater, emitting 

 forked lightning and flashes of light ; and it was from this 

 crater-like opening that I suppose the lightning was emitted 

 which was visible at Birmingham, after the storm had ceased 

 and the cloud passed on towards Nottingham. 



" All accounts say that meteors and lightning were observed 

 at the rear of the cloud for an hour or two after the tempest. 

 When the cloud had nearly passed over Birmingham, the 

 quantity of ozone which saturated the air at Leamington was 

 so great as to be very unpleasant, and I was obliged to close 

 the window to exclude it. It is to be observed that no rain 

 fell in Leamington at that time, and consequently there was 

 no moisture to absorb the ozone and prevent its accumulation. 

 The lightning always broke from the upper surface of the 

 cloud while it passed before me ; when I looked after it, it 

 came from the inside of the crater-like opening in the rear, but 

 never from the surface next the earth. The unpleasant efTects 

 of the storm on the invalids of my party soon afterwards occu- 

 pied all my attention. 



" This immense cloud, so heavily charged with water, ap- 

 peared to be completely isolated; it did not attract the flying 

 scud, nor did it break into masses ; and the sky became serene 

 and blue when it had passed. I observed its approach from the 

 south-west ; at eight it had reached Birmingham, and at nine 

 it had passed. 1 traced it in the local newspapers in a straight 

 line from Hereford to Nottingham, where it caused prodigious 

 floods, passing over Kidderminster, Dudley, and Birming- 

 ham, in a direction from south-west to north-east. All the 

 newspapers agreed in their general description of brilliant, con- 

 stant lightning, and heavy rain; some also spoke of hail. 



" About twenty miles to the south-west of Birmingham the 

 storm began at seven p. m., and ceased about eight p.m.; 

 at that time it had reached Birmingham, where it raged 

 pi^Diit an hour. 1 therefore conclude tLat the cloud was 



