BY THE REV. R. F. WHEELER, M.A. 417 



Whitley. — On the 16th the wind was light in the early part of 

 the day, and there was a heavy fall of rain. In the afternoon 

 the wind gradually increased in violence, and about 8 p.m. blew 

 a strong gale from the N.E. Considerable damage was done to 

 the shipping entering the river, but the casualities were much 

 less than might have been expected. The "Sea Horse" and 

 *' The Friends," both of Aberdeen, were driven ashore at South 

 Shields. The "Blue Jacket," from the Tyne, was lost off the 

 coast of Lincolnshire, and various losses were reported from 

 North Sunderland, Newbiggen, Blyth, Marsden, Sunderland, 

 Hartlepool, and elsewhere on the N.E. coast. 



The gale lasted with great violence until the 20th. 



Seaham. — On the 17th the barometer fell during the day. In 

 the afternoon there was a fall of rain succeeded by a gale of 

 wind. During the night the thermometer fell to 32'^. The 

 ground was frozen hard, and the first ice of the season was seen. 



On the evening of October 23rd, at about 6*30, a meteor, of 

 unusual size and brilliancy, was seen at Seaham. It appeared 

 from behind a bank of clouds to the east and travelled perpen- 

 dicularly. When first seen it was in appearance about the size 

 of a large cricket ball, and was of a pale lilac colour, with a 

 stream of white and most intensely brilliant light. It lasted 

 about four or five seconds and then blazed up to twice its ori- 

 ginal size and disappeared. 



Hartlepool. — The mean force of the wind (Beaufort's scale, 

 1-12) was 4"22. The maximum force was 11. The highest 

 temperature recorded was 67°, the lowest 30°. The heaviest 

 rainfall was 0-62 inch. The mean height of the sea in feet 

 above the general level Avas 1"16. The maximum height 4. 

 The maximum force in cwts. per square foot was 28. 



Solar Halos were seen at Byrness on the 6th and 29th ; at 

 Rothbury on the 7th, 29th, and 31st; at Sunderland on the 6th, 

 7th, 10th, 21st, 29th, and 31st. 



Lunar Halos were seen at Rothbury on the 23rd ; at Sunder- 

 land on the 17th and 22nd ; at Middlesbro' on the 24th. 



