Eeports on the Great Storm of October, 1881. 211 



some instances reduced to matchwood, as if a bomb shell had burst in the 

 centre of the tree. Large Oaks are in the same state, proving the irresist- 

 able force of the tempest. 



I have endeavoured to describe the suddenness of the advent of the 

 storm. The accurate information is given by the Barometer ; which fell 1 

 inch during Thursday night the 13th inst., and within an hour of the ad- 

 vent of the storm began to quickly rise — the mercury rising 1| inches 

 before 11 p.m. on Friday the 14th. 



No such destructive gale has occurred in this district in the memory of 

 man, although in 1856, 1st of February, I recollect a terrible S.W. gale 

 which obstructed the roads with trees. At the worst of the present 

 storm, the wind was due N., which can be easily seen from the trees all 

 lying north and south. CHARLES STUAET, M.D. Edin. 



Hillside Cottage, Chirnside, N.B., 

 Berwickshire. 



Maechmont House, Beewickshiee. 



This estate is in latitude 55" 43' 30" and longitude 2° 25' 20", and about 

 20 miles from the sea. The inclination of the ground is from north-west 

 to south-east and the plantations range from an elevation of 400 feet to 

 900 feet above the sea, chiefly in belts running east and west, and the 

 extraordinary gale of the 14th October, 1881, blowing as it did from the 

 north committed serious havoc amongst the trees all over the property. 



The gale commenced about 11-45 a.m. from the north-west, and con- 

 tinued about 10 minutes, when there was a lull of 15 minutes, after which 

 it veered round to the north, and blew with terrific violence for the space 

 of two hours, cutting its way through the trees, uprooting most, and 

 snapping others at various heights from one foot to thirty feet above the 

 ground, some of the trunks, at the last mentioned height, being 30 inches 

 in diameter, and some of the branches of the Oaks were crushed to the 

 earth as if an enormous weight had fallen upon them. This was particu- 

 larly noticed, no doubt brought about by the Oaks rooting deeper and their 

 being better able to stand the wind pressure, while the toughness of vas- 

 cular or fibrous substance enabled them to hold out until their limbs were 

 severed at the joints, and hung in half dismembered masses round their 

 tnmks. All the trees being in full leaf the wind had the greater effect. 

 To describe the violence of the gale is impossible — a man could not stand 

 against it, A flock of Cheviot ewes in the Policy seemed endowed with 

 wonderful instinct, for previous to the gale they were observed to pack 

 themselves in a corner clear of trees, and as far from the direction of the 

 wind as they could get. When it ceased, they again spread themselves 

 over the pasture. 



Numerically the Spruce Fir suffered most, Scots Fir next, then Larch, 

 Silver Fir, Beech, Ash, Elm, Lime, Poplar, Chestnut, and Oak. A large 

 proportion of the Beech here, is above 200 years old, past maturity, and 

 the roots and trunks much decayed. 



To state the number of trees blown down by the gale can be of little 

 interest unless a minimum size of trees is given and strictly adhered to, 



