442 The Hurricane of May 1862. 



could be scarcely read at a window, nor away from it could the 

 time be ascertained by a watch. This storm put on very much 

 the appearance of a total eclipse, all near objects had a yellowish 

 glare cast upon them, and the landscape was closed in on all 

 sides at the distance of half a mile by a storm-cloud wall. Bain 

 fell in torrents, being swept along the ground in clouds like 

 smoke. Flashes of lightning followed each other in rapid suc- 

 cession, four or five flashes following close upon each other, then 

 a brief pause, and four or five more. The colour of the lightning 

 was lovely beyond description, an intense tint of bluish-red, 

 approaching rose, all the flashes being of the same hue. The 

 lightning was too brilliant to look at without pain to the eyes, 

 but when reflected on white paper, the colour was most beautiful, 

 and indeed surpassed all known colours, as much as ultra- 

 marine surpasses ordinary blue. The wind now veered to the 

 S. or S.S.E., taking the storm's direction. At 5h. 35m. 

 the temperature had descended to 51° (a fall of 22'6°) ; the wet 

 bulb being also 51°, the rain was however less heavy. The 

 storm had mostly passed to the 1ST.W., and the sky, more espe- 

 cially in the N.E., was considerably lighter. At 5h. 50m. the 

 wind veered to W.N.W., and the temperature commenced 

 rising. It is worthy of remark that the barometer was almost 

 stationary, being no doubt held up by the great coldness of the 

 storm in comparison with the surrounding air. At six o'clock 

 the temperature had reached 53'3°, the wet bulb being 52"5% 

 and the wind W., the force having moderated from a pressure 

 of 9 lb. on the square foot (at 5 p.m.) to a. pleasant breeze. 

 The storm had passed over us in a S.S.E. current, moving 

 slowly across a violent W. wind. At six o'clock the clouds 

 were in a S.E. current, except in the S.W., where they were in 

 a ISt.W. current. The nearest flashes were a mile and a half 

 off. At 6h. 15m. the storm was evidently sinking more 

 westerly, the course having become S.E. and then E.S.E. At 

 seven o'clock there was again distant thunder in the E., and at 

 7h. 1 5m. flying scud in a W.N.W. current moved with fearful 

 rapidity, passing from overhead a distance of 45° in 42 seconds, 

 a higher speed than I had ever before registered ; at the same 

 time a more lofty current carried clouds slowly from the S.E. 

 7h. 40m. lightning in the N.E., where the sky was again 

 black. From 8k. 40m. till 8h. 55m. a gale, after which the 

 wind moderated. The amount of rain was not excessive, viz. 

 0'665 of an inch. Several trees were uprooted, and the ground 

 was quite white all over from the bloom torn off the apple- 

 trees. 



Severe as this storm was at Highfield House, it dwindles 

 into insignificance when Compared with its violence near 

 Newark, where it was accompanied by a hurricane and hail- 



