NOTABLE HAILSTORM OF 17 NOVEMBER, 1896. 361 
Re NOTABLE HAILSTORM or 17 NOVEMBER, 1896, 
In PARTS or PARISH or GORDON. 
By E. Du Favor, F.R.G.8. 
[With Plate XXITI.] 
[Read before the Royal Society of N.S. Wales, December 2, 1896.) 
Havine submitted a short memorandum to the Government 
Astronomer, respecting this hailstorm, Mr. Russell asked me for 
further details, and suggested my preparing a paper on the subject 
to be read before our Society. I only propose to place before you 
this evening my notes, illustrated by a rough diagram of this 
phenomenal storm, considered by old residents to have been the 
severest one which has visited the district since that of 12th 
January, 1871, which is reported to have riddled most of the iron 
roofs in the locality, to have killed two horses, uprooted some of 
the heaviest timber, and to have been in all respects, but more 
especially in the force of the wind, more violent than the one now 
under consideration. 
On our arrival at the Gordon Station at 5:21 p.m., on the 
evening in question, we found a considerable amount of hail lying 
on the platform, and heavy mist arising from the lands on the — 
north-eastern side of the railway ; before arriving at Pymble we 
found the lands on both sides of the line, completely white with 
hail; as white as after a moderately heavy winter snow-storm in 
Burope. Reaching Turramurra at 5-30 p.m., where I left the 
train, the hail, which had ceased falling some ten minutes pre- 
Viously, had almost half filled the empty trucks on the siding, 
and on the permanent way below the platform, sheltered apparently 
and not much subject to drift, the engine wheels had exposed the 
metals, but left a bank of hailstones on either side of them from 
ten to twelve inches high. 
