335 



THE HIGH TIDES ON THE EAST COAST. 



W. H. WHEELER, C.E., 

 Boston. 



The equinoctial tides this autumn were exceptionally high on 

 the east coast and combined with a strong north-easterly gale 

 did very great damage to the cliffs between Bridlington and the 

 Humber. 



It is considered that there has not been such a rough tide on 

 the coast for 20 years. At Withernsea the waves were des- 

 cribed as ' rising to an enormous height, the whole of the beach 

 being flooded with roaring surges, massive rollers thundering 

 shoreward, lashing themselves into seething foam, and dashing 

 up to the sea wall broke over the promenade.' Large quantities 

 of the cliff were eroded by the waves in this neighbourhood, 

 and the beach denuded of sand and shingle to a depth of 15 feet. 

 At Kilnsea the sea broke through the bank on the east side and 

 flooded the land behind, doing much damage. All along the 

 Holderness coast there were great falls of boulder-clay from the 



The tides for the 30th September and ist October are given 

 in the Admiralty Tables as the largest of the year, and were 

 calculated to rise 22 feet 10 inches above L.W.S.T. in the 

 Humber at Hull, or 14 feet above Ordnance Datum and i '60 

 feet above an ordinary spring tide. 



New moon was on the 28th and was in Perigree, or at her 

 nearest point to the earth, on the 29th, and had 11° 21' south 

 declination. The wind over the North Sea was blowing strongly 

 from N.N.E. with force 6 at Spurn Point on the 30th, and from 

 N.W., force 7, on the ist October. The circumstances were 

 therefore all in favour of a large tide. 



High Water in the Humber at Hull above Ordnance Datum 

 was as follows : — 



cliff's. 



Saturday, September 30th a.m. 



Do. do. p.m. 



Sunday, October ist ... a.m. 



Do. do. ... p.m. 



High Water morning tide on the 30th 



Feet. 



14-67 



13*51 

 13-07 



being : — 



At Grimsby 

 ,, Ferriby Sluice 

 ,, Goole 

 ,, Naburn Lock 

 Ovvston Ferry 

 ,, Boston 

 ,, Lynn 



Feet. 

 i4'5o 

 17*39 



i7'i6 



[905 November i. 



