C “9 ] 
XV. of a Letter from Mr. J. Derby to Mr. 
Henry Sheppard, concerning a terrible 
Whirlwind, nsohich happen’d at Come 
Abbas in Dorfetfliire, Odl. 50. 1731. com^ 
municated to the Royal Society 
hy Edmund Halley, LL. 2 ). V. L^r. R. S. 
and Jjlronom. Reg. 
O N Saturday the 30th of October laft pad, 
about a Quarter before One in the 
Nighr, there happen’d at Corne-Abhas^ ’Dorfetpoirey 
a very fudden and terrible Wind Whirl-puff, as I call 
it: Some fay it was a Water-fpout, and others a Va- 
pour or Exhalation from the Earth ; but be it of what 
Name it will, it began on the South-weft Side of the 
Town, carrying a direct Line to the North-eaft, croff- 
ing the Middle of the Town in Breadth two hundred 
Yards. It ft ripped and uncovered tiled and thatched 
Houfes, rooted Trees out of the Ground, broke others 
in the midft of at leaft a Foot fquare, and carried the 
Tops a confiderable way. The Sign of the new Inn, 
a Sign of five Foot by four, was broke off fix Foot 
in the Pole, and carried crofs a Street of forty Foot 
Breadth, and over an oppofiteHoufe, and dropp’d in 
the Backfide thereof. It took off and threw down 
the Pinacles and Battlements of one Side of the 
Tower j by the Fall of which, the Leads and Timber of 
great Part of the North Alley of the Church was broke 
in. The Houfes of all the Town were fo fhock’d, 
as to raife the Inhabitants 5 no hurt was done but only 
acroS 
