37 
Ordinary Meeting, December 2nd, 1873. 
Rev. William Gaskell, M.A., Vice-President, in the Chair. 
Mr. Henry H. Howarth, F.S.A., was elected an Ordinary 
Member of the Society, 
The following letter from Henry Bowman, Esq., of 
Brockham Green, Surrey, dated 27th November, 1873, was 
read : — 
Seeing the report of Prof Reynolds' experiments on the 
nature of the explosive force of lightning, it occurred to me 
that the Society might be interested in an account of a 
remarkable thunderstorm which took place here on Friday 
the 7th inst. 
I was not at home at the time, and did not hear of the 
storm until my return the following week. 
The Vicar of this place sent a short notice of the storm 
to the “ Times," copy of which is inclosed, together with 
some fuxTher particulars which he has kindly jotted down, 
(copy.) 
Times of Nov. 12, 1873 : 
The Rev. Alan Cheales writes to us a remarkable 
storm burst over the valley between Dorking and Reigate on 
Nov. 7 In general we have a remarkable immunity from 
thunderstorms, w^hich draw away along the Downs to the north of 
us. The storm came up suddenly from the N.W. ...... I have just 
returned from inspecting an oak tree in Betchworth Park ...... 
which was completely cleft in two ... . . the tree has been chopped 
down within about 10 feet of the ground the girth is about 
8 feet." 
My dear Sir, Nov. 20, 1873. 
In reply to your enquiries relative to the very remarkable 
thunderstorm of Nov. 7, mentioned in the Times of Nov. 12, I 
PfiocEEDiNas— L it. &Phil, Society. — Yoe, XIII. — No. 5 — Session 1873-4. 
