42 
Ouse valley, both as to the time and height. Such warnings 
might have easily been given in York by noon on Saturday, 
the 15th. Public and private losses in York alone to the 
amount of thousands of pounds could have been avoided, and 
we might not have to mourn the irreparable injuries to our city 
archives. 
But it is not only in the cities; damage to stock and crops 
might often be lessened with rather greater warning. We 
may ask, also, whether the damage done to the North Eastern 
Railway would have been so serious, had the officials had more 
warning. The appalling accident at Thirsk in November was 
directly due to the lack of reserve signalmen, so many being 
on duty because of damages done by the flood. 
Some reference has already been made to previous floods. 
There have been so many changes in the “summer level" of 
the river, and probably also, so much inaccuracy of ancient 
records, that the actual relation of one flood to another can 
rarely be relied on, unless some permanent record has been 
clearly made. 
Such records exist, or have existed until lately, for the floods 
.of 1625, 1636, 1763, 1795, 1809, 1831, for the Ouse ; and 1831 
for the Foss. 
It is greatly to be regretted that no contemporary record for 
the Ouse now exists for 1831 at York. Mr. Reader made such 
a record at Naburn, which was 11 inches above the level of the 
late flood, and 19 above that of 1869, when the hunting- 
accident on the Nidd occurred. No flood since 1831 had 
entered his front door until this present year. 
Metal gauges should surely be set at good localities, upon 
which future records could be engraved. 
Few situations would be more suitable than upon the wall of 
the Hospitium. Perhaps our council would undertake this.* 
The various causes effecting a change in the Ouse level, at 
York, so far as I have found, are as follows : — 
1754 Dam built; Archbishop’s lawyer writes in alarm as to 
effects at Bishopthorpe. 
1755 Locks completed ; probably in October. 
1757 Extra sluices completed. 
* This is being- done. 
