46 
and behind in the line of tbe storm, and it darkened perceptibly. 
The Archbishop’s gardener also said that it lasted about half-a- 
minute. It was over before we had time to be frightened, or 
to run out to see what it was,” said tbe good woman of a 
cottage near Rose Hall. 
It was about this time that two Bootham School boys (J. A. 
Collinson and Noel Oumine), were returning up the bit of hill 
(YII. on the chart), from Knavesmire race-course to the Mount, 
when a vivid flash was accompanied by simultaneous thunder. 
It “ struck a pool of water about four feet in front of us and 
sent the water aside to right and left.” I should judge that 
the main flash was more distant, the splash being due to one of 
its ramiflcations along the drenched highway. 
The Roman numerals II. to YI. show the position of 
rain-gauges, which recorded from 0T5 to 0T8 inches of “rain,” 
including slight falls later in the afternoon. At my own house 
(I.) I noticed that the hail was only thick enough just to 
whiten the ground, a light wind at the time blowing West-by- 
North. 
When we turn to the meteorological conditions prevalent at 
the time, it so happens that the records are unusually complete, 
especially as regards the barometer. For not only have we the 
permanent records of several recording aneroids, but York, 
thanks to the splendid series of records kept for our Society by 
Prof. Phillips and John Ford, was, in 1872, made one of the 
main stations of the Meteorological Office, and the storm came 
quickly after the 2 p.m. observations had been taken throughout 
I 
the country. 
The 8 a.m. chart, copies of which are sent out daily to 
subscribers, showed three depressions ; 28*8 ins. N.W. of 
Scandinavia, 28’8 ins. over Finland, and an approaching and 
increasing depression of 29‘2, or lower, N.W. of Ireland. 
There were also two secondary depressions over the North Sea, 
and, apparently, a third over, or S. of, St. Greorge’s Channel. 
High pressure, 30'0 ins., lay over the Pyrenees. Hence the 
forecast, “ squalls, some rain,” was natural. 
Fig. 1 shows the conditions at 2 p.m. In general the 
gradients, that is the difference of pressures between two given 
