77 
THE WINDRUSH AT BIGGIN. 
By J. E. CLARKE, B.A., B.Sc. 
URING the passage of the Line Squall of February 8th, 
1906, a farmstead at Biggin, near Church Fenton, suffered 
severely. The case was peculiar, as the damage was at first 
attributed almost entirely to lightning. There certainly was a 
thunderstorm, and so close as Brigg, near Selby, perhaps five 
miles east, some men, who “ seemed to be in a sheet of fire,'’ 
experienced no wind. 
The farmer, however, sheltering within, saw his barn tiles “blow 
about like feathers,” and a barn door, measuring 10ft. by 6|ft., 
was transported over a cart-hovel for a distance of 40 yards. 
The buildings form a quadrangle round the “fold.” (Plate iv.) 
The house is at the S.W. corner, stone-slated, fronting W. by 
28° N 
Next, and in line with the house is the barn, with a low cow¬ 
shed beyond, and the cart-hovel abutting on the latter to form the 
north side of the yard. (Plate v.) All three were red-tiled. 
The south house-gable was a little damaged, and a few of the 
stone slates were blown off the north gable on the outer or west 
side. The barn was practically windowless, light entering mainly 
through a few narrow slits. But at its north end were huge west 
and east doors, adapted for old-time winnowing. The west door 
was left hanging ; the other blown right away, as described, in a 
direction 25 0 N. of East. ! Apparently, the west door being blown 
* As the original notes of direction are not forthcoming, it has been a little 
difficult to get the orientation. It has been done by the shadows in the photos. 
(1) Half-plate of rear, taken “about mid-day.’’ A large packing-case fronts 
practically square to the sun, which was ^-hour behind the clock. Two inde¬ 
pendent plans were made, estimating the relative angle of the case to the walls, 
aided by shadows in other parts. The result was 27 0 N. of W. (2) Two of the 
quarter-plate photos, taken about 1-30 p.m., show the sun shining slightly into 
the east (inner) doorway of the barn. A similar sketch, adding on 19' 5 for the 
1 ^ hours since mean noon, gives the line of walls as 29 0 N. of W. and W. of S. 
f Based, that is, on the orientation given above. 
