OF THE 20th of November, 1887. 
47 
shock was also noticed by some of the inmates of his house at 
Hatfield.— H. G. F. 
St. Albans. —Whilst walking in the neighbourhood of St. Albans 
I was somewhat startled by a low rumbling sound as if of thunder, 
which seemed to he a great distance off. The morning (to the best 
of my recollection) was frosty, accompanied with a little fog, and 
thinking it strange for such a time and occasion, I stopped, and 
heard another report from the same direction, hut this time more 
soft and of shorter duration. The sound appeared to me to he in 
the direction of London; in fact, I thought some great explosion 
had taken place there. The time was about 8’20.— T. H. Westell , 
Dalton Street, St. Albans. 
I am informed that the shock was also noticed at King’s Langley 
and at Watford.— H. G. F. 
A OR THAMPTONSHIR E. 
Sulgrave. —A [visitor] at Mr. Cave’s at Sulgrave, about 10 
miles H.E. of Banbury, heard a similar noise [ u a rumbling noise 
(like distant cannon) ”], and from the same direction (S.E.).— 
F. A. Bellamy, [E.B.Met.Soc.,] 82, Southmoor Road, Oxford. 
Bracelet. —A sound like the report of a cannon was heard here 
between 8 and 9 a.m. Yarious conjectures are rife as to the origin 
of the sound, which is attributed in some quarters to an earth¬ 
quake, while others are of opinion that it was caused by an 
explosion. There appears to be no testimony as to any vibration 
or shock accompanying the sound.—‘ M. M p. 166. 
B TICKINGS A MSHIR E. 
Bow Brickhill. —The sound was heard here.— John Mathison , 
Addington , Winslow, in 1 M. Jf.,’ p. 165. 
Buckingham. —The explosion—for such it is described by those 
who heard it—was very loud; indeed, in many instances persons 
were much frightened, it being believed that what was heard was 
the report of a serious dynamite explosion in the metropolis. In 
the surrounding villages, too, considerable consternation was caused 
by the explosion. Some attributed it to thunder, and others to 
earthquake, whilst there are those who believe it to have been 
caused by meteoric influences. One person says it was a sharp 
distinct report as of cannon, and yet somewhat differing from the 
report of cannon.— t M. if.,’ p. 166. 
Addington. —Shortly after 8, perhaps a quarter past, I was 
startled by what seemed to be the loud report of a big gun away to 
the S.W., and the sound reverberating along the hills in an easterly 
direction. The report was sharp, loud, and of short duration. I 
did not think it thunder, but fancied it was an explosion of some 
sort; being in the direction of Bicester, I thought of the gas¬ 
works there. Many people about here heard the sound. Some 
fancied [it] was up in the air above head, my impression was that 
it was near the horizon, and about S.S.W. from where I stood. I 
