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The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine

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The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine 365 %\t Ibat TOttsJke J&torm Of December 30th, 1859. By the Rev. Alfbed Chaeles Smith, M.A. INCE remarkable atmospheric and meteorological pheno- mena, which have been observed in Wiltshire, do undoubt- edly belong to its Natural History, I shall offer no apology to the members of our Society for bringing before them a detailed account of the terrific hurricane, (of unprecedented violence in this country, as I believe,) which swept over a long but narrow district in the Northern division of the county on December 30th, 1859. This has been deemed of sufficient importance and interest, not only to attract hundreds of the curious from various distant parts to see the scene, but to call forth the attention of Mr. Gh A. Rowell1 the scientific assistant keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford, who has for many years given his attention to such subjects, and who has carefully investigated the phenomena of our hurricane, to ascertain their bearings on the theory of storms, and with a view (as I understand) of bringing the subject under the consideration of the Meteorological department of the Board of Works. But I would crave the indulgence of my readers for the imper- fect manner in which I have explained some of the details, arising from an insufficient acquaintance with the science of meteorology. At the same time, as I am well aware that in giving a full account of this most extraordinary tornado, I shall have to state facts which will appear to the uninitiated to border on the marvellous, and to relate occurrences, which at first sight seem almost impossible (but which, as I know them to be true, I shall not on that account flinch from detailing) I would disarm the incredulity of the sceptical, by 1 1 would beg here at the outset to express my warmest thanks and obligations to Mr. Rowell, not only for the kindness and courtesy with which he has replied to my numerous questions, but for very much useful information, and many valu- able hints, of which I have availed myself largely throughout this paper passim. 366 The Great Wiltshire Storm. entreating their patience and forbearance, until at least they have investigated the subject in some degree for themselves ; and I can assure them that the deeper they dive into the mysteries of this science, the more they will find to astonish and amaze them, more particularly if they extend their enquiries beyond our island to tropical latitudes, where it is notorious that the hailstorm, the rainstorm, the hurricane, and the tornado have their home. And if this latter remark seems to weaken my argument, and to allude to another phase of the subject inapplicable to our Wiltshire storm, I beg at once to bring forward the valuable testimony of Captain Sherard Osborn," R.N. who declares that in all his experience of typhoons in China and other Southern and tropical countries, he never had an idea of the power of wind till the day he visited the scene of our Wiltshire tornado. With these preliminary observations, I now address myself to my subject. The close of the year 1859 will long be remembered by the in- habitants of some of the villages of North Wilts as the period of "the Great Storm." It occurred at about half-past one p.m. on Friday, December 30th, and beginning its devastations about a mile to the south of Calne, and coming up for the west, it shaped its course for E.N.E., and took nearly a straight line in that direction for about thirteen miles, its breadth varying from 250 to about 400 yards: at what velocity 1 it rushed over this course it is 1 To avoid misconception I should explain here, that when I speak of the rapidity of its passage, I would not by any means imply that the destructive effects of the storm were in consequence of the velocity with which it rushed over its track. I believe this could not have been the case, as it would have been at a rate of much more than a mile in a minute, whereas several persons distinctly heard the roar of the storm (not the thunder) at least three or four minutes before it came on or passed by. In the case of the storm, to whioh I shall afterwards allude, at Clyffe Pypard, it passed from Glastonbury to Oxford at the rate of about 32 miles per hour, whereas the wind to produce such effects must have had a velocity of from 60 to 80 miles in that time. If the destruc- tive effects had been produced by the velocity with which the storm passed along its track, they would have been more uniform, and the greater violence of the hurricane could not have occurred as it did at particular spots ; but it is not difficult to oonceive such jumps or breaks as resulting from the irregularity of the rainfall, and consequently of the rarefaction produced by it, as I shall after- wards more fully explain. I believe a storm cloud may pass along at a mode- ; By the Rev. A. 0. Smith. 367 impossible to conjecture, but it seems to be universally allowed that from two to three minutes was the time occupied in passing over any given spot; and during these few moments, it swept a clear and most perceptible path in its onward progress, tearing up by the roots and snapping short off the huge trunks of some of the largest elms and other trees, unroofing houses, stacks, and cottages, and hurling men and cattle to the ground, and dashing them furiously to and fro, and rolling them over and over in its rough embrace. Several persons saw it from a short distance, coming up over the open down, but being on one side of its course, they were entirely out of it, and felt none of its breath as it tore by. Some of these witnesses describe it as a thick volume of smoke, or a dense cloud of steam rushing through the air: but to those with- in its line, so appalling was its appearance, and so terrific the roar of its approach, that the stoutest heart felt unnerved, and the steadiest head bewildered at so sudden, so unusual, and so fearful a visitation. Most of the villagers sought refuge within their houses, apprehending some unwonted catastrophe; while others who could not gain shelter in time, had to cling with all their might to posts or gates, and even so found great difficulty in with- standing the fury of the gale. In an instant the storm was upon them, ushered in by a most vivid flash of lightning and an instan- taneous clap of thunder, and attended by abundant rain and hail- stones of a large size. These, however, seem to have been partial in their favours, covering the ground in some places, while in others not one was to be seen. And so sudden and furious was its onset, so loud and deafening its roar, so strange and unearthly the darkness, (not unlike that attending the annular eclipse of the rate rate, and yet the wind resulting from the vacuum within the cloud may be of any velocity it is possible to imagine ; and (as far as I can learn) our hurri- cane seems to have passed along in the general direction of the wind blowing at the time, which was very high : how high in this particular locality I have no means of knowing, but I learn that at Oxford on the 29th it had an average velocity of 22 J, and on the 30th (the day of our storm) 24| miles per hour which is undoubtedly a very high wind : the direction on the two days was from S.W. and W.S.W. 368 The Great Wiltshire Storm. sun the previous year,) so terrific the crash of falling roofs, (tiles and rafters and thatch seeming to fill the air, while the windows were beaten in by the hail,) that many thought the Judgment Day had arrived, and others believed an earthquake was demolishing their homes. Indeed, so appalling was the whole scene, and in consequence men's senses seem to have been so paralyzed with ter- ror, that, (strange to say,) along the whole line of storm, where hundreds of trees were thrown down, scarcely a single individual saw or heard a tree fall, and nobody realized what was occurring till the hurricane had gone by. But in three minutes the storm had passed on, and then when the frightened villagers emerged from their cottages, what a sight met the eye on all sides; the largest trees torn up by the roots, upheaving tons of earth attached to them to a height of fourteen feet above the ground, large branches snapped off and carried on many yards from where they fell; barns in ruins or prostrate on the ground; ricks demolished, and the sheaves carried away; their own houses unroofed, and their gardens filled with straw, fallen chimneys, and tiles; and all this havoc effected in three minutes of time ! Such is the general description of the storm, as I have gathered it from many eye-witnesses along its whole line, and from a per- sonal and very minute inspection of its scene from end to end. I proceed now to relate more in detail the exact course it took, and the mischief it caused. The first intimation we have of its assuming any great force, the first mark indeed of its prowess, is on the property of the Marquis of Lansdowne, near the Devizes road, about a mile south of Calne, where it broke off the large branch of an oak tree within the pre- cincts of Bowood Park: thence, steering eastwards, it partially tore off the thatch of a cottage ; blew down three trees at Stock Street, the property of Mr.
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