122 THE GREAT STORM OF MIDSUMMER DAY. 1897.
belt of trees near the Hall. It was broken off about ten feet from the
ground, whilst in an adjoining field the crop of corn was scarcely damaged.
Writtle. Mrs. Usborne reports a terrific storm here—hail, rain, lightning,
thunder, and wind. "At 11 a.m. the shade temperature was S30, and the air
very oppressive ; the storm so cooled the air that at 7.30 p.m. it was only
60°. At 33 p.m. there occurred such a storm of wind and hail as I had never
seen. During the storm we could do nothing but listen to the hail smashing
the windows, and it and the rain pouring into the house. The worst of the
storm was soon over, but the rain continued till nearly 4 p.m., when I
measured 142 in. At 4.10 p.m. I collected some of the stones and measured
them ; the largest I saw were 11/2 inches by 1 inch by 3/4 inch, and they did not
melt till 6 p.m."
At Skegg's farm, Mr. Milbank said that he was out in the storm when
his straw hat was cut to pieces, his arms, back, and head covered with
bruises ; four days after the storm there were bruises black and green 3 inches
square. One of his men had his hat cut open by a hailstone, inflicting a
wound on the head which had afterwards to be sewn up. The gale was so
strong at this farm that a wagon with two tons of hay upon it was blown
completely over ; the windmill was so much damaged that it is of no further
use. and will have the sails removed. Mr. Milbank had his crops utterly
ruined, not an ear of corn left standing, and his neighbours are in the same
sad plight. At Writtle Park, the residence of Mr. Burr, the quantity of glass
broken was enormous, and a number of chickens were drowned.
Roxwell Mr. R. W. Christy reports from "Little Boyton Hall," that the
rainfall was 1.34 in. "We were about 500 yards out of the main hailstorm,
and did not get any wind, but a few very large stones and very heavy rain ;
the 1.34 in. fell in 30 minutes (timed). The lighting was overhead, 10 seconds
time between flash and report approximately, but during the height of the storm
the lightning and thunder were absolutely continuous, a fact which those in the
middle of the storm could not notice." But the devastation immediately
around Roxwell was reported as simply frightful, and the crops of wheat and
other grain were almost totally destroyed
Chelmsford. Chelmsford appears to have been about the centre of the
storm, and the details of damage to houses and gardens quite defy any
attempts at relation in a moderate space. We may take first a general
description of the storm from the Chronicle. "The storm clouds began to
gather overhead about two o'clock, and the atmosphere was singularly
oppressive, the temperature being SS degrees in the shade. By a quarter to
three darkness prevailed to such an extent that it was necessary to light the
gas in many houses and places of business. Immediately the storm began a
scene was presented that has no parallel in local memory. Such occurrences
are not unknown in tropical climes, but England, happily, does not witness
them once in a century. The sky seemed a mixture of ink and fused copper,
belching forth peal after peal of loud thunder, and putting all the Jubilee fire-
works to shame with vivid tongues of electric flame.
" At the same time rain came down in torrents, and hail was literally shot
out of the clouds. The hailstones were of an extraordinary size, some being
as big as marbles and others the size of walnuts. A strong wind from the
north carried the deluge with great impetuosity in a southerly and easterly
direction, making it beat and rattle against roofs, walls, and windows with a