THE HURRICANE OF MARCH 24TH, 1895.

IT was evident on Saturday that the depression of the forecast was approaching steadily our western coasts, which, together with the south-western and northern parts, were forewarned. On Sunday, March 24th, one of the most destructive gales raged over nearly the whole of the United Kingdom, committing sad havoc amongst roofs and chimney stacks, and uprooting trees by thousands. The violence of the gale was at its maximum about one o'clock p.m. In Hereford the most serious damage was inflicted on the spire of St. Martin's Church, eighteen feet of which, calculated to weigh about three tons, were carried away and fell through a square in the roof between the beams on to the gallery and floor below. The trees blown down in the vicinity of Hereford are too numerous to mention, though it is gratifying to note that the fine old elm trees in the Castle Green escaped without damage, as they had only recently been trimmed and all their treacherous branches had been removed. Eleven of the fine elm trees in the avenue of the Green Crize road, Bullingham, were blown down, simultaneously it is reported.

In The Times of March 26th, it is reported that "this gale was of a class which recurs usually at long and irregular intervals, and is remarkable for two reasons (1) the keenness with which the limits of the zone are marked, and (2) the rapidity of its movement. These two features suggest that it is akin to disturbances of the "tornado " class, while the great breadth of the zone covered by the gales seems to show that it may probably belong to a different class, of which there have been several instances in the course of the past twenty years, and of which the well-known storm of March, 1876, was a specimen. If we draw two lines, one starting at Valencia Island on our west coast, and ending at a point rather to the northward of Scarborough on our east coast, the other starting at Land's End and ending at the mouth of the Thames, it will be found that they form the limits of a zone within which nearly all the really strong gales occurred -the winds both to the northward and southward of this zone being much less violent than those within it. In the Channel, on the one hand, no gales of great force were experienced, and the observer even at the North Foreland appears to have reported nothing more than a moderate gale; while Wales and the central and north-eastern parts of England had storms of a force varying from 9 to 11 on the Beaufort scale. With regard to the velocity of the storm, the movement of its centre, it appears that at 6 p.m. the position of its central area could not be traced from the observations in our islands, so that its progress must have been at the rate of at least 50 miles an hour-probably much more--and the velocity of the wind (from between south and west) on its southern side very great in fully exposed places."

At Birmingham the anemometer at the Edgbaston Observatory, recorded a pressure of 37 lb. to the square foot, which is the highest on record. The

anemometer clock was stopped by the oscillation of the observatory tower. The record of the velocity of the wind is lost for the same reason, but it is calculated that a pressure of 37 lb. to the square foot is equal to a velocity of 86 miles an hour. The highest previous record noted at Edgbaston was in the storm of February 11th, 1894, when a pressure of 275 lbs. and a velocity of 50 miles an hour were recorded, so that the late gale gave a result nearly 10 lb. higher than any previous record.

RETIRING ADDRESS OF MR. JAMES DAVIES,
PRESIDENT IN 1894.

THE simple words " tempus fugit," with which we have been familiar from our earliest school days, are very expressive, and serve to remind us of the yearly revolution which brings us round to our Annual Meetings, at which the Retiring President is expected to give an address, in accordance with the rules, before he hands over the office to his successor. It is generally understood that such address should assume a kind of résumé of the proceedings of the Club during the past year, with a few observations on the details of the several Field Meetings. It may be briefly stated that there have been, as usual, four excursions, with a good supply of papers on a variety of scientific subjects; but in many cases time would not admit of their being read on the spot, and Members must be content with a perusal in the volume of the Transactions of the Club.

The first Field Meeting for the year 1894 took place on Thursday, the 24th of May, when between 50 and 60 members assembled for the purpose of exploring the valley of the river Frome. The party left Hereford by the 9.40 Worcester train for Ashperton Station, where they were met by carriages for the proposed route. The first object of visit on the programme was Mainstone Court, the seat of the late Captain Johnstone. Here a very interesting paper was read by the Rev. Michael Hopton, in which the Roman road from Circutio (at Stretton Grandison) to Glevum, at Gloucester, was noticed, as also some monastic remains at a short distance, with the site of a fish pond. Here too when some buildings were taken down in the year 1850 a dungeon was found. The remains were probably those of a cell attached to the Priory of Ledbury. From Mainstone Court the carriages were driven to Munsley Church, where another paper, descriptive of the edifice, was read by the Rev. Michael Hopton-the incumbent. As it is hoped that the two papers will appear in the Transactions of the Club, it is unnecessary to enlarge these remarks. Mr. Hopton drew attention to the ancient yew tree in the Churchyard, which from calculations based upon the growth made by a former curate of the parish, is supposed to have been planted in the ninth century, and, therefore, upwards of a thousand years old. An account of this yew tree was given in an article appearing in the Hereford Times of the 12th March, 1881. The next halt was at Bosbury Church, where the members were met by the Rev. Samuel Bentley, the vicar, who spared no pains in pointing out the many interesting features of this Church, which is of the Transitional Norman period. It consists of a nave with north and south aisles, and a chancel, to which has been added a chantry chapel of the perpendicular style, erected in the early part of the 16th century by Sir Rowland Morton, then residing at The Grange, in this parish. A very beautiful screen separates the chancel from the nave, richly ornamented with tracery, which is considered one of the finest specimens of rood screens in England. The style is perpendicular. A very singular feature is the

detached tower in the churchyard, standing 60 feet from the Church, and erected apparently about the beginning of the 13th century. There are six other Churches in Herefordshire with this peculiarity of detached towers, namely, Ledbury, Pembridge, Holmer, Richard's Castle, Yarpole, and Garway. A 14th century cross still remains in the churchyard. From the Church the party walked to view some ancient buildings which formerly formed a portion of the Bishop of Hereford's Bosbury Palace. From early Anglo Saxon times the Manor of Bosbury was part of the possessions of the See of Hereford. The entrance gateway, with the prison adjoining, as well as an underground dungeon, and such rooms in the present Farm House as were portions of the palace, were pointed out and described by the Vicar. In the year 1572 it was partially destroyed by fire during the episcopate of Bishop Scory, and was not properly rebuilt. In the Cromwellian period it was sold to Silas Taylor, and thus alienated from the Bishopric. The next visit was to a house, known as "The Temple Court," the residence of J. Pitt, Esq., where, as the name would naturally indicate, was formerly a preceptory of the Knights Templars, a fraternity of much importance during the middle ages, established in 1118, whose business was to defend the sacred places in the Holy Land, and protect pilgrims on their way through the mountainous passes to Jerusalem.

At the hostelrie, known as "The Crown Inn," the excursionists lunched, when, as it was the Queen's birthday, the President proposed the health of Her Majesty, with the hope that, notwithstanding her already long reign, she would yet be spared to us for some years to come, after which the business of the Club was transacted, ten new members elected, and five more nominated for election at the next meeting. The President took occasion to acknowledge the obligation they were under to the Rev. S. Bentley, and the Rev. Michael Hopton, for their literary contributions that day, and he particularly mentioned that Mr. Bentley had recently published a most interesting History of Bosbury, well illustrated, which he recommended every member of the Club to obtain.

Here the party resumed the carriages for the return journey, and the next object of visit was Castle Frome Church, where they were met by the Vicar, the Rev. R. Bayley, who pointed out and explained the details of the building, which contained some remains of Norman work in a closed west door and priest's door. The Norman font was also described by Mr. Bayley, who pointed out the carvings on the side, representing the Divine symbols of the four faces of man, lion, ox, and eagle, as mentioned in Revelation iv. 6-8, and Ezekiel i, 10, emblems which were similar to those on the faces of the two Cherubims in the Holy of Holies, in the Temple of Solomon and the Tabernacle of Moses, and may be typical representations of the Trinity. The supposed site of the Castle was also shown. At the Vicarage House, Mr. Piper read a very interesting paper showing that the De Lacys, Lords of Ewyas, had possessions in these parts.

From Castle Frome the party continued their journey to Canon Frome Rectory, where they were hospitably entertained by the Rector, the Rev. Michael Hopton. After which some of the party walked to inspect the Church. The last place of visit on the programme was Ashperton moat and site of the Castle, where

Mr. Piper again read a short paper, giving a history of the Grandison family, after whom the parish of Grandison has been named, and to which is attached the ancient Chapel of Ashperton. The papers read during the day will, it is hoped, appear in the Transactions of the Club, and therefore further details in the matter of their contents would on the present occasion prove tedious.

The Second Field Meeting took place on the 26th of June, when a large number of Members visited Cardiff, Llandaff, and Penarth. This excursion was for the purpose of visiting Cardiff Castle, Llandaff Cathedral, and certain geological formations at Penarth. Through the kindness of the Marquis of Bute the party were allowed complete ingress to the Castle. through which they were conducted by Mr. Edwin Seward, the president of the Cardiff Naturalists' Club, who gave a full descriptive account of the various parts through which the excursionists passed, pointing out in detail all the objects of interest, which were too many and varied to be here mentioned more than by way of general remark. Suffice it to say that the Castle has been handsomely restored by the present Marquis, and decorated in a manner unsurpassed by any similar building in the kingdom; and the tourists were highly gratified with the inspection, and truly obliged to his most noble lordship for the privilege so kindly allowed them. Indeed, it is not too much to say that it was a memorable day in the annals of the Club.

After luncheon at the Angel Hotel, the party proceeded in brakes to Llandaff Cathedral, where they were met by the Rev. Minor Canon Downing, who conducted them over the sacred building, and gave a description and history of this ancient Cathedral and See. This Cathedral, so far as the site and See are concerned, is of remote antiquity. There is evidence that there was a Church in the 5th century, and the names of Dubritius and Teilo are associated with it as early occupants of the See, and it is recorded that their dust lies here, commingled with the soil of centuries. The Norman work dates from the 11th century. Within the last forty years the nave, which was almost in ruins and open to the sky, has been restored, and the internal structure now presents a appearance, and is a great credit to this ancient diocese.

very fine

After the inspection of the Cathedral of Llandaff, the party proceeded to Penarth Hotel, from the grounds of which there is afforded a view of much interest, comprising the town of Cardiff, with its acres of docks, the Bristol Channel, the Somersetshire coast, and the towns of Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Burnham, and Minehead, the two islands of the Steep and Flat Holms, as well as the Penarth coast to Lavernock, Sully, and Barry, whose island has now become joined to the mainland by the ballast from the huge dock which has there been constructed, and claims to be one of the largest in the world. Here the geological features were pointed out by Mr. John Storrie, of the Cardiff Naturalists' Club. At low tide the Lower Lias and the Rhætic beds, with the fish bone bed, may be seen at Lavernock point; and beneath the Rhætic beds the New Red marl, with its gypsum bands, is visible, as well as the faults which have there disturbed the strata.

Three papers had been promised; one in connection with "Cardiff Castle,"