The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-04 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF Till TIMES.

Sir,—As many of your readers may feel an interest in cir-
cumstances connected with the hailstorm on Saturday, I beg
a coiner of the Times for a few observations that may amuse

the..,.
The small garden of the house in Camberwell New-road,
in which I'Was when the storm commenced, has an easterly
aspect. There was no wind at the moment, and there was
no perceptible drift in the shower; the hail seemed to fall in
a direction nearly vertical ; and, from the nature of the sur-
face of the garden, it rested where it fell. From a spot
measuring three superficial feet, and which was selected as a
fair average of the general surface of the garden, I gathered
947 hailstones, the smallest of which weighed 9 2-10ths
grains, and the largest 84 grains.
I was ansiotß to ascertain the number of the different
sized hailstones which fell on a given space, as I observed
they varied greatly in their dimensions., more so on this
occasion than in any other hailstorm that I ever witnessed.
They were five sizes; there were 61 of the • largest size.
Five of them hastily selected, as far as the eye could judge,
nearly of the same size, weighed 405 grainy, which gives 81
grains as the average weight of each. Five others, ap-
parently the smallest of the number, weighed 394 grains
which averages 78 grains each. One of the first five mea-
sured 9-10ths of an inch in length, 6-10ths of an inch in
breadth, and was about 5-10ths of an inch in thickness. It
had, like most of the others, the shape of a flattened pigeom's
egg. A dozen had a shape approaching a flattened sphere.
In general, it may be observed, that no two hailstones, al-
though nearly of the same size, had nearly the same form. or
seemed to have been produced understhe same circumstances.
417 hailstones were of the second size. 10 of these weighed
519 grains, which gives 51 9-10ths grains for a single one.
The 10 smallest that could be selected from the whole num-
ber had an average weight of 50 2-10ths grains each. The
uniformity of size and shape throuL,hout this large number
was very remarkable; they were mostly like flattened
spheres, with a thickness of half their diameter. They could
hardly be distinguished from small white turnip radishes
trimmed of their root fibres and leaves.
285 hailstones were of a much less size than the preceding.
17 of therm weighed 651 grains, which gives 38 2-10ths grains
to each. The smallest that could be selected from the whale
number, by the eye, weighed 31 grains. Their forms were
all imperfect; some were roundish lumps, others like short
contorted cylinders, others had an almondform.
• Of the fourth size there were 159 hailstones; 36 of these
weighed 828 grains, or 23 grains a-piece. The smallest of
the whole number weighed 18.graips.
The largest of the 16 hailstones of the fifth size weighed
13 grains, and the smallest 9 2-10ths grains. The shapes
were most irregular ; they had much the appearance of being
chipped from larger pieeesi with their - sharp edges rounded
by the warm rain in which they 'descended. .
9 hailstones of the largest size had a squarish fot.m.• One-
of them was nearly an inch long, 7.loths of 'an inCh 'bread;
and was fully 5-10ths of an inch thick. Two of its edges
were ragged, and looked as if it had been part'of au-irregular.
cake composed of several thin plates of soft ice pressed toge-
ther. and then broken off; the other two edges had a
similar appearance, but their arrises were somewhat rounded.
It weighed 87 grains. Of a similar shape and appearance
were four others, the average weight of each of which was
76 grains.
Of the remaining four hailstones it is difficult to give an
idea. They had the appearance of a portion of snow that
had been firmly pressed and flattened in the hand, and then
dipped in water, but they nevertheless seemed as dense as
the hailstones of a more regular shape:
Many of the largest sized hailstones had a portion. as
much as a third or a fourth, broken off. Thie, in some in-
stances, might have been produced after they had fallen, by
the impact of those falling, but not in other instances. I ob-
served the same thing in some large hailstones which fell
into a tub of water, and where an impact with others could
not have taken place. The disruption of these must there-
fore hive been produced in their descent through the at-
mosphere.
lu general the largest hailstones seemed to hays the
greatest density, sevcral of those which I have described as
of the fifth size were spongy, like pressed snow.
I have no doubt but that the tall of such large hail will
have occasioned much damage to gardens and windows,
but I scarcely remember a hail-shower where the momentum
of the hail was felt to be so small. Perhaps the falling tor-
rents of rain may have, in many cases,' diminished the im-
petus, by deflecting the hail, and by occasioning an upward
current of wind from the ground, like that produced by the
fall of water in .the chamber of a wind furnace, and
which neutralized, in some degree, the effect of the de-
scending hailstones. I am, air, your obedient servant,
August 2. M.

COURT OF ALDERMEN.—A special Court of Alder-
men was held on Saturday for the purpose of receiving a
deputation from the committee appointed relative to the
building of a new criminal gaol in the room of the present
Compter. Mr. Wire, the chairman of the committee, said,
that finding that it would be impossible to purchase land in
the city, except at an enormous rate, they had come to the
resolution that the proposed gaol ought to be built out of the
city, and that Holloway would be the best site. The cost of
the ground for the intended building, on the site of the old
Fleet Prison, would be 132,0004 while the building would be
78,0001., and then only three acres would be obtained ;
whereas the spot fixed on at Holloway, consisted of ive
acres, and could be purchased for 17,0001.—the prison to con-
tain 400 persons. Several of the aldermen spoke against
this proposition as being directly at variance with the former
resolution of the Court of Aldermen, which wis that the
prison should be built in the city. After some discussion
upon the sub.), et, Mr. Alderman Musgrove suggested that
the deputation should write down their propositions, to be
submitted to the Court. The deputation then withdrew,
and the remainder of the business was conducted with closed
doors.
THE APPROACHING PARTRIDGE SEASON.—The ac-
counts in Surrey and Sussex are very favourable to the ap-
proaching partridge season. The broods are very strong in
the wing, and the coveys are large, and the prospect of an
early harvest will enable the sportsman to enter the field on
the Ist of September without the usual restrictions with re-
spect to standing crops.
ACCIDENT THROVOU THg BUILSTIVG OF A CANNON.
..On Friday afternoon the Mercers' Compaq made an excursion to
'nehmen& and when off the Wandsworth Distillery were saluted
by ring some small cannon. One of them btirSt. inftieting such in-
jury on William Goodge, the matt Who fired it, as to deprive his
friends of all hope of his ultimate recovery. His nose was lite-
rally cut off, and he received seveing.severeecalp wounds. He wee
taken, in a state of groat agony, to St. George's Hospital.
~,Astpordttig
.to letVs from Rome, his Highness..the.
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