1 APRIL 1995, Page 20

One hundred years ago

THE GALE which swept over England on Sunday was of quite unusual vio- lence. During the height of the storm, the leaden roof of the Banqueting Hall at Whitehall was rolled up like a piece of paper, and tarpaulin had to be spread at once over the rafters to pro- tect the Rubens ceiling. In Kensington Gardens a good deal of damage was done to the trees; and from all parts of England come stories of avenues uprooted and giant oaks and elms laid low. Fortunately, comparatively few casualties are reported from the coasts. At the Edgbaston Observatory, Birm- ingham, the velocity of the wind was calculated to have been eighty-six miles an hour. The wind exerted a pressure of 37 lb. to the square foot.

The Spectator 30 March 1895