Autobiography of Sir George Biddell Airy Part 9

The following relates to the fire on his Eye farm, referred to above:

PLAYFORD, _1840, April 23_.

On Wednesday (yesterday) went with my uncle to the Eye Estate, to see the effects of the fire. The farming buildings of every kind are as completely cleared away as if they had been mown down: not a bit of anything but one or two short brick walls and the brick foundations of the barns and stacks. The aspect of the place is much changed, because in approaching the house you do not see it upon a back-ground of barns, &c., but standing alone. The house is in particularly neat and good order. I did not think it at all worth while to make troublesome enquiries of the people who reside there, but took Mr Case's account. There seems no doubt that the fire was caused by the maid-servant throwing cinders into a sort of muck-place into which they had been commonly thrown. I suppose there was after all this dry weather straw or muck drier than usual, and the cinders were hotter than usual. The whole was on fire in an exceedingly short time; and everything was down in less than an hour. Two engines came from Eye, and all the population of the town (as the fire began shortly after two o'clock in the afternoon). It is entirely owing to these that my house, and the farm (Sewell's) on the opposite side of the road, were not burned down. At the beginning of the fire the wind was N.E. which blew directly towards the opposite farm (Sewell's): although the nearest part of it (tiled dwelling house) was 100 yards off or near it, and the great barn (thatched roof) considerably further, yet both were set on fire several times. All this while, the tail of my house was growing very hot: and shortly after the buildings fell in burning ruins, the wind changed to N.W., blowing directly to my house. If this change had happened while the buildings were standing and burning, there would have been no possibility of saving the house. As it was, the solder is melted from the window next the farm-yard, and the roof was set on fire in three or four places. One engine was kept working on my house and one on the opposite farm. A large pond was pretty nearly emptied. Mr Case's horses and bullocks were got out, not without great difficulty, as the progress of the fire was fearfully rapid. A sow and nine pigs were burnt, and a large hog ran out burnt so much that the people killed it immediately.

GEORGE INN, WINCHESTER, _1840, June 21_.

At Winchester we established ourselves at the George and then without delay proceeded to St Cross. I did not know before the nature of its hospital establishment, but I find that it is a veritable set of alms-houses. The church is a most curious specimen of the latest Norman. I never saw one so well marked before--Norman ornaments on pointed arches, pilasters detached with cus.h.i.+on capitals, and various signs: and it is clearly an instance of that state of the style when people had been forced by the difficulties and inelegancies of the round arch in groining to adopt pointed arches for groining but had not learnt to use them for windows.......This morning after breakfast went to the Cathedral (looking by the way at a curious old cross in the street). I thought that its inside was wholly Norman, and was most agreeably surprised by finding the whole inside groined in every part with excellent late decorated or perpendicular work. Yet there are several signs about it which lead me to think that the whole inside has been Norman, and even that the pilasters now worked up into the perpendicular are Norman. The transepts are most ma.s.sive old Norman, with side-aisles running round their ends (which I never saw before). The groining of the side aisles of the nave very effective from the strength of the cross ribs. The clerestory windows of the quire very large. The organ is on one side. But the best thing about the quire is the wooden stall-work, of early decorated, very beautiful. A superb Lady Chapel, of early English.

PORTSMOUTH, _1840, June 23_.

We left Winchester by evening train to the Dolphin, Southampton, and slept there. At nine in the morning we went by steamboat down the river to Ryde in the Isle of Wight: our steamer was going on to Portsmouth, but we thought it better to land at Ryde and take a boat for ourselves. We then sailed out (rather a blowing day) to the vessel attending Col. Pasley's operations, and after a good deal of going from one boat to another (the sea being so rough that our boat could not be got up to the s.h.i.+ps) and a good deal of waiting, we got on board the barge or lump in which Col. Pasley was. Here we had the satisfaction of seeing the barrel of gunpowder lowered (there was more than a ton of gunpowder), and seeing the divers go down to fix it, dressed in their diving helmets and supplied with air from the great air-pump above. When all was ready and the divers had ascended again, the barge in which we were was warped away, and by a galvanic battery in another barge (which we had seen carried there, and whose connection with the barrel we had seen), upon signal given by sound of trumpet, the gunpowder was fired. The effect was most wonderful. The firing followed the signal instantaneously. We were at between 100 and 200 yards from the place (as I judge), and the effects were as follows. As soon as the signal was given, there was a report, louder than a musket but not so loud as a small cannon, and a severe shock was felt at our feet, just as if our barge had struck on a rock. Almost immediately, a very slight swell was perceived over the place of the explosion, and the water looked rather foamy: then in about a second it began to rise, and there was the most enormous outbreak of spray that you can conceive. It rose in one column of 60 or 70 feet high, and broad at the base, resembling a stumpy sheaf with jagged ma.s.ses of spray spreading out at the sides, and seemed to grow outwards till I almost feared that it was coming to us. It sunk, I suppose, in separate parts, for it did not make any grand squash down, and then there were seen logs of wood rising, and a dense ma.s.s of black mud, which spread gradually round till it occupied a very large s.p.a.ce. Fish were stunned by it: our boatmen picked up some. It was said by all present that this was the best explosion which had been seen: it was truly wonderful. Then we sailed to Portsmouth.......The explosion was a thing worth going many miles to see. There were many yachts and sailing boats out to see it (I counted 26 before they were at the fullest), so that the scene was very gay.

Here are some notes on York Cathedral after the fire:

RED LION HOTEL, REDCAR, _1840, Sept. 7_.

My first letter was closed after service at York Cathedral. As soon as I had posted it, I walked sedately twice round the cathedral, and then I found the s.e.xton at the door, who commiserating me of my former vain applications, and having the hope of lucre before his eyes, let me in. I saw the burnt part, which looks not melancholy but unfinished. Every bit of wood is carried away clean, with scarcely a smoke-daub to mark where it has been: the building looks as if the walls were just prepared for a roof, but there are some deep dints in the pavement, shewing where large ma.s.ses have fallen. The lower parts of some of the columns (to the height of 8 or 10 feet) are much scaled and cracked. The windows are scarcely touched. I also refreshed my memory of the chapter-house, which is most beautiful, and which has much of its old gilding reasonably bright, and some of its old paint quite conspicuous. And I looked again at the old crypt with its late Norman work, and at the still older crypt of the pre-existing church.

1841

"The routine work of the Observatory in its several departments was carried on steadily during this year.--The Camera Obscura was removed from the N.W. Turret of the Great Room, to make way for the Anemometer.--In Magnetism and Meteorology the most important thing was the great magnetic storm of Sept. 29th, which revealed a new cla.s.s of magnetic phenomena. It was very well observed by Mr Glaisher, and I immediately printed and circulated an account of it.--In April I reported that the Planetary Reductions were completed, and furnished estimates for the printing.--In August I applied for 18,000 copies of the great skeleton form for computing Lunar Tabular Places, which were granted.--I reported, as usual, on various Papers for the Royal Society, and was still engaged on the Cavendish Experiment.--In the University of London I attended the meeting of Dec. 8th, on the reduction of Examiners' salaries, which were extravagant.--I furnished Col. Colby with a plan of a new Sector, still used in the British Survey.--I appealed to Colby about the injury to the cistern on the Great Gable in c.u.mberland, by the pile raised for the Survey Signal.--On Jan. 3rd occurred a most remarkable tidal disturbance: the tide in the Thames was 5 feet too low. I endeavoured to trace it on the coasts, and had a vast amount of correspondence: but it elicited little.

"Of private history: I was a short time in Suffolk in March.--On Mar. 31st I started with my wife (whose health had suffered much) for a trip to Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, &c. While at Swansea we received news on Apr. 24th of the deadly illness of my dear mother. We travelled by Neath and Cardiff to Bath, where I solicited a rest for my wife from my kind friend Miss Sutcliffe, and returned alone to Greenwich. My dear mother had died on the morning of the 24th. The funeral took place at Little Whelnetham (near Bury) on May 1st, where my mother was buried by the side of my father. We went to Cambridge, where my wife consulted Dr Haviland to her great advantage, and returned to Greenwich on May 7th.--On May 14th to 16th I was at Sanderstead (Rev. J. Courtney) with Whewell as one sponsor, at the christening of my daughter Hilda.--In September I went for a trip with my sister to Yorks.h.i.+re and c.u.mberland, in the course of which we visited Dent (Sedgwick's birthplace), and paid visits to Mr Wordsworth, Miss Southey, and Miss Bristow, returning to Greenwich on the 30th Sept.--From June 15th to 19th I visited my brother at Keysoe."

The following extracts are from letters written to his wife while on the above trip in Yorks.h.i.+re and c.u.mberland:

RED LION INN, REDCAR, _1841, Sept. 11_.

We stopped at York: went to the Tavern Hotel. In the morning (Friday) went into the Cathedral. I think that it improves on acquaintance. The nave is now almost filled with scaffolding for the repair of the roof, so that it has not the bare unfinished appearance that it had when I was there last year. The tower in which the fire began seems to be a good deal repaired: there are new mullions in its windows, &c. We stopped to hear part of the service, which was not very effective.

Here are notes of his visit to Dentdale in Yorks.h.i.+re, the birthplace of his friend Sedgwick:

KING'S HEAD, KENDAL, _1841, Sept. 15_.

The day was quite fine, and the hills quite clear. The ascent out of Hawes is dull; the little branch dale is simple and monotonous, and so are the hills about the great dale which are in sight. The only thing which interested us was the sort of bird's-eye view of Hardraw dell, which appeared a most petty and insignificant opening in the great hill side. But when we got to the top of the pa.s.s there was a magnificent view of Ingleborough. The dale which was most nearly in front of us is that which goes down to Ingleton, past the side of Ingleborough. The mountain was about nine miles distant. We turned to the right and immediately descended Dent-dale. The three dales (to Hawes, to Ingleton, and to Dent) lay their heads together in a most amicable way, so that, when at the top, it is equally easy to descend down either of them. We found very soon that Dent-dale is much more beautiful than that by which we had ascended. The sides of the hills are steeper, and perhaps higher: the bottom is richer. The road is also better. The river is a continued succession of very pretty falls, almost all of which have scooped out the lower strata of the rock, so that the water shoots clear over. For several miles (perhaps 10) it runs upon bare limestone without a particle of earth. From the head of the dale to the village of Dent is eight miles. At about half-way is a new chapel, very neat, with a transept at its west end. The village of Dent is one of the strangest places that I ever saw. Narrow street, up and down, with no possibility of two carriages bigger than children's carts pa.s.sing each other. We stopped at the head inn and enquired about the Geolog: but he is not in the country. We then called on his brother, who was much surprised and pleased to see us. His wife came in soon after (his daughter having gone with a party to see some waterfall) and they urged us to stop and dine with them. So we walked about and saw every place about the house, church, and school, connected with the history of the Geolog: and then dined. I promised that you should call there some time when we are in the north together and spend a day or two with them. Mr Sedgwick says it is reported that Whewell will take Sedbergh living (which is now vacant: Trinity College is patron). Then we had our chaise and went to Sedbergh. The very mouth of Dent-dale is more contracted than its higher parts. Sedbergh is embosomed among lumping hills. Then we had another carriage to drive to Kendal.

Here is a recollection of Wordsworth:

SALUTATION, AMBLESIDE, _1841, Sept. 19_.

We then got our dinner at Lowwood, and walked straight to Ambleside, changed our shoes, and walked on to Rydal to catch Wordsworth at tea. Miss Wordsworth was being drawn about in a chair just as she was seven years ago. I do not recollect her appearance then so as to say whether she is much altered, but I think not. Mr Wordsworth is as full of good talk as ever, and seems quite strong and well. Mrs Wordsworth looks older. Their son William was at tea, but he had come over only for the day or evening. There was also a little girl, who I think is Mrs Wordsworth's niece.

1842

"In this year I commenced a troublesome work, the Description of the Northumberland Telescope. On Sept. 9th I wrote to the Duke of Northumberland suggesting this, sending him a list of Plates, and submitting an estimate of expense _120_. On Sept. 19th I received the Duke's a.s.sent. I applied to Prof. Challis (at the Cambridge Observatory) requesting him to receive the draughtsman, Sly, in his house, which he kindly consented to do.

"With regard to Estimates. I now began to point out to the Admiralty the inconvenience of furnis.h.i.+ng separate estimates, viz. to the Admiralty for the Astronomical Establishment, and to the Treasury for the Magnetical and Meteorological Establishment.--The great work of the Lunar Reductions proceeded steadily: 14 computers were employed on them.--With regard to the Magnetical and Meteorological Establishment: I suppose that James Ross's expedition had returned: and with this, according to the terms of the original grant, the Magnetical and Meteorological Establishments expired. There was much correspondence with the Royal Society and the Treasury, and ultimately Sir R. Peel consented to the continuation of the establishments to the end of 1845.--In this year began my correspondence with Mr Mitch.e.l.l about the Cincinnati Observatory. On Aug. 25 Mr Mitch.e.l.l settled himself at Greenwich, and worked for a long time in the Computing Room.--And in this year Mr Aiken of Liverpool first wrote to me about the Liverpool Observatory, and a great deal of correspondence followed: the plans were in fact entirely entrusted to me.--July 7th was the day of the Total Eclipse of the Sun, which I observed with my wife at the Superga, near Turin. I wrote an account of my observations for the Royal Astronomical Society.--On Jan. 10th I notified to Mr Goulburn that our Report on the Restoration of the Standards was ready, and on Jan. 12th I presented it. After this followed a great deal of correspondence, princ.i.p.ally concerning the collection of authenticated copies of the Old Standards from all sides.--In some discussions with Capt. s.h.i.+rreff, then Captain Superintendent of the Chatham Dockyard, I suggested that machinery might be made which would saw s.h.i.+p-timbers to their proper form, and I sent him some plans on Nov. 8th. This was the beginning of a correspondence which lasted long, but which led to nothing, as will appear hereafter.--On Dec. 15th, being on a visit to Dean Peac.o.c.k at Ely, I examined the Drainage Scoop Wheel at p.r.i.c.kwillow, and made a Report to him by letter, which obtained circulation and was well known.--On May 26th the ma.n.u.script of my article, 'Tides and Waves,' for the Encyclopaedia Metropolitana was sent to the printer. I had extensive correspondence, princ.i.p.ally on local tides, with Whewell and others. Tides were observed for me by Colby's officers at Southampton, by myself at Christchurch and Poole, at Ipswich by Ransome's man; and a great series of observations of Irish Tides were made on my plan under Colby's direction in June, July and August.--On Sept. 15th Mr Goulburn, Chancellor of the Exchequer, asked my opinion on the utility of Babbage's calculating machine, and the propriety of expending further sums of money on it. I replied, entering fully into the matter, and giving my opinion that it was worthless.--I was elected an Honorary Member of the Inst.i.tution of Civil Engineers, London.

"The reduction and printing of the astronomical observations had been getting into arrear: the last revise of the 1840 observations went to press on May 18th, 1842. On Aug. 18th came into operation a new organization of a.s.sistants' hours of attendance, &c., required for bringing up reductions. I worked hard myself and my example had good effect." His reference to this subject in his Report to the Visitors is as follows: "I have in one of the preceding articles alluded to the backwardness of our reductions. In those which follow it I trust that I have sufficiently explained it. To say nothing of the loss, from ill health, of the services of most efficient a.s.sistants, I am certain that the quant.i.ty of current work will amply explain any backwardness. Perhaps I may particularly mention that in the observations of 1840 there was an unusual quant.i.ty of equatoreal observations, and the reductions attending these occupied a very great time. But, as regards myself, there has been another cause. The reduction of the Ancient Lunar and Planetary Observations, the attention to chronometer constructions, the proposed management of the printing of papers relating to important operations at the Cape of Good Hope; these and similar operations have taken up much of my time. I trust that I am doing well in rendering Greenwich, even more distinctly than it has been heretofore, the place of reference to all the world for the important observations, and results of observations, on which the system of the universe is founded. As regards myself, I have been accustomed, in these matters, to lay aside private considerations; to consider that I am not a mere Superintendent of current observations, but a Trustee for the honour of Greenwich Observatory generally, and for its utility generally to the world; nay, to consider myself not as mere Director of Greenwich Observatory, but (however unworthy personally) as British Astronomer, required sometimes by my office to interfere (when no personal offence is given) in the concerns of other establishments of the State. If the Board supports me in this view there can be little doubt that the present delay of computations, relating to current observations, will be considered by them as a very small sacrifice to the important advantage that may be gained by proper attention to the observations of other times and other places."

"Of private history: In February I went for a week to Playford and Norwich, visiting Prof. Sedgwick at the latter place. On Mar. 1st my third daughter Christabel was born. In March I paid a short visit to Sir John Herschel at Hawkhurst. From June 12th to Aug. 11th I was travelling with my wife on the Continent, being partly occupied with the observation of the Total Eclipse of the Sun on July 7th. The journey was in Switzerland and North Italy. In December I went to Cambridge and Ely, visiting Dr Peac.o.c.k at the latter place."

From Feb. 23rd to 28th Airy was engaged on Observations of Tides at Southampton, Christchurch, Poole, and Weymouth. During this expedition he wrote frequently (as he always did) to his wife on the incidents of his journey, and the following letters appear characteristic:

KING'S ARMS, CHRISTCHURCH, OR XCHURCH, _1842, Feb. 24_.

The lower of the above descriptions of my present place of abode is the correct one, as I fearlessly a.s.sert on the authority of divers direction-posts on the roads leading to it (by the bye this supports my doctrine that x in Latin was not p.r.o.nounced eks but khi, because the latter is the first letter of Christ, for which x is here traditionally put). Finding this morning that Yolland (who called on me as soon as I had closed the letter to you) was perfectly inclined to go on with the tide observations at Southampton, and that his corporals of sappers were conducting them in the most exemplary manner, I determined on starting at once. However we first went to look at the New Docks (mud up to the knees) and truly it is a very great work. There is to be enclosed a good number of acres of water 22 feet deep: one dock locked in, the other a tidal dock or basin with that depth at low water. They are surrounded by brick walls eight feet thick at top, 10 or more at bottom; and all the parts that ever can be exposed are faced with granite. The people reckon that this work when finished will attract a good deal of the London commerce, and I should not be surprised at it. For it is very much easier for s.h.i.+ps to get into Southampton than into London, and the railway carriage will make them almost one. A very large steamer is lying in Southampton Water: the Oriental, which goes to Alexandria. The Lady Mary Wood, a large steamer for Lisbon and Gibraltar, was lying at the pier. The said pier is a very pleasant place of promenade, the water and banks are so pretty, and there is so much liveliness of s.h.i.+ps about it. Well I started in a gig, in a swas.h.i.+ng rain, which continued off and on for a good while. Of the 21 miles, I should think that 15 were across the New Forest. I do not much admire it. As for Norman William's destruction of houses and churches to make it hunting ground, that is utter nonsense which never could have been written by anybody that ever saw it: but as to hunting, except his horses wore something like mud-pattens or snow-shoes, it is difficult to conceive it. Almost the whole Forest is like a great sponge, water standing in every part. In the part nearer to Xchurch forest trees, especially beeches, seem to grow well. We stopped to bait at Lyndhurst, a small place high up in the Forest: a good view, such as it is, from the churchyard. The hills of the Isle of Wight occasionally in sight. On approaching Xchurch the chalk cliffs of the west end of the Isle of Wight (leading to the Needles) were partly visible; and, as the sun was s.h.i.+ning on them, they fairly blazed. Xchurch is a small place with a magnificent-looking church (with lofty clerestory, double transept, &c., but with much irregularity) which I propose to visit to-morrow. Also a ruin which looks like an abbey, but the people call it a castle. There is a good deal of low land about it, and the part between the town and the sea reminded me a good deal of the estuary above Cardigan, flat ill-looking bogs (generally islands) among the water. I walked to the mouth of the river (more than two miles) pa.s.sing a nice little place called Sandford, with a hotel and a lot of lodgings for summer sea-people. At the entrance of the river is a coastguard station, and this I find is the place to which I must go in the morning to observe the tide. I had some talk with the coastguard people, and they a.s.sure me that the tide is really double as reported. As I came away the great full moon was rising, and I could read in her unusually broad face (indicating her nearness to the earth) that there will be a powerful tide. I came in and have had dinner and tea, and am now going to bed, endeavouring to negociate for a breakfast at six o'clock to-morrow morning. It is raining cats and dogs.

LUCE'S HOTEL, WEYMOUTH, _1842, Feb. 27_.

This morning when I got up I found that it was blowing fresh from S.W. and the sea was bursting over the wall of the eastern extremity of the Esplanade very magnanimously. So (the swell not being favourable for tide-observations) I gave them up and determined to go to see the surf on the Chesil Bank. I started with my great-coat on, more for defence against the wind than against rain; but in a short time it began to rain, and just when I was approaching the bridge which connects the mainland with the point where the Chesil Bank ends at Portland (there being an arm of the sea behind the Chesil Bank) it rained and blew most dreadfully. However I kept on and mounted the bank and descended a little way towards the sea, and there was the surf in all its glory. I cannot give you an idea of its majestic appearance. It was evidently very high, but that was not the most striking part of it, for there was no such thing as going within a considerable distance of it (the occasional outbreaks of the water advancing so far) so that its magnitude could not be well seen. My impression is that the height of the surf was from 10 to 20 feet. But the striking part was the clouds of solid spray which formed immediately and which completely concealed all the other operations of the water. They rose a good deal higher than the top of the surf, so the state of things was this. A great swell is seen coming, growing steeper and steeper; then it all turns over and you see a face just like the pictures of falls of Niagara; but in a little more than one second this is totally lost and there is nothing before you but an enormous impenetrable cloud of white spray. In about another second there comes from the bottom of this cloud the foaming current of water up the bank, and it returns grating the pebbles together till their jar penetrates the very brain. I stood in the face of the wind and rain watching this a good while, and should have stood longer but that I was so miserably wet. It appeared to me that the surf was higher farther along the bank, but the air was so thickened by the rain and the spray that I could not tell. When I returned the bad weather abated. I have now borrowed somebody else's trowsers while mine are drying (having got little wet in other parts, thanks to my great-coat, which successfully brought home a hundredweight of water), and do not intend to stir out again except perhaps to post this letter.

FLAMSTEED HOUSE, _1842, May 15_.

Yesterday after posting the letter for you I went per steamboat to Hungerford. I then found Mr Vignoles, and we trundled off together, with another engineer named Smith, picking up Stratford by the way, to Wormwood Scrubs. There was a party to see the Atmospheric Railway in action: including (among others) Sir John Burgoyne, whom I met in Ireland several years ago, and Mr Pym, the Engineer of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, whom I have seen several times, and who is very sanguine about this construction; and Mr Clegg, the proposer of the scheme (the man that invented gas in its present arrangements), and Messrs Samuda, two Jews who are the owners of the experiment now going on; and Sir James South! With the latter hero and mechanician we did not come in contact. Unfortunately the stationary engine (for working the air-pump which draws the air out of the pipes and thus sucks the carriages along) broke down during the experiment, but not till we had seen the carriage have one right good run. And to be sure it is very funny to see a carriage running all alone "as if the Devil drove it"

without any visible cause whatever. The mechanical arrangements we were able to examine as well after the engine had broken down as at any time. And they are very simple and apparently very satisfactory, and there is no doubt of the mechanical practicability of the thing even in places where locomotives can hardly be used: whether it will pay or not is doubtful. I dare say that the Commissioners' Report has taken a very good line of discrimination.

1843

"In March I wrote to Dr Wynter (Vice-Chancellor) at Oxford, requesting permission to see Bradley's and Bliss's ma.n.u.script Observations, with the view of taking a copy of them. This was granted, and the books of Transits were subsequently copied under Mr Breen's superintendence.