3-034-640 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Waterspout seen between Bournemouth and Poole, 1871. 'We are favoured by Mr. Arthur Blomfield with a sketch he made, on the 8th September, of a waterspout seen by himself and a party of friends while sailing in a small half-decked cutter between Bournemouth and Poole Harbour. He thus describes it: "The sky and horizon had for some time worn a very curious appearance, and we had scarcely turned to row into the harbour before one of the men pointed out a whirl wind, forming a steamlike column of spray and travelling rapidly towards land. We watched it till it went ashore, raising a cloud of sand and dust close to the end of the Branksea property, at which point a small round tower stands on the cliff. Another whirlwind of larger dimensions was now descried, following nearly the same course, and to meet this a very distinct and well-defined cone descended from the clouds above; but before the cloud and the water actually formed a junction the shore was reached, and the cone immediately dispersed...The breeze held till near sunset, when it fell dead calm; and on our return we were obliged to land at Poole and drive home, the men all prophesying that a heavy gale was coming".' From "Illustrated London News", 1871.