26.—Particulars were published on this date of the establishment of the Norwich Steam Laundry and Public Baths, at North Heigham.
27.—A remarkable landslip occurred at Attleborough. As Mr. Gathergood, a farmer, whose land lay partly in Attleborough and Rockland, was crossing a turnip field, he was stunned by a loud report resembling the roar of a cannon, immediately followed by a rustling noise within a yard or two of him. On recovering his presence of mind, he discovered that a space of land twenty-four yards in circumference had sunk out of sight, and water was rising in its stead. On the 28th the water subsided, and revealed a chasm from thirty-five to forty feet deep, with perfectly perpendicular sides. This strange phenomenon was attributed to the action of the heavy rainfall.
AUGUST.
2.—A terrible thunderstorm and hurricane commenced in the night and prevailed during the early hours of the morning of the 3rd (Sunday). It was accompanied by a deluge of rain and a heavy hailstorm. Great damage was done to property in city and county. But the greatest calamity was the destruction of Wells church, the tower of which was struck by lightning at 5.50 a.m. on the 3rd. The roof of the nave was soon in flames, and fell in with a crash, and by nine o’clock the whole church was reduced to a state of utter ruin. The fine peal of bells was totally destroyed, and the entire damage was estimated at from £10,000 to £15,000. (See April 18th, 1883.)
4.—Died at Oxford Street, Unthank’s Road, Norwich, Mr. Thomas William Bond, in his 76th year. Mr. Bond was some time subeditor, and afterwards publisher, of the “Norfolk News,” and before removing to Norwich kept a school at Barton Mills, near Stoke Ferry. He was the compiler of a small book for children, known as “Bond’s Catechism,” which was published by Jarrold, and for many years extensively used in all parts of the country.
5.—Died at the residence of his son, Belmont House, Newport, Essex, Zachariah Buck, Mus. Doc. He was born at Norwich on September 19th, 1798, and at an early age attracted the attention of Dr. Beckwith, the then organist of the Cathedral, who took him into the choir. Dr. Beckwith died in 1809, and was succeeded as organist by his son, Mr. John Beckwith, with whom young Buck continued, and to whom he was articled. On the death of Beckwith, in 1819, Buck, at the early age of twenty-one, succeeded in obtaining the appointment of Cathedral organist, his chief competitor being Alfred Pettet, a fellow-pupil, who was appointed to St. Peter Mancroft. Buck soon obtained a large and lucrative practice as a teacher, and established his reputation as a trainer of boys. For nearly forty years he continued to perform the active duties of organist and choirmaster, but during the last twenty years of his life he relinquished the organ to his subsequent assistant and partner, Dr. Bunnett. Besides instructing during his long career some 7,000 amateur pupils, Dr. Buck trained a very large number of professional students, most of whom were selected from his choir. He composed no great work, but was the author of a number of pleasing anthems, and of the hymn, “Come hither, angel tongues invite,” which, it was understood, gained for him his Lambeth degree of Doctor of Music, conferred upon him by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He resigned, on June 5th, 1877, his appointment at the Cathedral, after seventy years’ connection therewith. Dr. Buck was twice married—first to Miss Hansell, and secondly to Miss Holloway, and left three sons.
11.—The British, Archæological Association opened its congress at Yarmouth. Lord Waveney, as president, delivered an inaugural address. The members of the Congress visited Norwich on the 18th.
26.—Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., having declined the invitation of the Government to become a member of the Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the depressed state of agriculture and its causes, and believing that he could serve farmers better another way, sailed on this date from Liverpool for America, in the City of Montreal liner, in company with Mr. Albert Pell, M.P. The object of the hon. gentlemen was to collect, in the United States, information conducive to the inquiry, and this duty they undertook as unpaid assistant commissioners. They made a tour through the Western agricultural regions of Manitoba, Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Kentucky, went south-west to Texas, and returned to Philadelphia on November 26th. They thoroughly examined the system of cultivation, transportation, and ocean shipment of provisions and grain; they travelled an average of 120 miles each day, besides making minute investigations; and in this work they were greatly assisted by the St. Paul and Sioux City Railway, who gave them the use of a special train for a week. They examined the terminal and shipping facilities of the Pennsylvania railroad, the American steamship line at Philadelphia, and the Abbatoir Company’s arrangements for the shipping of live and dead meat. After visiting Baltimore, Washington, and New York, Mr. Read and Mr. Pell sailed for home on December 10th. Mr. Read arrived in Norfolk on December 22nd, and was welcomed at Wymondham station by Mrs. Read and several personal friends.
26.—The Town Clerk reported, at a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, that the Norwich Improvement Act received the Royal assent on July 22nd. Among the works which it enabled the city to undertake was to remove Foundry Bridge and construct a new one forty-five feet wide; to build a bridge across the Wensum at St. Martin-at-Oak, and to exercise increased powers in the sanitary administration and local government of the city.
30.—The death was announced, at Brussels, of Lord Gordon of Drumearn, who, when Lord Advocate for Scotland, in 1867, was returned as member of Parliament for the borough of Thetford.