26 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



of the storms the clouds seem to have been simply overgrown cumuli; 

 in others the ordinary high-level cirrus overflow is mentioned. An 



Fig. 2. 



inflow of winds before or alongside of the storms is seen in several 

 cases, followed by a reversal or deflection of the wind as the area of 

 heavy rain approaches. 



July 4. The distribution of atmospheric pressure east of the 

 Mississippi was rather uniform on this day, with gentle northward 

 gradients and rising temperature. A few light local storms appeared 

 in central New England in the late afternoon and evening. 



July 5. The barometric gradients were on this day directed west- 

 ward, from a high pressure area off the coast to a low pressure centre 

 in Minnesota. The temperatures were high, but not excessive (mean 

 max. 82°), and the day passed with trifling showers ; but in the 

 evening, from 18^* to 22^ a very severe storm, with heavy rain and 

 hail and incessant lightning, striking in many places, passed eastward 

 across central and northern New Hampshire. Our observers there 

 were too few to define it. Lightning from this storm was very 

 noticeable south of Boston, over one hundred miles distant. In 

 eastern New York a destructive hail-storm occurred near Chatham- 

 Four-Corners at about 18'' ; its path was five miles long and one 

 wide. No reports of it were received from western Massachusetts. 



These two are the first strong storms of the summer that occurred 

 without close connection with a centre of low pressure. 



