286 Tertiary. 



experienced in this country, the ice in the Connecticut river was in- 

 creased to a great thickness and solidity. In many instances, tlie 

 water in the river was literall}'^ frozen to the bottom. In the month of 

 January, as usual, there came a great and sudden thaw, accompanied 

 with incessant torrents of rain, which appeared to spread over an im- 

 mense extent of country. The consequences were such as might be ex- 

 pected; the snow which was over five feet deep, was quickly melted; every 

 stream as suddenly became a river; and every river threatened to be- 

 come an ocean. The Connecticut river was very soon raised almost to 

 a level with its banks, and the ice, which was two and ahalf feet thick 

 was borne away by the current in the most terrific majesty; for where- 

 ever it was impeded in its progress, b}' an island, or the narrowing of 

 the shores of the river, it was broken up, and immense masses i-aised 

 into the air, until their elevated portions, preponderating over their 

 floating foundations, were left to fall on the surrounding ice with a re- 

 port, equal in some instances to that of small pieces of ordnance. 

 This scene of awful grandeur was extended for miles to the north and 

 south, and while thousands were contemplating the frightful spectacle, 

 the ice, being very solid, and hurried on by a powerful current became 

 obstructed at the mouth of the straits twenty-five miles below, near 

 Middletown, and the whole force of the river for a short time was im- 

 peded: the water set back and upward, and enormous masses of ice 

 were hurried over the banks of the river, into the creeks and larger 

 streams to a considerable distance from the river, into the meadows 

 and low grounds: When on a sudden, from the pressure above, the ob- 

 struction at the straits gave way, and this thi'eatening appearance al- 

 most in a minute vanished; the water fell to its natural state, and left 

 huge masses of transparent ice in the meadows and intervals, to be re- 

 removed only by the pow^erful influence of a summer's sun. When this 

 was accomplished, in the following season, large pieces of rocks and 

 heaps of rolled pebbles were left exposed to view on an alluvial surface, 

 on which before a stone could not be found for its weight in gold. 

 These rocks and stones, from their characters, were known to be the 

 same as those which composed the bed of the river many leagues 

 above. 



