57 



that has ever heen experienced here occurred this night. The rain was accom- 

 panied by lightning and Avind, which gradually increased to a hurricane. So 

 far no damage has been reported. — Xewspa'pcr. 



December 16. — College Hill, Ohio. Thunder-storm this evening at 8 o'clock, 

 motion from southeast, attended with lightning; snow two inches deep on the 

 ground at the time, which is not common. Shock about 9 o'clock, which we 

 thought to be an earthquake ; but as there was heavy thunder on the same 

 evening we might be mi-staken. — John W. Hammitt, Observer. 



December 16. — College Hill, Ohio. Feqruent thunder and lightning this 

 evening between 7 and 10 at the southwest and west, after a snow-storm all 

 day, by light sprinkles and mingled with hail and rain. Distance of the thun- 

 der about thirty miles southwest. Earthquake at 9.15 p. m.; tremulous, say ten 

 impulses. Effect produced was the sensation of the impulses in a very firmly 

 built brick house of two stories, forty feet square. The above was observed by 

 two persons in different parts of the house. — Professor J. H. Wilson, Farmer'' s 

 College. 



December 16. — Hillsborough, Ohio. Thunder and rain at night. 



December 17. — Portsmouth Ohio. At 2 a. m. thunder and lightning, and 

 violent winds. 



December 31. — Beaufort, South Carolina. Very heavy thunder shower at 2 

 a. m., accompanied by high wind. 



TE.MPERATURE OF SPRINGS. 



December 25.— Williamsburg, Maine. Temperature of spring 45°, air 24". 

 This spring bubbles up out of a slatestone ledge in a mowing field at the foot of 

 a gentle slojiing ridge inclining to the east. The water is one foot deep. Tem- 

 perature of well at the bottom in seven feet of water 40^, air 24°. This well is 

 thirteen feet deep from top of the ground on a high ridge in an op:n field. Tem- 

 perature of pond 35°, air 24^. This pond is fed by springs, and is surrounded 

 by a growth of timber. It contains three or four acres ; the water is from two 

 to four feet deep, and was frozen over at the time of the observation, the ice 

 being cut through to obtain the temperature of the v.-ater. The observations 

 were made about 2 p. m. At 7 a. m. the same day the temperature of the air 

 was 5^; on the 23d, 1° below zero; and, on the 21st, 2° below. On the 23d 

 of October the temperature of the same spring was 52°; of the well, b'2°\ and of 

 the pond, 48°. The temperature of the air at that time was 4S-*. 



FREEZLXG OF LAKES, RIVERS, GROUND, ETC. 



December 1-31. — Oil City, Pennsylvania. 1st. Eddy in Allegheny river frozen 

 half way across, ice running heavy. 7th. Ice running all day. 8th. Ice gorged 

 and carried away about fifty boats. 12th. No floating ice ; frost out of the 

 ground. 15th. Five feet of water in the river ; steamers arrived. 27th. Twenty- 

 two inches of water in the river. 28th. Hard rain 8 to 10 a. m.; ice gorge in 

 river three miles above here gave way. 29th. Ice gorge from Pitt Hole came 

 down from 9 to 10 p. m.; fifty or more boats swept away ; and upwards of two 

 thousand barrels of oil lost. The gorge was reported to have been seven miles 

 long and nine feet deep. 31st. Eiver clear of ice. 



December 1. — Fort Ann, New York. Ground frozen to depth of an inch and 

 a quarter. 



December 2. — Rochester, New York. Genesee valley canal frozen over. 



December 3. — Steuben, Maine. Anchor ice this morning. 



December 3. — Portland, Maine. The skating on a portion of the basin yes- 

 terday was excellent, and a large number of ladies and gentlemen were out 

 enjoymg it. If it does not storm, the ice to-day must necessarily be in fine con- 



