Beck on Salt Storms, 4-c. 389 
were the effects of this singular storm, that they were felt in 
the vicinity of London, at a distance of about seventy miles 
from the ocean, and in all the intermediate country. In most 
instances, the leaves of the plants, which suffered from it, 
appeared as if they had been scorched, and in some places 
even the tops of the branches mortified. A storm of the same 
kind took place in England, in February, 1804: and the me- 
moir states, that Sir Joseph Banks had noticed another some 
years before in Lincolnshire.* 
A storm attended with similar effects occurred in this coun- 
try in 1815, and- vented its fury upon the eastern states. It 
commenced on the 23d of September, between eight and nine 
o’clock, A. M. with the wind from the east. In about two 
hours the wind shifted to southeast, and blew a perfect hur- 
ricane. The extended devastation which ensued, is still in 
the recollection of every person. The tides rose from nine 
to twelve feet higher than ordinary, and in many of the prin- 
cipal cities and towns along the coast of New England, 
churches, houses, bridges, wharves, and in some instances 
valuable citizens, were buried in one common ruin. In less 
than three hours the gale abated, and before sunset there was 
a perfect calm. Such were the more striking features of this 
tremendous gale—but other effects were observed more pecu- 
liarly interesting to the philosopher. At New-London, eM; 
and other places, both on the coast, and several miles in the 
interior, the air was found to be loaded with salt; and the 
leaves of many trees appeared, a few hours after the storm, 
as if they had been scorched. Besides this effect upon 
vegetables, there were additional evidences of the saline 
quality of the wind. At Salem and some other places an 
incrustation of salt was perceived on the windows, and the 
fruit in several gardens had a perceptible taste of salt on 
the surface. At New-London it was remarked that the air 
in the eddies was extremely hot and suffocating. 
% 
*L refer th i if jer for further par ticulars to * An.account of astorm 
of Salt, which fell in January, 1803. By Richard Salisbury, F.R.S, L.S.” in 
the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Vol. VIII. p. 207—-10. 
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