Mr Redfteld on the Law of Storms. 36X 



that we have neither employed bores too much nor too little. 

 The sinking of a shaft may, under certain circumstances, be 

 much more advisable, and one or several shafts may subse- 

 quently be necessary at any rate. 



On the Law of Slor?ns, as communicated to the American Jour- 

 nal of Commerce. By W. C. Redfield, Esq. of New York. 



The editors of the daily press in this city, having contri- 

 buted frequently of late to the promulgation of Mr Espy's 

 peculiar views in relation to storms, will doubtless as cheer- 

 fully give place to the following facts, relating to the severe 

 storms of December 15. 1839J at Boston and other places. 

 These facts, if considered geographically, and with strict re- 

 ference to one point of time, are within the comprehension of 

 every reader ; and form, therefore, a valid and useful test for 

 the theory or hypothesis of an inward or centripetal course of 

 the wind in a storm, which is advocated by Mr Espy. ^^^^^' "^^ 



To avoid all complexity, we will confine our inquir^i'es, oil' 

 this occasion, to the afternoon of Sunday the 15th, at or shortly 

 before sunset. The evidence within om* reach on this point 

 is as follows : — 



" 1. At Nantucket, the excellent meteorological journal published at 

 that place, states tbe -wind at 7 a. m. and at noon of the 15th at east, with 

 rain ; at f) p. m. SW. fair. Compared witli the next two accounts, the 

 change to SW. would appear to have been in the afternoon, previous to 

 sunset. The changes here being always found to make progress north- 

 easterly. 



" 2. At Barnstaple on the southern extremity of Cape Cod Bay, sixty- 

 six miles from Boston, in a nearly SE. direction, ' it blew hard from 9 

 A. M. to noon ; after which, while the gale was most severe at Boston, 

 the wind lulled to a moderate breeze, and shifted to S. and SW., con- 

 tinuing through the afternoon and night.' Another account states that 

 the wind ' was south at sunset, rather mild, and stars visible in the even- 

 ing.' 



" 3. At New Bedford, Ms. as appears by the meteorological journal of 

 Mr Joseph Congdon, the wind also changed, about 3^ p. m., from ENE. 

 to south, — at 9 p. M. wind S., moderate and cloudy. 



" The above three places would appear, at sunset, on the \6\h, to have 



