L 



Professor CErsted on JVater-Spouls. 57 



ists, who examined the traces left hy a destructive water- 

 spout, declared that these ti'aces exhibited no circular move- 

 ment, whereas Professor Hare mentions that there was an in- 

 dication of rotatory motion on a chimney. We shall see, how- 

 ever, in the prosecution of our investigation, that the lower 

 part of the water-spout has no circular movement, so long as 

 it does not touch the ground. 



There has also been noticed an ascending and a descending 

 movement in water-spouts, the one being, of course, nearer 

 < he middle than the other. In respect to the directions ob- 

 served, there prevail some apparent contradictions, but these 

 will be explained in the sequel. 



Many observers have distinctly seen windings like those of 

 a screw ; and, not unfrequently, some of these spiral windings 

 are turned right and some of them left, one winding being 

 nearer the middle than the other. Friedrich Rabe, who ob- 

 served a water-spout in Laaland, saw straw, leaves, and other 

 light objects, raised in spiral windings without the water- 

 spout. 



Power of Water-Spouts. — The power with which water- 

 spouts act is often very great. They have been known to 

 move heavy cannons, and to tear up large trees by their roots. 

 A water-spout has been seen to transport a large tree to a dis- 

 tance of 600 feet. They sometimes unroof houses, nay, even 

 overthrow the houses themselves. Beams employed in the 

 support of roofs, have been carried to a distance of 1400 feet ; 

 and entire houses, composed of wood, have been raised up 

 and removed to new positions. On one occasion, a water- 

 spout was seen to I'oll up moist linen on a bleaching ground, 

 and to transport it, together with a beam accidentally enve- 

 loped in it, the whole weighing upwards of 500 pounds, over 

 a house forty feet high, and to a distance of 150 feet. Objects 

 of little weight are carried to very great distances ; thus, a 

 water-spout has been known to transport a sewing-bag about 

 seven English miles, and a letter upwards of twenty English 

 miles. A fish-pond has been emptied by a v.ater-spout, and 

 the fish scattered round its margin. On Christiansoe, a watei'- 

 spout emptied the harbour to such an extent, that the greater 

 portion of the bottom was uncovered. But the action is not 



