384 Miascellanie. 
throughout a vast extent of our country, in a manner so strikingly 
similar, that no doubt could be entertained that it was one and the 
same object. This fact suggested to the writer of this article the pos- 
sibility of calculating its distance from the earth, by noting the time, 
in various locations, in which it appeared to pass different regions of 
the heavens; and the result, though far from rigorously exact, aflord- 
ed evidence, that while it partook decidedly of the motions of the 
earth, its elevation was more than five hundred miles. During the 
appearance of the zone on the 29th May, the time of its apparent 
contact with, and departure from the star Arcturus, then nearly in the 
meridian, was noted by a chronometer, with a hope that the same 
course would be pursued elsewhere, and thus detect its parallax. 
With this view, the periods are given below, in mean solar time at 
this meridian : 
‘* Contact of the Southern border, 9 hrs. 36 min. and 46 sec. P. M. 
* Departure-of the Ponaees and better oo border, 9 hrs. 39 
min. and 16 sec. Pp. M.’ 
8. Tornado at Northford, Conn., June 19, 1794.—The following 
is taken from an interesting account of this tornado, sent to Rev. Dr. 
Stiles of Yale College, by Mr. Jonathan Maltby, who was not more 
than 100 rods distant when it passed by. ~ 
On Thursday, the 19th inst., P. M., passed over this place (North- 
ford, Ct.,) a cloud, proceeding from S. W. to N. E., resembling the 
common thunder cloud, but of a light, aks appearance, without 
rain or hail, and agitated beyond description. It was of a circular 
figure, whirling most violently upon its centre, its height and diamet- 
rical extent being about one eighth of a mile. From the midst of it 
issued a vortex of air, much in the form of an hour-glass, or similar 
to the vortex often seen in water, which descended to the earth. 
This figure alternately contracted and expanded from one to two 
rods, apparently, but really from ten to twenty. The howr-glass had 
‘constant communication with the cloud, from which it descended. 
When it contracted, it was less violent, but when it expanded, the 
scene was frightful, the fowls of the air, the herbage, fences, leaves, 
boughs and trunks of large trees, filled the atmosphere, whirling in 
every direction. Its progress was rapid and terrible, in a zigzag 
course, and attended with an alarming rumbling, somewhat like an 
: Bedawke. What is remarkable, on each side of it all was calm. 
A gentleman who sat in his stoop at the door of his house, scarcely 
felt it, while his barn, the width of the road from him, moved several 
| n its foundation. The extent of the path of the tornado I 
