96 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



observe and note every phenomenon which may tend to 

 establish or refute the generalization to which we turned 

 their attention at the commencement of this report. It is 

 a remarkable fact, and altogether consistent with the gener- 

 alization here spoken of, that all our great storms which set 

 in from some eastern point, terminate with the wind from 

 some western point ; and our correspondents will recollect 

 that all the phenomena detailed in our first report lead to 

 the same conclusion. Among the storms there detailed, not 

 the least remarkable was that on the 22d of March, 1835, 

 in which there was a perfect calm at Philadelphia for several 

 hours, with an extremely low barometer, the sky was very 

 cloudy, without rain, while at the same time there was a 

 most violent rain all round Philadelphia, with very strong 

 wind towards Philadelphia. 



Was the air at this moment rising over Philadelphia so 

 rapidly as to carry up the drops of rain and throw them 

 off at the sides of the ascending column ? Both the rapid 

 afflux of air towards Philadelphia, at that time, and the 

 extreme depression of the barometer there, lead strongly to 

 an affirmative answer. How extremely interesting would 

 it be if our correspondence were wide enough to trace these 

 storms to their commencement, and follow them to their 

 termination. 



And if our present attempt should fail to stimulate men 

 of science to engage in the undertaking "of investigating the 

 dynamical laws to which the movements of the atmosphere 

 are subject, and this can only be done by simultaneous ob- 

 servations over a wide extent of territory, then this com- 

 mittee, unless aided by Government, will have to leave the 

 work unfinished, and reluctantly close their labors, with 

 perhaps one more report. 



