LABORS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE. 133 



driver was compelled to return to Frederick. The snow 

 on the Alleghanies, some days ago, was two feet deep along 

 the turnpike, from Cumberland to Wheeling, and the mails 

 were carried through with the greatest difficulty. 



From the United States Gazette of the 21st. 



Packet ship Pochahontas rode out the gale of Saturday 

 night, the 17th, off the light-house, on the Brandywine 

 shoal. At one time the gale was so violent, that it was 

 feared her masts would have to be cut away. 



The same paper of the 22d states, from the Delaware 

 breakwater, that the gale was the most severe ever expe- 

 rienced at that place. 



JAMES P. ESPY, Meteorologist. 



Condensed Statement of the Facts. 



116. It appears from the facts detailed in the report of the 

 committee on meteorology, that a storm of rain and snow 

 of great violence was raging on the 17th of March, reaching 

 north east and south west from the western extremity of 

 North Carolina to the northeastern extremity of Pennsylva- 

 nia; and in a north west and south east direction, from 

 about the middle of Ohio, to the eastern extremity of North 

 Carolina, and east and west from beyond Lexington. Ken- 

 tucky, to some distance in the Atlantic beyond the eastern 

 shore of Maryland. The storm was much the greatest on 

 the 17th, and its boundaries on this day about noon, have 

 been represented by the middle circle in the map accompa- 

 nying the report of the committee. 



This storm moved along the surface of the earth nearly 

 towards the east. 



It appears that the barometer fell on the 17th, in all 

 places near the centre or far within the boundaries of the 

 storm, and rose in many places near its borders, and be- 



