EXAMINATION OF REID'S STORMS. 213 



N. W. ; and Mr. Redfield himself testifies that the " trees and 

 corn hi this corner of the state were uniformly prostrated 

 towards the S. E., while even as far inland as Middletown, 

 they were uniformly prostrated towards the N. W." 



11 It appears," says Mr. Redfield, " that in the central part 

 of the state of Connecticut, the mass of the atmosphere 

 upon the earth's surface was moving for several hours, ap- 

 parently towards the N. W., with a probable velocity of 75 

 to 100 miles per hour, while in the northern parts of Litch- 

 field county, [that is, in the N. W. parts of the state,] at a 

 distance of say 40 miles, the wind, at about the same period, 

 was blowing with nearly equal violence towards the S. or 

 S. E." 



Now, as the. wind at New York changed round to " S. W., 

 and blew away the clouds with astonishing quickness," 

 about the time that these currents of air were rushing towards 

 each other, from the S. E. and N. W. of the state of Con- 

 necticut, we have three points, S. E. and S. W. and N. W. 

 in the borders of the storm, from which the wind blew to- 

 wards the centre. This fact alone would establish the truth 

 of the centripetal theory, at least in this storm. 



We have no account how the wind blew to the N. E. of 

 the point in Connecticut, towards which these three currents 

 blew, but as the wind set in from the N. E. in front of the 

 storm wherever we have any account, it is highly probable 

 that here too the wind was blowing from the N. E. at the 

 same time. 



We have, then, the most decisive evidence that the wind, 

 during the whole progress of this storm along our coast, blew 

 inwards, at its borders, towards its central parts. 



I do not say that the wind blew to one central point from 

 every part of the circumference this is hardly to be ex- 

 pected, even if the storm was perfectly circular, for reasons 

 too obvious to require explanation. 



