362 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



the spout, were in the direction of its march with but little 

 deviation. 



From Plant Thibault, it would have directed itself infal- 

 libly towards the wood of Chatenay, to the west of the cas- 

 tle, if the first storm had not protected it. The spout devia- 

 ted then to the N.N. E. and in climbing the hill, it destroyed 

 some poplars which it found in its course. 



Two thirds of these trees were thrown down in the direc- 

 tion of its path, the other third in a different direction. 



Having arrived on the summit of the hill, it shook the 

 houses situated in the street of Mareil ; it took off the roofs, 

 broke the windows, scorched the curtains. Miss Beaucerf, 

 who was shut up in her chamber, saw some sparks fall by 

 her chimney, though she had no fire, nor any of her neigh- 

 bors. Some linen placed on the table, was carried off 

 through the chimney, and transported to a distance. M. 

 Peltier, adds, that this effect could not have been produced 

 by a vacuum, and that nothing but an electric attraction 

 could have produced it, and that all these places preserved 

 for a long time the smell of burnt sulphur. 



In following the march of the meteor, and the line of the 

 trees thrown down, it appeared evident that the destruction 

 of the houses of this street was not caused by the direct 

 passage of the spout, but by lateral influence, for the trees 

 of the orchard of M. Herelle indicated that the column 

 passed between this orchard and the road of Fontenay to 

 Fosses, and not between this orchard, and the street of 

 Mareil. All the fruit trees of this orchard were thrown down 

 towards the N. N. W., whilst those of the road of Fontenay 

 to Fosses, which was parallel to it at about 25 metres, were 

 thrown towards the N. N. E. From this place, the spout 

 deviated again a little to the east, entered the park of the 

 castle, and devastated it in the most disastrous manner. All 

 the trees of the high forest were torn down, three quarters 

 of them had their trunks dried and split into small splinters, 



