448 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



inches deep in less than nine minutes ? And here it may; 

 be remarked, that this is the storm mentioned before, in, 

 which the barometer was observed to fall nearly two inches, 

 near the end of the storrn, when it was not nearly so violent 

 as it was in other places. Or how will it account for the 

 immense quantity of rain which fell at Catskill, New York,,, 

 on the 26th of July, 1819? 



About half past five, P. M., a dense black cloud rose up 

 from the south west, accompanied with a fresh wind, and 

 about the same time, or a little after, a very thick dark 

 cloud rose up rapidly from the north east. They met im- 

 mediately over the town ; at this instant a powerful rain, 

 commenced. 



As soon as the clouds met, they seemed to fall down on 

 the river, over which they met, and then the cloud rested 

 on the water in such a manner that no space could be seen 

 between them. For half an hour there was no appearance 

 of drops of rain, the water appeared to descend in large 

 streams and sheets. In this half hour the quantity fallen 

 was above twelve inches on a level. Two persons testify 

 that some time after the clouds met, they saw at the same 

 moment a water-spout rising up from the river, nearly op- 

 posite, with a broad bottom, ascending to the clouds with a 

 whirling motion, in the form of a pretty regular cone. 



The whole quantity which fell was more than fifteen 

 inches, over a space of about eighty square miles ; and as 

 far as I can collect from the whole account, which is given 

 at large in Silliman's Journal, vol. 4, p. 124, this spout was 

 stationary. 



The intelligent author of the account, Benjamin W. 

 Dwight, says, it is worthy of remark that eleven days be- 

 fore, in the afternoon, there fell, in a shower of short con- 

 tinuance, more than six inches of rain. 



This theory has lately been brought forward and ex- 

 tended by Professor Olmsted, of Yale College, with a view 



