WATERSPOUTS AND WHIRLWINDS. 



.'.71 



divided itself into two portions near a clump of trees, one part rising into the 

 clouds, while the other part sunk into the ground and disappear. 



All the trees struck by this meteor had their sap completely evaporated, 

 the ligneous part being as much dried as if it had been exposed in a - 

 at the temperature of 300. The immense quantity of vapor suddenly form- 

 ed by the sap, having no means of escape from the interstices of the wood, 

 split the tree in the longitudinal direction. All the trees presented marks ol 

 this effect. 



By observing the progress of this phenomenon, the transformation of a com- 

 mon storm into a land-spout will be apparent. Two stormy clouds inovril 

 toward the same vertical line in which they settled at different altitudes, linn 

 charged with the same electricity, the lower cloud descends toward the ground, 

 and is put in electrical communication with the ground by whirlwinds of dust 

 and by trees. This communication once established, the noise of the thunder 

 immediately ceases, the discharge taking place by the continuous conductor 

 formed by the clouds which have descended and the trees upon the plain. 

 These last, traversed by the electricity, have their sap dried up and their trunks 

 split ; finally, flashes of light, balls of fire, and sparks appear, and a sulphure- 

 ous odor remains in the houses for several days, the curtains of which are 

 everywhere scorched. 



In his voyage to the Pacific Captain Beechey witnessed water-spouts off 

 Ciermont Tonnerre, lat. 19 south, long. 137 west, of which he has given 

 the drawings, from which figs. 1 and 2 have been taken. 



Fig. 1. 



Colonel Reid, in his work on storms, has given the following extract from a 

 letter addressed to him by Captain Beechey, containing a circumstantial ac 

 count of water-spouts, witnessed by him in the same voyage : " 

 been very sultry, and in the afternoon a long arch of heavy cumuli and mm 

 rose slowly above the southern horizon ; while watching its movements a w 

 ter-spout began to form, at a spot on the under side of the arch that * 

 er than the rest of the line. A thin cone (fig. 3), first appeared, whicl 

 ally became elongated, and was shortly joined by several others whi 

 on increasing in length and bulk until the columns had reached about I 

 down to the horizon The sea beneath had hitherto been undistur,d 

 when the columns united it became perceptibly agitated, and almost iminc 



