362 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1843. 



of wind, but it was not violent. The quantity of rain that fell 

 was between eleven and thirteen inches. At Newtown Square, 

 in forty minutes, immediately before five o'clock, it was ascer- 

 tained that five inches and a half of rain fell. As observed in 

 the north part of Radnor, the heavy rain commenced about four 

 o'clock, P. M., and ceased about six o'clock. At the commence- 

 ment the wind blew from the S. or S. W. but changed to the 

 S. E. about four and a half or five o'clock, from which direction 

 came the heaviest rain. 



At Crozerville the storm appeared to have concentrated, and 

 spent itself with awful violence. The morning had been lower- 

 ing with occasional showers of rain, the air cool for the season. 

 After noon the sky was thickly overcast, and clouds floated 

 slowly in various directions, the wind as noted by a vane, N. E. 

 After two o'clock, thunder was heard at a distance, which soon 

 became louder and more frequent. About three o'clock, under 

 an unusually dark sky, rain commenced falling in torrents, ac- 

 companied with vivid lightning and almost continuous peals of 

 thunder. The lightning was more vivid than ever had been 

 witnessed by the observer in the day-time, nor had he ever before 

 heard so much loud thunder at one time. The rain terminated 

 a few minutes before six o'clock. Crozerville lies in a basin 

 surrounded by steep acclivities. In every direction from these 

 hills, sheets of water poured down, and mingling with the cur- 

 rent below, presented, together with the rapid succession of 

 forked lightning, a scene of awful sublimity. 



In the northern part of Middletown the greatest violence of 

 the storm lasted from three to five o'clock, P.M., the wind blow- 

 ing from every quarter, but not with great violence. 



In the northern part of Nether Providence the heavy rain 

 commenced between four and five o'clock, and continued till a 

 quarter past six o'clock. The wind blew from various directions, 

 and at five o'clock with great violence from the W. N. W. In 

 the northwest of Springfield township the heavy rain com- 

 menced between two and three o'clock and continued till five. 

 There was a strong current of air or whirhvind that passed over 

 the high grounds near Beatty's mills, that uprooted and broke 

 off trees. Lower down, on Crum Creek, " there appeared to be 

 two storms of rain approaching one another, one from the S. E., 

 the other from the N. W., which appeared to meet, and it could 

 not be told for some minutes w^hich would prevail, but eventually 

 the one from the S. E. carried the sway," the rain being greatly 

 increased during the struggle. At another point in Springfield 

 the heaviest rain fell between five and six o'clock, the wind 

 being variable, and blowing at one time with great violence, 

 prostrating trees and fences in its course. 



