254 On Water-Sj)outs. 



roots, in others, onl^ torn away the upper portions, and that at 

 some points they have not touched them at all. This alternate 

 rising and sinking often becomes very evident when a water- 

 spout traverses a plain or the sea. 



The circular rapidity of water-spouts is also very variable, for 

 frequently the eye can hardly follow it, while at other times their 

 motion is not so violent. Almost all observers expressly mention 

 this circular movement, and I do not iind that its existence is con- 

 tradicted by any one who have themselves seen the phenomenon. 

 It is true that two American naturalists, who examined the traces 

 left by a destructive water-spout, declared that these traces exhib- 

 ited no circular movement, whereas Professor Hare mentions that 

 there was an indication of rotary motion on a chimney. We shall 

 see, however, in the prosecution of our investigation, that the lower 

 part of the water-spout has no circular movement, so long as it 

 does not touch the ground. 



There has also been noticed an ascending and a descending 

 movement of water-spouts, the one being, of course, nearer the 

 middle than the other. In respect to the directions observed, 

 there prevailed some apparent contradictions, but these will be 

 explained in the sequel. 



Many observers have distinctly seen windings like those of a 

 screw ; and not unfrequently, some of these spiral windings are 

 turned right and some of them left, one winding being nearer the 

 middle than the other. Friedrich Rabe, who observed a water- 

 spout in Laaland, saw straw, leaves, and other light objects, raised 

 in spiral windings without the water-spout. 



Po2i)er of Water- Spouts. — The power with which water-spouts 

 act is often very great. They have been known to move heavy 

 cannons, and to tear up large trees by their roots. A water-spout 

 has been seen to transport a large tree to a distance of 600 feet. 

 They sometimes unroof houses, nay, even overthrow the houses 

 themselves. Beams employed in the support of roofs, have been 

 carried to a distance of 1400 feet ; and entire houses, composed 

 of wood, have been raised up and removed to new positions. 

 On one occasion, a water-spout was seen to roll up moist linen 

 on a bleaching ground, and to transport it, together with a beam 

 accidentally enveloped in it, the whole weighing upwards of 500 

 pounds, over a house forty feet high, and to a distance of 150 

 feet. Objects of little weight are carried to very great distances ; 



