50 Whirlwinds excited hy Fires. 



Art. II. — Some account of Violent Columnar Whirhvinds, which 

 appear to have resulted from the action of large Circular Fires ; 

 with Remarks on the same ; by W. C. Redfield. 



Read before the Conn. Acad, of Arts and Sci., Jan. 22, 1839. 



Since my attention was first attracted by the phenomena of 

 our great whirlwind storms, I have found frequent occasions for 

 noticing the points of analogy, and also of dissimilarity, between 

 these great storms and the smaller classes of whirlwinds which 

 are known under the various names of squalls, thunder gusts, tor- 

 nadoes, water spouts, sand pillars, and the like. While pursuing this 

 inquiry, I received information of a few cases in which whirlwinds 

 of great activity and violence, appeared to have resulted from the 

 action of fires. The facts attending these cases, as then related to 

 me, were carefully noted, and were laid aside with a view, at a fu- 

 ture period, to incorporate them with a more general account and 

 examination of the smaller description of whirlwinds, than I have 

 yet found it convenient to undertake. In the mean time, the ver- 

 bal statement of these cases, both in Europe and this country, 

 through the medium of a friend who is distinguished for his at- 

 tainments in science, appears to have excited some interest in the 

 minds of meteorologists and others, and has occasioned applica- 

 tions to be made to me for a full statement of the facts. I there- 

 fore hasten to give them publicity, without the delay which the 

 execution of my original purpose would necessarily occasion.* 



The most recent of these cases, being the first of which I ob- 

 tained notice, occurred in the year 1830, in the township of 

 Greenbush, near Albany. My account of it was obtained soon 

 after, from William Akin, of Greenbush, an observant and highly 

 respectable member of the society of Friends, on whose farm the 

 phenomenon happened. The facts were carefully taken down 

 in the presence of Mr. Akin, from his statements, and the ac- 

 count thus obtained was by his assistance, carefully revised and 

 corrected. 



* These cases were briefly announced in 1833, in a summaiy statement of some 

 of the facts and results in meteorology, which had then claimed my attention. See 

 this Journal, Vol. xxv, p. 127. 



In regard to the brief statements which were comprised in the synopsis here re- 

 ferred to, it will continue to appear, if I mistake not, that the annunciations then 

 made, were something more than the mere expression of opinions or speculative 

 theories. 



