52> Whirlwinds excited by Fires. 



the air, and desolating a path or track of about fifty yards in width. 

 Another of these storms, of a more extended character, Mr. A. 

 describes as very destructive to the farm on which he then lived, 

 and as having left the ground covered with hail stones, to the 

 depth of four or five inches, and in particular situations, to the 

 depth of even twenty inches. This hail storm acted on a track 

 of near two miles in its entire width, and was also attended with 

 the above mentioned peculiar noise in the atmosphere, during its 

 continuance, and also with heavy thunder and vivid lightning. In 

 this last case, no whirlwind was felt at the surface, but he supposes 

 one of considerable magnitude to have been in action in the at- 

 mosphere. 



For an account of another interesting case of the same charac- 

 ter, and which I received not long after the above, I am indebted 

 to the Hon. Theodore Dwight, now of Hartford, Conn, and for- 

 merly a resident of this city. It was related to me more than 

 once by this gentleman, for my gratification, and was, at my re- 

 quest, drawn up by himself, and kindly placed at my disposal. 



Statement of Theodore Dwight, Esq. 

 " In the month of April, 1783, I resided at Stockbridge, in the 

 State of Massachusetts. The season, for a number of weeks pre- 

 vious, had been remarkably dry, and in various places much 

 mischief had been done by fires which were kindled in the 

 woods. Beside other fires, one occurred upon a mountain lying 

 between Great Barrington and Stockbridge, which spread and 

 advanced till it reached the northern termination of the moun- 

 tain, south of Stockbridge, near the river Housatonic, which 

 runs through the town. Near the foot of the mountain at 

 its northern termination, was an open field, in which a large 

 quantity of bushes and brushwood, that had been cut some time 

 previously, in clearing the field, was lying in rows and heaps for 

 burning, and had become perfectly dry and combustible. The 

 owner of the field, as the fire reached near its border, sent some 

 men to set all on fire around the field, in order to consume the whole 

 together. The weather was mild and serene, and the atmosphere 

 perfectly still and undisturbed. I was residing at this time at the 

 distance of about half a mile from the fire, and my attention was 

 suddenly excited by a loud roaring noise like that of heavy thun- 

 der ; whereupon, going to the door, I instantly discovered the cause. 



