40 On the prevailing Storms of the Atlantic Coast. 



This storm pursued, in the early part of its progress, a more north- 

 wardly rout, than is usual for those storms that reach the coast, and its 

 rate of progress cannot have greatly exceeded ten miles per hour.* 



It may be remembered, that Doctor Franklin has assigned one 

 hundred miles per hour as the average rate of the advance made by 

 north-east storms, towards the north-east. As the termination of 

 these storms also follows on from the south-west to north-east, in 

 the same ratio with their commencement, the direct effect of this 

 rate of progress would, of itself, be equal to a violent hurricane 

 from south-west. The facts which we have exhibited show a very 

 different result, and the discrepancy can be accounted for, only by 

 supposing that in the state of the country at that early period (1740) 

 reports of meteorological facts were too unfrequently and loosely 

 made, to furnish the necessary data for a correct estimate on this sub- 

 ject. The mistake might easily be fallen into in a case like that 

 which we have last mentioned, where a storm of very great extent 

 has fallen obliquely upon the coast ; as even a correct report of the 



* The annexed extract from the New York Gazette, comprises some additional 

 facts, and will assist us in forming some just conception of the scenes which are of- 

 ten occasioned by the severe storms of the Atlantic : — 



Extracts from the log-book of the ship of war Kensington, TV. TV. Ramsay, Esq. 



commander. 



Monday, August 23d, Cape Henlopen bearing west-south-west at 7, P. M. ; 

 discharged the pilot, and steered off east-south-east. — Tuesday, August 24th, com- 

 mences with light and variable weather ; from 4 to 6, P. M. light airs from the 

 southward ; from 6 to 8, nearly calm ; from midnight to 4 A. M. moderate and 

 clear — disagreeable head sea ; from 4 to 8, A. M. wind fresh from east-north-east ; 

 from 8 to meridian freshening, took one reef in the fore and main, and two in the 

 mizen-top-sails. — Wednesday, August 25th, wind high from the north-east — took two 

 reefs in the fore and main-top-sails; from 4 to 6, P. M. fresh gales from the north 

 and east; weather cloudy ; sent down royal yards: from 6 to 8, wind increasing ; 

 at 7, 40, close reefed the top-sails, reefed the courses, and furled the main-sail ; from 8 

 to midnight, very squally, with rain ; at midnight under close-reefed topsails, reefed 

 fore-sail and fore-stay-sail ; the second gig washed from the larboard davits; from 4 to 

 8, A. M. wind not so strong, and hauling to the east. — Thursday, August 26th, fresh 

 gales from north and east, with heavy head sea : attached an eight-inch hawser to 

 the end of the bowsprit ; brought both parts into the hawse holes, and set them well 

 up; got a pull of the bobstays and bowsprit shrouds; from 4 to 6 P. M., gale in- 

 creasing; in sending down topgallant yards lost fore-topgallant-mast and yard ; furled 

 the fore-sail, fore and mizen-top-sails; got preventer tackles from the fore-mast to the 

 bowsprit; at 6, Andrev/ McCormick was washed from the jib-boom and drowned ; 

 from 6 to 8, P. M. gale very heavy, the sea increasing to an alarming height ; from 

 8 to midnight, gale most violent ; lying to, under close-reefed main-top-sail and fore- 



