On the prevailing Slurms of the Atlantic Coast. 17 



in aciion ; the wholo perhaps coDstituliag the least costly and the 

 most durable and powerful steam boat. 



But it remains to say, that although safety is thus provided for, 

 the covered barge is capable of being the swiftest as well as the most 

 convenient and elegant method of carrying passengers; because the 

 proportion of power that may be placed on board the engine boat 

 may be much greater than usual, while the buoyancy of the barge 

 occasions, in a smooth tvake, little resistance. 



Hitherto the requisite timber and iron, in a hull where the engine 

 works perpendicularly and the cabins are so long as to afford large 

 accommodations, has been such that perhaps the carpenter^ hill of 

 no class of vessels has been so high. 



If these suggestions should tend to promote the extension or profit 

 of this branch of navigation, the appropriation of your pages to this 

 subject thus liberally will not be without public benefit. 



Respectfully yours, Sic. 



John L. Sullivan. 



Now York, Feb. 19, 1831. 



Art. IV. — Remarks on the prevailiyig Storms of the Atlantic coast, 

 of the JSforth American States ; by William C. Redfield, of 

 the city of New York. 



The changes which usually occur in our atmosphere may be con- 

 sidered as of two kinds or classes. In the one class are recognized 

 those effects which are the result of gi'adual variations in the temper- 

 ature, humidity, and density of the atmosphere. In the other, we 

 include all those active and more striking changes, which result h'om 

 the agency of unusual or irregular movements of the atmospheric cur- 

 rents. These extraordinary movements we denominate storms, hur- 

 ricanes, &c. ; and they exhibit, or develope the most striking atmos- 

 pheric phenomena with which we are acquainted. 



The occurrence of storms is sometimes conjecturally ascribed to 

 mere changes in electricity ; but the natural tendency to equilibrium, 

 in the more subtle, as well as the denser fluids, appears to forbid 

 this supposition, and these electrical changes seem rather to occur iu 

 consequence of other disturbing causes, which operate to desli'oy the 

 general equilibrium. It has been justly remarked, that to ascribe 

 every phenomenon, with ihe cause of which we are unacquainted, to 



Vol. XX.-»No. 1- 3 



