Deerjield Disruption, 28? 



near the highest part of the swell above described, and in its 

 longest direction, or parallel to the river, the greatest effect 

 of the convulsion appears. The earth, to the depth it has 

 frozen the past winter, 14 inches, is broken on a straight line 

 above 6 rods, and the south edge of the fissure, having been 

 forced up, overlaps the other, three feet. Where one edge 

 does not thus overreach, the tables of earth, which at a small 

 distance resemble masses of ice, are raised up so that their fa- 

 ces form an isosceles triangle, leaving a cavit}^ beneath. About 

 the extremities of the transverse axis, is also an overlapping of 

 two feet, which continues nearly two rods on the curve each 

 way from the axis, and in most places is double, overreaching 

 internally and externally, exhibiting likewise, some irregula- 

 rity where the compressing forces acted at right angles to each 

 other. The edges of these elevated masses of earth, which 

 are yet frozen, are quite smooth, and the angles but little frac- 

 tured. I have dug into the earth about four feet underneath 

 the longer axis of the ellipsis, and thrust down a bar in other 

 places, but cannot perceive that the soil has been moved below 

 where it was frozen. It is, however, not the most favourable 

 season for ascertaining this fact. 



Every appearance on the spot will justify this conclusion, 

 that the frozen surface of the earth around, has pressed with 

 great (orce from every direction to this ellipsis as a centre ; for, 

 were every fissure in the ellipsis to be filled by replacing the 

 earth, there must remain on its longer axis and at the extremi- 

 ties of this, an overplus of surface two feet wide. 



The month of February last has been unusually cold. Its 

 mean temperature in Deerfield, by Fahrenheit's scales, is as 

 follows. 



'ih. A. M. lift. p. M. lOh. p. M. 



The extremes were 25° below, and 49° above zero. On 

 the last day but one of the month, the cold suddenly relaxed ; 

 and on the 1st and 2d of March, a heavy and warm rain suc- 

 ceeded. This produced an uncommon rise in Deerfield river. 



