124 Account of a Remarkable Storm. 
those old cannon except in Turkey, and in some few for- 
tresses of Europe, where they are preserved as monuments 
of the artin its infancy. The dimensions of all the pieces 
of artillery have been successively reduced, and that arm 
has only been really improved in proportion as it has been 
made lighter ; or in other words, its greatest perfection con- 
sists in making it produce the greatest possible effect witli 
the least possible expense of active forces. 
It is true that since the invention of gunpowder opportu- 
nities have not been wanting to study and improve the form 
and size of artillery : this circumstance has necessarily ren- 
dered the progress of that arm much more rapid than the 
improvements in Hydraulic Architecture. Hence in the 
latter species of construction we are still at the large pieces. 
Arr. XII.—An account of a remarkable storm which occur- 
red at Catskill, July 26, 1819. 
[Read before the Catskill Lyceum. } 
To Pror. Siiuiman, 
Dear Sir—Agreeably to your request, I now transmit te 
you an account of the great storm, which occurred here on 
Monday afternoon the 26th July, 1819. At that time I was 
absent on a journey, in the state of Pennsylvania. Of course 
Yam indebted to others for that class of facts which relate 
to the immediate phenomena ofthestorm. I reached home 
on the following Monday ; and during that week spent much 
of the time in collecting facts relative to it; and have since 
from time to time, visited various places, where uncom- 
mon ravages were occasioned, and have spared no pains in 
obtaining all the information of an interesting nature which 
could be collected. Every fact communicated by others, 
or observed by myself, was immediately committed to writ- 
ing. 'The manuscript has lain by me about fifteen months. 
I have more than once, visited several of the places, where 
peculiar ravages exist, and believe the ‘account to be in no 
degree exaggerated. 
{am respectfully, yours, &c. 
BENJAMIN W. DWIGHT. 
Catskill, February 5, 1821. 
