Account of a Remarkable Storm. 129 
ume he felt no other inconvenience from the shock, than a 
sensation of numbness, which affected his arms for an in- 
definite period. While he lay upon the deck, a young gen- 
tleman standing near him, observed numerous flashes, or 
sparks, of light, about his body, strongly resembling those 
issuing from a firebrand, when whirled swiftly round. They 
were accompanied by a crackling, or snapping noise. Anoth- 
er person on board, experienced a lighter shock, which 
occasioned so much numbnes in one of his arms, that for a 
few minutes, he was unable to use it. There was an iron 
spindle at the top of the mast, for suspending the colours ; 
but no lightning rod. No injury however was done to the 
vessel. Was that part of the cloud, from which the light- 
ning issued, lower than the top of the mast? Several of 
those who where on the deck observed that, at this time the 
rain descended in streams, and sheets. The young gen- 
tleman above mentioned states that, at one period the water 
on the quarter deck accumulated so rapidly from the rain 
only, as to be higher than the tops of his shoes. 
A gentleman, who was in the south store, at the Point, 
feeling much anxiety for his friends on board the sloop, ob- 
served the phenomena of the storm, with more exactness, 
than any other person, with whom I have conversed. His 
account is as follows. When the two clouds met, they ap- 
peared to fall down upon the river, between the store and 
Livingston’s wharf, upon the east bank. The cloud rested 
upon the water in such a manner, that he could discover no 
space between them. Asit came over itappeared extreme- 
ly dark at the bottom, and as white as a snow bank at the 
top. The air suddenly became so obscure, that he was 
unable to see any part of a large perriauger, which lay at 
his wharf thirty feet distant, except that he could barely dis- 
cern the poles. He particularly noticed that, he could not 
see any appearance of drops of rain ; but the water appear- 
ed to descend in large streams, and sheets. 'The descent 
of rain was most copious between a quarter before 6 o’clock, 
and a quarter after 6. In this half hour he estimates the de- 
scent of water to have exceeded twelve inches upon a level. 
Atan inn, thirty rods northward, the family were unable 
to see a large sloop, lying in the creek, at the distance of 
twenty rods. At another inn, in the near neighbourhood, 
aman, who stood for a considerable period at the front 
Vou. IV.....No. 1. 17 
