RESULTS OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 225 



zenith, and parallel to a line or arc from north of west to south of east. It 

 moved slowly southwards ; passed the zenith a little after ten o'clock, a 

 magnificent band of the whitest cloud, so white that it seemed uncommonly 

 near to the earth, with slightly jagged edges, yet well defined and slightly 

 waving in its motion ; began to leave the eastern horizon by a slow move- 

 ment westward at 11 p.m., and ere long extended only from the meridian 

 to the western horizon : soon after this, the band disappeared. Over the 

 whole northern canopy was spread the most brilliant white light for an 

 hour, that I had ever conceived of : never had I seen the equal to this 

 evening. My thoughts turned to the Mount of Transfiguration, where the 

 Shekinah outspoke the glorious display of his material heavens. It was 

 more brilliant than the similar aurora of April 9, 1863. The lightning and 

 thunder of the evening were not the source of this magnificent auroral arch ; 

 for it appeared where no thunder-showers were in the same horizon, even if 

 they existed at all at the time. 



September 2, 3 & 4, were very hot at the west. At St. Louis the heat was 

 104° at noon of the 2d, 106° at noon of the 3d, and 100° on the 4th. The 

 highest here was only 76°. 



September 26, in the evening, three thunder-showers arose : one, far over 

 Lake Ontario ; another, south of Rochester ; and the last, directly from the 

 west over us. Incessant lightning was displayed, though at a distance too 

 great for much of the thunder to reach us. The last shower showed us its 

 lightnings in flashes on the sky before a cloud could be seen. We observed 

 once more that this heat-lightning, as it is named, and which was seen for 

 an hour before the clouds appeared, was only the flashes of lightning froiR 

 clouds helow our horizon, and no longer the misnamed heat-lightning, since 

 it revealed the clouds as its source and place. At 10^- p.m. this shower was 

 upon us with its wind, rain and hail, and the most terrific thunder that 

 shook the earth and heavens and threatened destruction to our houses. 



October 5. The awful tornado at Calcutta, sweeping the waters upon the 

 city ; so that 12000 lives were lost, 110 ships destroyed, and 840000000 of 

 property destroyed. 



November 3. Snow six inches deep at St. Louis, say their papers. 



November 6. First hard frost this autumn. 



November 9. A violent tornado passed over Chester, and some adjacent 

 towns in Randolph county, Illinois ; very narrow in its path, but destructive 

 to buildings and fatal to some lives. Great gale on the Lakes, on the 11th 

 and 12th of this month. 



November 19. So far no Indian summer, but to-day there is a slight in- 

 dication of it ; but this fine period came not this year. The usual meteors 

 of the 13th did not appear, perhaps hidden by the clouds. 



December 10. Canal frozen, two days after the cold period of the 8th, 

 when the temperature was 6°. 



December 21. Snowstorm, begun here at 8-J a.m. ; at Pit4;sfield, Massa- 

 chusetts, at 9 a.m. ; at Boston, at 1 p.m. : a heavy storm, railroads blocked 

 up and trains delayed. The snow here was about a foot deep, and sleighing 

 good for a week. 



The last half of December gave us the usual average heat of the period, 

 though the mean temperature of the last day of 1864 was 21°. 3, more than 

 five degrees less than the general mean. The prospect was fair for a pleasant 

 Newyear. 



The health of the people of our State and country has been generally 

 good throughout the year : another motive for gratitude to the Divine 

 Author of our well-being. 



[ Senate No. 90.] 15 



