OVER THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE, ETC. 301 



The waves heaved and swelled, whenever the point of this cone passed 

 over them, apparently as if some magical spell were acting upon them 

 by the eflfect of enchantment. Twice I noticed a gleam of lightning, 

 or of electric Jluid, to dart through the column of vapour, which served 

 as a conductor for it to ascend from the water to the cloud. After the 

 flash the foam of the water seemed immediately to diminish for a mo- 

 ment, as if the discharge of the electric fluid had served to calm the 

 excitement on its agitated surface. 



" The progress of the tornado was nearly in a straight line, following 

 the direction of the wind, with a velocity of perhaps eight or ten miles 

 per hour. 



"Near as I was to the exterior edge of the circle of the tornado, I 

 felt no extraordinary gust of wind ; but noticed that the breeze con- 

 tinued to blow uninterruptedly from the same quarter from which it 

 prevailed before the tornado occurred. 



" I also particularly observed that there was no perceptible increase of 

 temperature of the air adjacent to the edge of the whirlwind, which 

 might have caused an ascending current by a rarefaction of a portion 

 of the atmosphere. After passing over the sheet of water, and gaining 

 the shore, 1 observed the shingles and fragments of a barn to be ele- 

 vated and dispersed high in the air; and the dark cloud continued to 

 maintain the same appearance which it at first presented, until it 

 passed away beyond the scope of a distinct vision of its misty out- 

 lines. 



" The above imperfect sketch can convey to your mind only a feeble 

 impression of this exciting scene, which in passing before me excited 

 just enough of terror to impart to the spectacle the most awful sense 

 of the power, sublimity and grandeur of the Almighty, as described in 

 the glowing words of the Psalmist. ' He bowed the heavens also, and 

 came down ; and darkness was under his feet ; and he did fly upon the 

 wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place ; his pavilion 

 round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.' " 



