336 MITCHILL ON THE TERRIBLE 6NOW STORM IN 1811. 



east, and the cold rapidly increased. One of the sentries at Fort Trum- 

 bull reported that snow began to fall about two in the morning of the 

 24th. By the rising of the sun, it had increased to one of the most 

 tremendous snow storms that he recollected for ten years or more. The 

 mercury by this time had fallen to twenty degrees, and by two o'clock 

 in the afternoon was down to eight degrees. The snow continued 

 to fall very fast, the wind increased almost to a tornado, and swept over 

 the plains and Long-Island sound with most dreadful violence. From 

 the time of its beginning it raged for twenty-four hours, with the wind 

 from the north ; after which it gradually abated. The snow was so 

 drifted in the roads, that no mail passed either from the eastward or 

 westward in four days. And fiulher to corroborate the time of the 

 storm's commencement, it may be mentioned, that the postmaster at 

 the Riverhead postoffice there was called out of bed at two on the 

 morning of the 24th, and while he was examining the mail, it began to 

 snow, and to grow severely cold. 



Perhaps there never was a time when more damage was sustained by 

 shipwreck on the north side of Long-Island. The wind pouring from 

 the north, rendered it a fatal lee shore, from one end to the other of 

 the sound. We are very apt to forget the occurrences of the weather, 

 and the damage done by storms ; but a few facts taken from the registers 

 of marine intelligence will enable a judgment to be formed: 



" We understand the late snow storm has been uncommonly severe 

 to the eastward, and that the roads between this city and Boston are 

 almost impassable. We further learn that the Boston mail stage, which 

 left this city on Tuesday morning at eight o'clock, only reached Strat- 

 ford on Thursday night, a distance of about sixty miles. 



" The new ship , Childs, from East Haddam for New- York, is 



ashore on Red Spring point, with the loss of her mainmast by the deck, 

 and the mizen topmast and her starboard side all stove in. Captain 0. 



