The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-05-14
WAsHINGroN, May S.


VIOLENT GUST. We experienced in
this city, on Saturday last, about hals past
three o'clock, one of the most violent gusts
ever remembered. The time of its dura-
ton, at its height, was not more than FIVE
minutes but in that short space of time, the
wind ragged from almost every point of the
compass, and the earth was deluged with
rain, accompanied with hail. Several chin
neys were blown down, falling through the
roofs of the houses to which they belonged,
and occasioned some hair breadth escapes
from bodily injury. The brick wall round
Mr.. Secretary Rush's house was blown
down, and parts of one or two houses. In
some houses in the North West end of the
city, where the storm was first felt, thirty or
forty panes of glass in each house-in 9th
ers less, but in the whole great many,
were broken by the hail. Many cellars
were instantaneouslya6lled with water, and
the ludicrous was not wanting to diversity
the scene: for in the houses having kitchen
cellars, the cooks were half drowned before
they could turn them round; and, as for
the viands which were intended to compose
the dinners, the boarders might be seen i'll
silent dismay witnessing the disaster which
had betallen their sharp appetites, or assist
ing the frightened servants to rescue from
! the flood u turkey or leg of mutton, as it
/ tloated to and fro amongst the kitchen
moveables, surrounded by lots of potatoes
and cabbage heads. Two stages, from
I Baltimore, arrived within the city Just as
the storm begun. The horses of one of the
stages became terrified and unmanageable,
and plunged down the circular road, round
the hill, with furious haste. One of the
leaders taking one direction, and the other
( the opposite one, they brought up the stage
against large poplar tree, at the turn into
the avenue with such violence as to break
down the tree, which was large and firmly
rooted, and killed one of the wheel horses
on the spot. The horses attached to the
; other stage ran off the road on to the COM
mons, and soon overset with great violence.
The passengers in both stages escaped
mlraculousy, though some Of them jumped
out whilst the horses were in full speed.
In the steam artillery, which Mr. Perkins
is constructing for the French government,
he guarantees the perfect safety of the gen
orator, its indestructlbility, the ability to
keep the steam up at any required tempera-
ture for any length of time, and its great
economy. The piece of ordnance is to
throw sixty balls of four pounds each in
minute, with the correctness of the riied
musket, and to proportionate distance. A
musket is also attached to the same genera
or for throwing q stream of lead from the
bastion of fort and is made so far porta-
BILE as to be capable of being moved from
one bastion to another. This musket is to
throw from one hundred to one thousand
bullets per minute, as occasion may require,
and that for any length of time.
London Paper
How TO CHANGE A SPORTING Doc INT
A MAsTIFF. When the Marquis of B. came
to his title, he was very anxious to preserve
the game on his estate, and desired that
none Of his tenants would keep sporting
dogs Ore of them, having great favor
lite, cropped his ears and locked his tail,
rather than part with him. Some time af.
forwards, gentleman seeing this animal
following man who was driving team.
inquired to whom it belonged. "To farmer
such one," said the fellow. Of what
breed is he? inquired the gentleman.
Why, sir he was a greyhound; but meas
ter cut his ears and tail off, and made a
mast0 on him."-EngliSh paper.