Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-01-13
"And trees ike chrystal chandeliers. /"

And trees like chrystal chandeliers"
On Thursday morning last a snow
storm commenced with every appearance
of being lasting. and of furnishing US with
good sleighing. Before much snow had
fallen, however. it changed to sleet, and
finally to rain, Of which, during the night.
there was heavy fall. On Friday morn
ing the country presented most beauti-
full appearance, the trees, shrubs, and
grass being thickly coated with ice. The
trees being covered with pendants of
purely transparent ice, nothing can ex-
coed the brilliant spectacle which they
presented as they flashed and glittered in
the sun. The weather having since been
cold, little if any Of this chrystal ornament
has disappeared, and the eye may yet
feast upon landscape which can be
compared to nothing but the scenes Of
some Of the Arabian tales of enchant-
ment.
But the pleasure afforded by this novel
scene has been very much damped by
witnessing the devastation which accom-
panies i. Vast numbers Of trees, of all
descriptions, have been broken, and in
maET instances ruined, by the weight of
the ice collected upon their branches.
Peach trees have suffered particularly,
and some Of the beautiful eims which
adorned our streets have fallen victims
amidst the general havock. In the neigh
bouring towns, we learn, the damage
to trees has been equally extensive. The
injury done to young growths of wood is
also very great. Some of the roads
through the woods in the neighbourhood
are rendered impossible by the fallen
trees. la Sterling and Princeton we are
informed the ice collected upon the trees
was much heavier than here. Mr.. Ma
nasseh Willard brought to our Office from
Sterling a few very small branches of an
apple tree, on which the ice had collected
to the thickness of two inches. He also
showed us specimen of the general ap-
n
pearance OF the fields in his neighbour
hood. On few, say twenty or thirty,
spires of grass solid mass of ice was
formed. exhibiting the appearance of a
cluster of grapes, and weighing three or
four pounds.
CONGRESS did not sit on New-Year,s
Day, the day being devoted to festiyity
ana some relaxation from the arduous du-
ties OF the members being necessary.
They have probably been in session since
the commencement of the present term.
on an average, one hour day. How
richly they earn their eight dollars per
diem. On Friday, in the Senate, reso-
sutton was agreed to for inquiring into the
expediency Of abolishing the office of Ma
3or General, and the bill extending the
drawback on refined sugar was passed.
The Senate adjourned to Monday. In
the House, Mr.. Drayton, from the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, reported bill
approprating the sum Of $3.50. 74S 26 cts.
to be paid to the State of Massachusetts
Tor services of her militia, rendered during
the late war. The bill was twice read
and committed to the Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union. The
House then adjourned to Mondav.
On Monday, in the Senate sever.,
bills of no great publick interest were
considered, and one hour was spent in
executive business. In the House more
than sixty petitions were presented. most.
ly Of private nature.