Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-12-02
HEESCEs.A
From Audubon's Ornith,iogicat Biography.
THE HURRICANE.

THE HURRICANE.
Various portions ofour country have al different
periods suffered severely from the influence Civic
lcst storms of wind, some Of which have been
known To traverse nearly the whole extent of the
United Stltcs, and To leave such deep impressions
il their wake will not easily be forgotten IIa-
wing witnessed one of these awful phenomena i'll all
Its grandeur, shall attempt To describe IL your
cake, Kind reader, and for your sake ONLY the re-
collection of that astonishing ,oution OF tho eth
oral element, even now bringing with il so disa-
grcoablca sensations that feel rs il about TO be
affected by sudden stopP1gc of the circulation of
my blood.
1 had left the village of Shawanoy. situated
the hunks of the Ohio, on my return from
Henderson, which is also situated on The banks OF
the same beautiful stream. The weather was plea
SAINT, ard thought not warmer than usual nj the
season. My horse was jogging quietly along, and
my thoughts were, for at least in the course
nj my hlc, entirely engaged in commercial specu.
lations. l had forded Highland Creek, ana was ON
the of entering tract OF bottom land or val.
ley that lay between it and Ca oe Creek when, on
/" sudden, remarked great difference in the as
pect OF the heavens. y haZy thickness had over.
spread the rountry, and I for sometime expected
an earthquake, hut my horse exhibited no propcn.
sity TO stop and prepare for such an occurrence.
L had nearly arrived ut the verge of tho valley
when thought fit 20 stop near Il brook and dis
mount TO qucnch The thirst which had come upon
| was leaning my knees with my lips about
10 touch the water, when, from my proximity to
an extraordinary nature. ] drank, however, and
as rose on my feet, looked towards tho south
west, where observed Il vellowish occl spot Tho
appearance Of which was quite new to mo. Little
time was left mo for consideration, as tho next me.
ment Il smart breeze begin to agitatc tho taller
trees. Il increased to unexpected height, and
already the smaller branches and tyyigs were seen
falling in Il s!anting direction towards the ground
Two minutes had scarcely elapsed, when the whole
forest before me iii fearful motion. Here and
there, where one tree pressed against another, Il
Cracking noise was produced, similar to that coca
stoned by the violent gusts which sometimes
sweep over tho country. Turning instinctvclv
towards the direction from which the wind blew |
saw, to my great establishment, that the nobest
trees of the forest bent their lofty heads for Il
whIlc aud unable to stand against the blast. were
falling into pieces First, the branches wee bro
ken Oft with cracking noise then went the up
per part of the massy trunks and in many places
whole trees of gigantic size were falling entire to
the ground. SO rapid tho progress of the
storm, that before could think Of taking mea sures
to insure my safety, the hurricane was passing op.
positc the place where [ stood. Never can for
get the scene which at that moment presented it
sell. The tops OF the trees were seen moving in
the strangest manner, in the central current of the
tempest, which carried along with il Il MINGLED
mass of twgs and foliage, that completely o!scur
ed the wow Some of the largest trees seen
bending and writing under the gale others sud
denly snapped across; and many, after mo-
mentary resistance tell uprooted TO the earth-
The mass of branches, twigs, foliage, and dust
thbI iiOEcu through the air, was Wnlrcd OnWl"dS
like cloud OF feathers, and passing, disclosed
wide space filed with fallen trees, naked stumps
and heaps of shapeless ruins, which marked the
oath OF tho tempest. This space was about n
fourth OF mile in breadth, and TO my Imagination
resembled the dried up bed of the Miss;ssipp
with its thousands of planters and sawyers, strev
ed IN the sand, and inclined in various dcrrces
The horrible noise rcsemblcd that OF the great ca
taracts of Niagara, and as it howled along in the
track of the desoiating tempest, produced a feeling
In my mind which ii impossible TO describe
The principal force Of the hurricane was now
over, although millions of twigs of small branches
that had been brought from great distance. were
seen following the blast, as if drawn EDWARDS by
some mysterious power. They even foatcd in the
ar Tor some hours after, as if supported by the
thick mass of Gust that high above the ground
HE sky had now greenish lurid hue, and an cx
trcmcly dsagrecable sulphurcous odor was difilscd
IN The atmosphere. | waited in amazcmcnt, having
sustained no material injury, until nature at length
resumed her wontcd aspect. For some moments
felt undetermined whether should return back TO
Morgantown, or attempt to force my way through
the wrecks olthc tempest. My business, however,
being oi an urgent nature, | vcntured into the
path OF iho storm, and after encounteriug immune
rabIc difficulties, succeeded in crossing it. [ was
Obliged TO lead my horse by the bride, to enable
HIM TO leap over the fallen trees, whilst | scram
h!ed over or under them in the best way could at
times so iemmcd in by the broken tops and tangled
branches, as almost to become desperate. On ar
irving at my house, gave an account Of y.i,1t
had seen, when, TO my surprise, l was told that
there had been very little wind IN the neIchbar
hood, although in the streets and gardens many
twigs and branches had fallen III a manner which
excited great surprise.
Many wondrous accounts OF the devastating ef
iocts o! this hurricane circulated in the coun-
try ate. It's occurrence. Some log houses, We
we're told, had been overturned, and their inmates
destroyed One person informed me that a wire
Si!icr bad been conveyed by the gust to a distance
OF many ml!cs.-Another had found a ow lodged
in the fork Of IL large half-brokon tree But, as |
am disposed TO relate only what have myself
seen, shall not lead you into the region Of ro-
nance, but shall! content myself with saying that
much damage was done by this awful visitation
Tie valley is yet dcsoale place, ovcrgrown with
brcrs and bushes, Ilicsy cntanglcd amidst the tops
and trunks Of fallen trees, and is the resort Of
ravcnous animals, to which they botako themselves
when pursued by man, after they have commit
ted their depredations the farms of tho surround
ing districts.
have crossed the path Of the storm, at a distance
OF hundred miles from the spot where | witness
cd its fury, and again four hundred miles farther
OIL III the State of Ohio Lastly, I observed ira
ces of its ravages the SUBMITS of the mountains
connected with the Gr<eat Pine Forest of Pennsvl
Yania, three hundred miles beyond the place last
mentioned In all these different parts il appear
o to nc not TO have exceeded quarter of u mile
l. tleadth.