Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-09-14
CoMHUNicArED

ICoMnuNicArED
" ,rER Spour on THE PoroN,c-THE EARTH,
ou,KE-No Frost IL AUGusT-Su.nx I.
THE RIVER, &c.
M, Suopden:-Among the variety Of inter.
,.,;no ,heoom.na, within y'ur sicin!.e, Of
,shich ,or preceding month was productive. there
..s n, one, perhaps, that may he deemed 8,
lat rarity and anomalous character, a, The
E spoui on the Potomac river. which Occur.
~ -, the eve Of the 18th ult. Ii unfortunately
's" ~, obseryed until It had completely formed
wa, I in front of Mount VernOn-whsnn
no.antsd to the amazed spectators an obrc, 81.
p..d;nojy rare, vet grand and 5eautIi" IN ap.
.ncs The base. to our view. appeared 10
ps large and perpendicular cylinder f"a'lngup
", Tho surface Of the river. and surpassed ,obe
y" "hou, 6tty feet in height and thirty IN diane
60. directly VERT. al to the cylinder was dark
In;nJus) cloud. in shape Of an inverted cone
...;,h an attenuated point, or tube. Of $50 toSO
s.a, IN length. which rested upon the superior
wi of tho cylinder. Tive middle or inreriO;
/ If the tube wasnt dark purple color, surround
Oh with a phiie vapor, or dense maze; OF which
the cylinder was also apparently composed. 1t
was borne SLOWLY and maJestica''V along byn
thor a brisk south wind. until II came IN contact
with a cluster of trees immediately on po'n'1
land belonging to the Mount vernon estate
where il broke with a weak explosion. but "rh.
mt turbulence; base. or cylinder, b'eans
almost In uercept,blv annlh''a'ed. while the dark
nurnle tupp, with its contents and surrounds.
inyestture, gradually and slowly assembled INTO
) tho cloud Its duration could not have exceed
al t,ven,v or thirty minutes, from the hist ap
ne,rance TO its final recession into the cloud
That il was anomalous. will be conceded,
vhen il !, stated that the Water.spouts OF the to
. pics, particularly at sea, almost invariably pre-
sent an appearance OF fco cones the sOPe'%
nm. inverted, and their attenuated points meet
: inc and Turning the tube; the m'nhle or !"'t'
I I'm, of the latter is also always WhRe. surround
.d bv dark and dense vapor: and moT'o'er'
, when they break. from any cause. either on m
or 81 sea. the quantity Of water discharged Iron
: them is tremendous. Such. at least mas oeei
$ the observation aud experience Of your CORES
pendent.
+ The occasion NAV justify notification Of olAc
!, phenomena, occurring during the aooye'me0""t'
- ed interval, and particularly OF the Ear.naa' 81
y muI,anpouslv, at the time indicated ~ your r.
n.r of the esth uit. II is believed, also. Hi
y one or two slight shocks were observed Inc eve
! ming previous. but were then mistaken Tor M
effect of distant thunder: this belief appears Il
gain confidence bv the observations OF nrhenl
y distance. IFS a singular. Isolated, and e'!
o blished fact, regarding the Barometer. though II
instrument sensible to the most impercepible' u
n mospheric deviation or pressure, that II becon'
q perfectiv stationary preceding aud durn: 81
O Esrthouake. This fact, If it needed confirm
Il tion. was fully verified during the Earthquake
r the 9th March, 1923. During the late Or'
. However, no observations on the above instrunst
J. were noticed.
e But respecting the White Frost. which W
t noticed by you on the night OF the goth and S,'
q nit and subsequently by your intelligent VI
tporo ogical correspondent: it is not, ho"e''f:
!, nv power. though in your viclnase, to COMM
the observation. IT'S true our Ihermomen''
: observations correspondent, and that on the mon
1t ing IF the S0ih the mercury was az 10" IS
e degrees: vet I am 10th to believe that ffo'
c .owever harmless. can be generated ~ any a''
+ alton at that temperature. Fros's have "''
!, been witnessed, by the writer. 70 occur "'r
!. the mercury in the most exposed situations P""
5 ed to foriy degrees. but never above: aha
- ven or eight degrees Of Temperature. IN eNee'
2 make a material and palpab'r alteration
these remarks be correct. is il not possible '0H
ID fore. that heavy and condensed de~, sol pre-,
1t lent at ih,s season. may have been mistaken 70
e the object in question? The question Is AK,
X because it is we'll known. that repeated m''I'
Up on this subject have been made. and even U
st gardeners, who are generally most affected
them.
In continuation Of the phenomena wl'0es'e
during the month Of August last brie' n"u,
Of extraordinary aquatic. or saltwater '''o
NAV perhaps be acceptable An un"elco"e o" y.
y then, for the greater portion Of that month"; %
3. been 10 our vicinity in no less parsonage W.
ID a blue Shark. squalus gIaueus OF Lin anu
from ten TO twelve feet in length. Inc re'Te'
u i've creeks near US, viz. the Pisca'way s"i'
and Broad Greek, have shared in succession "
J.. indiscriminate attention for several days "'
Their. 1t would appear to have enjoyed It.e''
~ feeding upon the Pickerei weed, Pon'edsfla 'Y
" data, l.. ; the roots of which vegetable are We
;" known to afford sustenance to many OF the 10,
" families: and it IL presumed so from the quau
y ~ of the stems and keares of that ''ge.'o
:, which grows abundantlv N the above 'meh,''n'
water courses. seen floating along WIN ''e !,
=, spectjye tdes:-t0 this circumstance, a'So' '"'
4. ....;h,,oJ tho inoffen al venpss OF the SbHo