Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-07-04
From the Boston Atlas.
PROFESSOR EsPY's CONCLUDING
LECTURE.


were some important circumstances con.
nected with the Brunswick Tornado, which
want of time had compelled him To omit OF
the last lecture, one of which he would now
allude 10, on account of its essential reference
Ia the particular part Of his theory to which
he was about TO direct attention. Aler the
Tornado left the city of Brunswick, i's course
was through forest, until, about three miles
from the city, 1t passed over the house Of a
Mr.. Dunn. This individual happened TO be
standing about 40 yards from his door as it
approached, and, in consequence, was enabled
to witness It's coming, and 10 notice the pc
culiar,ics of It's appearance. lie described
II, as appearing 10 him, Us it came towards
him, like a clond in the shape of an inverted
cone. lie also stated that the motion of the
trees, rs they were carried upward by the
current Of pir, could be compared TO nothing
else than the boiling of water lie could
also perceive, that in It's course il swept away
the fences, aud even trees, Wagons aud
other heavy bodies, and carried them high
into the mir. lie continued to watch its pro-
grcss until II came to within about fifty yards
of where he was stnnding,--he was distant
about forty yards from his door,-whcn, be-
coming alarmed, he ran towards his house,
with the intention of passing through it from
the south to the north side. In attempting
to go out OF the door on the north side, he
found lis passage obstructed by trees lying
against II, anddlstinctly remembers that there
was not the slightest motion to the leaves,
but there was, on the contrary, a complete
calm around him. In fact, the tornado, had
passed over his house, leaving ITS upper story,
which he did not then know, in ruins. The
whole time occupied IN running into his
house could not have been 25 seconds.
\ There IL also another fact he related, which
confirms coDclusively the instantaneous man
ncr in which the tornado accomplished It's
work, and also how instantly it passed on.-
The roof and large portion of the upper
story bad been carried of, and in doing this
there had been made two cracks in opposite
sides Of the house. When found they were
closed; in one had been fastened a sheet, in
the other handkerchief, which showed con-
clusIvcly that the very instant that the roof
had been carried of by the tornado, these
objects had heen carried INTO these cracks,
aud while they were in The act of being car
red through by The currents Of air III the
room, at tho same instant the cracks had
closed. Mr.. Espy examined hundreds OF
witnesses relative 10 the appearance OF this
tornado, who had beheld il ut different dis
tances from its course, and they all agreed
IN stating that there was not at the time, the
slightest perccptiblc wind. None heard or
witnessed anything beyond single rush OF
air. But one puff and the work Of destruc-
tiun was done!
The lecturer next proceeded briefly TO
mention several phcnomcna connected with
violent storm, which ragged in the Eastern
and Middle States on the 20lh of last January.
In its extent il was more than 200 miles ~
length, and nearly 800 in breadth. lmmc.
dntely after its termination he Addressed
about three hundred letters to all parts Of the
country, requesting Information touching this
storm. lie received Gi answers, sufficient
for his purpose, as by them he was able to
surround the storm, and the result Of the in
formation they afforded, was the most tri-
uInphant confirmation of the fact, which, nc
cording 10 his views, ough, to have taken
place, that the wind in oil the places sur
rounding the s,orrn, invariably blew in the
direction of it. The greatest deviation was
in New York city, where the wind was east
southeast instead Of south. east, which in
fact was no variation at oil. 1t was also
ascenaIned, that all around the centre Of the
uealher. There was also another circum.
stance clearly shown in this instance, that
this storm, as others have also been found to
do, widencd out as it advanced. II finally
passed on through Maine and the Atlantic
Ocean, beyond which its course was not
traced. Mr.. ESpy next alluded TO another
storm, which occurred two or three years
since, the approach of which to Philadelphia,
he foretold, at meeting Of scientific gentle
men in that city, and his words were noted
down at the time. The result proved rs he
had predicted. II had commenced in the
Gulf of Mexico, near Florida; its course was
towards the northeast, along the Atlantic
States and it reached Philadelphia almost at
the identical moment its advent had been
predicted. 1t passed off through the Allan.
tic Ocean. and reached Great Britain at the
very time i, should have done, according to
Professor Espy's calculations, in about FIVE
days. The lecturer also stated that he had
been able to tell the approach of storms in
several other instances, which time would
not permit him to mention. lie ought to
have previously stated, he said, that at the
time he fore,od the coming of the storm from
the Gulf of Mexico, it was the most beautiful
weather in Philadelphia, and all at once the
barometer rose an inch above the mean
How was it, he would ask, that he was thus
enabled TO predict, from condition of tho
barometer, which, since the discovery Of that
instrument, had invariably been regarded as
indicative of settled fair weather, the np.
proach Of condition of the atmosphere so
contrary to the established views of the
scientific? Simply thus: the upward current
of air, which had produced the storm, in cx-
panding out above, had already reached over
Philadelphia, and by increasing the weight
of the atmosphere, had caused its descent,
thereby dlssolving all The vapor it contained,
and as necessary consequence, to the in
creased weight of the atmosphere, causing q
proportionate rise IN the barometer The
lecturer next mentioned that these views,
which he had been cndcavorlng to explain,
tended clearly to elucdatc n vast number of
the facts which had been ascertaincd to be
true in Incteorology. They did not all do so,
m'rcly because there were some which had
no pcrccptlbe connection with them. None,
however, in the least degree, contravcned
them. lftherc were any, he would stake his
reputation as an honest man, that he would
give up his theories. He had not time to
more than briefly alludc to a small portion OF
these, and show, us well as his haste would
permit him. the beautiful manner in which
these facts all tended to prove his theories,
or how his theory explained all these facts
Ills hearers were at liberty 10 take their