Monmouth weekly herald., 1859-02-03
g For the Monmouth Weekly Herald.
INTERESTING PHENOMENON.
Rr cApr. V. E., or ronkEp RlvEa.

4 Ma. EDITOR During the month OF
July last, (the 22nd) myself and crew had
an opportunity of Witnessing phenome.
non, which in character bore close res
semblance to Water Spout, though upon,
more extensive scale tnan they are usu-
ally seen. Believing that q description
will nos be pninteresting to the readers
of the HERALD, send you an extract from
my " log book"
| | was sailing the schooner B. F. Wool.
sEY, bound from Baltimore to New York.
We had been beating'-as sailors term
lt-with high southerly wind down the
Chesapeake bay, during the day, but
about l o'clock, P. NJ, the wind veered
around westerly. blowing gentle breeze,
with Smiths Point Lighthouse bearing
west. This light house stands upon the
south side Of the Potamac river. Except
few ragged clouds hanging just above
the northern horizan. the sky throughout
the day had been clear and remained so
until about half past oae o'clock in the
afternoon. Suddenly these clouds in the
uorth, gathered themselves in a body;
forming, as it were, sort of island in the
sky, assuming at the same time dark,
leaden hue.
was intently watching this queer look +
ing cloud, aud observed that it was rain.
ing directly beneath it-abOut one mile
distant from Us. | was about to remark
the singularity of its appearance to the
man at the wheel, when the rain ceased
and the lower edge became much agitated
and seemed possessed OF animal life. II
formed itself into point, and started
obliquely downward to the wind ward of,
the main cloud, at the rate of about sixty
miles per hour. / then began to antici-
pate seeing a Z" water-spout." / had FREE
quently seen them at sea and upon rivers,
put as it afterwards proved, never upon
so grand scale as this.
Like huge serpent it descended and
connected itself with the waters beneath,
forming cone.shaped base, about one
hundred feet in diameter. The hitherto
peaceful waters commenced boiling and
foaming in q most terrific manner. The
hose or pipe which connected the waters
beneath, was, as near ss could be meas.
ured by the naked eye, about one and
half miles in length, but subsequently, be-
came much heightened. At first, it APP
peared small in diameter, but in few
minutes had attained an astonishing sizs
tor q water.spout. Its diameter was
about ten feet, and its general appear
ance very dark, while beyond this dark
chain, the clear blue sky could be seen in
every direction. With us, and surround
ing the shadow of the cloud, tbe sun wss
shining brightly, rendering it one of the
most grand and imposing objects that my
eyes ever rested upon.
Imagine a vast balloon hanging far up
in the heavens, to which is attached =
cord of corresponding size, running ob.
liquely downward and fastened 20 the
earth, and you will have formed faint
conception of this truly wonderful wa
ter-spout. 1t was accompanied by a
noise not unlike the roaring of o cata.
ract. After resting in this position about
ten minutes the cloud evidently began
to feel the pressure of the westerly
wind, now blowing quite strong. but ac-
commodated itself by paying out hose un.
til it approached the eastern shore of Vir
ginia, when the base of tie spout changed
from dark to silvery color, which rap
idly ran along the hose until it approach.
ed the cloud, when the pipe parted about
midway-the cloud apparently sucking
up its part. The other, dissolving into
spray, descended somewhat in the form
of q rainbow, and gradually disappeared
among the waters of the Old Chesapeake: