The New York herald., 1862-05-25
NEWS FROM RAFPAHkENOcX RIVER.
Our Naval Correspondence.


Uni ED STATES sTEAMiR SrEip.N, r,Nss
Npuru oy RAJ PAnA>NotK. Va, May y, 1857 :
Thc KoUen.eEts Of The Stepping Sone~--A Storm on ne
Rarrahdn~ock, dc.
We left the Patnxeut eleven O'Clock yesterday
morning. and rounding Point Lookout up tic Poto
mac. At quarter past six O'Clock met the Yankee
httl, above the entrance to wicomso river coming
down from Washington. Captain fusnk went ON board,
when Commodore wyman ordered him to follow the
Y. nkec down river. Al tcn O'Clock stopped of
Phey Point aud hngsdc tho Yankee, when wc re-
ceved quantity Of cual from her, tf which
much In need and received orders proceed
NJ nruc, and re.o.t 10 Commodore Goldsborongh. We
III n cast oC aud continued down the river taking on
board Acting Master Mate George NJ. Lawrence as OK
&C ccr and an engineer Tor tho Freeborn which
Is up the Iapt aha mock Tho Of tho Stepping
stones ha, been transferred, from the W. anank 10
Braney ine. a, Old FONT Comfort. and asy now bs
eousiderc1 oe,acied from the Potomac notiila.
This o,niig reached this place and reported
10 lieutenant Commanding Badger. OF the Anacostia
when he ordered proceed up The river tie en-
yin or for tho Frceburn and letters, &c., with nst,c
tions to pat thcm board the FIRST We FOL in
win and then return way Ol Point. on near
liz ktrt Lowry we fell Ia with tue Resoute o. board or
VII eli We made tho transfer and thea hack horo 10
take o ful supply or ooa! from a brig and schooner
Al ten minutes to four O'Clock PM, VIII. o thus en-.
gagged. tic fevcrest hail storm have ever witnessed
bu ST over the vessel. Tho day had boon hot with
car Ky and atmo. phero, and very lite wind owing
Qncky lLe haavens ~ tho river overs rcad with
heavy clouds iht bac;aCss u vhh iucrea cd il Intensity
over where lying, white down tle Ches. po1ke was
lite clear The wind, too, suddenly shifted g. the nor H.
and pra,t ally inc cascd in iorce Tho lightuh began
10 ash bat tho Interval betweea the gin the thun
der ind Gated that the elect safe dis
,ar A nj r. n now f-,t mn na drcc
0n of the wind. aud tho river, which hal beea tocrab
calm was agitstcd by cats avs which inc apscd 10
vav.es driving towarGs the vessel by the direction on
the Wind while thick black cloud extending from the
water skywsrds, like a solid WALL sdva ced with them
he nbse IL eased and drops rain began TO fan Az
pyth ths gale reached acc0mp1n, I'd with pIerabIe
all OF ard lie liarce. which lay few yards to
oaAard OF the schooner sing side ~ which VIC werc
NJ, ored haa go ahead to avoda coisin Hanow be-
gan fall, In email stones a, nrs, but they quickly in
cfease oil In Tho pecautian taken 10 81, sc
all doors d Windows partcdAriy those TO wmiward.
Az the stopping Stones has h wise been red from
hsr form Of terry bo,t, sho " ntied up with great
lumber OF sash Windows. In aminute, almost every
glass or hsee 10 indwa was Sun ,shed The loud ra,,le
of the hail the hurricane deck terrific, and re.
sembled tho inccssant discharge nrskctry he tho
crash OF broken glass added TO the noise OF the elemental
! took my station by an open window TO lceward,
whsrs could witness the storm, without danger from
Ss sas Of nsns egg The deck Of sSe ssnoou.s ~srU
upon when ! lookei was soon covered with
/ them. They fell with so much f0Tco that most of
| them were smashed into small pieces. All hands on
hoard the several vessels fortunate enough
10 get under In time, serious wounds might
have been inflicted, aud a. Is not improbable that life
might have been ri. The water around bubbled up
like a seething candron from the large masses Of ce
that falling thick and fast from the
clouds All the while the lightning flashed vvidly but
| there very little thunder.
The did Mt last many minutes, nor did II ap-
pear to spread great area. seemed To bo con
fined 10 comparatively harrow streak. Soon II blew
past, and its retreat towards the shore was
marked by the Of the dark opaque and perpcudcu
/ lar cloud that heralded Its approach.
After the storm, the men board gathered tcRehsr
| large quantity OF the hsstoncs from the earth
/ for the purpose OF cooling their drinking wal or
As an illustration OF the momentum with which tho
stones tell and driven by the force " tho wind
may mention that not Only every pno OF glass 1, ront
OF tbs plot hot o. broken but that por OF hc amc
actually torn on One pane Of glas has a hole
through II, as f per Grated by largo bulle. aud IN
| CT. ,ked in ali diret tons.
Tho injury shore cherry, apple, peach and other
trees, in blossom covered with young fruit M Il
have been Great localities visited by the hail storm
There s reason to believe, too, that cattle and SIN iii
stock have been dasroyed Ia p y, however, tho de-
| vasta.ion cannot have been very widespread.
FORTRESS N, ERos, May 23. 1s62
Tho Stepping Stones has jst rived here aud will
port 10 c, mnicdoro Goldsborough immcdat The
Yankee In 10 come Gown hore to-day bel1ve, bringing
the President other liabilities II rained hcrs yes
terday, bu. the hail sorm, anticipated, did reach
80 lss