Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-04
tfIlsffllurlp.
The Bursting Of n ClOud Over
Jones Brook i'm MOretONn.

Jones Brook i'm MOretOwn
have u=e he teru, bursting of a cloud,
In the caption OF thi article, because it is ex-
pTes-ive oi = popular notion, ana not because
1t l. either philosophicai or correct. 1t ha.
long been preyai,Hs he.ief, that, in cases Of
extraordinary tails OF water over particular
Localities clouds ike old lea ,her bottles, sud
denly burst and let the water they contain
t..ll 10 the earth almost IN body, like rivers
falling over Irecipices in catarscts whereas
nothing can be more unscentifc or farther
i7Jm 1he ruth No collected body of water,
uyt even ID the amount of a quart, could re-
main suspended IN a cloud single second
Iur would instantly fall to the earth from the
tJ1ce Of the universal law OF gravItation.
Tie great Ielugng torrents Of rain that oc-
cssI5na-ly occur, simply proceed from unusual
thickness, OF upward extent, OF the cloud
This viii be more readily understood, perhaps,
when consider, tina, IL a cloud half a mile
thick discharges from its gathering mists a
ae4vy rain, Of . mile thick would produce
q, ram dJubly heavy, and So on, in the same
proportion with every additional thickness of
cloud TIL that thickness as hes been known
-JmetImes 10 be the case, extends upwards TO
she distance Of i've IT SIX miles, when from
The whole mass the water reaches the earth
less IN the form oi rain, indeed, than she
pouring OF Q cataract.
The most remarkable lbs lance OF these great
iaIls Of water, which was ever known in this
region, occurred, about thirty years ago, round
the sources OF Jones Brook, small mill-stream
tha5 rises ID Nor town noun tains ana emptIes
into the " Win0OskI river three miles below
Montpelier. The mountains round the sources
of this stream rise TO the height Of about TWO
thousand fee With unusual abruptness and
the time. round ess leave
he intermediate space IN the form Of deep,
hait-basIn, down the precipitous sides OF
which a sudden shower descends almost a.
rapidly as water strooling down the steepest
root OF house, anu collecting at the bottom,
pJurs, IN &. raging river, down the valley to
the outlet of the stream. Ii was over his
mountain rImmed BASIN that burst the ezra
ordinary thunderstorm which L have under
taken q describe, and whieh passed among
tine inhabitants under the name Of the hurst
Hlg Of cIoud.
L
cnanced 70 be on d hIgh hil., east OF Montpe-
Her village, "hlcn afforded plain siew OF the
whole range 0t the More5own mountains. Ii
was d sail, sultry midsummer day, when my
attention beng astracted by the sudden OBJ
-cura-ion OF the sun, looked toward the west,
and sAw the unusual spectacle Of two heavy
clouds rapidly rolling towards each other, in
no fTr.a. ..Ffn fna 1rar "A
lcal-y opposite directions, the point " here the |
collision must occur being evidently at the
natural basin already particularized, or on
the high mountain above it. These strangely !
moving clouds l watched with intense inter |
est. Oh, on they rolled towards each other, |
With their long, streaming columns and mem |
acIng fronts, ike Two opposing hostile lines Of
cavalry rushing together tor deadly conflict. |
As anticipated, the collision occurred directly |
over the basin aud on the sides of the adioin-
M mountains, and there, the opposing cur
rents being VI equal strength, the informing
Ing clouds came 90 dead stand. Presently, |
however, the c1lhdIng masses began to rise
Epwari aud double over and over till they |
had swelled into 4 huge, dome-ike figure,
ard Iben commenced startling display of
the electric phenomenon. With the short,
sharp and quickly repeating peas OF thunder
the fierce streams OF lightning were seen
bursting, IN rapid succession, from every part
OF the surcharged cloud, Ike hotly-
worked battery of artillery from smoke en-
yeIoped field # battle. But soon the expand
ing cloud shut out the basin and valley from
the sight and. being unable 20 see more,
returned home, and with much interest,
waited 70 hear the result of the fearful Gle
mental exhibition | lad been Witnessing
Inc news OF the remarkable, and in one
instance, fatal effects OF that storm, in the dis
astrous flooding Q! Jones Brook, at length
reached US. the Inhabitants OF the basin,
when the storm burst upon them 50 suddenly
anu unexpectedly were struck with astonish-
ment anu alarm al tie unwonted quantities
OF water thai descended upon them from the
seemingly flooded heavens. A settler who
lived nearest the foot of the mountain des-
crlbed the rain as = coming down in buckets
full. - Why," said he, 9 1T seemed to come
bodily ike water from full, overturned wash
tub. | was N field short distance from
my house when II struck, and was SO aston
Ished at first that | knew not what TO DC.
But the rain, if it could be called rain, com
Ing thicker and faster, | ran with all my
might for the house, but was almost drowned
lei0ic got there, and then il was only to
md the water gushing into the house on all
siies iii II was nearly knee-deep on the floor"
Ana urifh ali ne of the hasin |
NJ place afforded them any protection rivers
weEa ali tbear houses within and rivers, ris-
ing into seas were all around them without ];
aud they looked on it with mute coDsterna-
uon at that tremendous out-pouring OF the
clouds. But they were the first to be relieved.
i"e rain, after the brIet duration of less than
Hait an hour, ceased as suddenly as it came