Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-07-27

From the Montpelier Freeman.
The Bursting of a Cloud Over
Jones Brook in Moretown.

Jones 6IOOk III MOfeCOw1.
1 have used the term, bursting of
cloud, in the caption of this article, be-
cause it is expressive of a popular notion,
and not because it is either philosophical
or correct. 1t bas long been prevalent
belief, that, in case Of extraordinary
falls of water over particular localities,
clouds, like old leather bottles, suddenly
burst and let the water they contain fall
to the earth almost in a body, like rivers
| falling over precipices in cataracts; where
as nothing can be more unscientific or
| farther from the truth. No collected
body of water, not even TO the amount of
quart, could remain suspended in a cloud
a single second, but would instantly fall
to the earth from the force of the univer-
sal law of gravitation. The great, del
uging torrents of rain that occasionally
occur, simply proceed from unusual thick
ness, or upward extent, of the cloud. This
will be more readily understood, perhaps,
when we consider, that if a cloud half
mile thick discharges from its gathering
msts heavy rain, one Of a mile thick
would produce rain doubly heavy, and
so on, in the same proportion, with every |
additional thickness of cloud, till that
thickness has been, as has been known
sometimes to be the case, extends up
wards TO the distance Of five or six miles,
when from the whole mass the water
reaches the earth less in form of rain, in
deed, than the pouring of a cataract.
The most remarkable instance of these
great falls of water, which was ever known
in this region, occurred about thirty years
: ago, round the sources of Jones Brook, a
! small mill-stream that rises in Moretown
mountains and empiies into the Winooski
3 river three miles below Montpelier. The
. mountains round the source of this stream
rise TO the height of about two thousand
feet with unusual .abruptness, and, at the
I same time, so curve round as to leave the
intermediate space in the form of a deep,
I half-basin, down the precipitous sides of
lie which sudden shower descended almost
as rapidly as water stroling down the
steepest roof of house, and collecting at
the bottom, pours in raging river, down
the valley to the outlet of the stream. 1t
was over this mountain-rimmed basin
that burst the extraordinary thunder.
storm which / have undertaken TO de-
scribe, and which passed among the inhab-
itante under tho name OF L5e 6rsrsSs,s:J qt @
:. cloud.
On the day and hour this storm occur
: red, CHANGED to be upon a high hill, east
of Montpelier village, which afforded a
'h plain view of the whole range of the
or Moretown mountains. 1t was a still, sui
try midsummer day, when my attention
being attracted by the sudden obstruction
of the sun, looked toward the west, and
saw the unusual spectacle of two heavy
clouds rapidly rolling towards each other,
> in the line Of the range just named, from
' Numerically opposite directions, the point
n. where the collision must occur being evi
SO den,ly at the natural basin already partic
,rs ularized, or on the high mountain above
5F, il. These strangely moving clouds
ed ed watched with intense interest. On, OF
-Gs ,9s they rolled towards each other, with thei
/, long streaming columns and menaein:
"y fronts, like two opposing. hostile lines o
azs hs cavalry rushing together for deadly con
r0' fict. As anticipated, the collision occur
red directly over the basin and on tn
nc sides of the adjoining mountains, an
eF- there the opposing currents being of equg
= strength, the intermingling clouds came t
~, dead stand. Presently, however, the CO
! at liding masses began TO rise upward an
). double over and over till they lad swelle
Ga ia,- into huge, domelike figure, shooting u
'be te miles into the darkened heavens, and the
nsr ns,, commenced startling display Of the ele'
able trio phenomenon. With the short, shar
and quickly repeating peals of thunde
the fierce streams of lightning were see
is bursting, in rapid succession, from ever
Tao oIor part of the surcharged cloud, like SON
iaf heir holly worked battery of artillery from
soSa 'rSa smoke enveloped field of battle. But soc
,tgsl ,ays the expanding cloud shut out the bas
or and valley from the sight; and, being III
n niil in able to see more, / returned home, an
r.. with much interest, waited to hear the +
9 be suit of the fearful elemental exhibition
we
N in had been Witnessing.
The news of the remarkable, and
one instance, fatal effects of that storl
ooul. in the disastrous flooding of Jones Broo
,ata- at length reached US. The inhabitants
and and the basin, when the storm burst up
psrs- blrs them so suddenly and unexpectedly, we
6. struck with asionishment and alarm at 4
r.,n unwonted quantities of water that d
..,o . 70 scended upon them from the seeming
s. Of a.e1,I Laavans A settler who liV