USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of the county of Berkshire, Massachusetts, in two parts > Part 14
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The quantity of snow would seem to be less than fell in the early settlement of the County. The probabili- ty is that if the same quantity of snow falls on an ave- rage, less sleighing would be the consequence, for two reasons, depending upon the more extensive cultivation of the country, viz : that it would be more blown from the roads in an open country, and be more easily melt- 15
182
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
ed than in the woods. Add to these considerations the probability that the accounts of the great quantity of snow are those of the fall of great quantities in some particular years. It is certain that occasionally the streams and lakes and bays of the Northern States are frozen in the manner mentioned by our fathers, and the country covered to a great depth with snow and for ma- ny weeks. There is little evidence that the winters were uniformly severe.
The hard winter of 1780 is a matter of frequent re- mark among the oldest population. The great snow storm and abundant snow of 1804 are well remember- ed. On the 20th of March of that year, the sleighing was good, even through the lower parts of the County ; the roads in many places so filled with snow, that the travelling was through the fields.
In 1810, an excessively severe storm and a most vio- lent wind extended over the country. The change in the weather occurred in this County between 6 and 7 o'clock, P. M., and was followed the next day by what has been appropriately and emphatically called the cold Friday.
On Sept. 22d and 23d, 1815, occurred a memorable storm of wind and rain over the Atlantic States, in which the salt water of the ocean was in some instances blown thirty miles from the ocean, destroying the foliage of trees, and giving to vegetation the appearance of having suffered from a severe frost. This storm was severe in this County.
The cold spring and summer of 1816 will not soon be forgotten. Frosts occurred several times in each even of the summer months. The foliage was killed by frost in June over a considerable portion of the higher lands, so that for a few days the woods appeared to have suf- fered from fire. Snow fell on the 6th of June, and on the mountain towns, as Cheshire, Peru, Windsor, the snow was blown about as in winter, and travellers suf- fered from the severity of the storm. Ice was formed in many places to the thickness of window glass. Un June 8th and 11th, the frost was severe. Vegetables in gardens were generally destroyed. Indian corn was cut down to the ground by the frost in many places ; though it soon came forward again. In Aug. 29th, the
188
CLIMATE-METEOROLOGY.
frost killed many fields of Indian corn on the low grounds. Though rye, wheat, &c., came to maturity, and the crops were pretty abundant, but little Indian corn ripened in the County. The greater portion was saved by cutting it up at the roots, and by placing it in an upright position, leaving it to ripen upon the jui- ces of the stalk alone.
Jan. 17, 1817, there was a remarkable thunder show- er, which extended from Quebec to Georgia, and was at- tended with rain or snow at different places. The lightning was frequent and brilliant, and during the fall of snow, the electric fluid appeared on animals, bushes, fences, and men, in the form of bright points, or as an aurora? cloud of light. It was observed in Richmond, Will- iamstown, and other places. The following spring, vegetables suffered considerably from the cut-worm ; but much less than in various other parts of the coun- try.
For some years past there has been little sleighing. During the winter (1826 and 1827,) the snow was most abundant. Great snows fell at several times. The sleighing, except so far as the roads were blocked up by snow, was excellent, from the 23d of December. Only slight rains or thaws occurred, none of which effect- ed more than the settling of the snow. The streams, however, did not become unusually low. The snow was thought by many to be in the woods about four feet deep. It was probably about 3 feet deep. It is rarely, by actual measurement, more than two-thirds or three-fourths of the supposed depth.
Although strong winds are not uncommon, it is rare that much damage is done by them in this County, even in the most violent thunder storms. Tornadoes are not common, and have always been of very limited extent, In 1809. a tornado, extending about half a mile in width and perhaps two in length, prostrated some of the orchards and some buildings about a mile south of the meeting-house in Stockbridge. A few years after, a violent whirlwind fell upon a small portion of West Stockbridge, passed in its course over Stockbridge aud Lee, but too elevated to affect trees and buildings, and spent its violence on a hill in Becket;
181
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
The temperature is several times below zero, Far during winter. On two or three days it does not pass, or pass but little above zero. It is sometimes as low as 16° or even 23° below zero. In summer, it is on several days above 90º, though it rarely exceeds 95
The summer of 1925 had many very warm days. The summer of 1828 was however the hottest that Las occurred for many years. "The following winter was the coldest for a long time. The formation of ice in mills and factories was a great and long continued injury this winter. The mean temperature of January, 1827, was 10Q39 Far, which was colder than any January in the last twelve years. The following results from observa- tions made at Williams College three times a day, viz at seven A. M., and at two and nine P. M., the mean of which is ascertained to be very near the mean tem- perature of the day, will show about the mean temper- ature o' the County at the times mentioned. The va- riation above w. below the mean, is placed next the mean temperature of the several months for eleven years next preceding 1827.
Jan. |Val| Feb. | Vall Mar .! Val April. |Va Mean 22,01 5.5 23.61 7.5 31,06 4,5 43,53 4,5 Niev. June. Ang. 56 20 8.0 66.33 4.5| 10,23 5,5 67,25 2,5 Doc. Nov. Julv.
1 Oct. 1 60,03|6.01147,0713 5 136,6113,5||26,9313,0
On an average, January is the coldest, and July the hottest month. The coldest month was February, 1718, when the mean temperature was for several days below zero, and the lov est-2205. Feb. 11, on Wednes- day. February, 1812, was also an exceedingly cold month ; colder than any January, and but little less than that of Feb. 1818. Indeed some of the days were through the day considerably colder.
Feb. 1823, was uniformly a cold month, even colder than any preceding January ; although the coldest days occurred in January.
The hottest winther in the above years was July. 1820. the mean temperature being 75º10
July. 1325, the mean temperature was 54,94
A .g. 1523,
do.
69.01
Aug. 1829, do. 69,99
CLIMATE-METEOROLOGY.
The mean temp. of the Winter months is 24,05
66 Spring 66 43,59
6.6 Summer 66
68,27
Autumn 66 47,90
The greatest cold ever observed
at Williams College, was
-28,0
The greatest heat (in the shade, ) 102,0
In this case, it is probable that the temperature was. increased by reflected heat.
In great rains, the quantity of water varies from one inch to 1 1-2 inch in 24 hours ; sometimes there falls water in about the same time to the depth of 2 or 2 1-2 inches. The greatest rain observed in the eleven years, fell in July 26 and 27, 1819, to the depth of 3.65 inches. It is common, indeed, for the people to remark that the rain falls to the depth of five .or six inches ; but for sev- eral years it was never found by the rain-guage to fall to the depth of three inches in a day. Indeed an inun- dation could scarcely fail to follow rain to this depth. As the water, which should fall equably three inches deep over a township six miles square, would fill a ca- nal 40 feet wide, four feet deep, and 297 miles in length, Such a rain must be rare in this country.
In 1784, the bursting of a cloud, as it is familiarly called by the common people, took place on the west side of Saddle mountain, in what is called the Hopper. Much rain had fallen for several days, and the ground had become very soft. At length a cloud burst, or pour- ed forth a great quantity of rain ; the earth, trees, and loose rocks were swept down the mountain from an ele- vation of about 1400 feet, and a sudden deluge took place along the narrow valley at the bottom of the Hop- per, and one house was swept away, the family having escaped. Owing to the opening between the hills, call- ed the Hopper, heavy clouds are drawn by the wind against the west side of Graylock, many hundred feet below the summit, and are slowly raised over the moun- tain, often presenting the appearance of great difficulty in rising the steep ascent. These clouds, from the ac- tion of electricity, attraction, condensation, or some un- known cause in the atmosphere, pour down themselves in a violent shower. When the rain is sudden and very great, it is called the bursting of a cloud. This phe-
16*
185
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
nomenon frequently occurs on Saddle mountain. In August, 1323, one occurred, by which the rocks and trees were carried down from an elevation of about 1600 feet, till the mass came to the dense woods tow- ards the bottom of the Hopper, through which it forced a passage of a rod in width along a hollow, bearing away the largest trees in its course. At a distance, this passage looks like a road cut through a forest.
To those who have lived in a level country, the lying of the clouds along the mountains, far below their sum- mits, or with these summits prbjecting above them, and presenting an endless diversity of form and colour, is a scene of high interest and much sublimity. To the hardy inhabitant this unvarying drapery of the moun- tains is ico common to attract attention. The eye of taste, however, loves to fasten its gaze on these endless changes of form and hue. The moderate elevation of most clouds, is apparent from the fact, that those clouds which in the vallies appear to be relatively high in the atmosphere, touch Saddle mountain, Taconic mountain, and other high points, several hundred feet below the summit. The writer was once near the summit of Ta- conic mountain in a heavy thunder shower-the cloud rested on the mountain-for a few moments the dark- ness was appalling-and the streams of lightning seem- ed to be close at hand.
The distinctness with which the line of congelation is marked in the colder months along the mountains, is another interesting phenomenon. The trees are cov- ered with ice from their summits downwards to a dis- tance varying according to circumstances, and the line at which the ice terminates, now far down the side of the higher hills, now near the summit of the lower, and not touching those still lower, often extends for miles apparently on a horizontal line. The gray-white dress of the trees above the line, gives to the hills a majestic and venerable appearance. This phenomenon occurs under two opposite conditions. In autumn, or the be- ginning of winter, when the lower stratum of air is the warmer, rain falls in the vallies, but is frozen on the trees along the higher parts of the hills ; and thus the line of congelation is distinctly drawn. The other case "occurs in winter, when the lower stratum of air is the
187
RETURN OF SPRING,
colder, and the warmer air from the south or south-east pours down its vapour in the vallies, and in rain or sleet on the hills, which is frozen at a certain elevation, and the line of congelation made as perfect and dis- tinct as before. This gray covering of the trees, seen in the clear rays of the sun, and its limit so accurately defined, and often continuing for days, is a magnificent spectacle, and ever admired by those in whom familiar- ity has not destroyed the interest, or taste for the beau- tiful ceased to operate.
When the hills and vallies are covered with ice, and a warmer temperature follows, the ice disappears in the vallies, and the line of congelation gradually ascends the hills, in the same distinctness, though not so regu- larly marked.
The progress of vegetation up the mountains in the spring. is also an interesting prospect. The expansion of the blossoms and foliage of the earlier trees takes place over the vallies to the foot of the hills, while their sides and tops present all the appearance, except that of snow, of winter scenery. The advance of the foli- age up the mountains is clearly marked from day to day, although ten or twelve days will elapse before the tops of the highest manifest that the spring has returned, and " the time of the singing birds is come." When ve- getation is delayed from the coldness of the season, the suddenness with which it advances up the hills on the more rapid increase of heat, is still more delightful. The progress is now rapid ; and a broad zone of green is extended each day along and up the hills, presenting much of the magnificence of a northern summer. All nature seems labouring with her highest energies to show forth to wondering man the beauty and riches which the. God of providence has in his bounty and mercy prepared for his creatures.
RETURN OF SPRING .- The return of spring, compa- red with other places, may be judged of by the usual time of the flowering of the following plants in the. val- leys and warmer parts of the County. The position of hills and the different exposure of plants, and the na- ture of the soil, affects the time of their flowering con-
1
18S
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
siderably. Thus the vegetation is a week earlier in the more favourable parts of the valley of Williamstown, than in the broader valley of the Housatonic, twenty miles further south. The following planis flower nearly at the same time through the vallies. For the purpose of enabling the reader to make the comparison for one year, (and the relative times will be nearly the same) the following table exhibits the time of flowering in the spring of 1817, at several distant places. The times at all the places, except the one in this County, are taken from the paper of Dr. Bigelow on this subject, in the Memoirs of the American Academy, vol. iv. part 1,
-
1
-
COMPARATIVE TIME OF FLOWERING OF SEVERAL PLANTS IN THE SPRING OF 1817
Williams-Brunsw'k Maine. town.
Montreal, Canada. May 1
Boston.
Albany.
New York
Philadel -- phia.
Ap. 18
Ap. 20
Ap. 10
19
21
May 2
May 10
Ap. 20
Ap. 11
22
22
April 28
May 5
Ap. 22
Ap. 11
Mar. 13 Ap. 10
Acer rubrum. Soft maple. saccharinum. Sager maple.
22
Sanguinaria canadensis. Blood-root.
22
May 1
Ap. 29
Ap. 26
15
Hepatica triloba Liverwort.
23
20
Ap. 17
6
Caltha palustris. Cowslip.
24
May 15
May 2
Ap. 10
22
Alnue serralata. Black alder.
24
May S
May 14
May 9
Ap 15
Ap. 14
Leontodon taraxacum. Dandelion.
90
May 12.
15
4
19
15
Aroria botryapium. Shad-flowver.
2
8
26
Fragaria virginica. Strawberry.
6
15
8
Uvaliria perfoliata. Bell-wort.
3
15
13
Aquilegia canadensis. Columbine. Pyrus malus. Apple.
10
1
15.
29
25
18
15
20
RETURN OF SPRING.
Mar. 24
Erythronium americanum. Addertongue
26
22
Anemone nemorosa. Anemone.
May 2
5
189
Clavtonia Spatulata. Spring Beauty. Thespago farfara. Garden colts'-foot. Ulm is americana Eln. fulva. Slipperv elm. Pothus foatida. Skank cabbage.
22
190
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
By an attention to this table, it is evident that the flowering of the same plants takes place in the lower parts of the County only a very little later than af Al- bany and Boston. It is probable that the time is a lit- tle later than appears from this table, from the particu- lar and early examinations for flowers in Williamstown in the spring of 1817. It is certain at least that the li- lac, apple, and some others, flower earlier at Albany than in this County, as a general fact. The influence of the ocean and of south winds, is felt sooner and more powerfully han in our hill country. The same is true of the crops ; the time of harvest is a little ear- lier on the same parallel of latitude on the Hudson than in this County ; and is a little earlier also in the vicin- ity of Boston. The difference is not however so great, as some reasons might lead us to anticipate.
GEOLOGY .- The rocks in Berkshire are wholly prim- itine. Except a small tract of alluvial along the Housa- tonic and Hoosic rivers and some of their tributaries, the whole County belongs to the primitive formation. No animal or vegetable remains have been discovered in any of its rocks or strata, and only a minute portion of coal, (anthracite, said to have been found in Che- shire, bat doubtful) has ever been found. The princi- pal rocks are mica slate and limestone. The former is indeed the principal rock in the County, and incloses in it the extensive beds of limestone. Several other primirive rocks are not unfrequent, and will be noticed in their place.
1. Mica Slate.
The range of mountains on the eastern part of the County, and extending west to the middle of the Coun- ty, is almost wholly mica slate. It is very commonly of the stratified variety, but is obviously only mica and quartz intimately mixed and stratified. To this remark there is no exception ; and this rock is found without interruption to any extent to the east part of Williams- town, New Ashford, Lanesborough, Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield; the western line of it pursuing a zigzag course, and fol- lowing the singular course of the hills and vallies. It fs then interrupted by quartz rock and limestone through.
191
GEOLOGY.
the whole extent of the principal valley north and south through the County, except that small hills of mica slate are often appearing, as if projecting through the limestone, or lying along the side of it. Mica slate is again the principal rock on the Taconic range along the western boundary of the County. So that mica slate may be considered the whole underlaying rock of this section. The strata of this rock every where dip and incline towards the east, at different angles of in- clination in different places, but as a medium about 30 degrees.
The rocks associated with the mica slate, and many of them found in considerable quantity, are 1. Horn- blende rock, embracing the several varieties of primi- tive trap, found in most of the towns on the eastern part of the County ; 2. Primitive serpentine, and soap- stone, found in Windsor; 3. Talco-micaceous slate, a rock containing talc mingled with mica slate, found along the base of the eastern range, but much more abundantly along the Taconic range, in most of the towns : 4. Gneiss, lying in a large bed, from the east- ern part of Dalton and western of Peru, northwards several miles into Windsor, and in the south-east part of the County : 5. Granite, in blocks or large masses, or veins, in all the towns on the eastern part of the County : 6. Granular limestone, in small patches in variou- parts of the mica slate, but distinct from the gen- eral stratum of limestone : Argillite, associated in small quantity with the mica slate, but distinct from that to be mentioned hereafter : 8. Sienite, with the horn- blende rocks, and small masses washed by the streams into the eastern part of the Housatonic valley.
'The mica slate is often very tortuous, and sometimes occurs in thin strata in the limestone, as if it had been projected from below through the limestone.
2. Quartz Rock.
This rock may be only iu beds in the mica slate ; but as it occurs in great quantities, it is here treated of as a principal rock. It is found on both sides of the lime- stone, or associated with, or only on one side of it. The hills of it run nearly parallel with the general ranges, and the west line of the County. Beginning at the north part, it occurs in large hills in Clarksburg, Will-
192
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
iamstown, and Adams, connected with the limestone. Oak Hill and Stone Hill in Williamstown, are formed chi-fly of this rock. It occurs also along the north base of Saddle mountain. In Cheshire, it is in considerable quantity ; ofteu disintegrated, forming immense quan- tities of sand, used in the manufacture of crown glass, when the Glass Company in Cheshire was in operation, and often transported to the glass factories in New York, especially that of Sandlake in the adjoining county of Rensselaer ; employed also in the sawing of marble into slabs, in Lanesborough and New Ashford. This rock occurs again at the Gulf, between Lanesborough and Dalton. Also at the west base of Washington mountain, on the south-east of Pittsfield. A portion of this rock at this place is used for the hearths of the fur- nace in Lenox and other places, from its capacity for withstanding the action of great heat. Another part of it is very porous, and divided into small rough and irre- gular cavities, resembling those of burr stone, and like this, is wrought into mill stones to considerable extent in Pittsfield. The rock occurs in strata of a few inches to twenty or more in thickness, making it very conven- ient for either use. In Lee, Tyringham, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, New Marlborough, and Sheffield, are hills of quartz rock. The south part of Monument mountain is composed wholly of it. The northern part of this mountain is mica slate ; the south part exhibit- ing the White Cliffs, which present so fine an appear- ance from the plain and hill in Stockbridge, one of the most beautiful prospects in this County, are of this rock. Alum Hill. in Sheffield, is this rock.
This rock appears to be considerably stratified ; hav- ing an inclination towards the east. It is split also from west to east in many places ; rendering it a very con- venient stone to work into walls, jambs, hearths, door- steps, and the like.
In a few places, a kind of quartzose breccia is asso- ciated with this rock. In the east part of Pittsfield, and south-west of Hinsdale, the' quartz is cemented by fibrous brown Hemanlite. In Sheffield and Great Bar- rington, the cement is quartz itself,
193
GEOLOGY.
3. Granular Limestone.
There seem to be two strata or nearly continuous beds of limestone. The eastern passes through Adams, Cheshire, Windsor, Washington, Hinsdale, &c., to N. Marlborough. This is less in width, highly crystalline, large granular, relatively hard, difficult to burn into lime, but forming lime of the best quality ; sometimes containing mica and calcareous spar ; wrought for mar- ble in Adams, New Marlborough, &c.
The western passes through Williamstown and New Ashford and the north-east part of Hancock, and thence southward through all the towns in the Housatonic val- ley. This stratum or bed is wider than the other, and is a part of the great stratum extending from Long Isl- and Sound through Connecticut and this County, far into Vermont, perhaps into Canada. The great quan- tities of marble, scattered over the County, are from this bed. It is now quarried abundantly in West Stock- bridge, Lanesborough, and New Ashford, and wrought in most of the towns. It is distinctly crystalline, more finely granular than the other, takes a fine polish, occurs in strata very convenient for working, and has a great variety of colour. The white is the most valuable ; the brown, gray, dove-coloured, ash-coloured, striped, dark, and variegated, are very beautiful. It is impos- sible to ascertain with correctness the value of the mar- ble annually wrought. A few years since it was esti- mated, after much inquiry of the owners and workmen, at $40,000 annually.
Limestone, which will not take a polish, and cannot of course be wrought as marble, every where occurs with the marble, and often makes it very expensive in getting at the marble.
The burning of lime is a common business. Con- siderable quantities of lime are annually produced in most of the towns. From Adams, Lanesborough, Pittsfield, &c., much is transported to other towns. The limestone is so abundant, and of so fine a quality, that poor lime is scarcely known. The common price at the kiln is twenty-five cents the bushel, varying from 100 to 112 lbs.
The City Hall in New York is built of marble, ob- tained chiefly from West Stockbridge. Marble is also
17
194
HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE.
transported from this County to Boston, and in consid- erabl quantities to the westward along the Grand Ca- nal.
Elastic marble has been found in West Stockbridge, Lanesborough, and New Ashford. It often occurs in blocks, of which it forms only a small part. It is more elastic when thoroughly wet, although it exhibits the property when it has not been wet for years. It is a rather coarse marble, commonly white, or with a red- dish tinge.
Connected with the western range of limestone, are immense quantities of magnesian carbonate of lime ; often highly granular, and frequently fetid ; frequent- ly white or grayish, and friable (Dolomite) ; conimonly solid, but rather coarse grained, (common magnesian limestone.) The beautiful white Dolomite of Lee, Muddy Brook in Great Barrington, Sheffield and New Marlborough, contains fibrous and bladed crystals of Tremolite, and, in Maddy Brook and New Marlbo- rough, white crystals of Ancite.
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