USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 36
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opposed by adverse winds. Its attendants are heat and mois- ture. Its continuance is usually from one to three days. In winter its inroads produce heavy thaws, that not unfrequently sweep away the snow from the lands adjoining the Hudson, and now and then back to the mountains. Then it not unfrequently advances northerly as far as Lake Champlain, and its outlet, in- ducing thaws as far as Canada, but they are more imbecile than along the Hudson, owing to its admixture, diminution, and other causes. These thaws are the heaviest below the High- lands, weakening as the wind advances.
When the south wind is strong, and attended with rain, two or three days are sufficient to dissolve the snow, and in certain instances, to break up the Hudson. It generally blows several hours, and sometimes for a whole day, before the rain begins to fall. These thaws are the most violent along the channel or line of the stream, diminishing as they recede from it. There is reason to conclude, that this wind has increased in its sphere of operations, and that it occurs oftener now than it did in former times, consequences induced by the clearing and improving the country.
The south wind occurs in the Susquehannah country in sev- eral places. The Chenango and Unadilla valleys, and the basin of Otsego lake, may be cited as examples. Whether it is ever general in this portion of the State or not, we are unable to say. The same wind blows in the Oriskinney, Onei- da, Chitteningo and Onondaga valleys.
Dr. Josiah Noyse, Professor of Chemistry, at Hamilton College, in the county of Oneida, in a conversation, in- formed me, that not only the south, but the southwest, were common at Hamilton, on Oriskinney. The south wind in these valleys, although it has not the warmth that it has in the val- , ley of the Hudson, has enough to induce temporary thaws in winter. Rain often attends it. In its descent, from the de- clivity of that part of the Osquake hill, lying north of Otsego lake, it does not descend into the Mohawk valley, but either rises, glides over it, or bends, and takes the direction of the superior air of the valley, which is ordinarily east southeast.
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We beg leave to relate an occurrence which we witnessed, in regard to the south wind at this place, and also that of the valley. We left the village of Herkimer in the month of No- vember, about seven in the morning, for Warren, distant eight miles, in a southerly direction. The wind, in the valley, was from the east, and accompanied with considerable rain. As we approached the foot of the declivity of the Osquake hill, the rain subsided, and was followed by a mist. The ground, from the foot of the hill, southwardly, was covered with snow, which increased as we ascended, till we reached the sources of the Susquehannah. There was no snow in the Mohawk valley. The foot of the declivity is 800 or 900 feet above the ocean. While passing from the foot of the declivity, to the extreme sources of the Susquehannah, we were met by the south wind, which came from Otsego lake. This wind was attended with some rain, and had blown for twenty-four hours, as we were told by persons of undoubted veracity. Towards evening we re- turned to Herkimer, the wind still blowing from the south, as it had in the morning. The east wind also blew in the valley. The south wind does not blow in the valley of the Mohawk, at Herkimer, although the southwest does. The south wind ' blows in Broome, Tioga, &c.
Along Cayuga, Seneca and Canandaigua lakes, the south wind is very common in warm weather. Each lake has its own particular south wind. Each wind has its origin in the atmosphere of the hills around the heads of these lakes. These winds are cool, in as much as they derive their supplies from the superior region, and not from the torrid zone. All these winds have extended, since the woods, in the vicinity of the lakes, have been cut down.
SOUTIIWEST WIND.
Section 7. This wind, although it pervades upwards of two- thirds of the State, at times cannot be called general. Its principal fields of action, are the basins of lakes Erie and On- tario, and those of the St. Lawrence, Susquehannah and Hud-
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son, to which may be added, the valley of the Alleghany. I: comes from the Mexican Sea, and is in the first instance, we believe, a south wind, whether it is on the east or west side of the Alleghany mountains. That branch which per- vades the lakes and St. Lawrence, comes up the Mississippi, while that which pervades the basin of the Hudson, traverses the flat country between the ocean and the mountains. That of the Susquehannah is probably derived from both. The branches of this river are extended. The shape of the Missis- sippi basin, and the country between it and Lake Erie, the mountains, and the form of the flat country adjacent to the ocean, seem to control the directions. The mountains com- monly separate the two ærial streams, and confine them to the coast and the western country. When, however, these are unable to do this, it pervades the Alleghanies.
The southwest wind is commonly warm, sometimes hot, and . ordinarily stormy, bringing rain, thunder and lightning. It generally lasts two or three days. Along the lower Mississippi, and in the southern States, bordering the ocean, it is said to be- much more common than it is in this State. It is also said to be much more stormy. We have remarked, that the southwest wind usually comes to this State by the way of the Mississippi, and the coast: we shall therefore treat of these branches, first beginning with that which blows in the Hudson and southerly of the Highlands.
The southwest wind blows frequently below the Highlands. It reaches this State after having traversed the flat country, and the borders of the ocean. In the basin of the Hudson it does `not in reality, become south before it has passed the Highlands. Then from the course of the river, and the peculiar configura- tion of its basin, and the mountains which nearly enclose it, it assumes a southerly direction. When strong and of usual con- tinuance, it transcends the limits of its basin on the north. and enters that of Lake Champlain. and pursues its way through to Lower Canada. It has two principal diffusions, the one in the broadest part of the basin of the Hudson, and the other in the broadest part of that of Lake Champlain. In its advance it be-
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comes weaker, after it has crossed the Highlands. This wind, like the south, has its collaterals. One of these ascends the val- ley of the Mohawk, taking upon itself a direction in unison" with that valley.
The southwest wind, which is so prevalent in the St. Law- rence basin, reaches Lake Erie on the side of Ohio. Its char- acters are similar to that of the coast, only it blows with more force. It is this wind which renders our western and north- western counties milder than those along the Hudson and Lake Champlain, in the same parallels of latitude, and gives the climate a very different character. The southwest wind, abont the summer solstice, occasionally lasts eight or ten days. It is . then rather feeble than otherwise In warm weather it may be said to possess considerable mildness, in consequence of its not experiencing much resistance from the northeast and northwest, its antagonists. In March and September, about the time of the equinoxes, it is not uncommon for it to blow with violence, and be accompanied with rain, thunder and lightning. On Lake Erie this wind is far more violent than it is on Lake Ontario. Almost every year, between the eighth and twenty- fifth of October, there is a tempest on this lake ; some years, two or three in the course of the month. The squalls and gusts which ensue during these tempests, often occupy small spaces, and are short in their duration. They occur in various parts of the lake, in the course of the same storm, and even hour. No place seems to be entirely exempt from them. Almost every year accidents happen, in this month, to vessels. We have already made some suggestions in relation to the causes. We have supposed that they were occasioned by this wind's meeting the northeast, and the northwest, and coming in con- tact with both. The volume of air brought by the southwest wind, at these times, is very copious, perhaps more so than at any other time in the year. In these contests, the southwest almost always vanquishes the northeast, and drives it back, and pursues it down the St. Lawrence, to Montreal or Quebec. The southwest wind, whenever it is violent, and of considerable duration, rises and spreads, showing itself, not only in the
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flat countries around lakes Erie and Ontario, and along the St. Lawrence, but also in those of the Alleghany and Su-que- hannah. It extends even to the Mohawk, and crosses Fall Hill and the Osquake. We have witnessed this wind on lakes Erie and Ontario, along Niagara river, on Genesee river, at Can- andaigua, in Ontario, at Auburn, in Cayuga, at Skaneatelis, and other places in Onondaga, and in Madison and Oneida.
The southwest wind occurs every now and then in Novem- ber, December, January, February and March. In these months it usually advances beyond the outlet of Lake Ontario. Then its duration is two or three days. On its first reaching the great lakes, it is often feeble and tardy in its movements, on account of the resistance it meets from the northeast and northwest, and the frozen air pervading the basins of the lakes : but as it advances and continues its operations, it ac- quires strength, volume and rapidity, and when it has once cleared the way, it displays its energies and powers. Wet, warm and rapid, it discharges torrents of rain, sweeps of the snow, thaws the ground, and brings along with it the warmth of spring. The mercury, in the thermometer, will ascend to sixty or seventy degrees. Between lakes Erie and Ontario, and around the latter lake, it dissolves the snow in a few hours. These parts are in the channel of the ærial torrent. East and west of this channel, its effects are less. This we have noticed in travelling eastwardly from Buffalo to Utica, in the county of Oneida, a distance of two hundred miles It was in the month of February. Its effects at Genesee river were less than at the Niagara, and greater than at Auburn, in the county of Cayuga. From Auburn to Utica they gradually lessened. They were also less twenty or thirty miles south of Lake On- tario, than on its borders.
Like some of the preceding winds, the southwest diffuses itself more widely as the woods are cut down. In the Mohawk valley, it often becomes a westerly wind, conforming its course to that of the valley. The Oneida and Seneca vale, and the . champaigns, facilitate its direction, since they are in a line
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nearly corresponding with it. It is known from the west wind by its volume, warmth and rapidity, and also by its irregularity.
The south west wind almost always. blows on the coast when it does in the basin of the St. Lawrence. At such times the branches, which these winds detach, meet at Anthony's Nose, Fall Hill, or some other place, where they contend, but the St. . Lawrence branch usually prevails.
WEST WIND.
Section 8. The west wind is the mildest and most agree- able of all the winds. It is never general. It prevails most during warm weather. The western country is its principal theatre ; it occupying the space between the hills and Lake Ontario, and around the eastern end of that lake. The west wind prevails more or less in the basin of the Hudson, and along the Atlantic coast. It is also found in other places. In each place it constitutes a system. The west wind is never ge- neral, nor of long continuance. Sometimes it will blow more or less every day, for weeks. The west wind's sphere of action . has increased since improvements have been made. The west wind is not uncommon in some of the other months.
Thunder and Lightning.
These occur frequently during the summer. In April, May, September and October, they are not common : they rarely happen in the other months. The storms of thunder, which occur in summer, are sometimes violent, and are often attended with the loss of lives and buildings. Every year instances happen of persons being killed, and buildings burnt. The op- erations of the igneous matter, however, do not, after all, soem to depend so much upon the quantity with which the clouds are charged, as they do upon some determinate state of the atmos- phere, preparatory to, and during the discharges. But what this state is, we cannot say. Accidents are, however, more usual, when the inferior air, or that in which the clouds move.
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is greatly rarified and heated, and when the clouds move near the earth, than at other times.
There are two kinds of thunder storms, namely, general and partial. The first are rare, but then they last much longer. The second originate in particular districts, and in general are limited in extent, seldom lasting over an hour. The former come from the southwest or northwest. Those from the south- west prevail mostly in the St. Lawrence, Susquehannah and Hudson basins.' They happen in winter as well as in summer, and have less violence. Those from the northwest are induced, it is probable, by portions of stormy clouds being diverted from the St. Lawrence basin, by the northwest wind. We have known some of these extend across the whole State.
The latter, or those of limited extent, occur in every part of the State, although not with the same violence. They are usually more frequent and violent in the hilly and mountainous districts, than in the open country. In some of the latter dis- tricts, and those adjoining them, the aqueous and igneous mat- ters gather in half an hour or an hour, and then moving in some particular direction, discharge their contents. In 1819 one of these storms happened at Catskill, and its environs. It lasted over five hours, during which time an average depth of fifteen inches of water fell. The sphere of its action, after the cloud had become stationary, or nearly so, did not comprise an area of more than seventy or eighty square miles. The brooks and streams rose to an alarming height. In some, broad beds were formed, while in others, they were greatly enlarged. In some places it seemed as if the cloud had broken and discharged its contents at once ; trees, soil and loose stones were entirely re- moved from hill sides and precipitated below. The thunder, during the whole shower, was incessant and very loud, and the lightning copious and excessively vivid.
In the same year, there was one in the county of Herkimer, on the east side of Fall Hill, but it was not so long and violent, its continuance being only two hours. The cloud occupied an extent of nine or ten miles in length, from south to north, and six or seven from west to east. Two clouds met on the east
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side of Fall Hill. The one came from the southwest, and the other from the northwest. The valley seemed the line of con- tact. A momentary calm ensued, and then the rain began to descend. The hill torrents swelled to extraordinary sizes. The Nowadaga creek, whose source is on the Osquake hill, distant seven or eight miles, rose higher than it does in spring. A small stream on the north side of the river, whose length is not over three miles, swelled so much, as to overflow its banks at the road, which it had never been known to do before. It uprooted trees, swept away fences, and opened a new way to the river. Those clouds gathered suddenly, and then moved rapidly, till they met. Fall Hill formed a line on the west. No rain fell on its summit, or west of it, and very little on its eastern declivity, although it descended in streams two miles east. The thunder was very loud. The weather had been hot, and there had been no rain for some weeks before.
Similar showers occur every year in the hilly and mountain- ous districts, differing only in violence and duration. Prepar- atory to these showers, vacuums are often formed into which the clouds descend from the higher regions.
Meteors.
These are not very frequent. Those denominated shooting stars are occasionally seen. .
The aurora borealis is every now and then seen, but is sel- dom brilliant.
We shall give an account of a meteor of a very different kind, which, from its magnitude and brilliancy, excited consi- derable notice at the time.
On the ninth of March 1822, at about ten o'clock at night, a very large and very brilliant meteor passed a little south of the town of Herkimer, in the county of Herkimer. Its direc- tion was nearly from east to west. It moved through the at- mosphere in a horizontal line, with inconceivable velocity, appearing like a large luminous ball, and leaving behind it a trail, several hundred yards in length, which gradually faded VOL. I. 54
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and disappeared. The light which it emitted, in its simulta- nevus transit, was so copious and resplendent, that it seemed , ' for some moments. to equal, if not surpass, that of the sun at noon-day. At the instant of its evanescence in the western horizon. it seemed to explode. About two or three minutes afterwards, a loud report, resembling that of a cannon at some distance, succeeded by echoes and reverberations, was heard in . the south. The sky, before and at the time of its appearance, was clear and tranquil, not a haze or cloud were to be seen. The full moon shone with all its splendour.
Immediately, however, after its evanescence, and the disap- pearance of the light which it had emitted, the atmosphere be- came hazy, and assumed a dusky hue, which lasted some time. Such are the results of what we saw, and of our observations. We shall pass to those of others, and then close with some re- marks.
On the thirteenth of March, we saw an acquaintance, who was, on the same evening, in the county of Otsego, at a place called the Butternuts, and distant from Herkimer about forty miles, nearly in a southwesterly direction, who informed us that he saw a very large ball of fire pass rapidly through the heavens, from east to west, some where about ten o'clock. That it moved horizontally, and passed north of where he was. That the emissions of light were nearly, or quite, as great as those of the sun at mid-day. The sky was clear and calm, and the moon shone with her accustomed splendour.
In the course of a few days after its appearance, we learned from the newspapers, and other sources, that it had been seen at the sametime at Palatine, Canajoharie, Johnstown and Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery ; at Cherry Valley, in the northern part ot Otsego county ; at the city of Albany, in the county of that name ; at Troy, in the county of Rensellaer ; at North- ampton, on Connecticut river ; in the State of Massachusetts, at Boston and Salem, in the same State ; and several other places in New England ; at Utica, in the county of Oneida, in the State of New-York ; at Onondaga, in the county of On- ondaga : at Geneva and Canandaigua, in the county of On-
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tario ; at Rochester, on Genesee river, in the county of Mun- roe ; at Buffalo, near the outlet of Lake Erie, in the county of Erie; at the outlet of Lake Ontario; at Montreal, in the Province of Lower Canada ; at Hudson, in the State of New- York, thirty miles south of the city of Albany ; at Pough- keepsie, in the county of Dutchess, in the same State ; and in various parts of the State of Pennsylvania, &c.
We shall add some extracts which we made from some of the public papers, which disclose the same, or nearly the same phenomena, throughout the whole line it was seen to move in.
" About ten o'clock at night, a luminous ball, of uncommon size and brilliancy, and nearly as large as a barrel, emitting sparks on all sides, was seen passing over the city of Albany, from northeast to southwest."-Albany Gaz. March 15, 1822. "On the evening of the ninth of March 1822, about ten o'clock, a large globular fire ball, uncommonly luminous, was seen passing over the village of Cherry Valley, with great ve- locity. Its direction appeared to be trom northeast to south- west. It gave out large sparks, and left a long train in its rear. A few minutes after its disappearance an explosion was heard."-Albany Gazette, ibid.
" A gentleman who saw it at the town of Canajoharie, de- . scribed it as being of vast magnitude, and as emitting light so abundantly, that the atmosphere appeared lighter than at noon- day."-Albany Daily Advertiser. ibid.
At Salem, in the State of Massachusetts, it is described as having had the same appearances, and to have moved in the same direction.
Several of the newspapers printed in the western countics of this State, corresponded in the accounts which they gave, , with what we saw, and what the Albany and eastern papers related.
From some of the papers printed in the State of Pennsyl- vania, it appears to have passed, north of that State, and to have been of less magnitude, and to have afforded less light than it did here.
By the descriptions contained in the Montreal papers, it
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was seen south of that city, and moved westwardly, and was less luminous, and not so large as more southerly
According to the accounts which were given of it at Og: densburg, in the county of St. Lawrence, sixty miles north- easterly of the outlet of Lake Ontario, and at Sacketts Har- bour, in the county of Jefferson, at the east end of the same lake, it passed to the south, and was exceedingly large and splendid.
At Poughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess, it was seen to the north, and was very large and luminous, and cast off' sparks on all sides.
The New-York city papers represent it as having moved from southwest to northeast, and north of that city ; but, notwith- standing these representations, we have no hesitation in aver- ing, that the writers of the articles in question, where wholly mistaken, and could have seen nothing more than the trail it left in its instantaneous passage.
The space comprised within the above limits, if we include a small portion of the ocean, in order to give it a square form, contains an area of upwards of 200,000 square miles.
The distance from Salem, in the State of Massachusetts, to Buffalo, in the State of New-York, near the outlet of Lake Erie, is upwards of four hundred and fifty miles, and from the city of Montreal, in Lower Canada, southwardly to latitude thirty- nine degrees and thirty minutes, upwards of four hundred. But this region only comprises the country from which we have obtained accounts. How far it had come before it had arrived at Salem, and how far it proceeded after it had passed. Buffalo, are unknown. There is, however, very little doubt, but it traversed twice or thrice the distance which we have heard from, and had a similar brilliancy and magnitude all the way.
Again, as it was large and luminous, both in Lower Canada and Pennsylvania, it must have been visible some way north and south from those places which we have named.
This meteor must have had considerable altitude, otherwise it could not have been seen over so extensive a region.
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We shall conclude with some observations, which we deem not altogether irrelavent to the subject.
. 1. We think, notwithstanding several of the accounts repre- sent it to have moved from northeast to southwest, that it must have moved from east to west, or very nearly so. The accounts from Albany and Cherry Valley, say it passed over those places. The person who saw it at the Butternuts, in the county of Ot- sego, informed us that it passed north of that place. At Utica, in the county of Oneida, at Herkimer, in the county of Herki- mer, and at Palatine and Amsterdam, in the county of Mont- gomery, it was seen in the south. The distance from Albany to Utica is about ninety miles in a straight line, but Utica is thirty miles, nearly half a degree further north than Albany. A due west line, therefore, from the former place, would pass thirty miles south of the latter. Cherry Valley is about fifty miles nearly due west of Albany, and the Butternuts about eighty miles southwest. The latter place is nearly, or quite twenty minutes south of the latitude of Albany. Hence, lad it moved over the city of Albany, in the direction mentioned, it would have passed south of Cherry Valley, and a little south of the Butternuts. Again, it is described as having passed over the counties of Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Ontario, &c. which are all situated westwardly of the city of Albany. A line drawn southwestwardly from that city would not touch either of those counties-it would leave them all to the northwest.
2. Albany is very nearly west of Salem, in Massachusetts,; and Buffalo is nearly west of Albany. Salem and Buffalo are about four hundred and fifty miles apart. A due west line drawn from the former, would strike some place very near the latter.
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