USA > Vermont > History of Vermont, natural, civil, and statistical, in three parts, with a new map of the state, and 200 engravings > Part 4
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Indian Summer .- It has been said, though we do not vouch for its truth, that it was a maxim with the aborigines of this country, which had been handed down from time immemorial, that there would be 30 smoky days both in the spring and autumn of each year ; and their reliance upon the occurrence of that number in autumn was such that they had no fears of winter setting in till the number was completed. This phenomenon occurred between the middle of October and the middle of December, but principally in November ; and it being usually attended by an almost perfect calm, and a high temperature during the day, our ances- tors, perhaps in allusion to the above maxim, gave it the name of Indian Sum- mer. But it appears that from the com- mencement of the settlement of the coun- try, the Indian Summers have gradually become more and more irregular and less strikingly marked in their character, un- til they have almost ceased to be noticed. Now upon the hypothesis advanced in the
preceding articles, this is precisely what we should expect. When our ancestors arrived in this country, the whole conti- nent was covered with one uninterrupted, luxuriant mantle of vegetation, and the amount of leaves and other vegetable pro- ductions, which were then exposed to spontaneous dissolution upon the surface of the ground, would be much greater than after the forests were cut down and the lands cultivated. Every portion of the country being equally shielded by the forest, the heat, though less intense, on account of the immense evaporation and other concurring causes, would be more uniformly distributed, and the changes of wind and weather would be less fre- quent than after portions of the forests had been removed, and the atmosphere, over those portions, subjected to sudden expansions from the influence of the sun upon the exposed surface of the ground. It is very generally believed, that our winds are more variable, our weather more subject to sudden changes, our an- nual amount of snow less and our mean annual temperature higher than when the settlement of the country was com- menced. And causes, which would pro- duce these changes, would, we believe, be sufficient to destroy, in a great meas- ure, the peculiar features of our Indian Sunnners. The variableness of the winds, occasioned by cutting down large por- tions of the forests, would of itself be sufficient to scatter and precipitate those brooding oceans of smoke, and prevent the long continuance of those seasons of dark and solemn stillness, which were, in ages that are past, the unerring harbin- gers of long and dreary winters and delu- ges of snow.
Meteors and Earthquakes .- Upon these subjects Vermont affords nothing peculiar. The common phenomenon of shooting stars is witnessed here as in other parts of the country, and those uncommon dis- plays which have several times occurred about the 13th of November, have been observed front various parts of the state. In addition to these, several of those rare ineteors, from which meteorolites or me- teorie stones are thrown, have been no- tieed, but the records of them are few and meagre. These meteors make their ap- pearance so unexpectedly and suddenly, and continue visible for so short a period of time, that it is hardly possible to make observations sufficiently accurate to fur- nish data for calculating their velocity, distance or magnitude. That most re- markable meteor which passed over New England in a southerly direction in the morning of the 14th of December, 1807,
17
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
CHEAP. 1.
REMARKABLE METEORS.
REMARKABLE METEORS.
and from which fell large quantities of | from the rest of New England, and from meteoric stones in Weston, Connecticut, New York and Canada, about 10 o'clock in the evening of the 9th of March, 1892. From observations made at Burlington and Windsor, Prof. Dean computed its course to be S. 35° W., its distance from Burlington 59 miles and from Windsor 83 miles, and its height above the earth about 37 miles when it first appeared, and when it disappeared its distance from Burling- ton was 144 miles and its distance from Windsor 133 miles and its height 29 miles. According to these computations, at the first appearance of the meteor, it was ver- tical over the unsettled parts of Essex county in the state of New York, and at its disappearance, it was over the western part of Scholarie county in the same state. was seen from Rutland in this state, and the observation there made formed one of the elements in Dr. Bowditch's calculations of its velocity, distance and size. 'A me- teor of the same kind passed over New England and New York in a southwest- erly direction a little before 10 o'clock in the evening of the 23d of l'ebruary, 1819, and was seen from many parts of Ver- mont. We had the pleasure of witness- ing it at Bridgewater in this state. The meteor there made its appearance about 10° south of the zenith, and, descending rapidly towards the southwest, it disap- peared when abont 25° above the horizon. Indeed, its velocity was such over Wind- aor and Rutland counties as to give to all, who observed it, though at the distance of 10, 20 and even 30 miles from each other, along the line of its course, the impres- aion that its fall was nearly perpendicular; and cach observer supposed that it fell within a few hundred yards of himself. Now as this meteor was probably moving nearly parallel to the horizon, the decep- tion must have arisen from the rapid dim- inution of the visible angle between the meteor and the horizon, occasioned by the great horizontal velocity of the meteor in its departure from the zenith of the ob- server. These facts should teach us to guard against the illusions of our own sensrs and to admit with caution the tes- timony of others respecting phenomena of this nature.
According to the best of our judgment, the meteor was visible three or four sec- onds, in which time it passed through an are of near 50% of the heavens. Its ap- parent diameter was about 20', or two thirde that of the moon, and the color of Ito light was very white and dazzling, like that of tron in a fornare in a state of fu- sion. It left a long train of light behind it, and just at the time of disappearance a violent scintillation was observed, and the fragments detached continued luminous at considerable distance from the main body of the meteor, but no meteoralites are known to have fallen. Five or six minutes after the disappearance of the meteor, a very distinct report was heard accompanied by a jarring of the earth, like the report of a cannon at the distance of five or six miles. Now, assuming the correctness of the above data, and that the report was given at the time of the scintillation, the distance of the meteor was then between 70 and 80 miles, and its diameter about one third of a mile.
Another, and still more remarkable me- teor, was seen from this state as well as
Several other meteors of this kind have been observed, the most remarkable of which was seen from the northern part of the state and from nearly the whole of Lower Canada, about 4 o'clock in the morning of the 28th of May, 1834. It be- ing a time when people generally were in bed and asleep, comparatively few had the opportunity of seeing it. Many, however, were awakened by its light, and still more by its report. Residing then at Hatley in Canada, which is 15 miles north of the north line of Vermont at Derby, we were suddenly awakened by a noise resembling that of a large number of heavy carriages driven furiously over a rough road or pavement, and by a shaking of the house, which caused a rattling of every door and window. Supposing it to be an earth- quake, we sprung out of bed and reached the door two seconds at least before the sound ceased. The atmosphere was calm and the sky was perfectly clear, with the exception of a narrow train of cloud or smoke,extending from southwest to north- cast, and at considerable distance to the northward of the zenith. It was nearly motionless, and was apparently at a vastly greater height than clouds usually lie. Indeed there was something so peculiar in its appearance as to make it the sub- ject of remark and careful observation till after sunrise, when it gradually vanished, although at this time we had no reason to suspect its connexion with the noise and shaking of the earth, which had awaken- ed us. We, however, soon learned that a remarkable meteor had been seen, and that its course lay along the very line oc- cupied by the remarkable cloud above mentioned. From an intelligent young man, who was fishing at the time on Mas- snippi lake in Hatley, and who had a full view of the meteor daring the whole time it was visible, we learned that it made its
PT. 1. 3
18
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART I.
NEW ENGLAND EARTHQUAKES.
AURORA BOREALIS.
appearance at a point a little north of | horizon towards a point not far from the west at an elevation of about 35°, passed zenith ; but at times it assumes forms as various and fantastic as can well be im- agined, and exhibits all the colors of the rainbow. It is not uncommon that it takes the form of concentric arches spanning the heavens from west to east, usually at the north, but sometimes passing through the zenith, or even at considerable distance to the south of it. At times the meteor is apparently motionless, but it is not an un- common thing for it to exhibit a violent undulating motion like the whipping of a flag in a brisk wind. But it is so variable in its appearance, that it is vain to attempt its description. We will, however, men- tion a few of the remarkable occurrences of this meteor which have fallen under our own observation, and some of the at- tending circumstances. the meridian at a considerable distance north of the zenith and disappeared in the northeast with an altitude of about 25°. He thought its apparent magnitude to be 8 or 10 times that of the moon, and that it was visible about 10 seconds. It was of a fiery red color; brightest when it first appeared, and gradually decreased in brill- iancy, all the time throwing off' sparks, till it disappeared. About 4 minutes af- ter the vanishing of the meteor, a rumb- ling or rattling sound, which sensibly agitated the surface of the lake, com- menced in the point where the meteor was first seen, and following the course of the meteor died away at the point where the meteor vanished. This meteor was vertical on a north and south line, about 50 miles to the northward of Derby in this state, or nearly over Shipton in Canada, and its altitude must have been at least 30 miles, and still the agitation it pro- duced in the atmosphere was such as to break considerable quantities of glass in the windows at Shipton, Melbourne and some other places. The course of this meteor was mostly over an unsettled country. The most remarkable circum- stances attending this meteor were the train of smoke which it left behind, and the long continued noise and shaking of the earth.
Since the settlement of New England, there have been recorded a considerable number of earthquakes, and several have been noticed in Vermont. The sound accompanying these is usually described as having a progressive motion ; and that, and the shaking of the earth have been supposed to be produced by the rushing of steam through the cavities in the interior of the earth, but the effect known to have been produced by the meteor last de- scribed, furnishes strong reasons for sus- pecting that the cause of many, and per- haps of all the earthquakes which have occurred in New England, has been in the atmosphere above instead of the earth beneath. Hlad this meteor passed with- out being seen, the sound and shaking of the earth, which it produced, would have been regarded as a real earthquake, and its origin in the atmosphere would not have been suspected.
Aurora Borealis .- This meteor has been very common in Vermont, ever since the first settlement of the state; but in some years it is of more frequent occurrence, and exhibits itself in a more interesting and wonderful manner than in others. Its mostcommon appear ance is that of streams of white light shooting up from near the
On the 12th of October, 1819, at about 7 o'clock in the evening, the Aurora Bo- realis assumed the form of three luminous resplendant arches, completely spanning the heavens from west to east. The low- est arch was in the north a little below the pole star, the second about midway between the pole star and the zenith, and the third 10° or 15º to the southward of the zenith. These belts gradually spread out till they became blended with each other, and the whole concave heavens was hit up with a soft and beautiful glow of white light. It would then concentrate to particular points whose brightness would equal that of an ordinary par- helion, and around them would be exhib- ited the prismatic colors melting into each other in all their mellow loveliness. The motions of the meteor were rapid, undu- latory and from north to south varying a little towards the zenith. The sky was clear and of a deep blue color where it was not overspread by the meteor. It was succeeded in the morning of the 13th by a slight fall of snow with a northwest wind. The aurora exhibited itself in a manner very similar to the above in the evening of the 3d of April, 1820, and sev- eral times since.
But the most remarkable exhibition of this meteor, which has fallen under our own observation, was in the evening of the 25th of January, 1837. It first attract- ed our attention at about half past 6 o'clock in the evening. It then consisted of an arch of faint red light extending from the north west and terminating nearly in the east, and crossing the meridian 15 or 20° north of the zenith. This arch soon assumed a bright red hue and grad- ually moved towards the south. To the northward of it, the sky was nearly black, in which but few stars could be seen. Next
19
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
Chap. 1.
AURORA BOREALIS.
MAGNETIC VARIATION.
to the red belt was a belt of white light, , This ineteor, when very brilliant, is usually and beyond this in that direction, the sky regarded as an indication of an approachi- ing storm, but, like other signs, it often fails. It is most common in the months of March, September and October, but it is not unusual in the other months. was much darker than usual, but no clouds were any where to be seen. The red belt, increasing in width and brightness, ad- vanced towards the south and was in the zenith of Burlington about 7 o'clock. The Magnetic Variation .- Very few obser- vations have hitherto been made in Ver- mont for the purpose of determining the variation of the magnetic needle, and these few have generally been made with a common surveyor's compass, and, prob- ably, in most cases, without a very cor- rect determination of the true meridian ; and hence they cannot lay claim to very minute accuracy. But since such obser- vations may serve to present a general view of the amount and change of varia- tion, since the settlement of the state, we have embodied those to which we have had access, in the following table. light was then equal to the full moon, and the snow and every other object from which it was reflected, was deeply tinged with a red or bloody hue. Between the red and white belts, were frequently ex- hibited streams of beautiful yellow light, and to the northward of the red light were frequently seen delicate streams of blue and white curiously alternating and blending with each other. The most prominent and remarkable belt was of a blood-red color, and was continually va- rying in width and intensity. At cight o'clock, the meteor, though still brilliant, had lost most of its unusual properties.
Magnetic Variation in Vermont.
Place of Observation.
Date.
Vari. west.
Latitude.
Lon. w.G'Ji
Authorities.
Burlington,
1793
7º 38'
44º 28'
73°
Dr. S. Williams. J. Johnson, Esq.
1822
7 42
1830
8 10
8 15
..
1832
8 25
8 50
45
Prof. Benedict.
Rutland,
1789
7
3
43 37
72
J. Johnson, Esq. Dr. S. Williams.
Ryegate,
1801
7 0
44 10
72
Gen. J. Whitelaw,
Holland,
1785
7 40
45 0
71
St. Johnsbory,
18:37
9 16
44 26
71
Prof. A. C. Twining.
Harton,
1837
10 51
4.1 44
Montpelier,
1829
12 25
44 17
72
Exec. Documents.
Pownsl,
1756
5 52
42 46
72
Dr. S. Williams.
Cansan,
1:06
9 00
45
0
71
" From repeated observations and from a careful examination of the lines of the original surveys, John Johnson, Esq.was of the opinion that in 1785, the westerly variation at Burlington was about 7º 12' and that it diminished till the year 1805 when it was about 6º 12". From 1805 the variation has been increasing op to the present time, 1842; and is now 9º 54. This would give a mean annual change of variation of 6' since 1805, and of 3' previous to that time. And al- though he thought the change of varia- tion may not have been perfectly uni- form, yet he was of opinion that a table constructed with the above variation would not differ materially from the truth. The following is such a table.
Magnetic Variation at Burlington.
Year Vur. w Year. Var. w | Year., Var. w| Year. Vor. w
1785
7º12' 1800
6º27' 1815
7º12' 1830
8º49'
1786
7 91801
6 24 1816
7 18 1831
8 48
1787
7 61802
6 21 |1817
7 24 1832
8 54
1788
7 31803
7 01804
6 15 1819
7 36 1834
9 6
1790
6 57 1805
6 12 1820
7 42 1835
9 12
1791
6 54 1806
6 18 18211
7 48 1836 9 18
1792
6 511807
6 24 1822
7 51 1837
9 21
1793
6 48 1808
6 30 1823
8 0 1933
0 30
179
6 45 1809
6 36 1824
8 61839
9 36
1795
6 42 1810
6 42 1825
8 12 1840| 9 42
1796
6 30 1811
6 4: 1826
8 19 1841
9 49
1797
6 36 1812
6 54 1827| 8 24 1842| 9 54
1792
6 34 1813 7 0 1828
8 30 1843 10 0
17991 6 30 1814 7 6 1829
8 36 1844 10 6
6
4
"
=
1811
6
1
=
=
=
1834
1837
1840
9 42
=
7 30 1833
9 0
1789
6 18 1818
1810
7 30
1818
1831
20
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART. I
REMARKABLE SEASONS.
GREAT FRESHET.
COMPARISON OF CLIMATES.
Remarkable Seasons .--- Although the mean temperature of Vermont has not usually varied much from year to year, yet seasons have occasionally occurred, which became, for a time, proverbial on account of their unusual coldness, or heat, or on account of an excess or deficiency of snow or rain. Of the years, which were remarkable. on any of these ac- counts in early times, we have no accu- rate records. But it is universally con- ceded that the year 1816, was the coldest, and perhaps the dryest during the early part of sminmer, ever known in Vermont, although we have no meteorological ob- servations for that year, and are therefore unable accurately to compare the temper- ature of its seasons with other years. Snow is said to have fallen and frosts to have occurred at some places in this State in every month of that year. On the 8th of June, snow fell in all parts of the State, and upon the high lands and mountains, to the depth of five or six inches, It was accompanied by a hard frost, and on the morning of the 9th, ice was half an inch thick on shallow, standing water, and icicles were to be seen a foot long. The weather continued so cold that several days elapsed before the snow disappear- ed. The corn, which was up in many places, and other vegetables, were killed down to the ground, and, upon the higlı lands, the leaves of the trees, which were about two thirds grown, were also killed and fell off. The summer was not only excessively cold, but very dry. Very little Indian corn came to maturity, and many families suffered on account of the scarcity of bread stuff's and their conse- quent high prices.
The year, 1828, was nearly as remark- able for warinth as 1816 was for cold. The mean temperature of all the months of this year, with the exception of April, was higher than their average mean, and the temperature of the year 3º higher than the mean of the annual temperatures which have been observed. The broad parts of lake Champlain were not frozen over during the winter.
The year 1830 was distinguished on ac- count of the great quantity of water which fell in rain and snow, and especially for one of the most extensive and destruc- tive freshets ever known in Vermont. Up to the 15th of July, the weather was exceedingly cold as well as wet. It then changed, and became suddenly and ex- cessively warm. The following table shows the height to which the ther- mometer rose in the shade, on each day from the 15th of July to the 21st, inclu- sive.
July 15. Thursday,
9.1º
66
16. Friday,
92
17. Saturday,
92}
18. Sunday,
92
19. Monday,
90
20. Tuesday,
91
21. Wednesday,
94
Nor was the heat much diminished in the absence of the sun. In some cases the thermometer stood as high as 80º during the whole night, and it sunk but little below 80' during any part of the tine included in the above table. Another such succession of hot days and nights was perhaps never experienced in the state. From the 15th up to Saturday the 24th, the weather was for the most part clear and calm. On Saturday afternoon, the rain commenced and continued with only short intermissions, till Thursday following. During the 5 days from Sat- urday noon to Thursday noon, the fall of water at Burlington, exceeded 7 inches, and of this 3 85 inches fell on the 26th in the space of about 16 hours, and this is believed to be one of the greatest falls of water, in that length of time, ever known in Vermont. The Winooski, which was most affected of any of our large streams, was at its greatest height in the afternoon of Tuesday the 27th, and was then from 4 to 20 feet, according to the width of the channel, higher than had ever before been observed. Although the county of Chit- tenden, and the northern parts of the county of Addison, seemed to be the sec- tion upon which the storm spent its great- est force, yet its disastrous effects were felt with unusual severity throughout the valley of lake Champlain, and in all the northern and central parts of the state, and the destruction of property in bridges, mills, buildings and growing crops was great, almost beyond computation. But its most melancholly effect was the de- struction of human life. By a change of the channel of New Haven river, in the town of New Haven, during the night, between the 26th and 27th, several build- ings containing families were insulated, and afterwards swept away by the waters. Of 21 persons, who were thus surprized and washed away, 7 only escaped ; the remaining 14 found a watery grave. *
The whole quantity of water which fell at Burlington, in 1830, measured 59.3 in. being half as much again as the mean an- nual quantity, and probably exceeding the amount in any other year since the state was settled.
Comparative view of the Climate .- As Vermont extends through 2º 16' of lati- tude, there is, as might be expected, a
* See part III. Article, New Havon.
-
.
21
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
CHAP 1.
CLIMATE OF AMERICA AND EUROPE.
CAUSES OF DIFFERENCE.
sensible difference between the tempera- | ture of the northern and southern parts, and there is a difference still more mark- ed between the elevated and mountainous parts and the lower country along our lakes and rivers; but observations are too limited to enable us to form any accurate comparison between the different sections of the state." Between the climate of this state and that of those portions of other states, lying in the same latitude, there is no material difference, with the excep- tion, perhaps, of the sea-coast of New Hampshire and Maine, whose mean an- nual temperature may be a little higher. But between Vermont and the countries of Europe, lying in the same latitude, there is a remarkable difference, the tem- pwrature of the latter being no less than 114: higher than ours; and there is a like contrast, increasing towards the north, between the whole western coast of Europe and the eastern coast of North America.
This singular contrast was observed by the earliest navigators, who visited the coast of North America, and has since been confirmed by numerous meteorolog-
ical observations. A comparison of the journals kept in this country with those kept in Europe shows us that the climate of Vermont, which lies in the latitude of the southern part of France, is as cold as that of Denmark, situated 11 or 12º fur- ther nonh. The following table exhibits pretty nearly the mean temperatures a- long the coasts of the two continents, with the differences, from the 30th to the 60th degree of latitude.
Table.
Lat -!! Europe. America. Differ - tude. Mean Temp. |Mean Temp. ences.
30°
70.10
66 80
3.3º
35
66.5
60.5
6.0
40
63.1
54.2
8.9
45
56.8
45.0
118
50
50.8
37.9
12.9
55
46 0
28 0
180
60)
40.0
180
22.0
* As the extremes of heat and cold were not no- ted la the preceding nietearological tables, we have collected in the following table the extremen of cold which have been entered at oun-rise upon journals kept at three different places within the stats since 182). llegreos in all cases below zero.
Year.
Burlington.
Hydepark.
--
1820
Feb 5. 11º
1830
Jan. 31,
00
Dec. 22.
Dec.
14°
1832
Feb. 21,
Jan. 19,
Jan. 19, 20
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