“We understand that a large barn filled with hay, situated on the road between Bushwick and Flushing, was struck by lightning and destroyed with its contents, embracing several head of live stock.”[20]
July 10th, 3 A. M. Overcast and much lightning in south (N. mod.); 7 A. M., clear except in south; 6 P. M. (E.); 10 P. M., lightning south; 11 P. M., auroral rays long but faint, converging to a point between Epsilon Virginis and Denebola, in west; low down in west thick with haze; on the north the rays converged to a point still lower; lightning still visible in south. This is an aurora in the west.
11th. Fine clear morning (N.-E.); same all day; no lightning visible to-night, but a bank of clouds low down in south, 2° high, and streaks of dark stratus below the upper margin.
12th. Fine and clear (N.-E.); noon, a well defined arch in S.-W., rising slowly; the bank yellowish, with prismatic shades of greenish yellow on its borders. This is the O. A. At 6 P. M., the bank spreading to the northward. At 9 P. M., thick bank of haze in north, with bright auroral margin; one heavy pyramid of light passed through Cassiopæa, travelling westward 1½° per minute. This moves to the other side of the pole, but not more inclined towards it than is due to prospective, if the shaft is very long; 11.10 P. M., saw a mass of light more diffuse due east, reaching to Markab, then on the prime vertical. It appears evident this is seen in profile, as it inclines downwards at an angle of 10° or 12° from the perpendicular. It does not seem very distant. 12 P. M., the aurora still bright, but the brightest part is now west of the pole, before it was east.
13th, 6 A. M. Clear, east and north; bank of cirrus in N.-W., i.e., from N.-N.-E. to W. by S.; irregular branches of cirrus clouds, reaching almost to south-eastern horizon; wind changed (S.-E. fresh); 8 A. M., the sky a perfect picture; heavy regular shafts of dense cirrus radiating all around, and diverging from a thick nucleus in north-west, the spaces between being of clear blue sky. The shafts are rotating from north to south, the nucleus advancing eastward.
Appearance of the central vortex descending at 8 A. M., July 13th, 1853:
In [Fig. 18], the circle represents the whole sky from the zenith to the horizon, yet it can convey but a very faint idea of the regularity and vividness of this display. The reflected image of the sky was received from a vessel of turbid water, which will be found better than a mirror, when the wind will permit.
At noon (same day) getting thicker (S.-E. very fresh); 6 P. M., moon on meridian, a prismatic gloom in south, and very thick stratus of all shades; 9 P. M., very gloomy; wind stronger (S.-E.): 10 P. M., very black in south, and overcast generally.