CURRENTS OF AIR. The current which prevails most in all that part of the state lying south of the summit level between Lake Erie and the Ohio river, comes from the Mexican Gulph. This current follows the Mississippi upwards, and the Ohio river and its tributaries, to their sources, where it comes in contact with a current of air descending the lakes, from lake Superior and the Frozen Ocean. These two currents having united their forces, pass down lakes Erie and Ontario, and through the St. Lawrence to the sea. Where these two currents meet, varies from forty miles south, to as many miles north of the summit level, between the waters of the Mississippi and those of the St. Lawrence. At the town of Delaware we have often seen both these currents, bearing along the clouds. Sometimes one current was uppermost, sometimes the other, as either set of clouds happened to be the most loaded with moisture. When those two currents of air impinge on each other, meeting at an oblique angle they both move with a very great force. A tornado, is the necessary result. Such an one touched Urbana, and rising, swept across Licking and Knox counties, a few miles below Kenyon college; then rushing along eastwardly, touching New Lisbon in Columbiana county, it passed onward, occasionally touching the earth, until it rose over the Alleghanies, and we heard of its ravages no farther in the United States. Across Licking and Knox counties its width was scarcely one mile, but where it moved, it prostrated every forest tree, or stripped it of its limbs and left it standing as a monument of its inexorable wrath. This tornado happened on the 18th of May, 1825. On the other or northern side of the summit level, before mentioned, there was such a tornadoe in the year 1788, and it passed the Maumee river, about five miles below the head of the rapids, and moved eastwardly quite across the now state of Ohio, occasionally touching the earth and prostrating the forest wherever it descended to the ground. Another effect, resulting from the impinging of these two currents of air, is the cooling of the waters held in suspension by either of them, and the consequent descent of the water in the form of rain, snow, hail, or dew. There is more rain on the summit level, than there is either north or south of it; more frost and snow. The southern current of air is always warmer than the northwestern one, and those who live where these currents alternately prevail, sometimes changing several times in a day, feel all the inconveniences resulting from such frequent changes of temperature. This difference is from three to twenty, or even more degrees of Fahrenheit. Where these changes occur in very warm weather, the effect on the human system is very sensibly felt. Our westwardly wind, in the lower part of the state, is generally a dry one, and a gentle current of air. The effect produced by this wind from the Mexican Gulph, is very sensibly felt by us in winter. It is the principal cause why our winters in Ohio, are much warmer than they are east of the mountains. In the winter of 1827-8 we had the southwestern current of air all winter. It came loaded with water, which fell in torrents, during that winter, and on the eighth of January, there was the greatest freshet which we had had for years before. And on the Scioto, we had no ice that winter, more than three-eighths of an inch in thickness. During all that winter, while the rain was falling in torrents, in Ohio, there was no rain and but little snow on the Upper Misssissippi, in the Wisconsin country, and in all the region west of lake Michigan. In the following spring and summer, there was no rise in the streams of that region, worth naming. The whole winter there, was fair, almost without a cloud, and it was excessively cold, more so than common in that coldest of all countries in the world, for its latitude. So much for the difference of climate, between Ohio and Wis consin Territory. OUR WINTERS. We have been at considerable pains to get as accurate information as possible, as to our winters, before we came into the state; and our own recollection is relied on, for a period of twenty-five winters past. We proceed to state our information, as well as our recollections, as to the winters. since 1785. The winter of 1791-2 was severe, and Governor Sargeant computed the snow that fell in the month of January, at twenty-four inches! On the 23d of January 1792, the thermometer sunk seven degrees below zero. The winter of 1796-7 is considered the severest one ever known in this state. On the morning of the 8th of January, 1797, the thermometer sunk eighteen degrees below zero. During that winter, the ther mometer sunk below zero seven other mornings. The winters of 1791 and 1792, were quite cold, but not severe, like 1796 and 1797. During these last mentioned years, the Ohio was frozen over, four weeks, and frost occurred so late as the twenty-fourth day of May. In the spring of 1834, we had a frost all over Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, as late as the sixteenth day of May, which Snow twenty-four inches deep at Fort Wayne. killed the leaves on the trees, the wheat, &c., in Kentucky, along the Ohio river. It destroyed all the fruit, far and wide, and extending its ravages beyond the mountains, to Pennsylva nia, New Jersey and New York. There was ice at Louisville, Kentucky, an inch in thickness, two mornings in succession. November is often one of the most pleasant months in the year, and such weather often extends nearly through December. February is frequently a pleasant month. The quantity of snow that falls in the southern parts of Ohio, is quite inconsiderable, never enough for any good sleighing. Hoar frost is often seen on a pleasant winter's morning. Snow has been known to fall two feet deep at Fort Wayne, while rain only, fell in the southern parts of Ohio. All the snows which we do have, in the Scioto valley, below Big Walnut creek, generally follow, a rain, and melt as they fall. The southwest wind brings the rain, which being turned aside by the northern current of air, the latter lets fall its light load of snow upon us. Northeastern and eastern winds are scarcely ever known here. From their rage, the Alleghanies interpose a barrier which effectually defends us from all their violence and fury. While all the Atlantic cities feel the direful effects of those storms which sweep across the Atlantic, from Europe, we in this valley of the Mississippi, feel not even one gentle puff of air from the east. This whole valley, on such occasions, smiles in peace. When we have often crossed the Alleghanies east and west, we saw little difference in summer in the forwardness of the crops, in the same latitude; but in winter, we always found more snow on, and east of the mountains, than west of them. And near the eastern base of the mountains they have occasionally, cold currents of air from the Alleghanies sent down to cool the courtiers and courtezans, who visit Washington city every winter, which we neither need nor wish to have, in Ohio. As to humidity, our atmosphere has undergone a wonderful change for the better within the last ten years. We have mentioned two several tornadoes which have oc 105 curred in Ohio, within the last fifty-two years, to which we add one, that occurred from the west and southwest winds coming in contact with each other. On the 28th of May, 1807 the wind blew down the Ohio river with violence, in the morning. One current of air bore its clouds, to the north, anThe dif other current was carrying its clouds to the east ferent currents prevailed at different altitudes. The western current traversed the southern one at right angles. Before noon, both currents had united their volume and were moving towards the east, or up the Ohio river. Soon after this, the west wind was at the surface of the earth. Before two o'clock P. M. a narrow whirlwind, or tornado, swept over the eas tern part of Cincinnati, demolished a few, old, ruinous houses, threw down some old tops of chimneys, and finally prostrated several fruit trees, in the vicinity of the town. Similar phenomena were observed over the western country, north and south of Cincinnati, for a distance of one hundred miles. These whirlwinds moved along in narrow veins, in the direction of the Alleghanies until they were stopped in their course. These two currents of air, the southwest and western, produce tornadoes as low down as Tennessee and Upper Alabama. And we have had three such, it appears, within fifty two years. Two were produced by the northwestern and southwestern currents of air, coming in contact, and one was produced by the western and southwestern currents. whole three were just about equal to one northeastwardly storm along the Atlantic coast, such as prevail there every year. But, inasmuch as the storms do not, and will not visit the auus oftener than once in eighteen years, on an average, thors of geographies in the eastern states visit us with them, on paper, and represent our peaceful valley, as peculiarly subject to tornadoes! With what truth, the world may judge from our statement of facts, which is beyond the reach of all contradiction. The As to our warm weather, we have about two months more of it in Ohio, than the people of western New York, Vermont |