A storm attended with similar effects occurred in this country in 1815, and vented its fury upon the eastern states. It commenced on the 23d of September, between eight and nine o'clock, A. M. with the wind from the east. In about two hours the wind shifted to southeast, and blew a perfect hurricane. The extended devastation which ensued, is still in the recollection of every person. The tides rose from nine to twelve feet higher than ordinary, and in many of the principal cities and towns along the coast of New England, churches, houses, bridges, wharves, and in some instances valuable citizens, were buried in one common ruin. In less than three hours the gale abated, and before sunset there was a perfect calm. Such were the more striking features of this tremendous gale--but other effects were observed more peculiarly interesting to the philosopher. At New-London, Salem, and other places, both on the coast, and several miles in the interior, the air was found to be loaded with salt; and the leaves of many trees appeared, a few hours after the storm, as if they had been scorched. Besides this effect upon vegetables, there were additional evidences of the saline quality of the wind. At Salem and some other places an incrustation of salt was perceived on the windows, and the fruit in several gardens had a perceptible taste of salt on their surface. At New-London it was remarked that the air in the eddies was extremely hot and suffocating. Other facts of a similar nature might be collected, but these it is presumed are sufficient to characterize the state of the atmosphere during that storm. Several interesting inquiries arise from the consideration of the foregoing facts. 1. In what way does the salt exist in the atmosphere in these storms? On this point there are two different opinions. The most prevalent is, that it is merely the spray of the sea driven onward by the force of the wind. This opinion has received the sanction of Sir Joseph Banks,[56] and also of Sir Humphry Davy, if we may judge from an incidental expression in his Agricultural Chemistry.[57] Another opinion[58] is, that muriate of soda is continually rising into the atmosphere from the surface of the ocean, and that the air, in all maritime situations, is thus constantly more or less impregnated with salt. The most striking fact in support of this doctrine, (so opposite to the commonly received views on the subject of the evaporation of sea water) is the actual existence of muriate of soda in the rain and snow which fall in the vicinity of the ocean.[59] The experiments of Vogel and Bouillon Lagrange, on the distillation of sea water, are also in favour of the position, that salt may be carried into the air in the ordinary process of evaporation. On distilling salt water they found a considerable quantity of muriate of soda in the receiver.[60]