what a guy

Today's the birth anniversary (1706) of Benjamin Franklin, statesman, founding father and America's first meteorological scientist. We are all familiar with his work on lightning, but did you know…

In 1755, Franklin had the opportunity to observe first-hand a large whirlwind or dust devil. As it passed, he gave chase, thus also making him America's first storm chaser. Franklin's observations of this whirlwind were recorded in a letter to Peter Collinson.

Being in Maryland, riding with Colonel Tasker, and some other gentlemen to his country-seat, where I and my son were entertained by that amiable and worthy man with great hospitality and kindness, we saw in the vale below us, a small whirlwind beginning in the road, and shewing itself by the dust it raised and contained.
It appeared in the form of a sugar-loaf, spinning on its point, moving up the hill towards us, and enlarging as it came forward. When it passed by us, its smaller part near the ground, appeared no bigger than a common barrel, but widening upwards, it seemed, at 40 or 50 feet high, to be 20 or 30 feet in diameter. The rest of the company stood looking after it, but my curiosity being stronger, I followed it, riding close by its side, and observed its licking up, in its progress, all the dust that was under its smaller part. As it is a common opinion that a shot, fired through a water-spout, will break it, I tried to break this little whirlwind, by striking my whip frequently through it, but without any effect.