The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-31
the LAW or sToams.



Tho letter or Lieutenant Bucknes, which appeared In
your columns on Tuesday morning pointing how the
Evening r might have been saved had the captain been
acquainted with and acted the law Of storms contains
suggestions too enineny practical DO allowed 10 pass
without the Endorsement Of those who. like himssif
studied the subject quarter Of century ego
tho theory Of storms was fully and ably investigated
almost :, e aenensraeS BY Proiesso, Rod
army; and many Instances shortly thereafter occurred
captains OF seamshps taking their vessels Of
orrnty with the established data then published
Ono OF these occurred In the Of the West India
steamer lamar, but rs speak from memory cannot
give the daie II recoiect rightly, the Great Western
experienced ike relief In few hours steaninz In tho
r,gnt direction.
thoro gh knowledge or these important aud inyssabo
laws OF nature would enable any captain 81 steamer
isrce Of these great cyclones by taking timely prscau
tons. But win knowledge OF the subject lhere
De certain amount Of practical common aense = ne
the storm s really cyclone only ordinary gale Of
wnd and then 70 decide in what part OF tho storm the
In regard to the 6rst questions have several
guides First. the ssson Of the year; secontly, tho
wholly confined 10 pat cuar localities or ssasonl ere
nanny Sol thirdly, the changes In and degrees CT
lerce Of the Wind, As tho ship progresses in her
re. This latter affords the best guide 10 tho
mariner 10 what part of the storm bs ship In
What lie has 10 do TO take her the soonest and safest
0! IT,,
In.order 10 give my experience as pretty eysen-
sive ocean traveller, In notable instance, and eauss
others TO investigate this highly interesting and import
ant subject propose very briefly 20 state the theory in
regard 10 our coast storms established by the gh
authorities already referred TO moro than twenty-five
years ago.
1Dcse great circle storms arc found to commence In
the Northern tropics the coast OF africa between
tat coast and ise WiDdwsrd Wet Indies and hey fol-
lw very neay the Of the current or
II u called wrn II reaches our coast the Cut stream
That they move at first in westerly drrrtien uns
In nf
thence they tred at 6rs slightly and AT
raiaiy TO The umih Until they rea the Bahama group
own Coast which they follow tn OF Newfoundland they
move peary due cast, and MOI unfreqnentiy the
Atlantic TO tho European coast If they do sometimes
mo, Q thtriy 10 their starting point.
Ihw is tho course Of the storm itself. bit the wind
llkew se moves In circle whe the rcle follows the
route above described The coartc OF the wind always
against that OF the sunthat from west 10 SOUTH
thence by and north bak 10 west Tn great cre
o wind varies IN smeter from our two 10 eight
hundred mics, aud first def crbed. II
= had telc,Ia HE commune alton with the Wndward
aid bahama Islands, a. ~e as with Cuba and The
OF Florida papers could hourly publish the progrcss
approach a. ~ there disastrous cyclones ard
sh ovners and captains ns, avoid disasters by stay
Inc day two port, W running 20 hsib
within easy reach for re.ueo.
VIII DOW ttste my own eyperieree IN the ease re |
this mort in Ii. small bark Hcca soaa or psrbas and
Trinidad phe sand Tic morning 9as tine and frosty,
and our cap pain, man no doubt " experience but |
srgulariy innocent Of science ~ any kind predicted
lns Gather he had not oyen bsronetcr board,
soon after found. We out " Stiy Loo. with a
tine Ire wind and all sa EEL satdng taa but
we Lad no sooner got fairy Outside tant encountered
terrible sca--at frst without any wilma TO Tnis
tho experience OF TIE captain Tod him look upon AZ
not in conformity with his predctons befa eaying
mooriLgs In the last ryes, and TO acc1dngiy CON-
inenced taking in sa with ell haste. Esssi not
sotn for before aund0sn hts lttg ,cssci had all
she could do 70 stand up under cose 1eied fore aud
main lopsais. Ey sundoxn was ~ only . |
care bouse The rt q d. Sese benz, wep, Nv essry
wave THIS state OF things. may repsrk. tss.ed iour
whole days, the end Of wach W. ~ our iim sight Of
and observation, one uhyoa Iniies do south
When found we were .aan for regular gale. rs no,
gresl storm, determDed 70 putsa kbowisdgo Of tue
tLe.r publications with noe As 900 ~ We laulr were
lighted and The captain and AT o.. sonas tea qucs
tened him about has ledge .nstatfci AID then
found What have ALREADY s,-pl p HIM LAtsi hoard
o. tie sw OF storms bot had lever seen IN II lsnt
ami ilnstrasd the theory, oa % no purpose. hsald
a xoud be line weather NtoinoreS.' 4 renhrkeSt to |
MIN ,n,t thar de,end,d on pat part OF the ~
YER - Sr hsd full sonacl.on Inst it Cyclone
were just eussps am 81. nn 70 prom.ss me n1os.
nation ourins 80. ss ~ IT. r,sa - '"'
mat ~ briefly state the result We encountered |
the vd q about nortneas, c. cvurse beng soatheas
that IL vas Re<ting rnorc favorabio A. A. NJ II
about north, and at sight A NJ, when csawed on
deck to witness the de-olafs seC 10 thai well
be imagined II bad changed siii point further
20 The weeiward then hsd dncuity IN nxing |
nlno.s the exact possion Of The ship In the storm and
drew q diagram we'll a. could, q sheet paper
and marked H. advised tie Captain 70 change tie /
81 his vessel and run cat out q the storm or ~
sny rate 10 avoid the vortex which Ap- 4
preaching, A. likewise cesr forward 10 meet l
Ne obi qney from the southwest. or somcw1st |
mere from the south. hkewsc showed bim that I
II sns russble tor him to make fnoth water " \
standing 20 the wsst ana rprpins into tcrse |
port near the cspes Of i've Delaware ~ irrthor south
out an 10 no purpose Ne passed. Tat and tsc neat
day several Disabled yessos not rnpt by them Nth
the tsorn help could rpsssiy have bcen -
dcred II ever u-g,ni'y n~rced
OR captain, like Psady Oiasf'i'n contn ~
southeast course snG bad the sina IRON he*tlg
every point tn eouirss bcfcrs ~ hnaiy so o'l y
the Jury Of tho hurricane which pad~d oonp7ty WIN
IA a. before noted near the end x nc iouf1n sy 81
thu wind blowing nearly dc sogn ~ a.a ~, 1870.
uat<lv FOR a. las Through ", ip 81 w ..in' "
co. ass,av ,.sen cram lid IN al portability have
- 49,, ..rS ..a.ser slannaher and no0er gfDTor
- al v..sel has go taen ~ lshorsng the isa n
mes Of sencs hav. given psosalu-nce % ms Aotir
-. =, sssjcet your world vide feper ~ - to he
so.sssnsl Lieutenant Bocxhers Eus.yasious "a aAP
s<rs and Insurance conpen A. - belt duty " thc
.f~n.ser may BE- aciol IN. ~ n WILLOW