The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-01
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Which swept away our naval vessels,
heavy gale descended upon the harbo
and wrecked several merchant vessels
including thgAmerican barkentine Con
stitution, whose crew was saved by {
boat from the NipRlC. On February q
the captain OF the Eipsic, who, from hi
long stay at Apia, probably knew NOR,
about the characteristics Of Samoan
weather than the commanders OF thu
other American vessels, wrote to hil
brother as follows;
We are now in the midst OF the hurri
cane season, and until April Is We lool
for heavy weather, The harbor Is small
with rocks outside and inside-bad hold
ing ground. No coal here and nothing
to eat-everything very dear.
Capt. Richard w, Meade, the United
States naval officer who commanded the
Narragansett In Samoan waters In 1879
and now commandant OF the Washing
ton navy yard, said;
A BAD HARBoR.
The harbor Of Apia at opula Is a coral
reef harbor, with an entrance about
1900 yards wide and open TO the north,
It Is not large and the anchorage ground
Is limited. During the yearly hurricane
season, which lasts through December,
January, February, March and April, Ia
considered rather a risk 10 remain In
Apia, while Pago Pago, in the neighbor.
ing island OF Tutilla, is perfectly safe, be-
ing land locked and otherwise sheltered.
Hurricanes are, however, not very fre-
luent at the Samoan islands, though
they occur frequently at the Tonga
group. They generally sweep up
through the belt Of ocean between Tonga
and the Samoan groups.
In April, 1850, and in January, 1870,
the islands were visited by terrific hur-
ricanes which destroyed the cocoanut,
banana and bread fruit crops, reducing
the natives TO the verge OF starvation for
several weeks. These hurricanes are
often accompanied by earthquakes.
and the conjunction Of the two work
terrible injury. On the 26th OF March,
1888, all vessels in Apia harbor, except
one small schooner were driven out to
seq and lost. This was attributed at
the time to series Of heavy tidal waves
caused by an earthquake. Considerable
damage was done on shore also. On the
whole, the climate Of the Samoan Is
lands though variable, Is very pleasant,
bad weather only occurring during the
winter months. .''
At this time there are long and heavy
rains, attended sometimes by high
winds and northerly gales. Ordinarily
the winds arc light and variable, with
frequent and sudden squalls, For the
rest OF the year tue weather is very fine,
and from May to November the trade
wind blows steadily from the southeast,
Except Captain Mullan, OF the Nipsic, II
is not known that any Of the American
commanding officers had ever had ex-
perience in those islands, or knew OF the
risks attending an attempt to ride out
hurricane inside the reef.
AsourH PACIFIC FEATURE.
Lieutenant Edward E. Haydn is In
charge Of the Meteorological division o.
the photographic Office, and is regarded
as quite an authority on the subject o.
marine storms. He says that the Cyclonit
storms are a feature OF the South Pacific
region. They have a motion exactly The
reYerse OF those occurring In the North
ern Hemisphere, but otherwise have
about the same characteristics. 8sr
Their path Is parobolic, and they occul
several times q yeRrin some years. Il
again happens that two or three seasonl
20 by without q storm. An experienced
seaman can detect the approach Of sucl
storms in the West Indies, but the SAINT
rule might not hold good in the Pacific
waters.
Lieutenant Dyer, photographer 70 tht
Bureau OF Navigation, gives q thrilling
description OF the hurricanes that pre-
vail In the Samoan region, Whirlini
along It's ocean pathway at an average
yeleeIty OF nearly 20 miles an hour, !
sends out long rolling swell 600 mileI
In advance, and Is heralded by long
high, ieathery plume OF cirrus clouds
radiatine far beyond the slowly thicken
ing cirrus veil that casts It's pale halt
over the sun and moon, and at dawn ant
twilight envelops heaven and earth will
an awful fiery glare like the light 0
some great conaagration. ! i.l.i =.
4....a TERRIBLE SIGHT.
Soon the massive eaden.colored cloud
bank heayes in sight above the horizon
"a great mountain range-and ayinI
scud forms overhead and drifts to Ice
ward, not with the surface wind, but q
q marked angle to the right moving Wit
the upper current Of Tic great whirl
wind. -. At. intervals 6ne misty raj
Accents TO grow out Of the alr and thei
yanishes again, and tho squalls ireshen
tho barometer sinks lower and lower
heavy clouds cover the whole horfizoi
and the low, distant moan gradual
changes into the shriuks Of thouSant
demons wrenehing NJ the stout mast
and spafs, tearing the storm fatiVaEs tnt
shreds and auttering pennanls, Anrlll
timber and masonry into heaps Of Bhap!
iegS ruins, driving wild breakers higl
upon land and laughing to scorn tn
feeble strength Of inan. NJ -,
Suddenly q pause, silence, calm. Tn
warm, bright sunshine Ola summer day
A brief glfmpee ot heaven and then o.
other seeming eternity Of hell. Takin
the world over tho most violent hurr
canes appear 70 10 those oi tho WeI
indiha and tie Maurltind then wQul
come tho October cyCloneb IN the ~
Of Bengal and next 70 these tho typhoo1
Of the China seas. tuitt-g.
NOT 50 VIOLENT w w
Tho May cyclones Of tho Indian coaS
| and the rare hurricanes In the South p
CiaC from New Caledonia TO Tahiti misl
probably 10 classed Logether as OF
secondary degree Of Violence. MpS
has been Wttlen about handling ehll
In hurricanes and elaborate mAneuvo
. described which they afoto perform ne
tlle center OF q typhoon, a.,
Many a ship has been B9yed W gkil
! iul EaIinRon the otltakifls Of q apybioh
| and even after tho characteristic s1uia.
| aud driving rain have commenced, Y
when near The center she gets IN Y
\ kernel, a. II were, Of the hurricane o.
/ Wind comes ID great gusts which no ca
|. vas can Withstand, when the faleing
lhs Wind o 20 Hependpue, when
voice 0aD be beard, WHOM Tho eky n
sIaUd asa ValSnh 'hh fNHfalih "a Hll