New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-28
Nv UNPARALLELED HURRICANE

Tho account which Dr. Medium, the eminent
uarri,ius uctsorolocist. was to give Of the hurrl
cane which on April 30 visited the Siahu vi
which he lives, has been awaited with easerheSs'
II was believed that he would give iacoS no'
embodied in the earlier reports 10 'ne ne"0
PAPERS, although those reports made IL appe',
nrobabc that this storm was an excepuo"oi
one in several respects. Dr. Meldruh BLU
contribution to Mature Tor June oo"-
firms that impression. lie first points OUT ''la'
cyclones in the South Indian ocean nave so ,'i
rs his records go, never occurred later III 'no
autumn than April ~, the season Ior ',e"'
beginning never earlier in the summer 'iia''
December 1. This corresponds closely to the
West India season. from June 10 Octooei' Vne
ho,,ns, time NJ year. The storm in qles-
ton, therefore, was unpfecedeh'euS "a"
Secondly. it is noted that the barometer reached
n lower reading during this storm IMAM hau e'ei
before been observed on the island.
Uut thc stranpest feature motel was the storm
track These sea-born tropical storms, on Doth
sides OF the equator, move slowly westward IN
low Iatitndcs. until near q continent, and then
describe a parabolic curve toward the pole Inc
West India hurricane begins to turn northward
in about latitude 90 or %. either in the uult OF
Mexico or off Florida and gets fairly on its nortn-
eastward course In about latitude 30 or 30. III
,he Sontl Indian Ocean the cyclone approaches
Madagascar before 1t begins TO turn; but whether
the rccurvature be effected quite near 10 'hao
huge island or well away from II, the chhnSe III
the direction OF the course. rst to the southwest
then 10 the south, and finally 10 the southeast
Yard occurs In latiudes corresponding to the hurr
cane tracks Of the Northern Hemisphere. Now
Maurtius lies near Madagascar, in south latitude
90. If storm should pass the island
at all, going westward, it would prop
ably do so on the north side. In that case,
even il il comes close enough TO do harm, 1t
should begin to manifest itself with southerly or
soutlcastery winds. II. by chance it's westward
course lay TO the south OF the island, it would
begin with westerly or northwestcrly winds
hut in either case IL would finish with winds
approximately from the northeast. Hence, on the
morning Of April 30, although from his barometric
and other indications DR.. Mcdrum knew that n
storm was near, he decided. in accordance with
preccdcnt. from the direction of the wind. that
the disturbance was receding; and he issued a
highly rcassuring forecast. Yet, within few
short hours. a tempest burst upon the island that
had no parallel in local history. Two or three
thousand lives were lost, five times that number
Of people were injured, nearly the whole popula-
ton OF Maurtius was rendered homeless, and the
propcrty damage amounted to millions OF dol
lars II now appears either that the recurvature
Of the storm track had been effected nearer the
equator than latitude 30 degrees, and that the
hurricane was already moving sonthcastward or
cast-southeastward when it smote Mauritius or
else that secondary storm formed In the edge
Of The main one, and behaved undccountably.
Dr. Medium inclines TO the latter
belief The truth. however, cannot De
fully known until reports from shippers az sea
and from distant land stations are collected as
they will be in time.
American weather forecasters, who were de-
ceiycd by the indications afforded by tho storm
which developed into the historic blnzafu of
March 1914, 1888. already knows Of what eccen-
,ricitics storm-tracks and acknowledgement are
capable, and can sympathize with the distin-
ruishcd Mauritus mcteorologist: but the scientific
world holds neither Of them responsible for mis-
takes made under such exceptional circumstances