The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-17
THE SEASON OF HURRICANES
A New System Of Warning Vessels
Adopted by the Weather Bureau.
OBSERVER GRAY EXPLAINS.
Mammoth Rockets to re Discharged
nj Night ana Red Flags TO he Dis
played During the Day Fime-Thc
Points From which Displays VIII
he Made.

late To the matter of hurricanes, and
plan OF warning vessels of the APP
proach of serious storms has lately
been adopted by the Bureau and Will
soon be In use i'll this city and section.
Observer Gray. OF the local office. has
received supply of mammoth rockets
which will be discharged from some
nearby point on the eve of approaching
storms TO warn vessels against ventur-
ing out to sea. These rockets will be
sent up ut night time only to n height
of 400 feet, and Will show n large red
star. which will fall slowly to the
earth. Observer Gray Is making ar
ranEementS to have these rockets set
off down the harbor. that all boats can
plainly see them,
At the present time the weather
signals are displayed from four points
IN this Immediate vicinity. viz: The
Weather Bureau. the Merritt Wreck
ing CompnnyS yards In Atlantic City
the Office OF the Portsmouth Star and
the locks of the Albeinarlc and Ches-
apeake Canal. The rockets will be in
addition TO the regular signals.
This is the season for West Indian
hurricanes. and an article prepared by
the Weather Bureau, and covering
period oil ten years, gives some valua-
Die information concerning these great
destroyers of commerce on the Atlantic
Seaboard.
In the ten years the seven West In
dian hurricanes recurved on the aver
age in the longitude of the Florida pp-
nlnsula The destructive storm OF Sep
TENDER IL. 1883. did not recurve. but
passed over Cuba westward to the Mex
ic;n coast. In 1894, September 2l-30
the storm recurVed, causing serious de-
Nnstatiun along the Atlantic coast
me PRIMARY cause for recurving or not
~ IN the existence or non existence of n
nigh area over the eastern Atlantic
states. The cyclone follows in behind
n. or 10
opening trough behind IL, the hurri-
cane moves northward In the ordinary
track. If the high hangs persistently
IN the region. the cyclone is detected
iar 10 the west before 1t can recurve. in
winch case II Is likely to show very dc.
structive qualities on the west coast of
the Gull of Mexico. II rain falls freely
before the hurricane comes to land II
Is likely To die out; If the downpour be-
gins after reaching land It Is probn bic
IHal II long, vigorous march Is set h..-
| fore il.
| There Is much discussion in meteor
illogical circles about the exact caus,. of
| the production OF hurricanes in certain
| months only, and also regarding The
| mechanism of the whirling monsters
| opinion not yet having settled upon
| th' complete theory regarding these
| points. Some of the facts may, how
| ever, DE reviewed. and the most pronn-
| PIE FORM OF the movement of :hc winds
|
| hurricane season, August to Octob r.
| the large areas of calm, sultry and
| rainy atmosphere called the Ioldru,ns
| slfctcn from the west coast of Africa
| near Sencgafbia, to the north coast OF
| south America, near Guiana. I'm the
| nortlrcrnmost ATTITUDES. AT the same
| senSon of the year the great Atlantic
| nisn area, on account of the heating OF
| the continent, seems TO have contracted
IT'S boundaries ana TO be confined TO the
| ocean, leaving as II were channels near
| the land. and especially on the Ameri-
can side. After having once started
| these hurricanes hang along the border
| OF the great ocean high. skirt its south
erh cage gradually turn north on the
| western side. rccurve, and still follow
Ing the outline of this proceed off &c
| the northeast and enter the regular
| mid-latitude storm track. Now the sig
| niiicancc OF the calm belt OF the dol
| drums and the adjacent high Is that the
| air building up in the high as it runs
| down. feeds the vortex or whirl thar
| may have been started along it's edge
| and thus continues to supply II for
| the many days that these violent
| storms are observed To last.
| some students have claimed that the
| tendency To the moist, warm duldrum
| air to rise up is the first cause of pro
| ducing these cyclones. But there is
| one very difficult objection to overcome
| before this view can be established
I Air viii rise by convection only when
1 the difference of temperature is consid.
cradle between the rising column of air
] and the adjacent regions; yet in hurri-
| canes this difference OF temperature Is
| not observed.
Now. on examining the maps for the
1 isobarS. ii is almost always seen that
| the lower isobar. marking out the edge
I of the great ocean high. has loop or
| sort of pocket. by the bending down OF
| the line and in this whirl begins In
| the autumn. as the sun is moving south
| ward, the impulse OF the air is to follow
| II. and IL may we'll be that the smooth
| iSobar lines stretch out fingers toward
1 the equator, into the dOldrum calm
| making IA pocket of lower pressure and
| that herein the whirling vortex begins
It's course. Its future. dependent. as
| has been said. upon the performance of
| the nigh area in opening up Il PASSAGE
| near the American coast. is merely the
| sucking in of the air from the high area.
| practically regardless of temperature.
! the rain also being Il secondary phcnom-
| enon.
AS TO the hurricane itself when once
set in motion. we have more definite in
| formation. The approach OF a hurri-
cane Is usually indicated by Il long swell
on the ocean. propagated To great die,
| tances and forewarning the observer
| by two or three days. A faint rise in
| the barometer is indicated before the
I gradual fall that may become very pro-
| nounced at the centre; fine whisps of
| cirrus clouds are first seen which sur
| round the centre 10 the distance Of 200
| miles. the air is calm and sultry but
this is gradually supplanted by gentle
| breeze and later the wind increases to
Il gale. the clouds become matted. the
/ Sea rough, rain falls and the winds are
i guSty and dangerous as the vortex cor,