The Portland daily press., 1896-02-07
HURRICANE SIGNALS
Were Displayed for the First Time Yester-

''SA~ Gu lor Ine 1In1b ICsbOA-
day.
Inc storm was central in North Caro-
lima at a. IN. yesterday and extended
west to the Mississippi river, but the
same area extended to Duluth, and in the
southwest to Colorado and Texas, south
probably to Key West and the Gulf coast.
but dispatches were missing owing to
trouble with the wires. At the centre of
the storm the rain was heaviest, about
40 inches at Washington.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Jones the
Portland observer, received orders to
hoist the hurricane signal, and to employ
the entire force at the docks to prevent
vessels from leaving port as the hurci-
cane In North Carolina would sweep the
Atlantic coast with destructive force.
This is the first time the signal has ever
been ordered hoisted in Portland. The
signal is two red flags with black centres,
and liz holsted only when hurricane is
expected. 1t was adopted by the govern
ment after the severe storms OF the fall OF
1899. Hurricane force is about fifty miles
an hour. The flags are hoisted at life saw
ing stations, at White Head island and at
Bangor, also ON the U. 5. r. S Wood
bury and on the office here. In January,
1884, the wind blew IS miles an hour in
Portland from the northeast; in Novem-
Der, 1880, 1t blew 80 miles from the west ;
5o miles In December, 1876; in Deem
Der, 1875 % miles from the south. The
rain yesterday was over an inch in guam
tity, end during the afternoon, little
after'four, the wind reached 36 miles an
hour from the east, northeast. The
barometer at a. m. was 0.023. and at
II. ~ p. M ,29. IT'S. fall of 24S thousandths;
at p. m. the barometer read go. 657, ii
fall or 800 thousandths since morning; at
a. ~ p. m. 1t read 20. 437, difference of
over half an inch since s a. m. At 8
p. M. the wind had attained velocity
OF 40 miles an hour AMI the haromeoer
indicated 80. O04 The iowest barometer
near the storm centre yesterday morning
was %. 004.
In talking with Observer Jones about
| the report that the wind was blowing
yesterday at the rate of eighty miles an
hour IN New York, he said that the des-
truotiveness of that rate depends upon
the way tho wind is coming. He had
$500 oH oe"SioHo " HOi0 tiO WIN Iclt
blown eighty, ninety and even one hun
dred miles an hour, and yet no damage
was done because the wind was blowing
steadily.
On the ether hand, when he was
| stationed at Fargo, North Dakota, a
whirlwind, only blowing seventy five
miles an hour came suddenly and blew
his station down and scattered everything
| over the prairie, blew building down
that killed six people, blew over every
freight oar in the vicinity and ripped all
the roofs off the buildings.
His despatch received from Washington
yesterday came at II. 80. He Immediately
sent word to the life saving station at the
Cap9 and to Portland Head light and tho
two lights, and they hoisted similar
hurricane flags. which he had provided
them with last year. He also telegraphed
to Bangor to prevent vessels leaving the
port; and also to the United States life
saving station at White Head island of
Rockland, where there is big flag pole
fifty feet high. The hurricane flags were
displayed on that pule. Most OF the coast
ing vessels pass within sight of that
point. Doubtless many of them saw that
flag in time to make all sail for haven
before the hurricane reached this coast