The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-12
CYCLONES OF. THE SEA.
September The Month Of the Nest Desiruc-
tive Typho0ns. ..#
LIKE THE WEST INDIAN HURRICANE
Description Of These Storms OF tho
Pacific and Their Probable Cause
highly Intervening Dnta for Mars
ncrs-Extra PrccnuttOn Urged by
ihe HydroSrnphic Office.
Trom the Washington Star,

From the Washington Starr
The Photographic Office Of the Navy
Department has computed some highly
interesting data on the subject OF typ.
Moons and their paths. These typhoons,
stories of the destructive powers of 4
which. reach this country occasionally,
are always more frequent In the coming
month than any month of the year.
The photographic office calls the at
teHtion Of mariners In East Asiatio
waters of the Pacific 10 the fact that
the approaching season marks the period
or maximum frequency Of typhoons, and
urges extra precaut.on to guard against
the terrible risk of damage and disaster
which almost invariably result from
conflict with one of these storms DR.,
w. Dobcck. director of the Hong KonE
observatory, has prepared a table COW
erlng the thirteen years from 1883 to
1898. showing the Frequency Of these
storms and their monthly distribution
rms table shows that during that time
there was only one typhoon each in the
month of January and March, none l.,
me month of February, only four IN
April and six In December. For tn
other months of the year the total num-
Der or typhoonS of destructive ma
lure were as follows: May 10, June "a
July %, August 40, September 81, Octo-
per 81. November 80. o."
~ LIE " lIST INDIAN HUR-
RICANES.
The typhoon of the western Pac,a
Ocean Is In many respects the count
part Of the West Indian hurricane of
me Atlantic. Both classes Of storms
| nave their origin in the vicinity of tro-
plcai groups of Islands. and. under SINH
Jar barometric conditions, both undergo
me same slow development and exhibit
the same tendency to recurve upon
l,nc 1t,,,tt
east trades
The typhoon, or tropIcaI cvclonic
storm OF the Pacific, Is due primarily to
the appearance, generally within the
sea 1nclosed by the Philippines, the
western Carolnes and the Mariana Is
ianas. or within the China Sea. Of
local area of low 'baromet err, drought
about by the inequalities in the tempera-
| ture conditions Of the atmosphere. In
| us nclpient stages the deficiency Of
atmospheric pressure throughout this
area may be slight. amounting only 10
few hundredths of an inch. Accord
ing to varying conditions, such a de-
preston. either may be dissipated, or It
may deepen, and ultimately develop into
a well-dehned storm cerlire, giving rise
10 winds of hurricane force AT the
centre, and during the height OF the
STORM. the barometrlc pressure may fall
as low as $3.50 inches. The space, how
ever over which this exceedingly low
barometer prevails Is generally small.
sometimes not more than q few miles
in extent
Around this central low, which con-
Stitu'cS the heart OF the storm the
Winds circulate In a direction contrary
10 the motion of the hands Of a watch,
not In circles. however, but In spirals,
whlch continually approach the centre;
the curve described by the air being
similar in many respects to the farpi
lar pain followed by the water escaping
from circular basin by a central open-
ing In the bottom. TO the north Of the
storm centre we thus have easterly and
northeastly winds; to the south, west
erly and southwesterly winds; east of
uhe centre. southerly and southcastly
winds; west of the centre, northerly
and northwcaterly. The strength of the
wind dimnishes as we go outward, the
winds of the typhoon force rarely eX-
tending further than 200 miles from the
storm centre. az
If the storm centre remain stationary
vessel hove-to under storm canvas
would experience no steady shift of the
wind, but would simply feel the force
of the gale increase until Its full VIC
lence was attained. after which 1t would
gradually blow itself out. all from one
quarter. Such, however, Is never the
case. In addition to the movement of
air around the storm centre, there Is a
progressive movement of the centre It
self. carrying with it Its circulating
system OF winds. In low attitudes the
direction Of this movement for all ty-
phoona has 4 westerly component
some storms continuing this course and
entering The mainland of Cochin China;
others recurve toward the northeas st
and skirt the shores Of Japan.
THEORY OF CYCLONIC STORMS.
The present theory of tropical cyclon-
lie storms requires that there shall ex-
list at the centre, toward which the in
curving surface winds are directed, n
rising column of warm, moist air Upon
reaching the higher level of the atmos-
| rhere the water vapor borne aloft by
| this air is condensed into clouds, which
axe carried by the now onward curving
| winds away from the centre on all sides
| These clouds. then. which are formed at
| Il great height. and are of the cirrus
type, radiating in long, fcathery stream
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