The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-26

of Uncle Sarn's meteorological depart
Tlent would do well to look up its rec
ord in the matter of these tropical
hurricanes. AS q matter of fact. the
weather bureau Is coruect in nearly SO
per cent of it's predictions, year in aIld
year cut, but at present we viii con-
slider only what 1T has accomplished in
dealing With this particular kind of
storm.
AS far back as CIVILIZED man has SAILED
along the Atlantic coast certain things
have been known about the West India
hurTiCane. 1t was known that they usu-
ally SWEPT tile seaboard of the Atlantic
or the gulf of Mexico, though they
sometimes extended far inland. It was
known that they Travelled very rapidly
and were an especial menace to seanen,
both because of their unexpected ap-
pearance When vessels We're L'ct pre-
pared fer them and because of Glae high
and unsteady winds which were -5tler
chief characteristic. When they tuaV-
eled INLAND they also caused much IN
jury to crops by the excessive DOWN
pour which usually accCmpan'e1 them.
This was abO1pl the extent of 1Ila
knowledge ON tllls subject down to the
establishment of the weather bureau,
and it was scarcely to De reck0nad
practical information, for mariners r3u1d
farmers knew no better than before
WtlEm TO expect them, and the gulf aGd
ocean beaches continued 10 be st1eWia
wdth wrecks caused by U1e1e fiery gales.
4 single storm sometimes wrecked Glaitf
a dozen saiafGlg vessels and damaged
many mora to the eXtSi1t of ti.i,usanis
of dollars. From 4halr very nature
their greatest INJURY was dcne to Snip
ping.
The first tning done by the we5l ta,ar
bureau was to make a reccfd of each Of
these storms, from Their own reports
when it was Gu laCi. and from hose Of
salfhiug masters WLlcu il WAS at ssa
From these records tire general course
of the storm, With its laile of progress
and w.r1l velocity, Was plotted ON a
CHART apt1 kept for reference. Then the
meteorological experts began to study
the origin and nature of .flis aie1laI
monster until today It's birthplace and
habits are perfectly known, aGl ITS
probable COURSE eau be mapped out III
advance. This information may be
bu1s1y summarized:
HOW CYCLONES ORIGINATE.
The West India cyclone originates in
the Caribbean sea, about latitude 10
degrees, in What is known as the north
ern BELT of equatorial Gains. This is a
regiCn where evaporation takes place
very rapidly, and where there are there
fore constantly ascending columns of
moist air. The place of this air is ia
ken by the colder and denser air, which
rushes in from all sides to fill the va
caHcy The result is a whirlins mo-
ton Of the atmosphere-an embryo cy-
clone. Most of these aerial whirligigs
die in being born, but occasionally one
grows and is carried along by the east
erly winds prevailing in this section
as en- eddy is carried on the surface OF
a river, growing in size and velocity
until it energies into the Gulf OF Mex
leo a fuIl-hedGed hurricane.
HOW CYCLONES OPERATE.
From this point the storm grows rap
idly in power and it's diameter in
creascs from Il few miles until it il
sometimes 500 or even 1000 miles il
extent. It's destructive power comes
1 not from its forward movement bur
! from the gyratory motion of its winds
| which revolve at a rate of from 80 tt
SO miles an hour around a center thas
| is theoretically perfectly calm. The mo
: tiou of these winds is always negative