The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-08-27
A STORM CENTER.
sailors Have 10 Find Ont where h
IL and Avoid It-How
They DO IL.

When caught in cyclone, seaman
must determine as quickly as possible
the whereabouts OF the center OF tho
storm, and the direction in which 1t
is moving. The first is easy 10 find
out, for il il is remembered that the
wind is blowing around vast circle.
in a direction opposite TO the move
mcnt OF the hands OF a watch, one can
face the wind and know that his right
arm, extended, is pointing nearly to-
ward the storms center. Thus, when
the wind comes from the east, the
center is TO the south.
Now to discover which way that cen
ter is moving we must wait for the di-
rection OF the wind to change. If the
direction from which the wind comes<
changes gradually toward the rightN
the wind is said o 'haul." IL il changes
to the left the wind is said to back.
If, then, our gale backs, and we con-
tinue TO face il, our right hand, al
ways pointing toward the center has
swung around 10 the left, showing
that the center is moving from
right to left. IL the gale hauls,
its center is passing from left
TO right. If the wind neither hauls
nor backs, but persistently blows from
the same direction with increasing
violence, the center is approaching in
a straight line.
| When in a cyclone, it is a seaman's
endeavor to avoid its center; for, like
the swirl:ng water around the hole
/ In the tub, the motion is more rapid,
the hurricane more violent, as we APP
proach that center. Sometimes, like
the hole in the water over the place
where IL runs out OF the tub, there Ia
n dead-calm center, for the air all
around IL Is rushing upward; but woe
betide the foolish or unfortunate cap
tain who gets his vessel therel Into
that confined circular area the waves
have been dashed and driven like count
less wild cattle into n corral. Like
cattle, these confined waves madly
turn hither and thither, leap upward,
and pile upon one another; for around
them sweep. IN endless circles, the
regular, onrushing seas of the storm.
A ship in the midst Of these confused
seas knows not which way TO turn to
meet them. They leap about her with
demoniac frenzy, falling in mountain
heaps upon her decks, until, perhaps,
she is swamped and sinks
The discovery of the direction u
motion OF n cyclones center may be
matter OF hours or even of days; for
the storm may be of such vast area,
and travelling so slowly, that the wind
blows from the same direction for n
long time. Once discovered, IL is a
seaman's endeavor TO cross the storms
path, II cross he must, behind the CEN
ter instead of in front OF It. In the
southern hemisphere cyclones revolve
right-handedly, and move toward the
south pole, so what Is here told must
be reversed 10 ft storms In that part
OF the world
II ship has left port in good
weather, the captain will be warned
OF storm by his barometer. You
know how In that instrument q column
Of mercury Is balanced by the pres
ture OF the outside air. When, there
fore, the barometer falls steadily hour
after hour. the sen captain knows that
his ship is approaching spot where
the uprushing atmosphere of a cy-
; clones center Is making the mir
around IL thin and light. Then he
must watch and wait for the wind
TO tell him which way the storm 81
going u ohm M. Ellicott. ". 8. n.
In ST Nicholas.