The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-09
serene weather prevails over the storm
devastated country. -.
FREEZE THAT TRAVELLED FAR

devastated country. -.
BREEZE THAT TRAVELLED FAR.
The Manila typhoon of September, 1882,
had forward movement Of but five
miles an hour when 1t left the Philip
pines, but when 1t reached the coast of
Japan, few days later, 1t was progress
ing at the rate of thirty-three miles an
hour, but this movement increased to
over fifty miles an hour just east of
Japan, thence 1t passed along the Aleu-
tian islands to Oregon. which IS reached
in about two weeks after leaving the
Philippines, thence it moved through the
Northern United States, Canada, Hudson
bay and Labrador to Greenland, crossed
the Atlantic ocean and to the west Of
Ireland united with another cyclone and,
after remaining stationary for nearly
week, moved in a southeasterly direction
to France and later moved northeasterly
to the Baltic sea, where 1t disappeared,
having travelled 1900 miles In little
over a month. This was, Of course,
most unusual case, but very frequently
the West Indian cyclones cross the At
lantic ocean after leaving the North
American coast.
While these hurricanes are never more
than a few hundred miles in diameter,
yet the long paths which they pursue
distributes their force over large ter
ritory and they are thus the
most powerful while not the
most Intense storms which we
have. There have been long lists COM
piled Of the West Indian hurricanes and
the destruction which has marked their
paths and it has been computed that the
energy exerted by the hurricane of Octo-
Der, 1874 would not fall far sh5rt OF
1000, O00 600 horse power and this devasta-
ton was expended on path OF but ooo
miles wide.
The amount Of rain which falls as an
accompaniment of these hurricanes Is
enormous, being frequently upward oi
ten inches. The wind movement IN hur-
ricanes is seldom over fifty, or sixty miles
an hour, but the furious gusts or Wlho
must have velocities Of eighty or ninety
miles an hour in order to create the havoc
caused by these storms. The time Whlch
it takes for a hurricane to pass over
given place lying within its path varies
from a few hours to a day or more IL
must be remembered, on the contrary,
that tornadoes seldom last more than a
few minutes.
PREDICTIONS DIFFICULT.
The successful prediction Of the west
Indian hurricanes Is matter OF a great
difficulty on account Of their limited OK
tent, especially in their 1nc1plent Stages
for then no characteristic signs or thelr
approach precede them at any very great
distance. mis- condition is thus in great
contrast to that existing in the ordinary
cyclones in the United States. 1t Is true
that cirrhus clouds appear all around the
central region Of the hurricane, and as
far west as Havana these cirrhus clouds
preeede this. center by fQur or five hun
dred miles, but even in the most favor
able cases they might not give days
warning in advance. For their predic-
ton in approaching the United States IT
IS n9eessary That Geographic news Of
their actual existence be received, and 1t
will not do to rely on the observation Of
the natural forerunners of the hurricane,
the clouds and the ocean swell.
This condition is abundantiy fulfilled by
the new order of things which has given
us the necessary Geographic communica-
ton. After the storm center has once
been located, it usually moves SO slowly
that it may be several days after 1t is
announced before it reaches the coast
waters of the United States. The sue
eessful prediction of the storms move
ment,. after it has entered the region COW
cred by our daily weather maps, is a
matter of great difficulty for its exact
direction of motion is too uncertain and
Its rate. Of progress too variable to. fore
These last points have been very prac-
tically illustrated in the case of these
hurricanes is Of incalculable value to the
navigators shown by; the appalling loss
of life which accem panies the appearance
Of the corresponding typhoons on the un-
protected shores ofaChina and Japan.
Sixty or seventy years ago the West
Indian hurricanes had been very care
fully studied, and their attendant pheno-
mena formed the basis Of original theories
propounded by such meteor ologlsts as
Dove. Peddington, 1Redfeld and others,
and called forth the violent and then
celebrated. controversy between Redneld
and Hare. Padre Vines, Of Havana, de-
voted long years to their study, but prob
ably the most important recent contribu-
lions to our knowledge Of West Indian
hurricanes are the monographs of Lieut..
Hayden, U. S. N. ~t'-'5''.
There scan be no doubt, however, that
with our increased jnterest.,in the East
and West Indies a more careful study
than has vet been made Of these storms
will be considered necessary for the pro-
lection of our shipping and other interests
In those countries.