The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-10-07

Eve of the Storm-The Hurricanes Usual
Course-Enormous Force Expended, Ac-
companied with Great Rainfall.
Frank Waldo in Philadelphia Ledger, August 10.
Time and again have devastating hurri-
canes swept over the West Indies and left
death and destruction in their paths; but
the reports of such devastation have served
to arouse but a temporary interest IN the
sad calamities on the part Of the American
public. Although near at hand, these
storms have ravaged foreign shores, but
since our Cuban campaign aud the acqui-
sition of West Indian territory these hur-
ricanes have become, as 1t were, home
product. and all America is interested III
any work of destruction accomplished by
them. This is particularly the case with
the present hurricane, which has Just
swept over our new West Indian posses
sions. and has since been ploughing Its way
through the atmospheric ocean to our main
land. Seldom has any storm excited such
interest as the present one, partly because
it is the first severe one Of this kind which
we have experienced since acquiring our
new possessions; partly because it has car
ried death and destruction among people
whom we feel bound TO protect and AID,
and partly because it furnishes the hrst
graphic illustration of the success OF the
recent extension of our Weather Bureau
system among the West India Islands.
By means of the newspapers and tele-
orapbic reports. the Weather Bureau has
kept us posted concerning the actual pro
gress and probable course Of this hurricane
during the past week, and from all appear
ances will be able to follow and foretell It's
movements for some days to come.
CYCLONES. HURRICANES AND ToRYADoEs.
The diversity of the printed accounts OF
this hurricane makes it desirable TO publish
some accurate information in regard to
these storms. The terms cyclone, tornado
hurricane. etc.. are so indiscriminateiy
applied to such storms that great confusion
has arisen in the reports which have been
written concerning these phenomena The
term cyclone is applied by me;eorologists
to all kinds Of atmospheric disturbances IN
which the barometric pressure decreases
towards a central region, and there Is
spiral inward movement Of the air towards
this centre; so that all atmospheric whirls
of this nature receive the generic name
cyclone, no matter whether they are OF
large OF small extent.
There are cyclones Of the torrid zone
which in their greatest development are
called in the West Indies hurricanes and
in the East Indies typhoons. These at
mospheric whirls are nearly circular IN
form, and vary from a few miles 70 several
hundred miles in diameter, and they are
characterized by great violence Of wind
and copious rainfall. The present West
Indian hurricane belongs to this class.
There are cyclones Of the temperate and
polar zones, which are usually eiliptical in
form, and cover region at leas, several
hundred miles, and sometimes one or tive
Thousand miles in diameter. They are OF
less intensity than the hurricanes, aud are
the areas of low barometrie pressure which
sweep across the United States, usually IN
an easterly direction, at intervals Of two or
three days, and give US our ordinary storms
of wide extent These cyclones are fire.
quently accompanied by secondary cyclones
of limited extent, but intense energy,
which are called tornadoes The diane
ters of tornadoes vary from only few feet
up to perhaps mile, but within these linz
tied dimensions they are BY far the most
destructive Of any storms
CYCLONE BREEDING GROUNDS.
There seem to be certain regions on the
earth's surface which are veritable cyclone
breeding grounds, and one Of these lies
Just to the east Of the West Indian Is
lands. The warm, moist air Of this region
during the mouths Of July. August, Sep
TENDER and October seems 20 be IN cor
ditien Of unstable equilibrium, which Is
Just suited to The formation Of atmospheric
whirlwinds or cyclones, from % to 200 or
800 miles in diameter These Wet In
dian cyclones have circulation Of the ar
around the centre in a direction opposite
to that of the hands Of watch held hori-
zontally and face up. Our American me
teorologist, William Ferrel, proved that
this direction of the whirling motion was
the result of the action of the earth
diurnal rotation, and that cyclones in the
Southern Hemisphere would have wind
circulation in a direction with the hands
of a watch.
HUGE wHIRLwISDS.
The hurricane is, then, huge atmos-
pheric whirlwind, several hundred miles in
diameter. The barometrie pressure at the
centre of this whirl may be two or three
inches less than on the outer boundary; that
Is, the air density at the centre Is reduced
about 10 per cent, and the air pressure
increases from this centre towards the outer
boundary, but at some distance from the
centre. there is ring or narrow zone Of alb
normally high barometric pressure. The
wind velocity increases from the outer
boundary of the hurricane towards the cen
tire, and near it becomes very great, but
directly at the centre there Is an area, usu-
ally several miles in diameter, where there
is calm.
The hurricanes are accompanied by
dence clouds and immense quantities Of
rain fall, but directly at the calm centre
there is very frequently clear sky, which
meteorologists have called the eye Of the
storm.
THE HURRICANE 5 USUAL COURSE.
Hurricanes do not remain long station
airy, nor DO they move in any hap-hazard
direction. Those of the West Indies APP
pear to drift along in the great equatorial
westerly current, and they have a move
ment of translation a little to the north Of
west, and an average velocity Of perhaps
ten or twelve miles an hour but as they
approach the American continent they as
sumo more northerly course, and finally
veer around towards the northeast. Some
times they go almost due west, and, cross
ing the Gulf of Mexico, are either diSsi-
pated in Mexico or are turned northward
up the Mississippi Valley. But usually
they are turned northward near our South
Atlantic coast and pursue northeasterly
course, either along the coast or some
hundreds of miles inland, or over the At
lantic Ocean at some distance from the
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