The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-27
A THEORY OF T f SAL ORS
HATTERAS AND CHICAGO ARE
COMPARED.
y ITHEa is PROTECT D FROM THE WIND
4atteras Lies in the Track of the Seyerest Storms
Known on This Coast and There Are
no Rarbors Near For Marin
ers r. Seek,


The record Of havoc and destruction
and the loss of life entered annually
against the treacherous coast along Cape
Hatteras lis not caused by unusually Sc
we're storms in that vicinity, as is gem
orally supposed" said Prof Garriott,
chief of the forecasting division of the
newspaper man this week ut is Gus
tomary to measure storms by wind velo-
0ty, and, accepting such n standard, we
ind that the records of years show that
there IS greater wind velocity ON the
average at Chicago than at Cane Hat
teraS. In fact, Chicago is the windiest
point in our country, and has therefore
well canned its name. In the case of
Chicago the wind has an unobstructed
sweep. There are no hills or elevations
of any description within many miles.
The bluffs along the Mississippi river are
the nearest protection Chicago has 1t is
also true that Hatteras is unprotected,
and to this fact, in connection with the
Irotruding formation of the cape. is due
the awe and dread with which mariners
are inspired whenever they pass it. Hat
tcras sets out into the sea. There are
no elevations or high ground of any de-
scription in that section.
1.-The very severe weather of Hatteras
is due to the fact that it lies in the track
Of what are called the southwest storms
that is, storms that advance from the
southwest and move northeaStward. They
are called northeasters on the Atlantic
coast and are the severeSt of storms
Hatteras is in their direct path. ilrst rs
| Chicago is in the direct path of storms
that advance from the west, and very
near the path of all the storms that come
down from the northwest Taking the
wind velocity for n month, Chicago ex-
| ceeds Hatteras by about 5000 miles.
do not believe. however, there is any
reason why Chicago is the windiest place
in the United States beyond the fact
that the city is exposed.
Cape Hatteras is a dangerous place
for shipping more because of its danger
olls coast than because of the storms
which pass in that vicinity. The wind
velocity at Block island, Narragnnsett
and other places along the New England
coast is just as high as at Hatteras, and
they are as much exposed as Hatteras to
the wind force. Their coast is not 50 dan
gerous, however, because there are con-
venient and safe harbors. Vessels off
Hatteras are so far removed from a
rarbor of refuge that the masters have
no choice but to run with the storm; they
have no places to seek safety.
tat Hatteras the wind has a great
sweep in almost every direction to make
a high sea. Along the New ENGLAND
coast. where the gales reach the average
velocity of Hatteras, dangerous seas are
not possible because of nearness Of other
land. That is to say the wind does not
get sweep to cause high seas, except
from the southeast. The wind has to
be from east to southeast to affect the
coast. Hatteras ON the other hand Will
get high and dangerous tides and seas
whenever a strong wind blows from any
roint from north to southeast. There may
be high seas without winds. and that is
another reason Hatteras is so dangerous
u know there is a theory among sail
ors," continued Prof Garriott, "that the
Gulf current has some mysterious effect
upon Hatteras, and that the current is
frequently given as the reason the coast
is SO dangerous, but in my opinion the
Gulf Stream gets more credit than it de-
serves. 1t follows the direction of thu
prevailing winds. The wind in fact
has a great deal to do with the form Of
ocean currents. AT all points TIE Gr'f
current goes with the prevailing winds
Tho winds are caused by the distribution
Of the air pressure, and the distribution
OF the air pressure governs the weatha"
conditions: so ven have to 90 two stems
hack to connect the Gulf Stream with
either condition. They are both effects
or the same cause.
SIN this connection I might say that
there is great deal said ON the Pacific
coast about the influence Of the Japanese
current upOn the weather there. As
a matter of fact, the Japanese currens
is mere thread i'm the Pacific ocean
when it reaches our coast and the in
fuences are due to the Pacific ocean as
a whole. and not to the Japanese cur
rent. The wafer of the ocean or any
large lake is naturally much cooler ip
summer and warmer in winter than the
land temperature. As the prevailing
winds ON the Pacific coast are from the
west during the winter the entire coast
gets the benefit of the mildor sea tenn
perature. In summer they get the bane,
fit of t'he cooler teDnerature of the VIZ
ter. Western Europe is in the same posi-
abort the same we have in Maine. Won
yoill find the temperature on the Pacific
coaft Of the limited States warmer than
ON the Atlantic. The latter is a conti-
mental and the former a marine climate
''No one lis prepared TO say definitely
fiat the Gulf Stream has amy great effect
upon our climate / have had EXPERTS
toll me fiat by observing weather con-
ditions along the gulf stream it would Ire
possible to forecast West Indian huTri-
cones After twenty years experience
with carefully preserved and corrected
mars of the course Of these hurricanes.
can state that there is absolutely Moth
inc to indicate That the Gulf Stream had
any effect rnon them whichever
''No / cannot support the theory that
the Gulf current has any effect upon the
storms Of Cape Hatteras The warm
temperature of the current in close proxi-
nifty to the cold temperature of the