The evening times., 1899-08-19
LINGERING OFF HA4PERAS
The West Indian Hurricane Not
Yet Dissipated.
An OHicial History of the Great
the Weather Burenu-The Most
Destructive Winds i'm ,Sears-Its
Large Scope-Gradunily Decreasing

The great West Indian hurricane dis
covered at Dominica and San Domingo
August and and which pursued its
course to ST Thomas, thence to Porto Rico
on the north, devastating the country in
its track, until il reached Providence and
Nassau, still fingers of Cape Hatteras and
the Virginia coast, where il has been for
five days.
Reports to the Weather Bureau this
morning say that, while the storm is grad
ually dissipating itself it is impossible to
tell whether it viii travel out to sea or
lose its identity in its present location.
According TO the Weather Bureau this
has been the greatest hurricane in fifty
years. Its devastation in Porto Rico alone
covers four times as much territory and
did four times as much damage as was ac-
complished by last years great storm.
which was confined to Baroodos and
Bridgetown. There have been only eight
such hurricanes in 400 years.
Prof. Willis III. Moore, chief of the
Weather Bureau, has completed his Off
cial report on the hurricane which was
published today. He says:
This hurricane was remarkable by rea-
son of the devastation which attended its
passage over a number of the islands Of
the West Indies from Dominica 10 Santo
Domingo during the 7th and Sth, and on
account of its slow progressive move
ment over the ocean north OF the West
Indies from the 9Th to the 18th. So far
as can be determined from information
received from various sources, the storm
of Porto Rico, where towns We're demol-
was particularly destructive on the Island
ished, many lives were lost, and not less
tLan 900 of the inhabitants were rem
dered homeless and destitute. The storm
was particularly destructive in and about
Ponce where rivers overfowed, and il is
estimated that 200 persons were drowned
and property was destroyed 10 the value
Of over S500,000.
Other Islands Suffered.
4 "Other islanads TO the eastward OF Porto
Rico suffered severely. On the island Of
Mcntserrat nearly 100 persons were re-
ported killed and villages and estates were
destroyed. Immense damage was also
wrought on the Island of Guadeloupe, and
1t is reported that the destruction on the
island of ST. Croix was appalling. No Sc
Tious damage is shown to have been caus-
ed at st. Thomas, and the hurricane was
not SO severe at Antigua. To the west OF
Porto Rico damage was caused in the
north part of Santo Domingo. The hurri-
cane was less violent in its passage north
of Cape Haitien and over Turks Island.
Although reports have not been re-
ceived from Nassau, il is evident that the
storm was very severe over the Bahama
Icln Tp fsc r1 off he
South Atlantic Coast from the 18th to
18th, the storm-centre fortunately follow
ed path too far to the eastward to cause
particularly destructive gales along ouI
coasts OF our Southern States.
The accurate and timely warnings is
sued by the Weather Bureau in advance o.
this storm have, according TO advices re.
ceived from numerous sources, been tht
means OF saving many lives and a vas
amount of property, and the same sources
state that if the warning sent to Ponce
Porto Rico, on Monday, had been made
public and disseminated and not withheld
by the alcalde the loss of life and proper
~ on Tuesday at that place would have
been greatly lessened.
Hurricane History.
''The history Of the hurricane, as deter
mined by reports received to date, is as
West Indian stations of the Weather Bu-
reau on the morning OF August z, 1899.
showed the presence of a hurricane GEN.
TIE to the eastward of the island of Do
minica- The official in charge of the
Weather Bureau Office at Havana. Cuba,
was Immediately telegraphed by the Gen.
tral of1ce Of the Weather Bureau at Wash
lngton, TO order hurricane signals from
Dominicn TO Porto Rico, and to send ad-
Vlsory messages containing Information re-
sarolng the position and character of the
storm 10 Barbados, St. Vincent, and St.
Lucia, and also to call for special obser-
Vations from the Lesser Antilles, San Ju-
an Porto Rico; Santiago, Cuba, and King
ston. At 2:4O p. N. Of the 9TH. the hur-
ricane signal was ordered at Santo no.
fnlngo, and information was furnished that
me hurricane centre was apparently moy-
ing northwest. This information was also
telegraphed 10 all coast stations of the
weather Bureau from Boston to Mobile.
and furnished to the Bureau of Navigation,
Navy Department; the Maritime Exchanges
OF New York and Philadelphia. and to
correspondents
'On the morning of August g. renorts
were not received from Weather Bureau
stations east of Cuba. At that time. how
ever, The Weather Bureau felt justified in
announcing that the centre of the storm
was approaching Porto Rico and that II
would probably pass over or north of that
island and TO the north of Santo Domingo
This Information was telegraphed to Haya
ma and Santiago. and hurricane signals were
ordered for the latter named place Sub
sequent adyices from San Juan Porto Rico
show that the hurricane centre passed over
or very near that island at $40 a. m. of the
9Th. with minimum barometric pressure
2s-22 Inches at San Juan.
Progress of the Storm.
From the 9th to the 18th the course of
the hurricane centre lay to the north OF
Santo Domingo. Haiti. and eastern Cuba. q
vast area of OCEAN from which no reports
are received. By the morning of the 10th,
however, II WIS evident that the centre
was approaching the Bahama Islands. and
q notification to this effect was telegraphed
the colonial authorities at Nassau and the
official in charge OF the Weather Bureau
Office at Havana was instructed to advise
vessels bound east or north to remain in
port. This information was supplemented
In the afternoon by message TO Nassau
which advised precautionary measures In
view of probable hurricane visitation.
During the 11th the barometer fell
rapidly at Nassau and the wind increased
to gale from the northeast; hurricane
signals were ordered on the Florida At
lantic Coast from Jupiter southwark to Key
West, on the Gulf Coast Of Florida as far
north as Tampa, and as Havana, Cuba, and
shipping and all other interests concerned,
were notified OF the dangerous and destrue-
tive character of the approaching storm
During the evening Of the 11th, telegraphic
communication with Nassau, Bahama, was
lost. The morning OF the 18th, hurricane
signals were ordered at Jacksonville. Sa-
yannah, and Charleston, with the informa-