Evening star., 1900-10-04
ABOUT STORMS
Moore Discusses the Topic Rel
atiye to Galveston.
IR ORIGIN IN WEST INDIES
liar Meteorological Conditions
in the Philippines.
SG RANGE FORECASTERS

Of. Willis L. Moore of the weather bu-
has an article in the current Golfers
ky dealing with the recent storm In
Feston. He says:
Fe Galveston storm again calls attention
hose terrible atmospheric vistations
the tropics which. on account of their
diameter of rotation and their much
ter velocity of gyration. we designate
hurricanes instead of cyclones. All
ms, except thunder storms, are cyclonic
fharacter; that IS to say, they gyrate
ut vertical axis in a manner similar
the action of an eddy that is carried
hg by a running stream. Cyclones are
Rlly one thousand or more miles in diam
They are not necessarily destructive.
Frcanes. which. until the Spanish-Amer
war, We're about the only visitors from
West Indies that we ever saw, have a
meter of only from one hundred to five
dred miles, and the velocity with which
whirling air gyrates about the storm
ter Increases in the same ratio as the
meter of the whirling mass decreases.
nadoes are only incidents of spring cy-
hes, and nearly always occur in the
theast quadrants of cyclones and within
ions three hundred TO five hundred miles
theast from the center. They are storms
in diameter.
is difficult for one 70 get a clear idea
the difference between the rate with
fch a storm is translated from one place
another and the velocity with which il
iris about Its own center. If one will
ture in his mind the solar system. with
of its planets and their satellites regu-
~ performing their respective orbits.
turning about their own axes, as NOV
through space without change in the
alton of satellite to planet and planet to
! sun. they may be In condition to COM
fhend the various phases of the transla-
Pa of cyclonic system, and the sequence
which the force and direction of the wind
y change: how the wind no matter what
! y be the direction in which the storm is
fytng, must blow into the front of the
frm In direction contrary to the move
| mt of the storm center and into the rear
the storm as II recedes from the observ-
how the wind increases in velocity as 1t
rates about the center and approaches
Hrer and nearer the region where it must
fend; how centrifugal force In throwing
e high layers of air away from the cen
tends to build up a ridge of high pres
|re about the outer periphery Of the whirl
|at forces the surface air TO flow inward
bile the upper currents are moving out
bird. This whole complex system Of mo-
bn moves forward the same a our SOAR
stem does.
lust as the current of water flowing down
inclined plane increases its velocity in
cordance with the inclination of the sur
ce and the roughness Of the region over
h1ch 1t flows. so does the velocity of the
ind, as 1t moves inward toward the cen
r of the whirling storm. depend upon both
c topography Of the region and the differ
ice between the pressure OF the air at the
inter- and at the outer rim Of the storm
dy. The lower the barometer at the cen
r the greater the gyratiug velocity and
e more destructive the storm.
be storm That Destroyed Galveston.
The storm that destroyed Galveston
owed across the Caribbean sea at the rate
only eight or ten miles an hour. 1t
lightly increased its rate as it progressed
orthward, and between Florida and the
exas coast il moved a the rate Of only
n or fifteen miles per hour Do not con-
'und the rate Of movement with the We
city of rotation. II is the latter motion
lat causes all the destruction The We
city OF rotation was so great and the
)eed OF translation so slow that immense
aves were propagated outward from the
inter Of the storm faster than the storm
self was travelling. These waves, or
wells. reached The Texas coast early Fri
ay evening. about sixteen hours before
lie storm itself reached Galveston. AS
le storm moved northward through Texas,
ansas. Nebraska and Iowa. It's velocity of
ansIation increased 10 about sixty miles
ar hour when il crossed the lake region,
hich was almost equal to its velocity of
,tation- There We're wind yelocities OF
yer seventy miles per hour a several lake
ations.
at is proper TO say here that in the lake
Agion, as well as In the Gulf Of Mexico.
le warnings Of the government weather
,rvice were 50 thoroughly distributed in
lyance Of the storm that there was no
saster upon the open waters. II Is a re-
testimonial 10 the foresight If
ie present Secretary Of Agriculture, James
-ilson. that the meteorological service in
igurated by him during the Spanish-Amer-
an war as protection to the American
.et vas. by the last Congress. permanently
iopted as a part Of our national weather
Ireau, on account Of its benefcent appH-
ition 10 the peaceful ways Of trade and
]mmerce. Without the reporting stations
the new service the weather bureau
ould have been unable To detect the incep-
on of the Galveston hurricane when 1t
as only a harmless storm, and, when IL
cached the intensity Of a hurricane to
sue timely warnings in advance OF its
,ming.
Hero of the Weather Bureau.
The press dispatches state that Or.
,aac NJ. Cline, the chief officer of the
Gather bureau IN Texas. was one of the
eroic spirits Of that awful hour; that
nder instructions from Washington he
oisted the danger signals on Friday, and
lat In addition TO warning the people by
legraph and telephone, he went personally
mong those on the beach on Saturday
corning. and long before the waters rolled
yer the city was driving the people from
leir houses to higher ground In the center
the place: that when the last means Of
,mmunication with the outer world had
allied, instead Of following the advice of
lends and going 10 the relief of his own
.mily, he brayed the wind and raging wa
rs and reached a certain telephone station
t the end nf bridge Just before the cable
arted.' He succeeded In sending out from
ne doomed city the last message that was
ansmitted for several days. In this mes
age he indicated the great need for relief
rat the city was rapidly going under wa
,r. and that great destruction to life must
1sue After performing this heroic service
,r the benefit OF the whole people he re-
irned 10 his own home to find II destroyed
nj his wife and one child lost. Such sac
fetal devotion 10 the welfare Of others IS
eidom eluai6d on the battlefield.
''The disaster 10 Galveston prompts the in
uiry as 10 whether or not the city Is again
able to such visitation. Between July
nd October. inclusive. there are annually
bout ten tropical storms that touch some
ortion Of our Atlantic or gulf coasts. On
n average, less than one per annUm is
syereiy destructive Most of them are Of
uch a nature that if timely warnings be
sued little damage results. As TO the fire.
uency with which these storms visit the
ulf II may be said that list OF storms
arefully prepared by the late DR.. Increase
!. Lapham Of Wisconsin, and used by him
s one of the arguments for the Inaugural