Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19
Rain and Wind Whirlpools That
Spread Destruction.
BEGIN ON EDGE OF :sFuRRID ZONE
Just Before These Tempests the
Bright Skies Prevail.
EQUIN OXTAL STORMS
DOWNRIGHT, 19O1l

life and destroys so great an amount of
property. The tornado is swift and. terri
BILE, and its passage is the path of slaugh-
ter; but it is rare visitor; its rage is soon
spent. and the area of devastation is mar
row. On the other hand, the hurricane is
periodical: the swath It cuts is a thousand,
fifteen hundred or two thousand miles wide;
and at the height of its fury. as at Gal
veston, it Stays it's thousands where the
tornado kills its tens. Finally, the tornado
is often a by-blow of the hurricane 1t
rides on the wings Of the greater wind,
and attends it as famine or pestience at
tends war.
A few years ago these vast storms were
technically called cyclones, though that
term was also enormously employed to
designate the small, whrlng storm, born
of the little black cloud no bigger than
mans hand" which is, properly speaking,
the tornado Why the name has been
changed is not clear; perhaps because the
word hurricane has a more terrifying
sound than Cyclone" Originally the term
hurricane was applied to storms of the
West Indies, just as ''typhoon was asso-
ciated with storms of the East Indies and
the China sea- 1t was purely local desig-
nation. Now 1t is used to designate all
those widespread atmospheric perturbations
which move up from the region of the West
Indies, involving part of the continent of
North America and the Atlantic ocean. The
hurricane season is from July to October
inclusive. Extensive storms forming or
moving over any part of North America at
other seasons would be called cyclones. or
areas of low pressure, although they might
be as severe as most hurricanes.
The West Indian hurricane originates or
develops in the southern region of the zone
of easterly trade winds, generally east of
the Windward Islands, on the border Of the
torrid zone or equatorial belt of Gains,
which ranges close to ten degrees north lat
itude. The belt of Gains, or doldrums, as
they are frequently called, extends in Au-
gust and September from three to eleven
degrees north latitude on the Atlantic ocean
and from seven to ten degrees north lati-
tude on the Pacific ocean. The formation
of West Indian hurricanes is not fully I'M
derstood. The information at hand, which
forms summary of the study, would show
| that these storms may be days or even
weeks in forming; gathering in excessive
moisture over central region of excessive
heat, thus gradually reducing the atmos-
pheric pressure in the vicinity. Toward
this center the surface or lower stratum
of air starts to move from all points, and
being DETECTED sets in operation a spiral
inward and upward motion, the movement
being always from right to left Similar
storms in the southern hemisphere rotate
from left to right. The excessive moisture
carried by the upward flow Of wind is con-
/ densed, - the atmospheric pressure re-
duced, clouds are formed and heavy rain
results. thus liberating greatlaniount Of
7 heat iutiltzed the process of evaporation
Blow to the Center
The inflowing air currents blow horizon
tally, with increasing force as they ap-
proach the center, gradually changing to
a vertical motion, and when finally near
the center, to an upward spiral motion
With the increasing force or spiral up mo
ton at the center the infiowing current at
the surface becomes more marked until a
vast region of air, il brought under the in
f1ueuce of emhryo hurricane &c
| an upper horizontal flow OF air from these
disturban Res, which carries with it cirrus
/ clpHdslf These spread far in afeants and
are the forerunners of theTE Eappr64eYing
/ Storm J:~r,- 81. -el ~ ,1tH 86r Eav.- =
Several hours before these precursors
reach the eye of the observer the atmos-
pherenbecemes very quiet and hazy, Often
almost dead calm exists. The barometer
begins to rise, and all conditions point to
period of fair weather. This is the lure
of the storm monster to deceive the I'M
wary shipmaster. The oceans shores are
lined with the bones of ships that took no
warning from that bright dead calm and
rising barometer The experienced mariner
in the tropical and semi-tropical seas be-
comes uneasy, keeps his weather eye out,
| pays close. heed to his glass, and has ali
| hands ready for an emergency Soon the
air becomes slightly hazy. Ear aloft The
| flying scud Of the lawn-like cirrus clouds
streams up to the zenith A surface breeze
| springs up, moving in the opposite direc-
ton from the flow Of the spreading clouds.
| The breeze is being drawn toward the cln-
ter OF the impending storm. The wind
| br1sks up; the barometer begins to sag
and presently ominous black clouds darken
| the horizon, and the hurricane is in sight.
Varying of Winds.
| 1t is not long after the rotary motion of
the central column of warm air sets in that
| the storm moves from it's place of fornla-
| ton in westerly course, contrary to the
| movement of storms in a more northery
| latitude. The westerly movement lermi-
| mates when the storm center reaches the
| neighborhood of twenty-five or thirty de-
| grees north latitude and comes within the
| influence OF the prevailing south and west
winds. 1t then recurves to The northeast
| The recurve may bring the center in the
4 neighborhood of the west gulf or possibly
to the east of Florida in the Atlantic The
| storm center then follows a course nearly
parallel with the gulf stream and con-
! tinues that course northeastwara until be-
yond the region of observation. 1t is row
an enormous whirlpool of wind, moving
| northward at express train speed, some
times taking not more than twenty-four
hours In passing from the Gulf of Mexico
| into the North Atlantic
| In some cases these storms pass inland
| over the gulf states to the great lakes and
| then out the St. Lawrence valley, losing
force in travelling overland. 1t is seldom
| that they retain their power If the storm
center passes inland to the west of the
Mississippi river. They display their worst
| elements of wind and rain on or near the
| coast. They apparently exhaust them
| selves before passing any great distance in
land, and become mere at hIospheric depres-
sions until they reach the lake. regions,
| where they are supplied with moisture and
| regain some Of their former energy and
pass out the st. Lawrence valley or over
| the New England statesffo the Atlantic
coast with considerable force. There is no
port on the Atlantic coast that has not its
roster OF missing ships. Victims OF these
Heavy RafnfnlIs.
Hurricanes are characterized by very
heavy rainfall ana great, wind violence
Their greatest force is experienced before
they recourse to the northeast. After this
they increase in diametesz and their force
is accordingly diminished, abut extends over
a larger area. Theif progressive motion is
somewhat increased by TIER conformation
being broken In passing OVER the land. Over
| the ocean they retdh their circular form,
but their advance isfslightly diminished by
a greater rotary force. Wind veiocities in
| Well-defined hurricanes may range from
fifty to one hundred and fifty mites an hour,
the higher velocities generally occurring
| over the ocean. The diameter of these
| storms varies from a few hundred miles to