Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-30


or calm. but 1t is not always possible to
should like. and if the hindsight could but
| take the place of the foresight there would
be less to contend with
| Uncle Sam is generously provided with
outposts for the location of changes in tho
| weather, and all these outposts report with
| regularity. well irregularity, to the
| headquarters here i'll Washington. From
/ the headquarters here the various reports
are compiled and sent out to warn the
! travellers of the sea and captains of the
mighty ships what they may expect in tho
| way of weather upon leaving port.
! Observations of the Expert.
| The expert seated at his vantage of OBJ
| servation can tell from certain indications
| from two to three days beforehand that
| storm OF more less severity is approach
| ing.
A long swell, propagated TO great ex-
| tent is one of the first indications. Noting
| this, the expert consults his barometer, ana
| II danger really does exist he notices
| faint rise in the barometer before a gradual
| fall, which becomes prominent at the CEN
| ter of the storm. The air grows calm ana
| sultry. and is then gradually supplanted
| by gentle breeze, which later increases
! into the dreaded gale. The clouds become
! matted and the rough, rain falls ana
| the winds grow gusty and dangerous as
| the vortex core comes.
| Then there is the indescribable tempest.
dealing destruction and impressing me
imagination with the wild exhibition of the
| forces of nature There are the flashes or
lightning and the torrents of rain coohng
| the air. All this indicates the approach OF
! the storm center. In the midst or TINS
there is the sudden pause. the wind almost
! ceases the sky clears but the waves rage
in great turbulence. Despite this interval.
there follows abruptly renewal OF the Nlo-
| lent wind and rain in reverse order
! HI ION
With the first indication the warning is
| sent to Washington and then transmitted
| to the region that the storm Will pass over.
| If the storm originates In the Cariopeah
| sea different points are notified twenty
| four hours in advance of the storm, ana
| signals are posted in the affected neigh
bcrhoods.
| These signals consist of flags by day and
lanterns by night. For the storm signal q
| square center of three feet is displayed.
| Above and below this flag is flung to the
| breeze a red or white pennant, indicating
to the initiated the direction from which
| the storm is expected.
The display of these signals makes the
| captain of the small vessels scurry for
safe port, but does not cause any alarm to
| the officers of the larger vessels. A sight,
however, of the two square flags, with
bla ok centers, one above the other, the sig
nal of the destructive hurricane. brings
anxiety to even the most daring mariner.
If he happens to be In port he Willingly
misses schedule time to stay where his
cargo is safe. If he is on the high seas
and notes indication of approaching dam
ger he Immediately makes preparations and
calculations that may choose some path
| other than that over which the hurricane
| will pass
To Fix the Storm Center
1t is a generally accepted rule that when
vessel is menaced by a hurricane TO fix
the direction of the storm center It is only
necessary to face the surface wind. and
the center will lie 10 points to the observ-
ers right Usually in the open ocean this
rule works well. But a second method OF
estima ting the direction of the storm CEN
ter is by observing the lower clouds. the
direction of whose motion, as the Pilot
Chart says, lis ordinarily at right angles
to eight points from the bearing of the
storm center"
This method based on observations OF
the lower clouds. il is noted, often fur
nishes more trustworthy result, especial
ly in the neghborhood ofthe coast, where
the cyclones surface winds apt to be
disturbed and DETECTED by the land. IL
good cloud obServa tons are obtainable tho
second method should always be employed,
but not to the neglect of the former. and
in each case the observations should, be
duplicated or repeated several times to
avoid mistake
Although it is true that Immediately
around the cyclones center the surface
winds blow nearly in circular paths while
on the outer portions of the storm the
surface winds move in spiral lines toward
the center, the actual incuryature of tho
latter SO varies that the indications to an
observer facing the wind may place the
center from to II points his right.
But as the lower clouds above the sur
face winds) travel In nearly circular paths
around the vortex of the cyclone line
drawn at right angles to their paths leads
almost directly to the vortex.
Direction of Hurricanes.
1t is stated in official pamphlets of the
weather bureau that hurricanes never come
from the northwest and rarely from the
southwest. They usually enter the United
States from the south or the southeast.
They originate principally in the Carib-
bean sea and travel by a curved track In
northwesterly direction At first there
is a gradual change in their direction, and
they move to the north and northeastward,
passing over the gulf and Atlantic states
until they join the great path In New Eng
land, by which path they leave the coun-
try.
: The pamphlets issued tell in an inter-
esting manner Of the birth of a hurricane.
One says:
1.-THE hurricane occurs at the season of
the year when the cooling of the north
ern hemisphere takes place as the sun re-
treats toward the southern hemisphere.
AT this season of the year these condi-
lions exist in the region known as tho
'Doldrums at their northern limit. AS the
polar air cools the plains above the warmer
air near the ground, and covers 1t with
a circulating sheet of temperature. cool
or low for the time of the year. the eff
feet is to make the atmosphere unstable
that is, too warm at the bottom, COM
pared with that at the top to be able to
maintain its usual equilibrium. The ten
dency, therefore. is for the lower air to
rise vigorously and to burst Its way up
ward by convection. in order that normal
equilibrium may be restored.
II is In this manner that the hurricane
later dealing death and destruction In its
path arises. There Is no set rule for tho
captain to pursue IL he is caught in the
storm; it depends largely on the commander