Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-14
HURp1cANE RUNS -
Popro RICO 1889.
Copyright. 1907. by John Elfreth watklns)

Hurricane season is row here, and Uncle
Sam. momentarily expecting a blow, has
his weather eye skinned at the southern
horizon. The weather service has equip
ped itse to promptly fOrewarn mariners
of what it duly expects al any time within
the next six weeks-a sample of the most
destructive and tremendous OF many
storm species. The life-savlng service has
also been put upon war footing. and
within each station a surfnan keeps watch
over the telephone that no time will be lost
in snatching from the wire the first tidings
of the hurricane demons approach
Tho weather bureaus metcorologists have
lately been solving many of the sphinx rid
dies of these dreaded tropical storms which
arnua ly tear our coasts to pieces or fly
off at tangent and penetrate far into the
mainland. \ telegraphic cable has been
projected from the continent to the region
OF the tropical seas. whittier, at this par
t'cuiar season of the year. Aeo,us. dis
pensrr OF the winds of heaven. HES him
self to open shop and make ready for
BIZ, mess. Here. on the nearest isle. an OBJ
server watches the sea for first signs of
trouble. He is connected in circuit with
q chain of American weather stations cir
cling the ent re Caribbean sea. and the
first warning usually reaches our contl-
mental PORTS at east five days before the
coming of the Yankee typhoon. So perfect
- tItt LO-bl'iill'llpll DttWttH tillS circuit Oh
lookout stations and Washington that
within less time than it takes to compre-
bend it al a hurricane flag at our every
threatened port has been flown as a warn
ing to keep out of the boiling, seethng
hun r.canS track
All Over October rs.
The hurricane seas1n proper will pass out
with October. In he Danish West Indies
II has long been scheduled to end on Oc-
and thanksgiving is held. under govern
mcnt auspices. The fact that many have
occurred about the time of the September
equinox has led to the popular belief that
EEch a storm IL in some manner scheduled
ny nature to occur at that season: but the
weather bureau mataOrologists in voice
declare that there - no such thing an
oGuinOCtial storm of anv kind.
OF all great Convplsions of nature. the
tropical hurricane txlets from us the great
est tribute in life AID property. The tor
nado's force is greater because more con-
Centrated. but where the breadth of it's
path is measured in feet. that of thu trooi-
ca hrri a~e is m eas'rrcd in scores OF m les
Tie tornado lasts :Or hours. where the
tropical hurricane lasts for days-iong
enough for it to ::sit many countries. and
often both OF the great cont nents of the
earth. Where the tornado kills by tens
the autumnal hurrt sane kills by hundreds,
or by thousands, as 1t Galveston.
Place of Origin Discovered
The region of the sea where these hurri-
canes usually formed has lately been
located east of the Windward Islands.
Ii lies in the southern region of the zone
of easterly trade winds and on the border
of the equatorial bet of calns.' This
belt varies from season to season. but in
September extends from three to eleven de-
greeS north latitude. on the Atlantic ocean.
In other words the majority of our trODi-
cal hurricanes develop just outside the
southeastern gate of the Caribbean which
opening lies between Barbados and Trinidad.
For days even weeks previous to the
mad career excessive moisture gathers over
this region of great heat The atmospheric
pressure becomes reduced and toward this
center the lower stratum of air falls in
from all surrounding points. This action
finally sets IN motion a spiral inward and
upward motion Thus is formed a great
vortex which north Of the equator always
rnvolves from right to left. or in the d.
rectiOn opposite to the hands of a watch
laid OH its back. Below the equator the
direction of these storm yort:ces Is always
the reverse or in The exact direction of the
hands of watch This law of hurricanes
is of great value to the mariner who upon
the approach of the great vortex can al
ways estimate the direction in which It's
center lies and can steer to the opposite
point of the compass.
Signs Marking Its Approach.
Certain signs marking the herrlcane's
approach are being noted by our meteoroio-
gists. The first untoward symptom is a