The Washington herald., 1907-11-03
WEST INDIES TERROR
Two to Four Hurricanes
Sweep Antilles Yearly.
DBS0LATI0N IN THEIR PATH
W hat l. Known Concerning Their
Origin and Habits-Their season"
Begins with July and Continues
Until the Middle of NOvember-Path
of BLOW, May BE 200 Miles Wide.

/ From two 90 four hurricanes occur
nearly every wear in some portion OF the
/ West India waters, or along the adjacent
coasts Of the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean Sea. The great destruction OF
/ property and the frequent loss of life
wrought by these 'Tltans Of the Storms"
have made them the subject Of study by
meteorolog.sts all over the world, AMI
plausible theories Of the formation. the
development. and of the atmospheric me
ehauics Of these mighty disturbances
have been worked out and made 70 con-
form TO the phenomena observed.
To the inhabitants Of the West Indies,
says the Porto Rico Review, the hurri-
cane has more than a merely scientific
interest IL is not the purpose of this
article to discuss the various. and in some
respects conflicting. hypothesis advanced
10 account for the tremendous energy de
yeloped in these storms. but rather 10
briefly summarize the accepted facts that
are known about the hurricane forma-
ton. its usual path OF translation. the
premonitory signs that announce its ap-
proacb, and the methods Of forecasting
employed by the United States Weather
Bureau.
The Hurricane Season extends from
about the first OF July TO the middle Of
November During this portion Of the
year there seems To be a marked ten
dency toward unstable atmospheric con-
ditionS throughout the West Indian re-
sion. This unstable condition generally
FIRST manifests itself over the region TO
the east Of the central Lesser Antilles.
although exceptional hurricanes have
been known to form even to the west
OF the Island Of Jamaica. If conditions
are favorable. the storm develops rap
idly, assuming the typical hurricane char
acteristics and frequently causing dam
age within one or two DAYS after the
first indications Of its formation.
Usual Path of the storm.
The West Indian hurricane usually
moves in a west-northwest direction from
its place of origin. continuing in that
general course until it reaches about lat
itude y degrees north, when the storm
path recurves sharply to the northeast.
The greater number of the hurricanes
reach latitude 3 degrees north and re-
curve. in the vicinity of the Florida
Peninsula. Occasionally. however. one
continues on its westward course as far
as the west coast of the Gun Of Mexico.
thence recurring to the northeast and
passing up the Mississippi Valley. It
follows that the inhabitants Of the West
Indies may rest secure once the hurricane
has passed to the west Of them, as this
storm never retraces its path.
The storm path varies from 20 To ss
much as 200 miles in width Beyond the
outer edge Of the storm proper. and NOV
ing with it is a circle. or wave. as it were.
of high barometric pressure. From this
high pressure circle toward the storm
center the barometer falls quite regularly.
but with different gradient for different
storms, until the center is approached.
when the barometer falls rapidly and ir-
regularly, sometimes dropping an inch in
a few minutes as the center of the hurri-
cane passes As a result of this low pres
sure in the storm center the heavier air
PUSHES in from all sides to restore the
equilibrium.
EaTth'S Motion an Element.
The earth's revolution on its axis causes
any freely moving body, as the air. to
deyiato from the path along which its
inertia alone would tend to direct il. In /
the Northern hemisphere this deviation is
always toward the right Hence the air
masses which are set in motion toward the /
center are detected to the right 1
Of that center and a whirling movement |
Of the winds results. The surface winds /
thus blow spirally inward toward the
hurricane center. with a rotation about 4
that center in a direction opposite to that
of the hands of a witch, when held face
upward The heated air in the center Of 4
the hurricane is rising, being lifted, as It 1
were. by the thrush Of the heavier air /
from all sides Hence IN the extremely /
high strata Of the atmosphere above the /
hurricane center there is a counter cur 1
rent OF air spreading ont over the lower
strata in all directions from the center.
As the direction of movement of this 4
overflow is opposite to that of the in /
flow along the surface Of the earth. the /
DETECTING force that causes it to deviate /
to the right viii result in a whirl in the 4
upper strata of the atmosphere in the 4
opposite direction from that on the 4
earth's surface That is to say. on the 4
earth's surface the wind movement about 1
the hurricane center is rotary and anti
clockwise; in the upper atmosphere the
wind movement is rotary, clockWise about
he storm center.