Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-05
Hills of Island
Deaden Fury
of Wind.
VELOCITY DROPS
TO 5O-MILE GAIT
Weaker Hurricane
Holds to Course
Aimed at i. S.

Unable to hurdle the West In
dian mountains, the hurricane
which wrecked Santo Domingo
appeared today to have spent its
fury, virtually ending threats Of
further damage, Forecaster
Charles L. Mitchell announced to-
day.
The hurricane hurled itself
against the mountains of the is
land group with terrific force, but
emerged from the encounter bad
ly beaten, reports received today
from the hurricane area indicated.
Path Remains Unchanged.
"The storm has dwindled into
something that no one in Cuba or
Florida need worry about to any
extent" the Governments hur-
ricane expert declared.
1.-The path of the disturbance remains
UNCHANGED, and present indications are
that the center win pass through North
ern Cuba and the Florida Straits, as
previously announced, but no winds OF
damaging velocity are anticipated"
The remains OF the hurricane today
were over or near the north central
coast of Cuba, Mr.. Mitchell stated. Lat
est adviees from weather stations and
ships are that the winds are under SO
miles an hour. as compared with veloci-
ties two or three times in excess Of
that figure recorded in Santo Domingo.
Lose Intensity Quickly.
Mr.. Mitchell points out that hurri-
canes quickly lose their intensity over
land. 1t Is over open stretches OF water
that they attain their greatest fury.
Mountains and broad expanses of land
usually sound q death knell for the
tropical disturbances.
What Is left of the present storm
should reach the Florida Straits within
the next "A hours, but there Is little
likelihood now that strong winds will
accompany 1t.
May Break Drought
A possibility that the hurricane might
break the drought somewhere in Gen.
trail United States was seen today by
Mr.. Mitchell, but he added that it was
zone day too early to make definite
predictions"
Mr.. Mitchell said he probably would
be able to forecast definitely by IL
o'clock tomorrow.
"If the storm enters the Gulf keep
ing its cyclonic character" he said, ut
will have to get out somewhere, and
wherever it goes it will bring rain,
whether it carries much wind or not"
At present, Mr.. Mitchell said, he
could see no real reason for predicting
that such would be its course.
Breathing easier, in unison with citi-
Gems in the menaced area, Forecaster
Mitchell took leave of his reports and
maps today long enough to describe
by radio the origin Of West Indian
hurricanes.
"All of you," Mitchell said, doubt
less have experienced a state of mind
known as the 'doldrums,' when there
was a sort of sense of depression with
variable decisions that lacked force and
permanence.
DOldrums in Air.
There is an area called the dol
of the Equator between South America
and Africa, that moves northward and
southwark with the sun, and In this
belt there is a slight depression of the
barometer, the winds are light and
variable as q rule and local thunder
storms of the usual afternoon con-
ventional type are rather frequent"
When the "doldrums" are near the
Equator, nothing happens, because the
defective force of the earth's rotation,
necessary to begin q cyclonic storm, Is
SO near zero that storms cannot origi-
nate.
But in late Summer and early Au-
tumn the "doldrums" move near to the
Cape Verde Islands and the defective
force is quite suficient to initiate a
cvclonic circulation" Mitchell said.
Then, by some so-called trigger ac-
ton which Is not thoroughly under
stood, cyclonic circulation is set up"
the forecaster added.
once started, the storms gain vio-
lence, and the usual West Indies dis
turbance moves slightly north and east
to west at IL to IA miles an hour. 1t
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