Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-11
By DAVID L. BOWEN

Associated Press NewsfeatureS Writer
This week the seasons first
big hurricane, nicknamed Con-
ME, boiled up from the tropics.
Although 20 years ago it would
have caused little excitement
except in the Gulf States and
along the lower half of the East
ern seaboard, the first big blow
of 1855 was being carefully
watched by Fasteners from the
tip of Florida all the way to the
Canadian border.
1t was under close surveillance
because hurricanes in recent
years have broken from their
traditional track along the East
ern seaboard. With increasing
frequency they have held a
steady northward course bring
ing them disastrously ashore
along the upper half Of the
Atlantic coast. instead of turn
ing harmlessly out into the
Atlantic.
Last year three brutal hurri-
canes, tracked on the accom-
panying map. rampaged across
Middle Atlantic and Northeast
coasts. Their total damage is
reckoned at more than $3.50 mil
lion. Hundreds of persons in the
United States and Canada were
killed.
Less Havoc Seen in IS
Weather Bureau scientists
have advanced a theory which
accounts for this unusual hurri-
cane behavior. On the strength
of it, they are willing to say the
early indication is the Northeast
will not be subjected this year
to the punishment it took last
year.
The theory developed by the
Weather Bureau holds that over
the last 20 years there has been
fundamental distortion of
weather forces in the East.
Jerome Namias. head Of the bu-
reau's long-range forecasting
section. says a great deal more
research is necessary to complete
the picture. but advances this
outline based on evidence now
available:
Frequently in the last 20 years,
an area of high pressure has
been noted over the North
Atlantic off Newfoundland. This
high pressure area usually is &C
companied by distortion Of the
pattern of high altitude polar
air streams. The normal course
of this stream in the fall Is q
fairly even line across the upper
part of the United States.
When the high pressure area
10 present, the stream is char
acterized by huge undulations.
making 1t appear on a map Of
the world like a gigantic moving
snake. The northern peak Of
one loop usually falls near the
Rocky Mountains and the next
above the high pressure area in
the Atlantic. In between, the
stream of high altitude air bends
far to the south and then comes
north almost parallel to the
Atlantic coast. 1t is not known
whether the pressure area is
the result of the polar air
streams fluctuations, or the I'M
dulations the result Of the pres
sure area.
Whatever the relation be-
tween the two, the high-pres-
sure area and the northward
flow Of high-altitude air west of
it have substantial effect on
Northeast weather.
The typical Eastern seaboard
hurricane pattern of the past
saw the vast whirling masses of
air curve gently toward the east
as they moved northward from
tropic breeding grounds, thus
missing the coastline.
Pulled by Air Stream
The Weather Bureau theory
Is that last year the high-pres-
sure area of Newfoundland pre-
vented the hurricanes from
bending to the East. Embedded
in the near due-north move
ment OF high-altitude air &C
companying the high-pressure
area, they were instead pulled
northward over the Middle At
lantic and New England States
at high speed.
The high-pressure area caus-