Year: 1875




arriving from points on the Gulf coast, where
the first evidences of its force became appar-
ent. The advance of this meteor at the
period of the autumnal equinox, or that
in which the suns apparent course
southwark crosses the Equator may lead
to the supposition that we are experiencing
an equinoctial storm generated by change
of meteorological conditions dependent on
the position of the sun, and that it is a sea-
sonable visitation only, perhaps, of more
than ordinary violence but in this view we
may err, because the tempest that is now APP
preaching our latitude is more likely to be
! due to a long continuance of those atmos-
| pheric disturbances which seem to have
extended during the summer months, and in
an almost uniform degree, over wide zone
of the Northern Hemisphere.


kilograms from India, Central and South
ern Europe, and from the Mississippi Valley
region of this Continent have reached us
simultaneously, giving accounts of disas-
trous floods arising from extraordinary rain
falls All previously established rules that
were believed to govern meteorological varia-
tions have been rendered almost value
less when applied to the investigation
of phenomena that bear relation to the
general condition of the atmosphere
similar to those attendant on volcanic
convulsions to the earth. AS already
stated in the HERALD, the coming
storm has had its origin in the northerly
edge of the zone of equatorial calms, where
an extended area of low barometrical press
ure was created by the enormous evapora-
ton, and this atmospheric condition being
in antagonism with the areas of high barom-
eter in the more northerly latitudes, west
! erly movement with the prevailing wind
took place, and which was accompanied by
the inevitable rotary motion of the air
around the centre of disturbance, caused
by the constantly changing atmospheric
temperature incidental to the progress of
the meteor, and to the effort to
re-establish an equilibrium of pressure be-
tween the areas of high and low barometer.
Having clear sea path, which offered the
least obstruction to the advance of the storm,
the rotary motion of the air increased with
the westward progress of the storm and had
attained fearful speed when the cyclone
reached the Cuban coast. From thence the
storm travelled under the influence of the
Gulf Stream, which warm current opened up
for it what might be termed line of least
resistance OF a track of atmospheric humid
ity more nearly approaching that of the
storm area itself than that of the adjoining
waters. Hence we find that it travelled on
the curve of a parabola the apex of which
was located near Galveston, which city neces-
sarily received the full shock of the cyclone
and for longer period than any other point
along it's track. There are in this partic-
ular storm certain well recognized fea-
lures which mark it as a genuine cyclone,
as distinct from the class of meteors known
as tornadoes. The fury of its rotary move
ment is in marked disproportion to the
actual rate of advance along it's path-that is,
the velocity of the wind revolving around
the centre of disturbance is immense
while the progress of the meteor itself is very
slow In all storms in the Northern Hemis-
phere the direction of revolution is
from right to left, or against the sun,
and, as a consequence, the direction
of detection when the storm impinges on
mountain chains or on barriers of high at
mospheric pressure will be northeasterly.
Consequently, we find that all storms on our
Continent, whether they come from the
northwest or, like this cyclone, from the
south, tend to the northeast and invariably
pass over Nova Scotia or through the valley
of the ST. Lawrence in their progress toward
the high latitudes of the North Atlantic.


We have already traced in our articles the
path of the cyclone and explained how the
Signal Service Office has carefully observed
the progress of these destructive visitors and
warned the shipping of their approach. Our
demonstrations have been fully verified by
the latest kilograms from the South. Some
idea of the extraordinary violence of the gale
can be formed when we find that it caused
such extensive destruction of ships actually
lying at their docks We learn that one
steamer, the Beardstown, was broken to
pieces at her wharf while other vessels were
driven through the great pile bridge of the
railroad crossing Galveston Bay, demolish-
ing large sections of that necessarily sub
stantial structure and completely wrecking
the colliding ships The sea seems to have
been lifted bodily and deposited on the land
so as to leave but little time for the removal
Of goods or the saving of exposed build
ings. Nothing in the history of Gulf storms
compares with this terrific cyclone. Old
shipmasters who have been familiar with the
navigation Of the Gulf for years refused to
leave port during the gale that prevailed and
in showing this commendable prudence they
certainly saved their ships from destruction
| One vessel, the Australia, while loading with
cotton in the outer anchorage, was forced
from her moorings and driven ashore,
sixty miles from Galveston, and totally
,,.ool-od The force of the wind LIo,,,;,,o, =,