CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THE WASON CHINESE COLLECTION Cornell University Library QC 948.H79 The typhoons of the Chinese seas In the 3 1924 024 041 935 V, Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024041935 ZI-RA-WEI OBSERVATORY •NEAR SHANGHAI, CHINA THE TYPHOONS OF THE CHINESE SEAS IN THE YEAR 1881 MARC DECHEVRENS S. J. DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY. r«iSCAV» FEINTED AT THE CATHOLIC MISSION'S PKESS, TOtJ-Sril-WAI. 1882. KELLY ^ WALSH— Shanghai. jl,_SLSULSLSULXSJULSLSLSlJLSLSLSLJLSLJLSLSLXSLS^^ PREFACE. The following pages are devoted to the study of the Typhoons of 1881. The investiga- tion has been carried further than last year, thanks to the greater number of available docu- ments and to the active cooperation of many who evinced a truly incredible zeal in supplying me with information. It is a grateful duty for me to acknowledge my obligations to them, but I cannot possibly name all those to whom I am indebted for collaboration and I shall only mention a few : — Capt. F. W. Schulze of the S. S. Keelung, whose zeal for the ad- vancement of Meteorology in the China seas is above all praise, — Lieutenants Carpenter and Belam E.N. of H.M.S. Magpie who took the initiative of sending me in full the valuable series of the observations they had made all through the past season, when on surveying duty in the China Sea, — the Harbour-Master at H ong-kong who, together whith his own observations, sent me at various times many valuable reports he had obtained from Ship Captains, — the board of Chinese Customs to whom I am indebted for a complete and regular communication of the daily observations in the harbours and light-houses on ihe coast, without which I should have found the present investigation impossible. — The translation of these pages originally written in French, was made by one of us whom a for- mer residence in England and in America had somewhat qualified for this irksome task : let him receive here again my heartfelt thanks. The present work, on perusal, is anything but entertaining. It will no doubt appear dry and tedious ; there will be found repetitions and lengthy discussions about seemingly insignificant facts. The object however has been, not to amuse or to move the reader, but to give him information, and still better to furnish him with the means of studying by himself questions of equal interest to meteorologists and sea-faring men. I have, as much as possible, given all the principal documents used in laying out the tracks of the Typhoons : they may be useful for going over that work again. My interpre- tation of the observations will perhaps sometimes appear fanciful. To say the truth, all difficulties have not been solved and there have been cases where, in spite of the great number of documents come to hand, information has yet been deficient in completeness. It is particularly in regard to secondary whirlwinds or half-spent Typhoons after a run over the continent, that the investigation is more difficult, but the tracks I have marked out for them are at least likely, however strange some of them may seem. I trust this long investigation notwithstanding its defects will not be without some useful result. In the course of it I have repeatedly found a confirmation of those general principles concerning the nature and shape of atmospheric whirlwinds which I had laid down after making a special study of the Typhoon of July 31st 1879 and of the fourteen Typhoons of 1880. I hope the summer of the present year 1882 will yet shed light on many a point and give us the means of further improving our knowledge of those grand natural phenomena. Zi-ka-wei, June 1st 1882. TABLE. i-reiace First Typhoon : Second id : Third id : Fourth id : Fifth id : Sixth id : Seventh id : Eighth id : Ninth id : Tenth id : Eleventh id : Twelfth id . Thirteenth id : Fourteenth id : Fifteenth id : Sixteenth id : Seventeenth id : Eighteenth id : Nineteenth id : Twentienth id . Conclusion "Elgin'," Typhoon - May 22nd — June 1st 1881. " Swatow" Typhoon — June 27th — July 2nd. "Hainan" Typhoon — July 6th — 12th. "Shanghai" Typhoon — July 10th — 22nd. First "Japan" Typhoon — July 26th — August 2nd. "Kiang-si" Typhoon — August 10th — 14th. "Manila and Macao" Typhoon — August 18th — 23rd. "Pescadores" and "Chusan" Typhoon — August 22nd — 31st. "Inu-bo-ye" Typhoon — August 31st — September 3rd. " Amoy " and " Tai-wan-foo" Typhoon — September 6th — 13th. ""Wakayama" Typhoon — September 12th — ,15th. "Pratas Reef" Typhoon — September 11th — 20th. "Ash" Typhoon — September 24th —28th. "Tongking" Typhoon — September 29th — October 10th. "Hong-kong" Typhoon — October 11th —18th. "Humboldt" Typhoon — October 18th - 30th. "Monsoon" Typhoon — October 24th — 30th. ' ' Mindanao and Cochin China "Typhoon — November 6th — 12th. "Danube" Typhoon — November 26th — 29th. "Albay" and last Typhoon — December 9th — 14th. JPage I ( PI. I 1 ( id ) u ( i-1 ) 19 ( id 23 ( PI. II 33 ( id 40 ( id 49 (PI. Ill 56 ( id 80 (PI. IV 82 ( id 92 ( PI. Y 103 ( id 112 ( PI. VI ) 124 ( PI. VII 137 ( in 148 (PI. VIII) 153 ( id ) 163 ( id ) 164 166 ERRATA. Page 1 — Track : 27th Noon : latit. 1S.°20' 23 — Track : 19th Noon : ., 34, 30 27th Noon : „ 40. 30 In the middle of the page : Documents relating to this Typhoon. 25 — In the table of the observations at Cuguegaro suppress the column of the Velocity of the wind,. 46 — 25th Une, read : wuoay instead of avay, 56 — Track : 27th Min. 2nd Centre : longit. 119.°40' 91 — At the top of the page, read : September — "Amoy and Tai-wan-foo" Typhoon. 152 — 12th line from the foot of the page, read : 31st instead of 2l8t. THE TYPHOONS OF THE CHINESE SEAS IN THE YEAR 1881, "ELGIN" TYPHOON First Typhoon: May 22d — June 1st. TRACK Date 22d May 23d „ 24th „ 25th „ 26th „ 27th „ 28th „ 29th „ 30th „ 31st „ 1st Jxine EVENTS: Great violence at Ma/nMa : squalls 88 mites — calm at Ih. p.m. on the i'Jth — lowest reading of the barometer 29'.''52 from \h. to 2h. p.m.— Winds : NE. N. NNW. E. ESE. Wreck of the British Steamer Elgin on the Bombay Shoal ( Paraeds group, in the Chinese Sea) on the 28JA at 2h. 15" a.m. — lowest reading of the barometer 29™21 ai ih. p.m. on the 27th — Wirnds.- Nby W. JV. NE. E. SE. SEby E. — Winds of hurricane force. Curious backing of the Typhoon on the Chinese Sea after having touched the coast of Cockinchina. Before the Typhoon : Manila — For the first fortnight of May very steady SE. winds prevailed at Manila ; the barometer was high, ranging between 29'."85 and 29'."95. From the 14th the temperature rose almost everywhere on the island and the barometer took to sinking. At the same time a complete change took place in the direction of the Latitude N. Longitude E. Midn. 12°. 15' 126.° 30' Noon SE. coast 13. 125. 45 Midn. of 13. 30 124. 45 Noon Luzon 14 123. 30 Midn. 14. 15 122. 10 1 Noon Midn. Manila U. 14. 25 30 121. 119. 45 Noon 14. 30 118. 30 Midn. 14. 35 117. 20 Noon China 14. 45 116. j Midn. Sea 14. 55 114. 15 j Noon 15. 112. 30 Midn. 15. 45 in. Noon Coast fl5. 50 109. 30 ( Midn, of 16. 15 108. ( Noon Coohinchina .16. 45 108. Midn. 17, 30 108. 15 Noon Baek to 17. 4« ? 109. 15 ? Midn. Chinese 18. ? 110. 30 ? Noon Sea 18. ? 112. ? Midn. 18. 30? 113. 30? ■: MAY ELGIN TYPHOON. winds which then oscillated between NE. andNW. In the afternoon of the 22d the wind settled in a NE-NNEly direction, which was also invariably that of the lower clouds : there was no more doubt that a centre of de- pression formed somewhere to the So.ith-east of the Archipelago: the constancy of the wind in a NEly direc- tion showed clearly enough that it was following up the eastern coast. fA^o^e of the R.F. FauraJ. Chinese Sea South of Hainan — - The change in the state of the atmosphere observed at Manila about the middle of May was not confined to the Phiiippinas Archipelago : at Hongkong ( Victoria Peak, Gape d'Aguilar), as early as the 9th, E. and NE. winds had suddenly succeeded to the SW. wind that had been blowing since tlie beginning of the month and the barometer rose. But on the 14th., owing to a storm that, between the 14th. and 19th., crossed China from West to East at ihe longitude of Shanghai, SE. and S. winds came to prevail. On the 24th. E. winds obtained again in the Soutb with a further fall of the barometer; the depression this time was to extend over the China Sea, Cocliinchina and Tonkin : it seems to have influenced the Typhoon formed to the South-east of Luzon and deflected it from its original direction causing it to traverse Luzon by the latitude of Manila and run over the China Sea which it crossed from East to West. The high pressure elicited by the whirlwind on its outer edge all along its track, soon filled up the atmo- spheric depression : a barometric minimum was observed on the 26th. about the Southern coast of China, viz. 29\"820 at Hong-kong and 29" 7 19 on board the H.M.S. Magpie near the Northern coast of Hainan. The Centre of the Typhoon, at that moment (4 p.m.), was in the middle of the China Sea, 450 miles South-east of the Magpie: that vessel had then E. wind force 3-4. The Typhoon: Ist Period : Crossing the Phiiippinas Archipelago. The Typhoon was probably formed between the Pelew Islands and the Phiiippinas Archipelago, about 135° longitude and between 8° and 10° latitude N. ; it must have commenced about May 1 Uh. when the prevail- ing wind at Manila changed suddenly; but its progress was at first very slow and its presence was not certain for the Observer at the Manila Observatory before the 22d. On the 23d, 8 a.m., a telegram from Tayabas, about 60 miles SE. of the Capital, showed that the barometer at that station was "08 lower than at Manila. On the eastern coast of the southern part of Luzon, wind already blowing strongly froin NE., heavy rain, Typhoon evidently approaching. The German barque Patagonia from Hamburg and the British ship Wemyss Caslle from Cardiff (Wales) report having encountered bad weather off the island of Lueban,in Minoro (South of Manila); it began to blow hard on the afternoon of the 23d; wind from the NW. ; the gale at its greatest force between 5h. and lOh. on the following morning. Tlie Patagonia lost a suit of sails; there were much rain and high sea. At Manila, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., on the 23d, barometer sinking notably ; from 4h. to 9 or 10 p.m., the rise due to the daily normal oscillation is indicated by an interruption in sinking; wind, after 4 p.m., fre- quently oscillating between N. and NW. At sunset all the horizon of a purple coppery hue ressembling the blaze of an immense fire. At 10 p.m. strong wind from H\Y. ; squalls with heavy showers, the wind then oscillating from WNW. to W. (winds strongly convergent). On the 24th, 8 a.m., the Centre of the Typhoon was East of Manila, it entered the Laguna, thus proceed- ing straight westwards. It is interesting to observe what way the Typhoon follows to avoid the high mountains of the northern part of Luzon to which its first direction carried it : it is the shortest way to the China Sea and MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. 3 also the easiest, since the narrow isthmus is mostly occupied by the large water expanses of the Laguna and of Manila Bay. The marked convergence of the winds at Manila must necessarily have been accompanied by a strong inclination upwards, to carry into the upper and colder regions of the air the enormous mass of vapour taken up from the Laguna and Manila Bay; hence heavy rains during the night of the 23d-24tli and the morning of the 2ith (r"88 at Manila up to Noon); hence probably also on that part of the great Island an absolute minimum of pressure or at least an extension more decided to the west of the low pressures which attracted the Centre of the whirlwind in that direction and immediately caused it to deviate from its first course, bearing to the North-west. About lOh. 30'" a.m., according to observations made on board the Steamer Lipa anchored at Santa Cruz, the central calm extented over the Laguna. Now, as the Director of the Manila Observatory judiciously remarks, the wind which then, according to the circular winds theory, must have been blowing over the town, would have been N. with a slight inclination to E. ; and yet it was NW. with frequent excursions as far as W. A de- viation of the aerial currents by the mountain chains of the island would not be sufficient alone to account for such a convergence of the winds, particularly as it was from the West that the strongest squalls came. At 1 p.m. on the 24th, the wind abated and ceased for a few moments. At 1h. 15" it .shifted suddenly from NNW. to ESE. immediately taking a greater intensity than before (53.2 miles). The barometer was at its lowest point (29. "52) and kept there till 2 p.m. ; it then took to rising whilst the wind oscillated between E. and SE. ; its violence constantly increased till 2h. 45™, when its velocity attained 75.4 miles. It then settled ESE., thus keeping a direction of marked convergence to the Centre which was running away westward and entering the China Sea. It appaars then that Manila, if not on the very path of the Typhoon, at least was within the narrow circle of central calm. The observations made at the Observatory compared with tho.se made on board the sloop of war Dona Maria de Molina lying at anchor at Canacao and with those made on Corregidor Island at the entrance of Manila Bay, show that the Centre must have passed in the South-west about Ih. SO"* p.m. During the passage of the Storm, the wind was far more violent after than before the barometric mi- nimum, from ESE. than from NW. The strongest squalls gave a velocity of 88 miles an hour, but such violent blows were infrequent and of short duration; the maximum velocity generally did not exceed 72 miles an hour. W^e may remark that the directions successively taken by the lower clouds. Cumuli and Nimbi, during the passage of the Typhoon at Manila, were much less convergent to the centre than the directions of the winds at the surface of the soil. The following Table gives the observations taken at the Manila Observatory. MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. Observatory of the Ateneo municipal at Manila (Philippinas Islands). DIRKCTOR: RF. FAURA S.J. Date Hours Baro- meter ^Vi:Mls Direct. Veloc. fT.f P-. dity. oitiieair «/ I 7o Tens, of vap . Clouds Upper Lower Raiu Remarks in miles Mav 22d Noon 29.85 NW 4.4 1 P. M. .82 NW 5.5 2 .72 N\V 4.8 3 .76 NNE 11.0 4 .75 NNE 9.2 5 .78 NB 8.8 (5 .80 NE 11.0 7 .82 NK 8.8 8 .84 NE 4.4 9 .85 NE 5.5 10 .86 NNE 5.3 11 .85 NNE 5.3 May 23d Midnight .85 N 6.6 1 A. M. .83 NNE 75 2 .84 NE 4.2 3 .80 NNE 5.3 4 .80 NE 6.4 5 .82 NE 2.2 C .82 NE 2.2 7 .83 NNE 0.7 8 .84 N 2.2 9 .85 N 4.4 10 .83 NNE 3.7 11 .82 NNE 7.3 Noon .82 NNE 8.8 1 A. M. .78 NNE 5.9 2 .77 NNE 5.9 3 .74 NbyE 15.4 4 .72 NNE 11.0 5 .72 NNW 10.8 6 .74 N by E 10.3 7 .74 NNW 7.5 8 .74 N 7.3 9 .76 N 10.3 10 .74 NW 18.3 11 .74 N by W 20.7 May 24tli Midnight .71 NNW 25.1 1 A. U. .69 NbyW 28.4 2 .67 N 15.9 3 .65 NNW 18.5 4 .65 NNW 11.9 5 .65 NNW 11.0 6 .07 NNW' 11.2 7 .69 N 13.2 8 .70 NNW 12.8 9 .69 NNW 13.0 10 .67 N 23.5 11 .63 N 31.9 Noon .60 N by W 20.9 1 P. M. .52 NNW 17.6 2 .52 E 64.2 3 .60 Ehy S 75.2 4 .62 ESE ■} 5 .64. ESE y 6 .67 ESE j 7 .71 ESE 9 8 .74 E oy S 9 9 .79 ESE ? 10 .80 EbyS 9 11 .79 ESE ? May 24th Midnight .79 ESE 9 1 A. M. .78 ESE 9 2 .77 E 9 3 .76 E 9 4 .76 EbyS 9 5 .77 E ? 6 .78 E 6.6 7 .79 ESE 5.5 8 .81 ESE 3.3 9 .83 ESE 1.3 10 .85 ESE 5.9 85.6 71 85.3 73 84.9 70 87.3 63 88.2 59 89.1 54 87 8 55 82.6 73 82.2 69 81.7 70 81.0 73 81.0 77 81.0 77 79.5 81 79.5 83 77.7 82 77.0 91 78.6 85 78.8 88 79 5 85 81.3 79 83.1 75 86.5 64 87.4 70 83.3 85 85.8 69 86.4 61 86.5 61 80.2 62 84.2 71 81.. 2 7t 83.8 72 83.5 73 78.6 86 80.1 80 80.1 82 79.7 83 79.7 85 78.8 93 78.8 92 75.2 92 77.7 92 77.4 91 76.8 92 76.1 90 76.1 88 75.9 87 76.1 87 76.1 83 74.1 87 74.1 97 71.1 99 74.1 99 74.1 99 75.6 92 75.7 84 75.6 84. 75.4 82 75.7 SO 75,4 86 7G.1 83 76.1 80 76.1 80 76.8 88 75.6 82 77.4 75 77.7 84 77.7 86 79.2 87 82.4 75 81.9 72 0.870 0.880 .839 .815 .780 .733 .721 .815 .7eo .760 .708 .815 .807 .811 .835 .827 .847 •831 .862 .851 .843 .843 .803 •906 •965 .847 .764 .764 .768 .827 .835 .862 •839 •839 .818 .835 .843 •859 •910 .902 •902 •874 .851 -851 .807 .791 .779 .783 .748 ■729 •818 •835 •835 .835 .811 .741 .744 .721 .709 .756 .748 .717 .717 .717 .725 .701 .799 .815 .822 .827 .858 C C 9 ENE . inc. C 8 C 8 CnlO On 4 Cs Cn Cn Cu Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn Cs NE Ac 8 NNE Br Cn Cu Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn Ni 10 Ni 7 NilO Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 NilO Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 NilO Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 NilO Cn 9 Cn Cn Cji Cn Cn Cn Cn Cn ENE NE ENE ENE NE ENE NE ENE NE NNE NE NNE NNE N NNE N NNE N N SE St; SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SE SK SE SK SE SE SE SE SE SE SK SE 0.004 1.851 4.214 0.736 The Southern region of the sky, up to the zenith, overspread "with very liigh vaporous Cirri. In the lower re- gions a gre t deal of Cumuli from ENE. To the Souh-east lowering sky, a sign of bad weather ; continued all the following night. At 7 p.m. drizzling rain. A 10 p.m. horizon overcast to the East and Easb-south-east. High clouds as before up to the zenith ; low isolated clouds running swiftly from North- north-east— Barometer ; only a slight evening maximum. May23d,4a.m : Skyas before, though darker to the East and South-east. 8 a.m. Despatches from Daet and Ati- monam bringing notice of fresh NE. wind with rain. Information giv^n to the Harbour ma ter and to the te- legraph office. Daily barometric oscillation but tri- fling — Sky getting darker a,nd darker to the South-east and East-north-east. Towards sunset the clouds to the East take a bright coppery hue, giving the appearance of a huge fire. 10 p.m. : wind freshening, often shift- ing to WNW. andNW. During the night heavy rain ; N. and NNW. wind; barometer continues to fall. May 21th, 6 a.m., weather continues the same ; wind getting settled NNW.; barometer falling. 10 a.m. i 11a.m. 1 No change. 1 p.m. Calvi for a few moments; clouds forming a bar running from North-west to South-east. Then all at once furious wind from ESE. ; a deluge of rain. Typhoon moving westward. Tele- graphed to Hongkong. Second Period : Through the China Sea. The loss of the British Steamer Elgin on the Bombay shoal of the Paracels and the rough weather that prevailed on the 28th of May along the coast of Gochinchina in the vicinity of Touron, leave no doubt with regard to the path of the Typhoon. MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. 5 Proceeding from Manila it passed a little to the South of the Paracels and touched the coast ofGochinchina somewhat above the 15th degree of latitude. The wreck of the Elgin is the only noteworthy incident in this run of the Typhoon over the China Sea. We sliall give a relation of it by Mr. Ross, chief Officer, as we find it in the Hongkong Daily Press; we also shall further on reproduce the complete report which that Officer gave to Mons. Riviere de la Mure, commanding the French Transport ship Le Drac which received part of tlie shipwrecked men and which has been kindiv communicated to us. The Steamer Elgin had left Saigon for Hongkong on May 2ith, with a cargo of rice and 50 persons on board. "Left Saigon on May 2ith about 11.30 and passed Cape St. James at 6 o'clock same day. The weather was fine, clear, and dry, with light, variable winds; the same conditions were experienced on the following day and up to noon of the 26lh, when a northerly swell set in; the wind, which was increasing, had by evening developed into a regular NNVV. gale. The sea increased considerably as night came on ; awnings were furled. At midnight a high sea was ruiming and the vessel shipped tremendous quantities of water. This weather con- tinued all night. The morning of the 27lh showed no improvement. The engines were slowed at 2 a.m. ; by noon a hard gale was blowing, and at 2 p.m. it had attained hurricane force, and the ship was labouring heavily. Heavy seas were continually being shipped, and by one of these .six Chinese members of the crew were badly injured, and afterwards another sea carried away the ventilator from the forecastle and filled that part of the ship with water. At 4 p.m. the barometer read 29.21, which reading was the lowest reached during the storm. The same weather continued throughout the night. On the morning of the 28th, the Elgi^i struck a reef, bumping forward and amidships. The engines were immediately put full speed astern, but without any visible movement of the vessel. Finding her immovable, cargo was thrown overboard ; this had no effect. At 4 a.m. the vessel, continuing to bump heavily, commenced to fill. Soundings were taken of the water round the vessel. More cargo was thrown overboard, and the process of lightening the ship was continued all day. By this time the vessel had acquired a considerable list to port. All efforts to right her were fruitless. As the tide fell her list increased and her fore and main holds were full of water, the dry reel becoming visible to the eastward as the tide went down. By It a.m. the men were unable through exhaustion to work longer. The ship had by noon settled into a quiet position, and the vessel was getting by this time quite full of water. On the morning of the 29th, the tide rising and a heavy sea running over the reef, it was determined that, as the ship commenced to bump again, and there was, to all appearance, no possibility of getting her off, the boats should be provisioned and got ready. This work proceeded at all intervals approaching a quieter condition which occurred during the day, and the work was completed by sundown. The boats lay by the ship all night, and at sunrise next morning all left in the three boats. Eight Europeans and 42 others, crew and passengers, mostly Chinese, left the wreck in safety ; two or three died of exposure or exhaustion. The boat in charge of Mr. Ross made most headway, so much so that just before sunset he put about to hail the captain, whose boat was astern of the other two. Mr. Ross last saw the captain and second officer and their respective boats at sundown on Monday evening; he saw both their lights up to 11 o'clock that night. They were then steering a NE. course with a not unfavourable wind ; on Tuesday he was enabled to take an observation and found his position to be lat. 17'. l' N., long. 113" 26 E. All this day nothing was sighted. The next day a disagreeable change in the weather took place, and heavy rain with variable winds was experienced, lasting all night, varied by occa- sional squalls up to noon Thursday, when the wind came steady out of the NE. continuing till Friday evening. 6 MAY ELGIN TYPHOON. when the breeze moderated. On Saturday morning a light easterly wind sprang up, and about 10 a.m. Mr. Ross made out the top-gallant-masts of a vessel which subsequently proved to be the French Transport Drac, which in some two hours more picked them up, in latit. 2l! 4 N. — long. 1 13° 37 E. " Of the two other boats carrying the remainder of the shipwrecked men, one was picked up by the steamer Loudoun Castle on June 2d, by 18! 46' latitude: "At Ih. 45™ a.m., there was observed a light flashing on starboard bow, bearing SW by W. Bore down for it and came upon a boat belonging to steamer Elgin. Took all hands on board out of the boat, comprising Captain Miller, Mr. Mitchell chief engineer, W. Shields donkey- man, an Annamite woman, a Chinese woman, 13 Chinamen and a child. " — They were all safely landed at Singapore on the 6th June. I append an abstract of the log book of the Elgin, from the French translation of the Commandant of the Drac Transport ship who had received it from Mr. Ross. Abstract of the Logbook of the British Steamer ELGIN. CAPTAIN MILLER Bound from Saigon for Hongkong and wrecked on the Bombay Shoal (Paracels). Date Hours, Courses Speed ■Wind Barom. Events 1881 steered May 26th Noon NNE k. 8.0 NNW 5 Noon: Fresh breeze. Heavy head sea — shipping a good deal of water over 2 P. M. NNE 8.0 NNW 5 the cathead. 4 NNE 7.0 NNW 5 6 1 NN'E 7.0 NNW 5 8 1 NNE 7.0 NNW 6 8 p.m. Strong breeze — sea getting higher. 10 NNE 6.0 NNW 7 May 27th Midnight NNE 6.0 NNW 8 Midn. Fresh gale— hard sea— shipping a great deal of water over the bows. 2 A. M. NNE 6.0 NNW 9 4 NNE 4.0 N 9 The day begins with a fresh gale — high sea breaking heavily. 6 NNE 3.0 N 9 8 NNE 3.0 N 10 8 a.m. Sea rising — ship labouring heavily. 10 NNE 3.0 N 10 Noon NNE 3.0 N 11 Noon; A Cyclone — sea breaking frightfully — shipping enormous quan- 1 P. M. NNE 3.0 NNE 11 tities of water. 2 NNE 3.0 NNE 11 3 p.m. Shipping an enormous sea at the bows. A large wind pipe carried 3 NNE 3.0 NE 12 lowest away — Forecastle filled with water- 4 NE 2.6 EXE 12 29.21 5 NE 2.6 ENE 12 4 p.m. Barometer sinks down to 29^*^21. All sails torn away — wind fright- 6 ENE 2.6 E 12 fully strong — heavy sea breaking over. 7 ENE 2.6 ESE 11 8 B 2.6 ESE 11 8 p.m. No change in the wind or sea. Shipping enormous quantities of 9 E 2.6 SE 11 water — Ship labouring heavily. 10 E 2.6 SE 11 11 ESE by E 2.6 SE 11 May 23th Midnight ESE by E 2.6 SE 11 A sad beginning of the day — sea breaking over. — blowing a hurricane. 1 A.M. i ESE by E 2.6 SE 2 ESE by E 2.0 SEbyE 9 1. 15 a.m. Striking on a reef slightly amidship and forward. 3 )) 1' SEbyl 9 4 p.m. Ship begins to strike violently amidship and to fiU with water. Taking the men from off the c.irgo and lowering life boats. May 29fch Midnight at sunset )) >j ESE E 6 6 Midnight — Fresh breeze ESE. Sky cloudy. daybreak got the I oats alongside on the lee side • enormous seas from the North. (1) 2 a.m. Ship striking again and taking much water in amidship — At • Ship striking violently — hard sea from the North — At sunset fresh wind from E. ; (1) I beg, ill the interest of Science and of Navigation to be allowed to give here the sentence of the Marine Court of Inquiry which sat at Singapore to inquire into the loss of the steamer Elgin — It is perfectly plain and clear : a further discussion of the foregoing report will then be unnecessary. " The Court consider that the master of the vessel committed an error of judgment in pursuing his course of NNE. for so many hours with the wind at NNW. and a low barometer, instead of running to the southward. They also consider that the loss of the vessel was due to the master's lack of confidence in the recognised rules of the law of storms. After the ship struck everything that could be attempted was done. The Ciinrt did not think it necessary to deal with the certificates of the officers or master, but were of opinion tliat the muster should be reprimanded; vjhich was done. They also suggest tlmt more particular examinations should be held regarding the laws of storms fw candidates passing for command of vessels engaged in the waters of the China Sea. " MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. 7 Between the Paracels and the coast of Gochincliina we have no information beyond the following docu- ment, and that meagre enough : "The British barque Hotspur, Captain Jack, was towed into Hongkong on the 12th June by the steamer Yottung in a disabled condition, she having experienced she full fury of a Typhoon on the '28th of May, while at anchor in the roadstead of Quanghai, coast of Gochinchina. It appears that the vessel began to drive, and Captain Jack was compelled to cut away the masts to prevent her from being driven among tiie breakers. After the masts were cut away the vessel managed to hold, and ultimately the steamer Yoftimg called in, took the Hotspur in tow and brought her to Hongkong, via Touron. Fortunately the hull of the barque has not sustained material damage : she does not leak and it is hoped that she will soon be refitted. Part of her cargo, sugar, is destined for Hongkong, and as little or no damage was sustained by it, the lucky escape of the vessel may be imagined. " (China Mail). Some steamers are reported to have met the same storm on the coast of Cochinchina : but no other details. Third Period: The Typhoon turns back towards the East: it finallij disappears. Ths last period is not the least interesting. The whirlwind which, on crossing the China Sea, seemed to be attracted by the land is now repelled ; its track, reflected on the coast, turns back upon itself and this furious Typhoon, on getting to the open sea rapidly abates and soon vanishes entirely. We have said that a barometric minimum had been observed, on the 26th, all along the Southern coast of China. On the 27th, 28th and 29th, the barometer rose again in spite of the proximity of the Typhoon whose diameter N-S. in this region must consequently have been inconsiderable. Thus, on the 28th, the Centre was only 2i0 miles South of Hoihow where the Magpie was riding at anchor; her barometer on the rise marked 29"805, wind feeble (force 1) EbyN. That wind already belonged to the whirlwind; for higher up on the Gulf of Tonquin, at Pakhoi, there was blowing a strong wind WbyN. evidently belonging to the preceding depression that was running off over China. The barometer at Pakhoi and Hoihow did not begin to fall before the alternoon of the 29th. The direction of the wind was at the end of the Gulf of Tonquin NE., North of Hainan SE. On the 28th and 29th, the observer on board the Magpie (Hoihow) noticed a great deal of Cirri whose direction varied from SE. to S., a sure indica- tion of the 'centre of the whirlwind lying in that direction. Flashes of lightning at intervals in the North-West. The progress of the Typhoon from the 30th is clearly enough set out in the following extracts from several reports : Pakhoi (latit. 21I 29' longit. 109' 6') : Chinese Steamer Fung-feng — " May 30th 31st blew hard from N. and NE. with heavy squalls of cold rain and occasional flashes of lightning to the East : barometer ranging between 29.85 and 30.00. — On the evening of the 30th the weather looked so bad that I moved to a more secure anchorage under the lee of the Sandbank North of Pakhoi. — Afternoon of the 31st moderated and the weather looked fine. — June 1st, tine — " MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. Hoihow (latit. 20! 3'— longit. 110!20'): H.M.S. Magpie. Date Hours. Wind B iro- [q, lUunii meter ^ 'I dicy Nebulosity Swell Kemarka 30th May Midniglit 2 A. M. 4 6 8 10 Noon 2 P.M. 4 6 8 10 31st May Midnight 2 A. M. 4 10 Noon 2 P. M. 4 6 8 10 Ist June Midnight SE SE SK SE SE SE SE SSW SSW SSW SSE SSE SB calm calm calm WSW 1 NNE 3 NNE 3-4 NNE 3-4 NEbyN 3-4 NNE 3-4 NNE 2-3 NNE 1 EbyS 1 2 1 I 1 2 2 2-3 2-3 2-3 2 1 1 1 29.S(i8 .875 .87.3 .831 .824 834 .798 .739 .745 .750 .765 .777 .781 .727 .727 .733 .747 .752 .749 .738 .714 .724 .724 .778 .775 82.0 87 80.0 93 82.5 83 81.7 89 79.8 87 79.8 91 79.0 91 78.8 90 80.0 91 77.0 87 76.5 88 77.2 86 77.0 91 2 Cirri S 3 Cum. -Cirri. 5Cam.-ster. 6 Cum. -star. 8 Str. 10 str. 10 Str. 10 Str. 10 Nimbi 10 Str. 10 Str. 10 Nimbi 10 Str. NNE 2 NNE 2 NNE 2 NNE 2 Lightning to NWd. 3.10 a.m. — Lightning ceased. 12.10 — A small shower lasting a few minutes. 1.10 — Dark nimbi forming to the SW"!- gradually extend- ing round to Ni"- and W- — 1. 45 — a heavy shower with thunder and lightning; wind shifted to SSW. 3.30 — Kain ceased and nimbi passed away to the Easf^. 7.45 — Wind backed to SSE. A few passing showers between 2 and 4 a.m. 5 a.m. — A drizzling rain set in, increasing to steady rain 7.45 — A light breeze sprang up from WSW [6.30. 8.10 — Eain fall on last 24 hours 1. 26 inches. 8.50 — Wind shifted suddenly to NNE and freshenad ra- pidly A swell coming up at same time. p.m. — SquaU all the afternoon. 10.30- 10.45 ■ - Wind veered to E by S . - Drizzle ceased. Macao (latit. 22! ll' — longit. 113! 34): Harbour Master's Office. Date Hours Barometer Wind Nebulositj' Remarks 30th May 9 A. M. 29''842 N 1 Alto-cumuli Noon .821 E 4 id 3 P. M. .803 N 5 id 4 .777 N, 5 Cumulo-nimbi 5 .777 N 5 id Lightning 6 .785 NNW 5 id id 9 .809 NNW 5 Nimbi— cum-ni. id — rain 31st May 3 A. M. .770 NNW 5 id Heavy rain 6 .780 NNW 5 id Rain 9 .792 N 5 id Rain Noon .797 N 5 id Heavy rain 3 P. M. .717 B 4 Cumulo-nimbi Blue sky — clouds Ist June 9 A. M. .788 N 4 Alto-cum. id id Noon .796 N 3 Alt.-c — strati id id 3 p. M. .756 N 3 id At Cepe d'Aguilar (height 170 feet), on the 31st Wind : 9 a.m. N. 8 — Noon : N. 6 — 3 p.m. ENE. 4. Swatow (latit. 23! 20' —longit. 116! 43'): Harbour Ma.ster's Office. Date Hours Barometer Wind Nebulosity Rain Remarks 30th May Midnt. in 29.89 NE 3 Ni ] in 4 A. M. .89 NE 3 i 9 .93 NE 2 Ni JNE Noon: temperature 68° Noon .92 NE 1 1 3 p.m. .88 NE 1 Ni ) 0.60 9 hours of Rain 8 .90 E 2 31st May Midnt. .91 E 2 Ni 4 A. M. .91 SE 1 9 .85 NE 1 Ni E Noon .88 NE 1 Noon: temperature 68° 3 p.m. .87 NE 1 Ni 0.75 13 hours of Rain 8 .78 NE 2 1st June Midnt. .78 NE 2 c 4 A. M. .88 NE 1 9 .83 NE 1 Blue sky Noon .85 E 1 id Noon; temperatare 71° 3 P. M. .83 E 1 8 .83 NE 2 id 2d June Midnt. .88 NE 1 1 MAY • ELGIN TYPHOON. Tai-wan-fou (Formosa) (lalit. 22^59 — longit. 120.13'): Harbour Master's Office. Date Hours liarometer Wind Rain Eemarks 30th May 8a.m. 4 p. M. 8 31st May 8 A. M. 4 p. M. 8 1st June 8a.m. 4 P. M. 8 2il June 8 A. M. in ill 29.8.58 NE .773 N .770 N .7al • NNAV .767 NNW .759 NNW 0.90 .765 NNW .763 N .772 calm .818 WNVY 1.21 Fine weatlier — swell on bar. Clouily and rainy we'tlier all day, swell on b.ar, wind frssh from N a.m., NNW. p.m. strong with rrfin squalls, Cloudy weather with rain at intervals all day. — Wind NNW. to N. fresh breeze, moderate swell on bar. Clear weather. At Manila the barometer stood at 29\"893, on May 20th, 8 a.m. ; on the 31st, 4 p.m., it had fallen to 29™705, to rise again. All that time the wind was very feeble and had no connection with the whirlwind : there was nothing more than the regular alternation of the land breeze (NE.) in the morning aud of the sea- breeze (SW.) after noon. But the constant direction E. to W. of the clouds, even in the lower regions, suffi- ciently proved the existence of a Centre of depression west of Luzon, towards which the air was called in. Thus, on May 28th, the Elgin Typhoon certainly reached the coast of Cochinchina. On the 29th a cen- tre of depression took to return towards the Sea in the opposite direction ; it rose somewhat to the North in the direction of Formosa and vanished on the open sea in the evening of the 31st, Velocity — Diameter — Gradient. Velocity — From the 22d to the 24th of May, the mean velocity of the Elgin Typhoon along the eastern coasts of the Philippinas Archipelago seems to have been 4 to 5 miles an hour. Between the 24th and the 28th, across the China Sea, it increased to an average of 13.5 miles. After the 28th, we have no data to estimate the velocity. Diameter — The Typhoon, at the time its central region passed near the town of Manila, seems not to have exceeded 172 miles in its greatest diameter from North to South. As for the region of calm and of ba- rometric minimnm, it must have been about 18 to 20 miles in diameter; for, according to trustworthy observa- tions made on board she sloop of war DoHa Maria de Molina, the Centre pased over S. de Cavite, 9 miles from Manila which itself was on the limit of this central calm. The inconsiderable size of the Elgiji Typhoon off Hainan, at least from S. to N., has already been mentioned. Gradient — The inconsiderableness of the central depression in this Typhoon is truly surprising. It is probably due to the influence of the mountains of Luzon which thwarted its development and progress. At Manila the barometer only sank ^"34 (down to 29i"52); but at sea the depression must have been greater, thanks to the absence of obstacles and to the abundant formation of vapour which hereafter fell in the shape of diluvial rains. Thus on board the Elgin, though she did not pass through tiie Centre, the barometer sank to 29'''21, and it may well be supposed that right at the Centre the atmospheric pressure did not exceed 29V'00. Over Luzon, the amount of depression was only '':53 for 100 nautical miles, very small indeed. At sea, on the 28th midnight, the Centre where the barometer must probably have marked 29'° 00, was about 240 miles South of the Magpie (Hoihow — Hainan), whose barometer then stood at 29'.°81 with a slight tendency to rise. The depression did not then exceed "35 per 100 miles, that is even less than at Luzon. It is true that at that moment the masses of air which the whirlwind tended to throw upon the continent were 10 MAY — ELGIN TYPHOON. already being forced back: the central depression, far from increasing, was getting filled up and vanishing. A last remark on the indications of a storm corning on. The detailed observations reported by the Observatory of Manila ; the facts carefully observed by Lieute- nant H. Belam R.N. on board tlie Magpie and my own exprience warrant me in taking the following pheno- menon as an almost cerlain forerunner of a storm. Generally speaking, in these Chinese seas, especially in the southern regions, as also for the West - India hurricanes, the situation of the Centre of the storm is pretty well indicated by the disposition of the clouds. Whenever the storm is getting nearer or farther, the mass of clouds within the whirlwind is to be seen in tlie shape of an arc of circle more or less developed whose summit lies upon the line drawn from the Centre to the observer. During the passage of the Anticyclone (1) and after that of the storm, there appear Cirri usually feathery, on the edges of that bar of clouds whose motion drives them away from the Centre of depression. Often those Cirri clouds are scattered over the sky, gradually forming a mass of stratus, the apex of which turns towards the point from which the first blow will come. Thus the phenomena are the same for the anticyclone and for the cyclone ; but clouds in the former are Cirri in the highest regions of the air with their apex turned towards the Centre and in the latter they are lower Cumuli or Nimbi with their apex turned towards the Observer in the very direction of the Centre. In the present Typhoon at Manila, the cyclonic phenomenon, less distinct during the first period while the Centre was in the East, became very interesting during the second, the storm raging on the China Sea. The bar of Nimbi formed a well defined arc, the apex of which bore W by N. and when about to disappear, formed gorgeous Cirro-strati which converged to the same point of the horizon. (1) Meteorologists give the name of Anticyclone to a system of facts, gyration of the wind, barometric pressure, humidity of the air and temperature the very opposite of what is usually observed during the passage of a cyclone or storm : the wind turns from left to right (N-E-S-W.), the barometer rises, the tempejature sinks, the humidity increases as the centre of an anticyclone is drawn nearer to. Hence the conception of an inverse circular whirlwind accompanying the main whirlwind as a forerunner, and the anticyclone is classed among atmospheric phenomena by the side of the Cyclone as a satellite wheel revolving in gear with a moving main wheel. This conception is clearly nothing but fancy. In every weU defined Cyclone the special phenomena of the Anticyclone may usually be observed on the outer Umit of the whirlwind which progresses alone, without any satellite, at least of a different species from itself. An Anticyclone may exist by itself : it is then mostly stationary, being in fact nothing more than a circumscribed area of high atmospheric pressure. Those statio- nary Anticyclones are sometimes remarkable for the very low temperature they bring about in very small areas, as for instance the Anti- cyclone of December 1879 during which there was such severe cold in Paris. S WA TO W" TYPHOON' Second Typhoon: June 27th - July 2d. TRACK Latitude N. Longitude E Midn. Noon SB. coast of Luzon 11. 12. 30'? 15 ? 126.° 125. 0'? 25 ? Midn. N oon 13. 13. 15 60 124. 123. 30 45 Midn. Noon Luzon Manila, 14. 25 40 122. 122. 55 Midn. ^i^tvm^a' 15. 120. 30 Noon 15. 35 119. 30 Midn. 17. 00 118. 30 Noon China 18. 15 118. Midn. Sja 19, 45 117. 20 Noon 21. 117. Midn. 22. 30 116. 30 Noon r23. 45 116. 15 Midn. 25. IS 116. Noon S Wiitow 26. 15 116. 30 Jtidn. r riKlPTl 2r. 117. 15 Noon X VCxl^lJ. 27. 30 118. 45 Midn. 27. 45 120. Noon 27. 45 121. 15 Midn. Back 27. 30 ? 122. 30 ? Noon to Sea EVJSWTi 28. ? 122. 30 ? Date 26th June 27th „ 28th „ 29tb „ 30th ,, 1st July 2d „ Sd „ 4.th „ Eth „ 6th „ Gh-eat violence at Manila : squalls 90 miles — lowest reading of the barometer 29'? 50 on the 28th, 7A. SS™ p.m. Winds : NNE. NNW., W., SSW., JESE. Great violence at Swatow : wind force 11 — lowest reading of the hai cmeter II''." 34 on the 2d July, 8 a.m. — Winds : E. NE. E . SE S. — It did con.siderahle damage to property. A Telegram from Manila to Hongkong'. A Telegram sent from Manila to Hongkong on June 29th llh. 10" a.m. was unaccountably belated and was not received before July 2d : it gave notice of a violent Typhoon having passed over Manila the day before and of its running towards the West-north-west. The course indicated was wrong. But on considering the true track of the Typhoon and particularly its situation on July 2d, wlien the telegram was received, one may well wonder at the levity of the Hongkong paper China Mail in comraenling upon it: "The weather here is anything but typhoonish in its character. In the first place, the wind is blowing free from the SW." — what is to be paid particular attention to is not what wind is blowing, but how it gradually varies. — "Then there have been heavy falls of rain, and thunder has been heard frequently and loudly the whole day long. No typhoon gun has been fired" — a most reliable indi- cation indeed I — "Those interested in the shipping at the present moment in harbour do not appear to have paid much attention to the warning, as no such precautions appear to have been taken as are readily enough made when there is any reason to believe that there is a storm of any moment brewing (l). We may have a big blow to-night or to-morrow, another swish of the tail of a Typhoon, as these occurrence have with more force than elegance come to be called, but that we are on the eve of any great disturbance of the elements is not at all within the calculations of those best versed in such matters (? !). The glass is low, but steady 29''*70, which is not at all a threatening reading taken by itself." — An error again, for on the preceding days the barometer was high but sinking and a variation of 0^°27 in three days with the wind by turns from ENE., NE., N., NW., W. and SW. with a force between 5 and 7 was a clear indication of the approach, pas- 12 JUNE — SWA TOW TYPHOON. sage and moving away of a not inconsiderable depression. There was no attention paid to it. In fact the Typhoon passed very close to Hongkong, precisely on the morning of that day July 2d. Before the Typhoon. I have not received from Philippinas any other document than the observations made at Manila during the passage of the Typhoon, to enable me to determine in what atmospheric conditions it was formed on June 25tli and 26th to the North of Mindanao in pretty much the same region as the preceding Typhoon ; but the observations made in China allow us at least to inquire for the cause of its direction being so different from that of the Typhoon of May 24th-28th. The former Typhoon seems to have been indraughted towards an area of low pressure tliat obtained at that moment on the China Sea and the great neighbouring Peninsula. The latter obeyed to a similar call and proceeding NW. made for the interior of China, where during the last fortnight of June we find a low pressure together with a high temperature. In fact, if barometric observations on the coast of China, at Hongliong, Swatow, Zi-ka-wei, Ghefoo are compared with those made at a distance from the sea, as at Hankow (420 miles west of Shanghai) and ("hang-kia- chwang (SE. Chilih, 1 00 miles south of Pekin), it appears that there was an area of minimum pressure extending over the centre of China and northwardly. As an illustration of the fact, we give the mean barometric height (reduced to sea level) at 1h. p.m. all through June, also the mean temperature at the same hour and the amount of rainfall. Barometer Temper. Eaiiifall in o in Nagazaki (Japan) 29.85 78.7 21.69 Hongkong ( China ) 29.84 83.8 7..')5 Swatow 29.85 83.0 3.72 Zi-ka-wei 29.80 80.4 6.72 Hankow 29.69 81.5 8.12 Chang-kia-chwang 29.67 88.0 5.31 The deflciency of pressure in the interior had to be partly made up, and it must be from the South where it was maximum. The movement of the air seems to have commenced about June 12th or 13th ; the wind, at Hongkong, till then from E. or NE. turns to S. and SW. and gets fresher. At the same time the barometer rises and keeps pretty high till the 27th. From the 25th the Easterly winds had taken the upper hand again to go on turning to NE. and NNE., whilst on the top of the Victoria Peak (1823 feet) it still blew from SE., a manifest indication of a centre of depression just then forming far away in the South or South-east: above, the air has a tendency to fly from this Centre; below, it tends to get to it. Now the immediate cause of the Typhoon passing precisely between Hongkong and Swatow seeems to be nothing else than that it is the shortest and most direct way from Manila towards the centre of the area of minimum pressure. That centre must have been somewhere North of Hankow, for at Hankow the lowest reading of the barometer was 29\''39 on the 30th June and 1st July, the mercury rising afterwards. Just at the same time (30th June in the afternoon) there was a barometric minimum 29'." 46 at Chang-kia-chwang situated on the line drawn from Manila through Hankow. At that date also we had, at Zi-ka-wei, East of Hankow, the glass at 29'>65 and all the western side of the sky was all the day overspread with Cirri running N. and NNE., whilst the lower Cumuli were bearing from SSE. to NNW ; there was then at that moment in central China an area of minimum pressure, a sort of aspiration focus calling in the air from the surrounding regions, chiefly from the South-east where the pressure seemed to be highest. The Typhoon then naturally selected this route and it rushed into it after swerving aside to clear the high mountains of Luzon. JUNE — SWATOW TYPHOON. 13 The Typhoon in the Archipelago. Observatory of the Ateneo municipal at Manila (Philippinas Islands). DIRECTOR: R.F. FA.URA S.J. Date Hours Baro- meter ■Winds Direct. Veloo. oftiiA'ir <^"y- i 7o Tens, of vap, Clouds Upper Lower Rain Remarks June 27tli Noon 1 P. M. 2 3 4 5 (i 7 8 y 10 11 June 28tli Midn. 1 ^.M. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Noon 1 P. M. 2 3 4 5 G 7 7.30 8 9 10 11 Juno 29tli Midn. 1 A . JI . 2 3 4 5 G 7 8 9 10 11 Noon 1 P. M, 2 29.86 .86 .84 .82 .80 .79 .82 .87 .85 .87 .86 .84 .83 .80 .78 .77 .79 .80 .81 .80 .80 .79 .78 .76 .74 .73 .71 .68 .67 .63 57 .51 .50 .51 .53 .61 .68 .70 .71 .73 .74 .76 .76 .79 .81 .82 .82 .83 .S3 .82 .80 calm NE N NNE NE NNE N NNE NNE calm NNE NNE NNE N N by E N hy E NNE NNE NNW N NNW NNW N N NNW NNW N NNW NW N\V WNW Wby N 61.6 W by N 67.1 WSW 63,8 WSW SW SSW SW 1.1 37 4.4 3.3 2.2 22 2.2 1.1 1.8 2.6 2.0 4.4 4.8 4.8 5.1 6.2 8.8 8.4 11.0 15.4 8.8 7.3 3.3 17.6 17.6 22.0 44.0 4ii.2 62.8 £SW S s s ESE SE ESE ESE ESE ESE SSE ESB ESE S 88.7 72.6 66.0 57.2 50.6 23.1 19.8 16.5 7.7 7.9 10.1 8.8 7.3 6.6 6.2 3.7 5.5 5.9 86.4 71 0.886 86.4 71 .886 83.8 80 .922 82.4 79 ,890 81,7 81 ,890 82.4 78 ,859 82,9 79 ,930 82.0 81 ,882 81.5 85 ,910 79.5 88 .882 79.9 85 .862 79.5 88 ,890 79.5 91 ,914 79.5 91 .914 78.6 94 .914 78.4 93 .901 78,4 89 ,859 77.7 89 .849 76,8 92 ,851 77.4 90 ,843 77.4 93 ,866 79.2 92 .910 78.8 93 .910 78.6 93 .910 77.7 90 ,851 78.1 95 .910 78.1 92 .878 77,4 92 ,862 77.0 92 .855 75.6 °9 ,874 75.4 100 ,882 75,4 100 ,882 75,4 100 .882 75.4 100 ,882 75.4 100 .882 75.4 100 .882 75,4 100 .882 75.4 100 .882 7.5.4 100 .882 75.4 100 .882 75,4 lOo .882 75.6 91 .803 76,3 87 .787 75,9 88 .787 75,6 90 .791 76.1 87 ,783 76.3 86 ,779 76.3 87 .787 76.1 87 ,783 76,1 87 ,783 77.4 87 ,811 78.8 77 .752 K-BrC inc. 8 ENB Cn 9 E Ni 9 E NilO E 0.039 NilO E Cn 9 E On 9 E Cn 9 E NilO B NilO ENE 0.039 NilO NE NilO NilO NilO NilO NilO NilO Ni 10 NNE NilO NNE 0.398 Ni 9 NNE Ni 9 NNE NilO N 0.047 NilO N NilO N NilO N 0.295 NilO N NI 10 0,922 NilO NNW NilO NW 0,997 NilO WNW NilO Wby S 2.048 Ni 10 WSW NilO SW NilO SW NilO ss.v NilO SW i-.i 10 SSW 3,978 NilO NilO 0,315 NilO Ni 10 SSW 0,512 NilO A curtain of Cirri overspreading [the whole A few Nimbi from the East. [sky. id id id id id id At Sunset clouds of a light pink colour. Sky to the East all dark and lowering. Curtain of Cirri still remaining — Nimbi running very rapidly from N, to S, [darker. The horizon to the NE, getting darker and Barom. normal dally oscillation suppressed. Sky getting overcast to the NW. — Nimbi more comiJiicb and lying closer. Sky entirely overcast. Nimbi leaning somewhat to the AV, Nimbi running from NW, to SE, Loose Cumuli clouds running from SW, to NE, id id id from SSW, to NNE, The preceding Typhoon gave us occasion to point out how the winds were much more convergent towards the Centre at the surface of the earth than at a comparatively small height, such as that of the Cumuli and Nimbi. In the afternoon of the 27th the fact was evident : down below, wind NNE. and N., consequently bearing almost straight towards the Centre; above. Cumuli and Nimbi coming from the E., borne away by a slightly divergent wind. —On the 28th, wind in the morning NNE. and NNW. below, NE. and NNE. above, the Typhoon lying to the East-south-east; in the afternoon, the wind having reached its maximum of force, its convergence diminished and its direction got nearer to that of the clouds that were running perpendicular to the direction of the Centre of the whirlwind. After the passage of the Storm, just in the first hours of the 29th, the wind was between SW. and S. and soon settled ESE. whilst the lower clouds continued to run from SSW. to NNE. Both directions of wind and 1 4 JUNE SWATOW TYPHOON. clouds were nearly converging to the Centre. Tliese fads must be noted down as of great import. The course of the Typhoon is well set out by the Manila Observations, particularly by the direction of the lower clouds. After coming from the region of Mindanao, it rose along the eastern coast of the islands to the latitude of Manila. On the 28lh, 8h. a.m., it lay to the East of that town and turned aside from its original track to cross Luzon at that point where the ground consisting of numerous deep gulphs and large lagoons cut by narrow isthmuses connecting the southern with the northern provinces, is such as to facilitate the passage of storms from one sea to the other. It is clear in this case that the high mountain chain that runs along the eastern coast of Luzon repelled the whirlwind though its first direction would have led it to the same place of the eastern coast of China, and it is the accumulation of the mass of air of the foremost portion against that obstacle that caused the comparatively high atmospheric pressure (29'."50.) observed at Manila on the passage of the Centre (June 28th, 7h. 30™. p.m.). Before the passage, with the wind blowing from NE. and NNW., there was but little rain; after the passage, the wind blew from SSW. and S. and there was a heavy rainfall [6 inches during the night of the 28th-29th). This is easily accounted for : the polar winds on passing over the high mountains, to the north of Manila, were almost entirely deprived of moisture, whilst on the equatorial winds being forced up against the sides of the same mountains there must have been a considerable condensation and consequently a diluvial rain on the southern side of the chain. The Typhoon on the coast of China I have abready explained the probable cause for which the Typhoon, on leaving Luzon, took to running to the North-West towards China instead of following to the west a track already marked out by its forerunner of the preceding month and by so many before. On July 1st, about midnight, it crossed the 20th parallel by 117" longitude, and passing to the right of Hongkong came to penetrate into the continent a few miles below Swatow, about 8h a.m. on the 2"^ of July. Whilst the Typhoon was running NWdly over the China Sea, the wind blew feeble from E. on the nor- thern coast of Hainan island, at Hoihow were H. M. S. Magpie was anchored. Two barometric minima were ob- served, viz. on June 30th 4 p.m. (29.\"614j and on July 1st 4 p.m. (29™608). At the time of the first minimum there began a gentle swell from the E. that lasted till about the beginning of the next day. The Centre of the Typhoon lay at a distance of upwards of 400 miles to the East. The sky had been strewn with Cirri since June 27th. On July 1st, their bearing was between NE. and E., that is divergent. In the run from Manila to Swatow, there was no casualty at sea worth noticing. We shall then take the Typhoon on its reaching the continent and seek to follow its trace. JUNE — SWATOW TYPHOON. Swatow Meteorological observations taken at the Harbour Master's Office HARBOUR MASTER : W. EAE Date Hours Baro- meter "Wind Tem- per Humi- Clouds Rain June 29th Midnight in 29.63 Calm in. 4 A. M. .63 Calm 0. C p .82 E 1 85 82 B Noon .80 E 1 85 82 B 3 P. M. .81 E 1 B 8 .77 Calm B Jime 30th Midnisht .71 Calm B 4 A M. .71 Calm B 9 .81 NB 1 83 79 B Noon .75 SE 1 86 68 B 8 p. M. .77 SE 1 B 8 .75 W 1 B July 1st Midnight .69 Calm B 4 A. M. .68 Calm B 9 .68 SE 1 84 83 B Noon .67 ESE 4 83 83 O C 3 p. M. .66 E 4 0. C 8 .68 NE 5 Rain Jxily 2d Midnight .62 NB 7 Rain 2 A. M. .54 NE 8 Rain 3 .52 E 8 Rain 4 .46 B 9 Rain 5 .45 E 9 Rain 6 .42 E by S 10 Rain 7 .36 SB 11 Rain 8 .34 S H Rain 9 .49 SSE 10 79 91 Rain 10 .50 S 9 Rain 11 .52 S 9 Rain Noon ..53 S 8 79 82 Rain 3 P. M. .55 Sby W 4 Squally 2.400 8 .70 S 2 Squally July 3d Midnight .76 S 2 Squally 4 a.m. .76 S 1 0. C 9 .79 S 1 84 83 B Noon .80 S 1 85 79 B 3 P. M. .79 S 1 B 8 .87 S 1 B Julv 4th Midnight .83 S 1 B Weather and Remarks Weather very close and sultry, very appressive wind. Clouds com- ing very fast from the North" ard. Barometer falling gradually, wind increasing. Weather very close and sultry, very oppressive wind. Clouds com- ing fast from Northward. Barometer falling gradually, wind increasing to a gale with heavy rain and seas. Fine clear weather; stars all out : no clouds over head. This gale did a considerable damage to property in Swatow. The tide rising 3 feet above the usual level; the settlement being com- pletely flooded about 2 hours, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m, on the 2d. Instead of going on in the same direction, the atmospheric depression seemed about to fill up after it had once reached the continent. Ahead of it, at Hankow, on the Yang-tze-kiang, there fell no rain whatever and the barometer was on the rise, though but slowly at first, since June 30th. But to the right hand of the track, there were heavy rains at Foochow, at Ningpo, at Zi-ka-wei and at sea on the 3d and still more on the 4th. These condensations in the eastern part of the whirlwind seem to have greatly influenced its direction. The inequalities of the ground, by diminishing the velocity and the convergence of the winds, tended to destroy the whirlwind which also, with the vapour of water, had lost the best support of its energy. To the East, on the contrary, over the sea, it had with a low barometric pressure (Nagazaki, July 5th, afternoon, 29l°609) all the most favou- rable conditions for preservation and development. It then naturally ran to those parts : after remaining on the Chinese continent the 2nd, 3d, 4th and 5th of July, it took to sea again between Foochow and Ningpo, about 28° latit. Except at sea, where notwithstanding the great distance- of the Centre, the S. and SW. winds continued to blow rather hard (1), all along the coast. (1) Report of Capt. Th. Shaw of SS. Soihow, from Chingkiang to Canton . Wind S. 5, on the 4th, noon, latit. 29°. 20' - SW. 5, on the 5th midn. — SW. 6, at noon on the sam^ day, latit. 27! 4 . 16 JUNE — SWATOW TYPHOON. at Zi-ka-wei, Ningpo, Foochow, Swatow, the winds both Easterly in the North and SVV. or S. in the South, kept blowing feebly until the Typhoon had left the continent. The following observations made at Hankow by Mr. N. Titoushkin show that the Typhoon must have altered its course or have vanished somewhere between Swatow and Hankow, for there is no indication of its having passed near Hankow. Hankow Latit. 30° 34' — Longit. 114° 20' Date Hours Barometer Thermom. Wind Nebulosity Rain July 1st „ 2d 3d 4th Sth 7 A. M. 29.47 86.5 SSE 7.45 p. M. .43 86.7 SE 7 A. M. .50 88.2 ESE 7.45 p. M. .56 81.0 NE 7 A. M. .62 80.7 E 7.45 p. M. .53 85.0 E 7 A. M. .62 82.5 WNW 7.45 p. M' .54 8i0 calm 7 A. M. .61 78.7 calm 7.45 p. M. .60 75.0 calm 6 10 4 5 6 9 10 10 10 10 Ac Ac Cn St Ni 0.06 The barometric readings are reduced to sea level. The return of the Typhoon to sea shortly after passing over Swatow and alighting on the continent may easily be made out in the following documents, though the original energy and fury of the storm had entirely disappeared. 2 Stations to the South of the track. Foochow Latit. 26° 8' — Longit. 119° 38' Tamsui (Formosa) Latit. 25° 10' - Longit. 121° 25' Date Hours Barometer "Wind Rain Date Hours Barometer Wind Rain July 2d 9 A. M. 29"723 SW 2 July 4th 7 A. M. in 29.831 SE 2 nil 3 p. M. .716 SW 3 1 p. M. .773 \V 4 „ 3d 9 A. M. .789 SW 2 0.70 7 „ „ .756 SE 1 3 p. M. .755 SW a „ 5th 7 A. M, .746 SE 2 „ 4th 9 A. M. .799 SW 2 1 p. M. .691 SW 4 3 p. M. .716 SW 2 7 „ „ .684 SE 1 „ 5th 9 A. M. .705 SW 2 jj „ 6th 7 A. M. .697 SE 3 ,, 3 P. M. .610 SW 2 1 p. M. .651 SW 4 „ 6th 9 A. M. .643 SW 1 jj 7 „ „ .743 SE 1 ^_ 3 P.M. .571 SW 3 „ "iih. 7 A. M. .786 calm „ 7th 5 A. M. .807 NE 4 0.18 1 P. M. .753 N 4 3 P. M. .801 NE 3 7 „ „ .773 calm „ sth 9 A. M. .877 SW 1 „ Sth 7 A. M. .826 SE 2 J, 3 P.M. .817 NE 2 1 p. M. 7 „ „ .805 .768 NW 3 SE 7 „ 2 Stations to the North of the track Ningpo North Saddle lighthouse Latit. 29° 52' — Longit. 121° Latit. 30° 50' - Longit. 122° 41' Date Hours Barom. Wind Rain July 4th 4 A. M. 29.84 W 1 8 .86 S 1 4 p. M. .78 Calm Rain 8 .84 N 1 ,, Sth 4 A. M. .84 N 1 Rain 8 .84 E 1 Rain 4 p. M. .76 E 2 Rain 8 i .76 S 1 Rain „ 6th 4 A. M. .68 Calm 8 1 .76 E 1 Rain 4 p. M. i .77 NW 1 Rain 8 .82 Calm „ 7th 4 A. M. .88 Calm 8 .94 W 1 4 p. M. ' .96 Calm 8 1 .98 NW 1 Date Hours Barom. Wind Rain July 4th 3 A. M. 29.68 S 2 . 9 .70 N 2 1 3 p. M, .63 NE 4 \ Rain 9 .66 NE 4 „ 5th 3 A. M. .66 N 3 ] 9 .68 NE 3 3 p. M. .65 SE 3 9 .63 S 2 „ 6th 3 am. .55 SE 2 9 .60 S 1 3 p. M. .60 W 2 9 .69 SW 1 „ 7th 3 A. M. .75 NW 3 9 .85 N 3 3 P.M. .89 NE 2 9 -92 ENE2 JUNE SWATOW TYPHOON. 17 Zi-ka-wei Observatory Latitude 31° 12' — Longitude 121° 26' Date Hours Barom. Ther. Wind Nebulosity Rain July 4th 4 A. M. 29.716 77.4 NNE miles 2.74 10 br 10 .729 75.7 ENE 11.20 10 Ni ENE 0.54 4 P. 11. ••715 72.1 EXE 13.40 ' 10 Ni 0.79 10 .771 7L4 NE 1.00 10 Ni 0.05 „ 5tll 4 A. M. .707 70 9 N 1.06 10 Ac W „ 10 .713 ' 80.6 SE 7.92 8 K W C E J, 4 P. M. .668 78.3 SE 10.60 10 Ac C , 10 .677 74.3 SSE 4.00 10 Ac „ eth 4 A. M. .594 74.1 E 0.61 10 Ac W It 10 .65-1 80.6 N^y 2.74 10 Ac \V Pn NE 4 P. Ji. .632 84.4 NNAV 7.90 10 Ks C 10 .789 73.9 NNE 3.20 10 Ao W " ,, 7th 4 a.m. .820 70.5 NW 2.45 10 Ac WSW 10 .910 80.6 NNE 2.34 10 Ac WSW 4 P. M. .910 79 9 E 8.70 8 Ao WSW c 10 .954 69.3 ESE 0.82 4 ks W ,, The winds from SW. and SE. to the South of the track have then been more regular and stronger than the winds from N. and E. to the North of it. On both sides the convergence is marked, often even perfect. Leaving aside North-Saddle for the present, we find that the barometer was altogether lower at the stations marked as being South of the track than al those to the North; moreover at the northern stations the barometer rose rapid- ly after the minimum of the morning of July 6th, whilst at Foochow and Tamsui the minimum took place a few hours later and the rise of the mercury was slow. It appears then that the Centre of the depression (it can no more be called a Typhoon) returned to sea between Foochow and Ningpo or rather between 27' and 28° latit. arid vanished in the ESE. or in the SE. For there was no indication of it in Japan beyond tiie high pressures (Nagazaki 30'.°074 on the 9th) which followed the depression observed in that region on the 5th. As for the observations made at the North-Saddle Light-House (height 273 feet) the comparatively low reading of the barometer seems to indicate that the whirlwind maintained itself better in the middle regions of tlie atmosphere than in the lower strata; it is probable that the decrease In (he density or in the pressure of the layers of air varied rapidly with the height. Unfortunately no observations of the temperature of the air at the height of the Light-house have been made and there is no means of comparing it with the temperature at sea level, at Zi-ka-wei. Diameter — Velocity — Gradient. Like all its fellows, this Typhon was remarkable by its small size, at least between the limits of the Storm proper. As for the atmospheric depression, it is difficult to say how far it may commonly extend and be still ap- preciable. The Typhoon passed Manila between June 28th 8 a.m. and the 29Ui 10 a.m., with a speed that must not have exceeded 4 or 5 miles : the diameter from East to West had therefore a length of about 120 miles. It left Luzon in the morning of June 29th, and reached Swatow on July 2d 8 a.m., having gone over about 510 miles in 72 hours, corresponding to a mean velocity of 7 miles an hour. It afterwards took 24 or 26 hours to pass over Swatow with a speed that can be estimated at about 10 miles : hence it would appear that in its run over the sea it had taken a consider.'ible development, provided however that at Luzon its diameter from North to South did not exceed the East- West diameter, which is highly probable. During the passage of the Typhoon over Luzon there may be considered distinct slopes of the atmospheric depression or two gradients on either side of the barometric minimum. The centre passed Manila on the 28th 1 8 JUNE — SWATOW TYPHOON. between 7h and 81i p.m. On that same day the barometer read, at 9 a.m., 29'°79. and at 4 p.m. 29'" 67 : the corresponding gradient was 0.38 per 100 miles, from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (29'"50) it was 1.08 per 100 miles. After the passage of the Centre, from 7.30 p.m. to midnight (29'."70) the gradient reached a ma.ximum of 1.78 per 100 miles. Lastly on the 29th, from midnight to 10.30 a.m. (29\"8'i) it can be estimated at only 0.27 per 100 miles. The barometric variation at Swatow was uncommon. The barometer stood at its maximum (29':"82) on the 29th about lOh a.m. ; it afterwards sank but very slowly till July 1st 8h p.m. (29'"68). This already seemed to indicate beforehand that the whirlwind, drawn towards that side, would not extend very far. The storm began that day about noon with ESE. and E. wind force 4, l)ut the barometer did not begin to fall before 8h p.m. (29"68). In 11 V3hoursitfelP"35 (on the 2nd, 7h.30"> a.m. 29^"33). The distance run over during that interval of time was about 100 mdes : consequently 0.35 is the coefficient of gradient for Swatow at that moment. That station however lay somewhat to the north of the Centre and the true gradient may have been a little higher. If there is no mistake about the observation of 9h a.m. (29 \"49), the barometric slope must have been very steep between 8h a.m. (29?34) and 9h a.m. For a velocity of 10 miles an hour gives a gradient of 1.50 per 100 miles miles back of the centre. The same case, it may be remembered, occurred at Manila where the back gradient was found equal to 1.78. The whirlwind then seems to have well retained its former Shape on the run from Luzon to the coast of China. Violence — Manila stood a few miles below the Centre and had probably to bear the great violence of the wind. The mean velocity of the wind, on the 28th of June, between 7h. 45™ and 9h. 40™ p.m. was 81.4 miles per hour. It even reached 90.2 miles during some of the squalls. This velocity, according to Admiral Fitz-Roy, corresponds to a pressure of 41 lbs per square foot. But the following fact, which we find in the Manila papers, will perhaps give a more precise idea of the violence of the wind at such a speed. Two iron benches of Cervantes Square, though they did not stand against the whole force of the wind and on account of their small height did not offer any good hold, were torn out and overthrown. In Manila Bay the British barque Queen of the Seas dragged her anchor and, to avoid .striking the English brigantine Blrker, cut away two of her masts. The devastation wrought by the Typhoon appears to have extended over a large area. There seems to have been several disasters amongst the coast shipping, amongst others the steamer Merivales went ashore on the coast of Legaspi, and four Chinese passengers were drowned. At Swatow (China) the Typhoon did considerable damage to the houses near the river and destroyed se- veral jetties. Most of the buildings on the Swatow side were inundated to a depth of three feet. We believe that the Ka-cliio side came out of the storm with better fortune. =*®*= ''HAINAN" TYPHOON Third Typhoon: July 6th - 12th. . APPROXIMATE TRACK : Date July 6tli { ^^f^^ Arclilpelago " ^^'^ I Noon Philippinas „ 8th I W^""- ] ^?°° China „ 9th \ ^"in- Sea ( jNoon lOth i M''5°- ( Noon 11th ■, ., I Noon HHinan Midn. Noon 12th IS- Tonquin Latit tide Longitude (10°. 0' 122° 0' 111. 121. 30 J12. 121, (l2. 30 120. 30 13. 15 119. 30 15. 117. 30 17. IIB. 30 18. 114. 30 118. 30 112. 15 (18. 40 110. 118. 45 107. 30 oon We call this Typhoon the "Hainan Typhoon" to recall the peculiarities of its track. In 1880 there were several whirlwinds to cross this Chinese island which lies at the eastern entrance of the Gulph of Tonquin. This year there was but one Typlioon, that of 6th-i2th July, to touch that coast so inhospitable to shipwrecked ma- riners. Before the Typhoon. The atmospheric conditions which, at the and of June, had given rise to the Swatow Typhoon, did nol disappear at once in the South of the Philippinas Archipelago on the Typhoon moving away, but they continued to maintain a state of instable equilibrium in all that region. Whilst at the surface the wind varied from ESE. to WSW. (through S.) and blew now fresh, now light, there could be observed a strong polar current in the mid- dle strata of air above Luzon. A collision was unavoidable between those superimposed currents : hence the changeableness of the wind, unceasing and abundant rains and lastly an atmospheric pressure relatively low for the region, though absolutely high if compared to that of our more northern regions : all conditions best suited to give rise to other whirlwinds. And in fact there appeared two to the South of Luzon, during the first fortnight of July : viz. the first about the 5th and 6th to the west of Mindanao in the Solo sea or the Celebes sea; the se- cond about the 9th and 10th to the East of Mindanao. We shall follow them both. Beginning of the Typhoon. We find in the Manila paper El Comercio a document published by the director of the observatory, thanks to which we may, as it were, witness the start of this atmospheric whirlwind : it is the report of the sailing ship Marina from Shanghai to the islands of the Archipelago. Barometer .^j^^j Weather Latitude Longitude Date at noon In ( calm July 4 30.02 \^|^.|o-4 Eaining lo! 7' 127^ 14' „ 5 29.98 { .^^^ } 1-5 Cloudy 8. 47 129. 7 „ 6 29,96 SW 4-6 Eaining 6. 47 129, 31 20 JULY — HAINAN TYPHOON. On the next day, the barometer rose a little as the ship moved towards the South-East. All the region of the Archipelago then was experiencing a strong perturbation at that time, and the whirlwind just formed had taken time to make a start and move away. Direction followed by the Typhoon. On the 6th of July, when the Typhoon seems to have started on its course over the China Sea, the wind blew feeble from E. and there was observed a slight fall of the barometer at Pakhoi on the Northern coast of the Gulph of Tonquin, and also on board H.M.S. Magpie at Hoikow (Hainan). It is impossible to ascribe this fall of the barometer to the same cause which at that moment made the barometer to sink at Foochow, Tamsui, Ningpp and Zi-ka-wei, viz. to the Swatow Typhoon turning to Sea, again : it must then have been connected with some depression which probably extended over the land west of Hainan and perhaps also over the sea south of that island. In fact, a slight swell from ENE. and masses of thick dark clouds rising from the ESE. were apparently an indication of heavy weather somewhere at sea on the 6th. Whether these circumstances were material in determining the course of the Typhoon over the China Sea and over Hainan towards the Gulph of Tonquin, it is impossible to say for want of more detailed information on the situation, extent and importance of that area of low pressure. The Typhoon in the China Sea. On the 7th, the Typhoon was in the ofTmg crossing the latitude of Manila. On the 8th, the English steamer Plainmeller met with it by 15! 21' lat. and 116! 33' long. : wind from W. In the evening of the same day the Siamese barque Fabius had to bear all the brunt of the storm in the same whereabouts where last year in October she had met with rough usage. The Fabius encountered calms at Macclesfield Bank for four days, fol- lowed by the Typhoon in latitude 18! 40' and longitude 113! 28', with barometer at 29^48 and wind blowing with hurricane force. The ship was hove-to from 6 p.m. on the 8th till next morning, when the wind veered to NNW. Steered west-south-west and on sounding the ship, found much water in the hold, she having sprung a leak. The pumps were all out of order. On sighting the E. & A. steamer Caiterthun, on the 11th, some fifty miles to the SW. of the Ladrones, the Captain hoisted the distress signal. The steamer came to her assistance and took the Fabius in tow and arrived at Hongkong on the 12th. This was the last mishap and also the last voyage of the ill fated ship : she had to be broken up as unseaworthy. According to this report the Typhoon seems to have got to the North-west up to near the latitude of Hainan and then to have turned due west to cross the island. On the lOlh the English steamer Consolation had to stand the storm at the entrance of the Gulph of Tonquin. The Typhoon at Hainan and in the Gulph of Tonquin. We are indebted to the kindness of Lieutenant H. Belara R. N. of H.M.S. Magpie fov a very circumstantial report of the passage of the storm over Hainan. The steamer lay in the harbour of Manin, on the northern coast of the island, 35 or 40 miles west of Hoikow. JULY HAINAN TYPHOON. 21 IXl o o a en 1 = I >^ a "a a 4S Pi 13 pq a "el 4 a am ■a a (joo ° I ■p o d sis a rt I "^ ft '^ CO.g -^ CO a o BiO (U lU ai en 1 g O w'.S § 50 14 In lO a W a M 1 r. ■s'^ w 1 f- = is S F Sm 1 3 ■S .=1 1 a ^ O S 1^ P) 1 iU \ « o lO "-I o o r " .a-! . 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The Typhoon however soon came to the Gulph of Tonquin, South-west of the Magpie; the wind then turned to the ESE and blew in the direction of the Gulph, thus giving the depression free play again for expanding : hence, though about 5h 30™ p.m. the centre must have been at a good distance, the barometer sank again down to 29™ 477 to rise very rapidly immediately after. The barometric curve of the obser- vations of the Magpie, on being corrected and completed, gives a minimum of 29'."415 at Ih p.m., very likely at the moment of the passage of the centre within the shortest distance. Consequently, on July 10th a!)out noon the centre stood on the meridian of 110°; — latitude less certainly known, being between island 19'. The same barometric variation was observed about the end of the Gulph of Tonquin, at Pakhoi, North of Manin, (latit. 2r28 — longit: 109''4'). On the 10th, 8ha.m. the barometer had sunk to 29^°59; at noon it had risen to 29'" 62 to fall again down to 29'° 59 at 4h p.m. From this it would appear that the Lien-chow peninsu- la, exactly north of Hainan, with its mountain chain, had acted on the Typhoon in the same way as the moun- tains of Hainan seem to have done. At Pakhoi, in the afternoon of the 9th, the wind blew from N. and settled in that direction; on the 10th, in the morning same wind, somewhat stronger (force 4); at noon, from NE (force 6); only turned to theE. on the next day, 11th, little before noon. No rain, Pakhoi being on the sea shore at the- foot of those mountains over which the wind was blowing from N. or from NE. Before reaching Tonquin the Typhoon must have passed very close to the port of Haiphong, fated to be laid waste by the Typhoon of October 5th. This time the town does not seem to have suffered, the Typhoon having vanished before reaching the western coast of the Gulph of Tonquin. At Manin (H. M. S. Magpie) the storm had entirely terminated on the lOlh, between 6 and 8 p.m. (wind ESE force 3), though the barometer still read pretty low. At Pakhoi, the E. wind continued pretty strong (force 4) to the afternoon of the 11th; tliere even was a rather strong squall from SE. at Ih p.m., and the barometer kept still lower than on the north- ern coast of Hainan. The whirlwind would then seem to have continued in the bottom of the Gulph for some time yet before vanishing. " SHANGHAI" TYPHOON Fourth Typhoon : July 10th - 22n(i. TRACK July 10th „ 11th „ 12th „ 13th „ 14th „ 15th „ 16th „ 17th „ 18th „ 19th „ 20th „ 21th „ 22th „ 23th „ 24 th „ 25th , 26th „ 27th „ 28th ,, 29th ! Midn. I Noon I Midn. I Noon ( Midn. I Noon ( Midn. i Noon j Midn. I Noon ) Midn. I Noon Midn. ! Noon ( Midn. i Noon Noon Noon Nonn Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon Noon East coast of Philippinas Formosa China Yellow Sea Japan Sea East coast of Japan „ 38. ,n Sea < ^-^ (42'. Pacific 38. Latitude N, Longitude E. 127! 30'? 127. 15 127. 126, 30 126. 125. 30 124. 45 124. 123. 122. 30 121, 50 121. 40 121. 20 120. 122. 125. 135. 140. 45 138. 30 136. 30 134. 131. 30 129. 130. 132. 30 185. 30 141. 145. ? EVENTS : Wreck of the British barque Aherdonian in the Chusan archipelago on the night of 16th July : the captain and 18 of the crew were lost. M'reck of the A.merican barquentine Annie S. Hall near the Island of Soudan, coast of China latit. 28? 20', on the night of the leth July : captain and crew saved. Lowest reading of the barometer duly ascertained 28'? 785 on board the S.S. Keelung ( Capt. "W. Schulze) on July 15th 3h. p.m., latit. 26? 58' — longit. 121° 0'. Barom. 28'." 68 (?) at Tamsui hajbour on the 15th, 9 a.m. — calm. Very curious track run over in 19 days, touching Philippinas, Formosa, China, Corea and Japan before disappearing in the North Pacific. Documents relating of this Typhoon. I think I have been supplied with all documents that could be desired for a circumstantial study of this most remarkable Typhoon. Besides a good many reports from ship captains inserted in the Shanghai and Hong- kong papers, I have been able to compare the following important documents from points near the track of the Centre, which have been graciously communicated to me. For Luzon :-the hourly observations made at the Manila observatory. -the three-hourly observations (from 6h a.m. up to 9h p.m.) made at Tuguegaras Cagayan. -a brief discussion on the origin of this Typhoon by the R. F. Faura in the Comercio of Manila. For Formosa : -the observations made at Tai-wan-fou, Tamsui and Twatutia. For the Chinese continent : -the observations made at Wenchow, Ningpo, Zi-ka-wei, Chingkiang, Chefoo and Gape Shantong Light-House. Near 40 captains favoured me with their report on the storm they had experienced on the coast of China. For Japan : - the observations made at the Imperial observatories of Tokio, Kioto, Hiroshima and Nagazaki, 2-1 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. as well as those of 12 light-houses on the Empire. I cannot possibly give all those documents in full; yet I shall give all those that were of use to me for determining more or less accurately the position of the principal points of the track and particularly its remarkable deviations on that long run of 19 days comprising no less than 7100 miles run over with an average velocity of 15.5 miles an hour. Before the Typhoon. This Typhoon originated in the South of the Philippinas Archipelago almost simultaneously with the "Hainan" Tyi>hoon. This "Hainan" Typhoon, formed to the west of Mindanao between the 4th and the 6th of July, made for the North-west across the China Sea; the "Shanghai" Typhoon sprang up to the East of Mindanao between July 6th and 9th under the same conditions and owing to the same causes : it also bore to NW. but kept on the Ocean. All the long stretch of the Philippinas thus lay between the centres of thew two whirlwinds which howe- ver passed at a distance without causing any alarm. After the former Centre had left the vicinity of Mindanao, the atmospheric pressure (30"! 00) was high comparatively to that on the coast of China (at Hongkong 29'.''70; at Zi-ka-wei 29\"70; in the North 29" 60; in Japan 29^80). According to the report of the barque Marina, the wind, to the SE. and SW. of Mindanao, blew constantly between SW. and W. from the 6th to the 12th of July; it was now moderate (force 5-7), now violent (force 8-10), with a diluvial rain all the time. North of the Archipelago the wind blew from E. and SE. In the upper regions of the air, above Luzon, there could be observed a strong polar current indicated by the cirri it carried along. From the high pressure that obtained all over the region South of the Archipelago, there could hardly be any doubt but that this upper current must bear towards that region : its coming into collision with the upper equatorial currents proper to this part of the globe must then have been the main cause of the cyclonic motion that took place below. Herewith the principal observations made on board the "Marina". Liitit. Longit, Barom. (noon) Wind o ' o ' in July 7tli 5. 4—129.53 30.00 SW— W 5— 8 Heavy rain Sth 3.44-130.31 30.02 SW— W 5— 9 Diluvial rain 9tli 1.45—133.12 29 98 SW— W 5— 7 Heavy rain 10th 1.37-131.45 29.90 W— SSW 5- 7 11th 2.34—130.18 29.94 SW— SSW 8- 9 12th 3.22—123. 29.9l> SSW-SSE 8—10 The Typhoon. Luzon, Manila. — The barometer gave no indication of the approach of the whirlwind before the evening of the 11th. The lateness of the warning was owing to the first Typhoon, formed in the west, being yet within a short distance of the Archipelago. In fact, the wind, which had been blowing from SE., in the direction of that Typhoon, on the preceding days, only turned on the 11th to i\E., then on the 12th to NW. and W., under the stronger influence of the new centre of depression and aspiration formed in the South-east of the island. In the morning of the 12th, the normal oscillation of the barometer was entirely suppressed and there was no more room for doubting the existence of that new foe. The following table gives the ensemble of the observations made at the Manila Observatory during the passage of the Typhoon off Luzon whose extreme North-east head it only touched on the 1 4th, midnight. JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 25 Observatory of the Ateneo Municipal at Manila. DIEBCTOE : E. F. FAUEA S. J, Date Hours Barom. at 32° Wind Direo. Veloo. Tempera, of the air Humid. Tens, of vap. Nebulosity Upp. clouds Low. clouds Eain Remarks July 12th 8 A. M. 29.837 miles N\V 2.2 80!3 84 o'.S59 5 Ks 2 W Id Cirro-strati converging to ENE. 10 .852 N\V 1.1 83.5 77 .866 4 Ks 3 C — Solar halo. Noou .837 W 7.7 85,7 71 .854 4 Ks 3 Ao 9 a.m. — a bar of fracto-oumuli 2 P. M. .788 SW 6.6 87.* 70 .882 3 Ks 3 from SSE to S. 4 .749 SW 10.6 86.0 72 .882 8 On 10 a.m. — fracto-cumuli in the B. 6 .732 SW 15.4 84.2 81 .921 3 K 4 On and NE. — halo fainter. 8 .756 W 11.0 83.7 79 .890 10 Ni Very thick veil of Cirri. — A few 10 .771 N 5.0 84.2 87 .921 8 On W 0.039 Cirro-strati running S. to N., under July ISth Midnight .770 N 2.2 82.8 95 .953 which some loose nimbi bearing 2 A. M. .709 WNW 8.8 81.5 95 .961 perpendicularly to that direction. 4 .679 W 8.4 81.5 88 .894 10 On NW Wind from SW. very convergent 6 .682 N 2.2 81.5 92 .898 10 Ni 0.228 to Centre. 8 .692 NNW 6,6 80.6 85 .874 10 NW Fracto-cum. running from WNW. 10 .684 WNW 15.4 82.3 84 .914 10 C NW and W. — Storm clearly lying to Noon .6-16 W 14.3 84.6 78 .906 10 W theN. — Horizon overcast from E. 1 P. M. .639 W 16.5 85.8 78 .945 9 On to NW. .623 W 10.6 86.0 78 .921 Passing showers. 3 .597 W 20.5 86,0 78 .945 4 .578 WSW 220 85.8 82 .969 "* 5 .597 WSW 29.0 85.7 82 .957 6 .604 W 22.0 84.2 79 .917 8 On 7 .619 W 22.0 84.6 79 .914 9 On 8 .634 WSW 22.4 84.6 77 .898 9 .647 WSW 17.6 84.1 79 .8J4 10 On W 10 .666 W 20.5 83.7 78 .886 10 On w 11 .662 SW 18.0 82.8 83 .921 Ji.ly 14th MiLlnight .667 SW 15.8 82.4 85 .929 2 a. m. .643 SW 17.0 82.0 84 .894 10 On w 4 ,626 W 22.0 83.2 76 .795 6 .629 W 23.1 83.3 73 .795 9 On 8 .673 W'SW 16.5 83 3 76 .851 8 On 10 .681 SW 29.0 85.5 80 .878 9 On Noon .669 SW 23.8 82.8 88 .965 10 Ni 2 P. M. .661 SW 27.9 81.2 90 .996 10 Cn 0,024 4 .661 SW 23.1 83.2 82 .921 10 Cn w 6 .666 SW 24.2 82,4 89 .929 8 .710 SW 16.9 81.5 85 .984 10 Ni 10 .741 SW 19.8 82.4 85 .933 7 Cn 0.177 July 15th Midnight .743 S 14.7 82.4 87 .929 2 A. M. .721 SSW 1.8 82.8 92 .963 4 .726 SSW 15.4 82.3 88 .929 10 Ni t) .746 SSW 11.0 81.8 89 .885 10 Cn Meteorological Station at Cuguegarao Cagayan (Luzon) Latit. 17° 36\ 42' — Longit. 121° 40" — height 109 feet. Observator : D. JOSE LOPEZ DE IRASTOEZA. Date Hours B.irom. lat s.lev. Wind Direc. veloc. Temp, of the air Humid. Tens. I Nebulosity of vap. Upp. clouds Low. clouds Bain Remarks July 11th July 12th July 13th July 14th 6 A M. 9 Noon 3 p.m. 6 9 6 a. m. 9 Noon 3 P. M. 6 9 6 A. M. 9 Noon 3 p. M. 6 6 A. M. 9 Noon 3 P. M. 6 9 29.933 .947 .919 .862 .851 .874 29.861 .852 .821 .758 .734 .781 29.664 .650 .608 .504 .509 .507 29.447 .448 .496 .501 .588 .626 ESE SE SE N N N N N N NW NNM^ NNW NNW NNW NW N\Y NNW NW W SW s S s SSE miles 6.1 47.9 20.1 10,7 21.4 32,1 10,4 6.1 35.3 51.4 67.8 38.5 3-5.1 50.3 78,0 97,9 78.5 96.0 55.4 83.4 79.3 86.1 72.9 80.9 79.8 8).5 88.8 8S.8 86.2 80.1 81.3 87.3 88.7 86.8 84.4 79.5 78.2 80.3 82.2 81.5 80.2 79,8 77.2 78,0 78,2 77,2 7o,l 83 76 60 66 87 85 70 66 76 92 94 86 87 92 91 91 93 90 92 96 94 0.803 .851 ,890 .811 .831 .891 ,804 .906 .898 .847 .886 .894 .882 .843 .937 .949 .921 .857 .858 .870 .858 .851 .847 2Ks 2Ks 3Ks 3Ks 3Ks 2Ks IKs E 2Ks SE 2 Ks ESE 3Ks 3Ks 3Ks 2Cs 4C 20 2C 10 2S 7 0s 7C 50 40 5C 3C 10 Ni 10 Cn 10 Ni 10 On 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Cn 9Cs 10 On 10 Ni 10 Ni 10 Ni in ESE SE SE N NNE N NNE N Shower 0.453 NNE 0.322 N 0.160 NNW 0.039 N 0.197 NNW 0.438 WNW 0.886 SW 0.020 SSW 0.047 S 0.071 0.256 SSE 0.197 Between Noon and 1 p.m., appa- rition of a sheaf of feathery Cirro- strati converging to the NW. ,last tiuoe of the passed Typhoon — At 3 p.m., another one bearin'g SSE — NNW Remarkable lunar halo. Remark- able red tints in the sky at sunset. At 6.33 p.m., a slight shower from about NE. — There is a whirlwind in the ESE, that may possibly make itself felt here, as we are in the direction of its track. Squalls from NW. with showers all day long. — squalls getting much more violent at nightfall — diluvial rain. — the horizon over- cast : whirlwind passing to the right hand of us. Squalls and showers abating at daybreak. Horizon clearing up to the North. Wind light with slight squalls. Raining all day. Note : I doubt wJiether the observations of the velocity of the wind have been correctly reduced : I have thought it necessary to multiply by 10 the numbers given in the manuscript. 26 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. These observations sliow that the centre of the Typhoon kept at a good distance from the eastern coast of Luzon. At Manila, the general direction of the wind was constantly from W. to E. with little variation : it first blew from NW. to SE. when the centre was to the South-east; then from W. to E. when it had reached the latitude of Manila, lastly from SW. to NE. when it had got to the straits that separate Luzon from Formosa; the convergence of the wind is therefore unquestionable. The centre got much nearer to Tuguegarao than to Manila and the wind much stronger. An effect of the mountain chain that runs along the eastern coast of Luzon, must also be noticed. When the wind, already stronger, blew at Tuguegarao from NW., W. or SW. and struck more directly against their western slope, the rain kept falling abundantly on that side. This phenomenon we have already mentioned several times :it is easily explained by the cooling of the moist air forced up against the steep mountain slope to get over the obstacle standing in its way. On July 10th, the Typhoon lay to the North-east of Mindanao. On the afternoon of the 13th it reached the latitude of Manila and on the 14th about 6 a.m. it passed the North-eastern head of Luzon and bore straight upon Formosa. Formosa — Extract of the Peking Gazette, December 1 881 : «Ho Ching reports that on the 14th and 15th of July, and 26th, 27th and 28th of August (1), Tai-wan (Formosa Island) was visited by a succession of heavy gales, which did much damage to the crops and shipping of all sorts, blew down houses and public offices, and caused, in some instances, considerable loss of life. The Governor of Fukien, Ts'en Yii-ying, crossed over to Tai-wan to ascertain the extent of the mischief done, and set on foot measures for the relief of the sufferers. ...» From this official report it may be gathered what the violence of the Typhoon must have been in its pass- age over the great Chinese island. Herewith the most interesting observations, with the help of which the course of the centre may be followed : Tai-wan-foo Latitude 22° 68' — Longitude 120° 13' HAKBOUE MASTER'S OFFICE. Date Hours Barom. Wind Bain Weather July 11th. 8 A. M. 4 P. M. 8 12th. 8 A. M. 4 P. M. 8 13th. 8 A. M. 4 p. M. 8 14th. 8 A. M. 4 P. M. 8 15th. 8 A. M. 4 p. M. 8 16th. 8 A. M. 4 P. M. 8 17th. 8 A. M. 4 P. M. 8 in 29.869 N .851 N .849 NW .846 NE .766 N .770 NW .747 NE .640 NW .639 NNW 569 SW .449 NW .384 NNW-N .434 NNW .549 SW .603 SW .668 SW .672 SW .700 SW .768 NW .789 SW .747 SW in 2 hours 0.24 6 hours 1.00 2 hours 0.31 Cloudy, variable weather, heavy sea on Bar — Wind, steady Nly breeze — rain squalls at intervals. Cloudy weather, sea on Bar — Wind, a.m. NE. light, p.m. NNE. fresh. Fine weather the whole day — moderate sea on Bar. — A severe shock of earthquake passed from SSW. to NNE. lasting 60 sec. motion os- cillating. Fine weather until 6 p.m. then light rain, moderate sea on Bar.— Wind most of the day very light SW-NW-N. Bain at intervals first part of the day — second part overcast and threa- tening, heavy sea on bw. — From 6 a.m. until noon it blew half a gale from NNW, the lowest reading was at 4 a.m. 29.294. Fine weather but cloudy, sea on Bar. First part of the day rain squalls at intervals, second cloudy. (1) A second typhoon crossed the Formosa Strait on August 26th and 27th. JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 27 We beg oyer and over again to call attention to the convergence of the winds. On the 14th and early on the 15th, wind NW. and NNW., the Typhoon lying South, close to Tai-wan-foo; if the wind always blew at right angle with the direction of the centre, it now should have been ENE. and NE. After the passage of the centre, at the time the whirlwind covered the whole of Formosa and raged at Twatutia, Tamsui and Keelung on the north coast, the wind at Tai-wan-foo was from SW., not from W. In this last case, it is clear that there was nothing in the way of W. wind coming direct from that sea on whose shore the Capital town of Formosa is situated, with an immense plain at the back, which would have supported the circular wind theory. Before the passage of the centre, the irregular direction of the wind might have been ascribed to a deviation brought about by the great mountain chain which crosses the island from North to South, rising as high as 12 800 feet (mount Morisson), though ttiere is no apparent reason why those easterly winds, cliecked and deviated by the mountains, should at Tai-wan-foo have taken a NW. direction, thus assuming the same convergence as we have met in the preceding Typhoons and shall find in the following. On the other hand, this manifest convergence cannot be laid to the score of a loss of velocity in the lower currents by friction against the soil, for the result would not be a convergence but a divergence, as may often be observed in similar cases. Tamsui Latitude 55° 10' — Longitude 121° 25' HARBOUR MASTER'S OFFICE. Date Hours 1 Barometer 1 afc sea level j Temper, of the air Humi- dity Wind Weather Remarks July 12th 7 A. M. iu 29.85 o 84 75 ■ SE 2 C. B. 1 P. M. 84 91 57 SW 2 CO. 7 .79 85 64 SE 4 CO. July 13th 7 A. M. .76 85 64 SE 4 CO. 1 p. M. .71 92 54 SE 5 CO. 7 .68 86 61 SE 3 CO. July 14th 7 A. M. .67 86 76 SE 3 CO. , In the morning a dark threaten- 1 p. M. .60 85 72 SE 2 o. ing Bar to the Eastward. 7 .54 86 80 E 1 M. U. R. 10 .49 84 87 ENE 3- 4 M. U. R. July 15th Midn. .41 81 91 NE i- 5 M. U. R. 3 a. m. .20 80 91 NB 9-10 M. Q U. R. 6 .16 80 91 NE 7- 8 M. Q. U. R. 6 .11 80 91 NNE 7- 8 M. U. R. ^7 28.87 77 95 N 10-11 M. R. W. At 7. 40 a.m. quite calm and Sun 8 .69 80 89 NNE 1- 2 C 0. visible for 10 min. 9 .68 81 87 SE 1- 2 C O. M. At 9.30 the wind came with great 10 .84 84 83 W 10-11 M. U. Q. R. W. viol-noe aud very suddenly from 11 29.11 78 95 SW 10-11 id id the W. gradually changing to SW. Noon. .28 78 95 SW 10-11 id id 1 P. M. .38 80 82 SW 9-10 id id 2 .35 80 78 SW 9-10 id id \ 3 .39 80 82 SW 8- 9 M. 0. R, j 4 .42 80 78 ssw 5- 6 CO. f "Water rose to 13 feet above L. W. 5 .45 80 78 ssw 5- 6 C 0. V. [ Tides, the usual rise being 8 feec. 7 ,50 81 74 ssw 3- 4 C 0. 1 10 .53 81 78 ssw 3- 4 0. M. ) July 16th Midn. .55 80 74 s 2 0. 7 a. m. .65 80 74 ENE 2-3 CO. 1 p. M. .66 86 76 SW .?- 4 CM. 7 .70 86 68 calm 0. 0. At Keelung, 20 miles East of Tamsui, the calm lasted from 7h to 7h. 30"* a.m., and the barometer fell to 28l"60. The wind blew NE. 8 at 5 a.m.; ENE. 9 at 7h. a.m.; S. 4 at 8h. a.m.; SW. 9 at 9h. a.m.; SW. 10 at lOh. a.m.; SW. 11 at noon; SW. 10 at Ih. p.m.; SW. 8 at 2h. p.m.; SW. 6 at 4h. p.m. At Twatutia, 8 miles SE. from Tamsui, the calm lasted from 7h. to 8h. a.m.; the barometric minimum (28'." 6.5) seems to have taken place at 8h, after the period of calm : the wind went through the same variations as at Keelung, E. and NE. before the calm, and SW. after. 28 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. I need not here again and in the three other stations, point out the convergence of ihewind : after midnight XE. instead of circular E. wind ; after lOh. a.m. SW., turning to SSW. in the evening, instead of circular W. as might hav€ been expected to the South of ihe centre. It appears clearly here how the strict application of the circular theory would lead into error with regard to the direction of the track. The observations at Manila and Tuguegarao (Luzon) and those made at Tai-wan-foo on the South-west coast of Formosa suOTiciently prove that the Typhoon rose almost direct from south to north after passing Luzon. Now the persistency of NE. winds at Tam- sui, Keelung and Twatutia, before the passage of the centre and that of the opposite SW. winds after the passage would lead an adept of tlie circular theory to admit that the Typhoon in passing over those three stations was running from SE. to NW., which would entail an error of 30° to 40° at least on the true direction. A Twatutia the junks suffered badly, fourteen of these broke adrift from their moorings near Banka, and were carried down the river by wind and flood in a body, and meeting with obstruction near the lekin station, the steady crashing that went on is indescribable, some lost masts, others were swept clean to the decks of their topsides and the whole stern carried away square to the hull, including rudder and gear. In many cases the crews were seen with their bags and bones and leaving the vessels to their fate, seeking safety on shore, such of those as remained aground were of course quickly luted. Another not less decisive proof of the convergence of the winds we find in the report of the SS. Albay sailing to Tanisui from Amoy, a port of China, opposite Formosa, at equal distance from the north and south entrances of the straits (latit. 2i! 28' — long. 118! 3). She left Amoy on July 15th, 5h a.m., at the moment when the centre of the Typhoon reached the eastern coast of Formosa at the same latitude. The ship's barometer marked 29'" 68 (at Tamsui 29^16; at Tai-wanfoo, 29*"30) and the wind blew from W. (!) straight towards the centre. Shortly after leaving the coast and entering the straits, she found the wind first SW., then SSW. and next S. on getting near the coast of Formosa, its violence increasing every moment. The Albay cast anchor in the harbour of Tamsui at Ih a.m. on the 16th : the centre of the Typhoon must therefore have been still on the sea, close to the northern entrance of the straits of Formosa at the time when SW. and S. winds were blowing in the straits, their convergence having in no way altered. Coast of China — I have already stated that during July there prevailed a very low atmospheric pressure over the central region of China. Thus at Hankow (latit. 30! 34 — longit. 114'.' 20) the mean height of the barometer (corrected for altitude) did not exceed 29'" 55, and the prevailing wind was from SSE.; at Chang-kia- chwang, to the South of Peking (latit. 38! 17' — long. 116! 14) the mean reading of the barometer was 29'."66; at Chefoo (entrance of the Gulph of Pechili, lat. 37! 36' — long. 12i! 26), 29'."62; at Zi-ka-wei, 29'.°716; at Nagazaki (Japan) 29'.°828; at Tokio, 29'."857. There was then really on the continent a marked minimum of pressure, which this time also was the effective cause of the direction taken by the Typhoon. But it could not move far from the sea shore without soon vanishing away, and it proceeded straight north towards Chefoo, which direction besides was already pretty well marked out by the strong equatorial aerial current which was running all along the coast to Chefoo ever since the 10th of July, the very day on which the whirlwind started on its course near Mindanao. The observations of Gapt. F. W. Schulze of the SS. Keelung show us how that aerial current came gradually to be connected with the whirlwind, ultimately to partake of its gyrating motion. The Steamer left Chefoo on the 11th, 5h. p.m. and on the 15th 3h. p.m. got within a very short distance of the Typhoon somewhat north of Formosa. JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 29 Steamer Keelung — Captain F. W. Schulze From CHBFOO to SWATOW. Date Hours Position Liitit. Longit. Winds Baro- meter Clouds Remarks July nth 5 p, M. „ 12tli Midn. Noon „ 13th Midn. Noon „ 14th Midn. Noon 4 P. M. 8 „ 15th Midn. 2 A. M. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Noon 1 P. M. 2 3 4 5 7 5 „ 16th Midn. Noon o Chefoo I 37. 20' 122. 50' 35. 68 34.34 33, 8 31.47 29.52 29.21 28.49 28.21 28. 6 27.53 123. 10 128. 20 123. 21 123. 10 122, 44 122. 27 122, 9 122. 121. 52 121. 42 27. 38 121. 32 27.26 121.22 27. 12 121. 12 26. 58 121. Nearly stationary 26.40 121. 26. 29 120. 50 SE S Sby W Sby W S Sby E SSE SSE SB SE SE SE SE ESE E ENE NE NE NE NE NE NE 6 4 5 5 6 7 7- 8 8- 9 9 9 10 10 N-NNW 10 W 10-11 "WSW sw WSW WSW ssw 11 11 10 29.840 .782 .804 .793 .816 ,844 .808 .735, .717: .654' .592! .543' .4911 .459' .4091 .401 .337 .296, .2451 .111] 29.000; 28.948 .7851 28.847, 29,090' .336 .405 .487 .654 5 10 10 9 3 2 9 9 10 10 E 10 R 10 R 10 R 10 R 10 E 10 R 10 R 10 R 10 E 10 E 10 E lOR 10 R 10 R 10 R 10 R 6 Left Chefoo on the 11th July .at 5h p.m. Foggy weather off Sha-ntung Peninsula and in the Yellow Sea. Hazy atmosphere. 5h a.m. Passed the Barren Islands — swell from SE. llh. 30"" a. m, Haichu Isl. (Taichow group) bore NW. 2 miles dis- tant — heavy swell from SE. — squally weather. Dense showers of rain, There was every indication of a Typhoon raging to the Southward. Kept ship on her coiirse (SWJy Sly) with the expectation that she would pass with favourable winds though the left band semicircle of the stonn, under the supposition that the latter should make a north- easterly track. Reefed the square sails and close reefed the trysails. An enormous cross sea was now rimning from NE. and SE. At noon the rain became perfectly blinding ; could not see a ship's length ahead : resolved to heave to. Secured the foresail and put the head to the wind nnd let the engines go dead slow — Tremendous con- fused sea running from SE-NE. ; the waves attained an enormous height when crests of two cross seas coincided; ship behaved splendidly. 3h . p.m. — Lowest reading, of the barometer, the mercury oscillating and bumping more than one tenth of an inch up and down. 4 ji.m. — Wind shifting gradually to WSW. with furious squalls of almost hurricane like force and very heavy rain which caused a pain- ful impression on the skin of hands and face, like hail or small peb- bles. The heaviest gusts of wind were from SWbyW. After the last shift wind the sea became terribly confused and of an immense height : the steamer behaved exceedingly well. 16th July , 7 a.m. — terrific sea from S W. 8a.m. — Sky clearing up to the southward ; heavy banks of cumulo- strati to the Northward; hazy atmosphere. At noon, cloud banks to the northward more distant , tapering off tov/ards the zenith to Cirro-strati and Cirri— ordinary clear sky to the Southward — A complete halo round the Sun. Though the convergence of the winds be less marked here, it can be made out nevertheless for the winds from NE. and WSW., as the ship's position was north of the centre before the moment of shortest distance and also right south of that same centre on the evening of July 15th. The greatest violence was met with in the hinder part of the Typhoon with land winds from W. and SW., which fact may perhaps be explained by the consideration that the velocity of the SW. wind received an increase from the velocity of translation of the whirf- wind, the reverse being the case with the NE. wind; it might also be said that, in point of velocity, the SW. wind had the advantage over the NE. wind in running as it were with the main equatorial current which carried the whirlwind along with it. The brilish brig Emily (Capt. W. Crichton), sailing southward, seems to have passed through the centre of the Typhoon on the 15th, 3h. 45™ p.m., by latit. 27:o' and long. 12i:30; The barometer is , said to have fallen only down to 28'." 84, at 4h. 30"» p.m. after the short period of calm, though on board the Keelung it fell to 28'°785 ; but the barometer of the Emil!/ was an aneroid barometer and the correction is not given. At 3h. 45, «a sort of lull and shift of wind veering round from E. to SE., S. and SSW. : took advantage of the break and wore shipi). The storm then became more and more furious. Another sailing ship, the German brig Peter, sailing northward, passed close to the same spot about 3 p.m.: she found the same short calm and with her also the wind turned from E. to SE. and to SW. : the barometer, at 3 p.m., wasat 28'."85. Both these ships then touched the eastern edge of the central region of the whirlwind. Now, the Keolwiff by the same latitude and 12i:o' long., had the wind from NE. afterwards veering to N.,NW. and W., and she 30 ' JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. passed outside of this central region somewhat to the West of it: it is therefore clear that on July loth, between 3 and 4 p.m., the centre must have been lying by latit. 27° and longitude 12l"25', that is to say 110 miles due North of Tamsui. Since it had passed Tamsui between 8 and 9h. a.m., it had employed 7 hours to run that distance, and its velocity of translation had been 15.7 miles an hour. Wenchow (latit. 28^2 — long. 120!38 ). — Mr. W. Stronach was so kind as to communicate to me his observations made at the British Consulate during the passage of the Typhoon. The wind had been blowing from NE. since 7h. a.m. of the 15th. As the centre of the Typhoon was then on Formosa to the South of Tamsui, it is clear that those persistent NE. winds at Wenchow were not circular, but convergent. — At 6h. 20'" p.m. the wind shifted to NbyW. whilst the barometer attained its minimum, 29";09 : the centre thus passed to the East of Wenchow, not far from it. — At 8h. p.m. the wind veered to NW. — at 8h. 40'" p.m. to WbyS. — at lOh. p.m. to S. (strong) still blowing straight towards the centre which was getting near Hang-chow-foo Bay. Ningpo (latit. 29°52'— longit. 121^34 ). —Wind: S. (force 1-3) since July 8th; turned to SE. (3-1) on the 14th afternoon, toE. (1-3) on the 15th, then SE. again and freshening rapidly in the evening of the same day. Wind S. (6-2) on the 16th; dying away on the 17th. The barometric observations made regularly every 4 hours in the Harbour-otfice supply data for calculating with sufficient accuracy the time and the amount of th^ minimum pressure: that is 29'.°10 at Ih 30"° a.m. on the 16th. The centre of the Typhoon must then probably have been at that very moment passing somewhath to the west of Ningpo running northward, and it was on the 16th, 2h a.m. that it crossed the parallel of 30' by 121° long. The mean velocity of the Typhoon, 3 p.m. on the 15th and 2 a.m. on the 16th, had therefore been 16.3 miles an hour, that is showing a slight increase since the centre had reached the continent. Zi-ka-wei (latit. 31112' — longit. 121°26') and Shanghai. — The first indication of the Typhoon's approach was not the fall of the barometer, for the passage in the North of a strong depression on the 12th hart already caused the barometer to sink; on its rising again, on the 13th and I4lh, the inQuence of the Typhoon, to be sure, made the rise be less than it would otherwise have been; yet the effect of the wiiirlwind which was running straight northward did not come out clearly. But there was anotiier very frequent in such cases and more reliable sign, namely the appearance so soon as July 14th, 7 a.m., of loose vapoury low clouds, swiftly rising from the SE. horison and running to the North-west. The centre of the Typhoon was then near the North-east headland of Luzon, 660 miles South of Zi-ka-wei : at such a distance, we were evidently outside of the whirlwind properly said, but still under its influence. Now the formation of those loose swiftly running clouds may be ex- plained by the fact of the lower currents, at the edge of the whirlwind, mixing with the descending cold currents driven from the centre in the upper regions of the air; for in a whirlwind the convergence towards the centre of the lower winds supposes necessarily the divergence of the upper ones. In the present case, the high currents which were running from the centre of the storm yet could partially reach our latitude in the shape of an inclined SW. current, and their lower temperature gave rise to condensations on meeting the lower warm moist currents. On the next day, 1 5th, the higher clouds showed that there was an upper current running between SW. and \V., and the strong ESE. wind that blew before noon being much inclined upwards could not fail to bring showers as it really happened. Towards evening the rain became heavy and the wind violent: the Typhoon had come. On the 16th, 2ha.m., the rain had ceased; there blew violent squalls between E. and SE. ; thinly scattered nimbi looked high and were running from SE. to NW. — At 2h SO-" a.m. the wind shifted a little to the NE. JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 3 1 and rain began to fall again abundantly. — At 3h 30" a.m. the wind came back to ESE. — Between 4 and 5h a.m., barometric minimum; — strong oscillations of the mercury, though the mean h«ight did not vary; — wind now from SSE. blowing with frightful violence : between 4 and 5 a.m. velocity 45 miles : the velocity during the squalls may have been 55 or 60 miles an hour — At 5h 45" a.m. clouds running to North or inclining slightly to NE. ; wind abating. — Several trees were uprooted at Zi-ka-wei. Between 9h and lOh a.m. the wind j^rned to SW. and about Ih p.m. to WSW. On the 17th, midnight, it shifted to W. and during the whole day oscillated between W. and WSW. Zi-ka-wei Observatory DIEECTOR E. F. M. DECHEVEENS S. J. Latit. 31M2',30" — Longit. 120°.26'. 20" Date HoDis Barometer. Winds at sea level Direct. Velocity Temperat. of the air Humid, Tension of vapour Clouds Upper Lower Eain in milea in inch. July 14th 1 p. M. 29.779 S 12.6 77! 7 93 0,886 4 A. M. .780 S 5.3 77.0 95 ,882 7 .792 SSE 10.6 82.6 85 .953 2 C SE 10 .781 SSE 13.4 88.3 72 .965 4 C SSE 1 P. M. .772 SSE 15.3 88.0 71 ,933 5 C SSE 4 .707 SE 18.7 85.5 78 ,953 6 C SB 7 .724 SE 14,4 81.1 88 ,941 Ac 4 C SE io .754 ESE 11,9 79.5 94 ,957 4 15th 1 A. M. .706 >SE 10.6 78.8 97 ,953 8 4 .698 ESE 5.5 78.8 96 0,949 AoSWlO Ni ESE 7 .714 E 6.6 79.3 97 1.977 10 Ni 10 .705 E 15.8 84.7 85 1,019 AcW 10 Cn E 0.055 1 P.M. .656 E 19.0 85.3 83 0.009 10 Cn E 4 .608 E 23.4 81.7 90 ,976 10 Ni E 7 .547 ENE 24.5 79.5 93 ,949 10 Ni E 10 .461 E 28.8 78.1 100 ,961 10 Ni 1.288 16th MidnighD .408 E 28,3 78.8 94 .933 10 Ni 1 A.M. .356 ESE 29.6 77.7 98 ,925 10 Ni 2 .302 ESE 31.0 77.2 97 .902 10 Ni SE 3 .216 ESE 41,2 77,2 94 .878 10 Ni 4 .132 SSE 44,7 75.9 99 .890 10 Ni 0,559 5 .129 S 34,6 77,0 99 .921 10 Ni S 6 .162 SSW 26,5 77.2 100 .933 10 Ni SSW 7 .220 SSW 25.0 77,0 100 .929 10 Ni SSW 8 .256 SSW 26,5 77.2 100 .933 10 Ni 9 .294 SW 28,3 77.7 100 .949 10 Ni 10 .325 SW 26,0 81.3 90 .965 10 Cn SW 0,740 11 .334 SW 23.4 82.9 87 .980 10 Cn Noon .344 SW 23.4 82,9 87 0.988 10 Ni 1 P. M. .357 WSW 22,3 82.4 92 1.019 10 NiWSW 4 .393 w 19.6 77,9 88 0.839 10 NiWSW 7 .443 WSW 18.7 76.5 87 .788 10 Ni W 10 .533 WSW 12.2 75,9 90 .803 10 Cn W 17th 1 A. M. .555 w 12.3 75.6 90 .795 10 Cn W 4 .614 w 8.6 74.3 89 ,752 10 Cn W 7 .642 WSW 10.7 74,7 90 .767 9 Cn W 10 .654 w 15.7 78.4 88 ,855 8 Sih^ At Zi-ka-wei, the wind veered from E. to W. through S. : consequently the centre of the Typhoon passed to the West of us. At Shanghai the steamers in the river got up steam and the sailing vessels strengthened their moorings, and so far as these larger vessels are concerned little or no damage was done; but the damage to cargo-boats, sampans and small craft in general, must have been considerable, as the foreshore of the Bund amply showed at an early hour on the 17th morning. The loss of life amongst natives, especially amongst the junks anchored opposite the city, is thought to have been large, as several bodies have been seen floating down the river. The Bund presented a pitiable sight, trees here and there having been blown down . . . etc. Chinkiang (latit. 32! 13' — long. 119° 27'). — The Typhoon continued its course northwards, skirted along the great lake West of Shanghai and went to cross the Yang-tze-kiang somewhat to the East of Chinkiang, 32 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. a port of commerce situated on the right bank of the river, 110 miles North-west of Shangliai and 47 miles East of Xani(ing. The northerly wind there blew with a terrible violence, as may be seen on the following table. Chinkiang HARBOUR MASTER'S OFFICE. Date Hours Baro- meter ^^■ind in July ISth 9 A. M. 29.59 SE 3 Noon .60 E 4 3 p. M. .56 NE 4 6 .51 ESE 5 9 .50 E 6 16th Midn. .50 E 7-8 3 A. M. .55 E 7-8 6 .56 N 5-6 9 .20 NNE 9-12 Noon .27 NNW 9-12 3 p. M. .31 W 8-10 6 .35 NNW 7-8 9 .36 NNW 6-7 17th Midn .46 NNW 7-8 3 A. M. .46 NNW 6-7 6 .46 NW 5-6 9 .55 W 4-5 Noon .52 W 4-5 Clouds Rain 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 in 7 0.86 5 6 6 7 7 7 6 4 0.55 7 Remarks Overcast and threatening rain. Light rain. Very squally. At 11 p.m. suddenly commencad Wowing in heavy gusts, r-aining from 12. 30 to 3.30 a. m. Raining from 4.30 to 6 a.m. , the wind having gone down considerably. , At 8 a.m. siidrlen fall in the barometer and the wind shifted round to N., NE. and NNE. The worst of the gale was between 9 a.m. and 3 a.m., from the NNE and NNW. — about 4 p.m. the gale began gradually oo abate. From midnight to 8 a.m. raining, and then it commenced to clear up. Fine, but dull and hazy. The stone-faced bund resisted the action of the waves admirably. One bad accident occurred. A boat, overcrowded with 20 passengers, was upset by a squall on the 17th morning, and all but three drowned. Six were Pekingese just arrived ; they left four more cautious friends on the north bank, who decided to await more favourable weather. The boatmen and crew were saved by the exertions of native lifeboats of the local Humane Society, only, however, to be arrested by the Magistrate for carrying ten passengers over the legal limit allowed for boats of his size. Chefoo. (latit. 37^ 36 — longit. 12l!: 26)andcape Shantong (latit. 31". 24 —long. 122! 42).— Chefoo is a sea port on the North coast of the Shantong Peninsula. On the extreme NE. headland of that Peninsula there stands a Light-House whose light is 200*'' above the sea. A chain of high peaked hills, 2 to 3 miles in breadth, rises eastward of the sandy plain Of Yung-ching (longit. 120! lO') and forms the Shantung Promontory. These hills when first seen from NW. or SE. make like a number of pointed detached islets of peculiar appearance. Five of them are very prominent : the highest, 910 feet high, called Ta-ching-shan, (which is also the Cliinese name for the Promontory), is the v/estern peak ; it is very pointed and precipitous, except to the north, on which side it has a gentle slope. "Sharp" peak, 680 feet high, half-way between this and the extreme of the Promontory, is also remarkable, with deep vails on either side. Such is the obstacle against which the Typhoon came to strike on the morning of July 17th and which It was unable to get over. And yet there is no doubt but that its course hitherto so straight and sure had been directed to this point by special atmospheric conditions. For, as stated before, there was a strong depression spread- ing all over the North of China from the 10th to the 15th of July and the heat had become excessive, as may be gathered from the following observations out of the Bulletin mensuel of the Observatory of the Jesuit Mis- sionnaries at Ghang-kia-chwang (lat. 38! 17' — long. 116! 14'). JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 33 Chang-kia-chwang Director : E, F. GATTELIEE S, J. Latitude 38° 17' — Longitude 116° 14' — height 100 feet. Date Barom. mean Temperature Humi. Evapor. ninnrlq Prevailing at s. 1. maxim, mean "/o per day winds July 10th in 29.735 o • 100.8 88.2 46 in 0.496 4 Cirri NE. N s 11th .628 104.S 92.3 43 0.488 3 Cirri N S 12th .463 111.2 97.0 43 0.591 5 Ciri-i N. NE dusty S-SW-N 13th .626 100.4 86.9 34 0.425 1 Cii-ri-Cumuli E NE-E-SE 14th .618 99.1 S3. 7 56 0.370 3 Cumuli E SB 15th .707 91.4 77.9 75 0.189 5 Cirri-Cumulo nimbi B E-SE It is clear that there was at that time a polar current above the surface equatorial current. At Taku, at the mouth of the Peiho (Tientsin river) the thermometer, on the 11th, marked 102^ in the shade, and on the 12th afternoon 108°. At Chefoo, with a cloudy sky, there was 96° on the 11th, and 102° on the 12th (1). At Si-wantze, in Mongolia, north of the Great Wall (latit. 4l!o'— long. 114!' 50'), at a height of ,5360 feet, the temperature rose to 73^9 on the lOth, 1h p.m., and to 75^4 on the 11th. If that northern depres.sion together with this high temperature realized conditions such as to attract the whirlwind towards those regions of North China, the radical change in the state of the atmosphere which took place little before the arrival of the Typhoon to the Shantong Peninsula must also have been the cause of the sudden check it underwent and of its partial vanishing in the Yellow Sea. For let us consider what took place at New- chwang, on the coast ofLiao-tong in the north of the Gulph of Pechili (lat. 40?43 — long. 122!l4), on the line which, according to all probabilities, the whirlwind was to follow. We find that on July 12th, 7h. p.m., the baro- meter, under the influence of the above mentioned northern depression, had fallen down to its minimum, 29"28. From that moment it rose steadily till noon on the 16th (29^"60) with feeble or moderate wind from SW. ; it fell somewhat on the 17th and 18th (minimum on the 18th, 6h p.m.: 29™46) the wind during that interval having shifted to NW. and NE. to come back to WSW. and SW. through S., feeble all the time. On the next day, 19th at 6h a.m. the barometer had again risen to a maximum 29'^"55 which also was the mean pressure of the month. At Chefoo, there was a barometric maximum on the 16th, midn. (29':"75), with wind from SE., force 1. It was followed on the 17th, 4h. p.m., by a minimum (29'.°58) though but little marked for such a proximity of the Typhoon. The wind, since the 16th, noon, was blowing from NE., force 3 and continued in that direction till the morning of the 19th when it abated to force 1 and shifted toE. — At Gape Shantong Light-house, there was a similar barometric variation, but the E. wind which blew constantly on the 16th, 17th and till the afternoon of the 18th was stronger (force 4-6-3); it afterwards turned to SE. force 4, then on the ( 1 ) It is not without interest to note the enormous difference of temperature then observed between two points but little distant from each other and diiferingbut little in altitude, viz, Cliefoa and the Shantong Light-house, at the North-east point of the Shantong Promontory : it is about 70 miles to the East of Chefoo ; its heihgt above the sea = 270 ft. On July 18th the thermometer at Chefoo, at the sea level, rose to 102.°2 : at the Light-house it only reached 69.°8. The mean temperature of the month as resulting from 4 daily ob- servations at e.ich station, was at Chefoo 79. °2 — at the Light-house 72. °0 (a decrease of 1° for every 38ft of difference of level). Such a rapid lowering of the temperature at an inconsiderable height naturally brought about the saturation of the moist air rising from the sea; and in fact the report of the observationg. made at the Light-house during that month of July mentions that two days only, viz, the 3d and 4th excepted, there wa« a constant fog round the lantern ! There was no rain at that altitude, whilst at Chefoo on the contrary it was frequent and the sky during the month was almost constantly overcast : hence the lower figure for the mean temperature of the month, at Chefoo, viz. 79.''2 compared to. that of Chang-Ida-ohwang (83.'8), and oiZi-fea-wei (81.°5]> 34 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 20th, to S. force 4. — At Taku (Tientsin river) llie barometer stood high on the 16th, 17th, 1 8th and 19th with moderate easterly wind. All this, I think, clearly proves that the Typhoon did not cross the Shantong Peninsula and did not get to the North of Chefoo cither over tlie plains of Shantong, West of the hills of the Peninsula (for the barometer stood high at Ghang-kia-chwang and particularly at Taku), or round Gape Shantong over the nortiiern part of the Yellow Sea, for the wind at the Light-house continued from E. and at Newchwang turned to the W. through S. Moreover, we have a document to set all doubts at rest and prove that the whirlwind did not cross the 37tli parallel between Ghina and Gorea, that is the report of capt. D. Mte of the Schooner Faugh Ballaugh : she was sailing from Newchwang to Amoy and turned Gape Shantong at noon on July 16th, at the moment when the Ty- phoon had just crossed the Yang-tze-kiang, east of Ghinkiang. Schooner Faugh Ballaugh CAPTAIN D, RUTB. Date Hours July Itith Noon 4 P. SI. 8 10 11 17tli Midn. 2 4 8 Noon Latit. Longit. Barom. Wind o o in 36.66,-123.21, 29.72 ESB 4 .62 E 6 .57 E 7 .49 E 8 .45 EbyN 10 .42 ENE 11 .42 E 11 .40 E 10 .43 E 8 35.48,-123.20, .40 ESE 8 Remarks Rain Squalls and heavy rain — hove to. Barometer unsteady. 6 a. m. Kept steer course. The wind on the 17th to the 18th noon veered to SE. and moderating — barometer to 29?54. On the 18,19,20,21 and 22, fog and moderate SbyE. and SSE. breeze — barometer 29\"70 very steady. On the 22nd, noon, latit. 33!l4' — longit 123!53'. Thus in the middle of the Yellow Sea, the wind on the 17th and 18th continued between E. and SE., and notwithstanding the violence of the storm during the night of the 16th- 17th, the barometer did not sink below 29i°42, a slight fall for the season of the year and the region where the ship lay. The course of the Typhoon northwards must then have been interrupted after it got to sea again by latit. 3 4! — What became of it ?. . . . — It is worthy of note that during that night of the 1 6th - 1 7th, at cape Shan- tong, at the height of the Light-house, the force of the wind did not exceed 6, whilst some distance at sea there was blowing a hurricane (force 11). It was a last effort of the whirlwind in a region where the elements of its preservation and development were wanting, and though some remains of this great storm may yet be followed up eastwards in the direction of Japan, there is properly no Typhoon any more to detain us in this great inner sea of China and Gorea. Japan. — It will not be without interest to follow eastward the runaway storm so suddenly escaped out of the main Typhoon come to grief in the neighbourhood of the Shantong Peninsula. There is nothing unprece- dented or uncommon in this division of a whirlwind generating secondary whirlwinds, which seem to run at ran- dom, often even getting further subdivided until the stored up energy of the storm is exhausted. A similar pheno- menon may be observed in the whirlpools of a water-course, and what takes place there under our eyes will help us to understand the ways of our Typhoon in its last stage. Here our sources of information are the following : JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 35 1° — The Imperial meteorological Stations at Nagasaki: latitude 32.°44.' 17' — longitude 129.°52.' 29' — height 129 feet Hiroshima: „ 34.20. 0— „ 132.27. 0— „ 14 „ Kioto: „ 35. 1. 7 - „ 1.35. 46. 10 - „ 162 , Tokei: (Obser.) „ 35. 39. 50 — „ 139. 45. 10 — „ 63 ,, 2° — The 13 chief Light-houses on the coast of Japan, the most distant of which are Satanomisaki: latitude 30. "58.' 30' — longitude ISO.MO' — height 200 feet Siriyasaki: „ 41. 26. 10 — „ 141. 29 — „ 150 „ The high pressures in the regions North of the 37th parallel were a bar against the invasion of the Typhoon. Gliding, as it were, along the foot of this obstacle, a secondary whirlwind, without any great energy, but easily known from the fall of the barometer it occasioned on its way, escaped in the middle of the Yellow Sea, making for the East : it rapidly traversed Corea and the Sea of Japan and got to the western coast of Nipon about 38" latit. On July 18th, about 10 p.m., it passed somewhat to the north of Tokei, the Capital of Japan, and got to the sea on the morning of the 19th. It then first ran SE., afterwards SW. on the 20th, :21st and 22d, with a greatly diminished velocity : its course was opposite to that of the great Japanese current. On the 23th, it traversed the great island of Kiu-siu from E. to W., passing close to the South of Nagazaki, and on the 24th came back through the straits of Corea into the Sea of Japan : after running the whole length of it, it at last, on the 28th, issued into the Pacific through the strait of Sungar north of Nipon, and was finally lost sight of bearing SE. Such, in a few words, is the curious rambling excursion of that small insignificant whirlwind : it remained for ten days in that region, maintaining a low pressure and bringing about sultry weather, thus opening the way for the Typhoon which in the last days of July was going to rage in the South of Japan. It was at Hiroshima and Kioto that the barometric pressure was more affected, those two stations having from the 18th to the 25lh been constantly within the great closed curve described by the track. Tokei and Na- gazaki on the contrary lay at the two extreme NE. and SW. points of the almost triangular area enclosed within this singular track. At Tokei the barometer did not really read low except on the 18th (29'."715 at 11 p.m.) when the whirlwind approached that town on first getting to Japan. The wind which blew from S. before the arrival of the whirlwind, turned successively to SW., to W. and N. On the 19th 3h p.m., it blew from E., then from ENE. on the following days and lastly from SE. At Kioto there really also was but one barometric minimum, viz. on the 20th, 3h 30" p.m. (29™759) the wind blowing from NW. feeble. At Hiroshima, the lowest reading was 29'."708 on the 23d, 3h 30" p.m. At Nagazaki, the absolute minimum must have taken place on the morning of the 24th, about 3 or 4h. a.m., for at 9h. 30" p.m. on the 23d, the barometer marked 29'."740 and at 9.30" a.m. on the 24th, 29'."921, so that it must have fallen to 29',''69 at least. On the 23d, 9h p.m., the wind was NNE. (7.5 miles); on the 24th, 9h. a.m., it was ENE. (18.0 miles). It then appears that the light winds which obtained all over that region during the presence of the whirlwind, were generally convergent, that is blowing towards its centre. The approach of the whirlwind caused a slight fall of the barometer, at Zi-ka-wci on the 23d and 24th, in the north of China on the 25th and 26th. The escape of that whirlwind to the north of Nipon through the strait of Sungar is well set off by the Observations made at the Siriyasaki Light-house. On the 25th, the barometer stood at its maximum, 30'" 10 wind SE. — On the 26th, and 27th, same wind, barometer sinking. — On the 28th, both at 9h. a.m. and 9h. 36 JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. p.m. 29'"76, wind SE. veering to W. tiirough S. : the barometric minimum must liave taken place about 3h. p.m. Tlie South-easterly direction apparently followed by the whirlwind on the 29th seems to have been the cause of the fall of the barometer observed in succession on that day, afternoon, at the Kinkwasan and Inuboyesaki Light-houses on the eastern coast of Nipon north ofTokei and so far as Tokei; but on the approach of the Typhoon about to follow the southern coast of the Archipelago, this secondary depression was lost and soon all trace of the "Formosa and Shanghai" Typhoon disappeared. Extent of the Typhoon — Barometric gradient. The Typhoon seems to have acquired its full development and the depth of the central depression not to have varied in any degree during the course of the 1 4th and 1 .5th July. It was on the 1 4th, 6h p.m. , that the steamer Kcclung from Chefoo met with SE. winds (force 7) : she was getting into the zone of the Typhoon properly said. The barometer marked 29'."724; onihenextday, the ship being near the Centre, it sank to 28'" 785. On the 14th, 6h p.m., the ship lay by latit. 29^9 and longit. 122'^19, whilst the Centre of the Typhoon was at latit. 2l!o' and long. 122°0 : the storm therefore at that moment extended 485 miles to the North and the barometric difference was about l'."OG, equal to 22 for 100 miles. On the 15th, 11th a.m., the Keelung was in latit. 27°5' and the Centre of the Typhoon in latit. 26°43', their distance being very nearly 22 miles : now the barometric difference being 0'."607, the gradient was equal to 2,76 per 100 miles, a' very high figure which accounts for the violence of the storm in this region. The extent of the whirlwind from E. to W. was much less than from S. to N. Thus on the 14th, 6h p.m., the convergent SW. wind that was blowing at Hongkong had only force 3, that of a gentle breeze, with baro- meter at 29',"58 : the Centre of the Typhoon was only 365 miles away to the ESE. The steamer Hoikow (Capt. Th. Sliaw) had left Amoy on the 15th, about 6 a.m.; with light N. wind — raining - swell from E. At 9h. p.m. had got off the White Dogs island (Light-house : latit. 26° O' — long. 120°0'). The wind, from N. at starting, W. at 9h a.m., SW. at 4h p.m. now took the force 7 (moderate gale)- barometer29'.°45- position : 180 miles SSW. of the Centre. At Tamsui, 215 miles South of the Centre, on the 15th 9h. p.m., the wind blew from SSW. (convergent), force 3-4; barometer 29'."52. On that same day, between 3 and 4 p.m., the same wind got to force 7, then abated rapidly; barometer 29\°40. It is evident that the Typhoon, cramped behind and to the west, extended forward considerably. For the eastern side no document allows us in any way to determine the development of the whirlwind. On tlie 1 6th, 3h 30" p.m. , the Typhoon was at the latitude of Nagasaki and entered the Yellow Sea again. At Nagasaki, wind S. light; barometer 29'." 782 rising : that port then was outside of the whirlwind, though its distance to the Centre did not exceed 520 miles. On the other hand, the German barque Juno (Capt. Nielsen), on the 16th afternoon, being 200 miles North-east of the Centre was right in the whirlwind : wind SE.byE., heavy storm, terrific confused sea, heavy rain. Swell. — It is important to ascertain how far from the centre that sure indication of heavy weather coming on was discernible during the period of this whirlwind. In the report of Capt. Schulze (SS. Keelung) we find a swell from SE. noticed for the first time on July 14th, 4h a.m., by lat. 31" 19' and long. 123! 6', that is 800 miles North of the centre; wind S by E. force 4 — JULY — SHANGHAI TYPHOON. 37 barometer 29? 8 43 just beginning to fall. Tiie swell here then it was that gave the first announcement of the Typhoon. That heavy swell from SE. was also met at the very same time by the SS, Foochow (lat. 30! 7') and the SS. Pakhoi (lat. 28! 10 ). It might probably have been observed even sooner and farther from the Centre. For in the report of Gapt. J. M. Clarke of SS. Miramar from Chefoo at the date of July 14th, midn., by lat. 36° there is the following entry: "Dark cloudy weather with a heavySE. swell throughout, wind S. strong, barom. rising 29\'^82." — It is true however that this swell might as well have been due to those very strong South- erly winds that belonged to the depression already noticed on the 12th and 13th as extending over the North of China. The steamer Hoihow in the port of Amoy on the 14th, with the wind NE. and N. abating, did not feel any swell, but as we have seen, on going to sea again on the 15th, Gh a.m., she met a swell from E. Her distance from the Centre was then about 230 miles. The SS. Fuh-i/eu (Capt. A. Croad) left Hongkong on the evening of the 1 3th, with light changeable wind; barometer high. On the 14th, 8h a.m., swell from ESE., wind NE by E. moderate breeze, barometer beginning to fall; latit. 22! 50 —long. 116! 40': the Centre was 400 miles to the ESE. — According to Gapt. J. Wallace of the SS. Glenroy, in the afternoon of the 14th and next day there was in those whereabouts a swell from ENE. afterwards from NE. It was found less high in the Straits of Formosa; it ceased on the 15th about 6h p.m. to appear again at 8h p.m. from S. and increase rapidly under the action of the strong SSW. wind (force 5) then blowing. Ship captains are therefore earnestly invited not to neglect taking notice of the Swell : the observation is of the easiest and gives an almost infallible indication of the weather likely to be met with. The existence of a swell, its direction and intensity should always be carefully noted down in the Logbook and never omitted in the reports intended to supply data for a circumstantial study of storms. Casualties. The passage of this Typhoon on our coast was marked by two shipwrecks. The British barque Aberdonian, Captain Boig, was lost on one of the islands in the Ghusan Archipelago, on the night of the 16th July. There were 25 men on board : six of the native crew saved themselves; the captain and the remainder of the crew were lost. The Aberdonian was reported by the survivors to have struck on a rock, and to have gone to pieces shortly afterwards. Nothing more was ever seen of her, although H. M. S. Foxhound went for a cruise round the islands. The Aberdonian was on a voyage from Newchwang to Swatow. The American brigantine Annie S. Hall, owned and commanded by Captain G. H. Nelson (a grand nephew of the celebrated admiral), was lost in the same night. She was on a voyage from Newchwang to Hongkong, and after encountering the Typhoon, she anchored on the night of the 16th July, near the Island of Soudan (latit. 28! lO'-long. 12l! 30). The ship lay on her beam-ends, and was completely disabled, so much so that next morning the captain and crew abandoned her, and reached Fung-me Island, one of the Taichow Group, and from . . thence were taken in a Chinese gunboat to Ningpo. One of the crew had been killed when the deck-houses were swept away by a heavy sea. The captain reported that the vessel sank ten minutes after he left her. FIRST JAPAN TYPHOON Fifth Typhoon : 26th July - 2nd August 1881. PROBABLE TRACK : Latitude Long'tude July 2eth Midn. [20! ' 126° ' „ 27th Midn. Sea \ 21. 30 12!). 30 „ 28th Midn. South-cast ) 23. 30 127, 15 „ 29th Midn. of i 26, 128. 30 „ 30tli Midn. Japan / 27. 30 129. 30 „ 31th Midn. \ 29. 130. 30 Augnst Ist Midn. Southern coast (31. 15 132. 30 2nd Midn. of < 32, 30 136. 3rd Midn. Japan (.33. 30 141. EVENTS : Floods in southern provinces of Japan. It was on July 18th that the preceding Typhoon, having lost much of its violence, reached the western coast of Japan, and already on the 19th there appeared in the upper regions of air at Zi-ka-wei and at Manila cirri and cirro-strati which revealed the existence of a polar current contrary to the equatorial current that swept the surface of the earth, running this time between N. and NE. and foreboding further perturbation in the region at least whence it came. For this upper current clearly indicated the existence to the NE., that is in the direc- tion of Japan, of a centre of depression from which issued those diverging upper currents evidently fed below by the contrary S. and SE. equatorial current that was sweeping our coast and.the southern coast of Japan. That centre of depression could have no other cause than the whirlwind we have mentioned after the "Shanghai" Typhoon and which took a ramble all over the great Japanese Archipelago. No wonder then under such circum- stances, with two opposite currents lying one above the other and sometimes coming into collision, that a new Typhoon should have originated and been carried along with the lower current. rirst indication of the Typhoon, At Manila the upper NE. current made its appearance so early as the 19th, but the barometer did not take to sinking before the 24tli : it attained its minimum 29'.''725 on the 26th. The centre of the depression seems to have remained to the North-east of Luzon. On the island of Formosa, both at Tai-wan-foo in the South and atTamsui in the North, the barometer kept low on the 28th, 29th and 30th; the absolute minimum (29l°55) was observed in the evening of the 28th. At Ningpo, below Shanghai, minimum 29'"53 on the 30th, evening. At Zi-ka-wei, minimum 29'." 519 on the 31st, 4 p.m. At all these stations the wind kept blowing light between S. and SW. The centre of the depression must therefore have been somewhere to the North-east. It kept far from the coast of China and bore from South to North. The Typhoon in Japan. Nagasaki.— The barometer, on the 27th, 9h a.m., had risen to 29\°903. Wind light from SW. It con- tinued in that direction till the 30th when it shifted to NW., keeping light all the time. On the 31st, it veered to N. rather increasing in force (16 miles); the barometer had its minimum 29? 525 on the same day, about 3 p.m. JULY — JAPAN TYPHOON. 39 The wind came back to WNW. on August 1st, to WSW. on the 2nd, to SW. on the 3rd, light all the time. The depression therefore still kept pretty far from Nagasaki : it passed to the Sou|h of that town (wind N. and NW.) and took an easterly direction (wind WNW. and WSW.). There fell no rain. Satanomisaki Light-house on the southernmost cape of Japan (latit. 30°58'-longit 130!40') — The ba- rometric minimum gg'MS must have taken place on July 31st afternoon. The wind that since July 25th was blowing from E., turned to NE. on the 30th, then on the 31st to NNW. and W. freshening, and continued in this last direction to the 9th of August. There fell some little rain of July 31st. The Typhoon on its eastwardly course must then have pas.sed pretty near Satanomisaki. Siwomisaki Light-house (latit. 33^26' - longit. 135! 45'). Southernmost point of the Province of Kii. This is probably the point of the southern coast of Japan to which the Typhoon came nearest, on the morning of August 1st, and also the only one where the wind seems to have attained a hurricane violence. The wind varied from E. to SE. on July 31st, came back to ENE. on August 1st and then turned to W. The lowest reading of the barometer recorded is 29''^05 on August 1st 9h a.m. On that day there fell 5'."6 of rain : altogether 8'" since July 30th. Local floods are reported in the provinces nearest to the track of the Typhoon. Hiroshima, (latit. 3 4^20 -longit. 132! 27) — Barometric minimum 29'" 426 on August 1st., 3h 30"" p.m. Wind moderate from E., NE., NNE. and lastly from SW. on the 3rd. Omaisaki Light-house (latit. 34! 36' — longit. 138! 13'). Southernmost point of the Province of Totomi, to the West of Suruga Gulph. Only moderate wind fromE., SE. and W. The barometric minimum must have been 29'"42 between 2h and 3h. p.m. on August 2nd. Tokei Observatory (latit. 35! 40' -longit. 139! 45' — There was no heavy weather experienced in the Gulph of Yeddo; the barometric minimum, 29^554, was observed at Ih a.m. on August 3rd. On the 2nd, the wind was ENE. (9 miles); on the 3rd it turned, before noon, to NNW. (10 miles) and in evening to NNE. (3 miles); lastly on the 4th to ESE. (4 miles). The Typhoon then kept at a good distance from the capital of Japan ; it must have proceeded straight E. or ENE. into the Pacific; its velocity was comparatively very slow. The foregoing extracts show that there was no great notice taken of this storm. As for its being truly a Typhoon, the report of the captain of the German barque Annie leaves no room for doubt. «The Annie left Shanghai on the 21st ult., and experienced fine weather to Van Diemen's straits; but when off the Bungo Channel on the 30th, the weather changed, and the wind blew hard from the NE. with a heavy cross swell from SE. All sail was taken in, but the vessel laboured heavily and sprung her jibboom; the baro- meter at noon reading, 29'"85 (with the wind and sea increasing), which by midnight had fallen to 29".'76, a tremendous cross sea running. Next morning at 6 o'clock the wind had shifted eastwards, bar. at noon 29'"67, blowing a fearful gale accompanied by blinding squalls, which shut in all around. In the afternoon the wind hauled to ENE. and at 10 p.m.[veered to E., bar. 29'"60. On the 1st inst., morning, the typhoon had reached its height, the glass reading from that to 10 a.m., 29^10; the wind chopping to the E. and N., ship straining heavily. At 11 a.m., the glass rose to 29'V30, and the weather gradually moderated. After the storm, four and a half feet of water were found to be in the hold, and the position of the vessel ascertained to be 240 miles eastward of her course, with a current still setting east, so it was judged advisable to bear up for Yoko- hama, and, having taken a pilot off Vries Island, that port was safely reached on the night of the 6th of August- "EIANG-Sr TYPHOON Sixth Typhoon: 10th - 14th August 1881. TRACK Latitude Longitude A„m,ct an, (Midn. [27° 0' 133° 30' August Jtli , ^^^^ g^^j.^ 27. 30 133. ,„., f Midn. of 28. 30 132. 30 '• ■^"'^° I Noon Japan 29. 132. ,,,, ( Midn. I 30. 131. 15 " ^^^'^ { Noon / 31. 130. 12th Midn. Eastern \ 31. 127. 30 i Noon Sea 30. 125. ,„,, (Midn. (28. 80 120. 30 lotn J XT ( JNoon Wth i ^'<'"- ( Noon , ., , I Midn. China ■{ 26, 110. 30 ^**'' I Noon "'• «" ^na n 27. 45 117. 30 27. 15 115. 26. 30 112. 30 1/^AT, ( Midn, 1''*'^ I Noon 25. 30 108. 24. 109. (.24 45 109. ? 17th Midn. 26. 109. ? EVENTS . Terrific Storm on the coast of China. Great floods in the Province of Kiang-si. — Great loss of life and destruction of prop3rty. Direction of the Typhoon. This Typhoon is remarioble both on account of its proceeding from East to West at a latitude where the usual run of storms is the opposite direction, and of the frightful havoc it carried into densely populated region of China, Typhoons have been ob.scrved coming from the Philippinas, reaching China througii the Gulph of Tonkin or about Amoy and issuing into the Eastern Sea (Tong-hai); others, like that of the 15th of July, touched the Chinese coast still higher, but they rose from South to North and soon left the continent to come to sea again. Piddington gives the track of two Typhoons, in September 1843 and in July 1848, both of which seem to have come to Shanghai from the South-east, Another one, wiiose date is not given, appears to have penetrated into the continent almost to the same point as our present Typhoon, running also from South-east to North-west. I am inclined to think that the directions given for those Typhoons are somewhat wrong, ■ by the simple reason tliat Piddington clung fast to his theory of circular winds blowing round the centre of the whirlwind; whereas according to all my investigations of the Typhoons within the last three years and of the common storms since 1877, this view does not hold good along the coast of China where the winds have constantly been found more or less converging to the Centre; the three Typhoons of Piddington, properly investigated, not from one single captain's report, however carefully drawn up, but from observations at various points pretty distant from each other, would probably have been found to have come to the coast of China from the same quarter as the Typhoons of July 1879, 1880 and 1881, that is rising direct from South to North. The present Typhoon is then as yet unique with regard to direction : it ran from East to West at a com- paratively high latitude, and what is rather strange, far from abating in violence on alighting on the continent, it seems to have gathered new strength and become more furious. And yet there was nothing very uncommon in the causes of its formation and of its subsequent course. In the East there was a Typhoon moving away, viz. that of the Southern coast of Japan (August lst-3rd), and leaving behind on the Archipelago a secondary whirlwind that followed in its wake. Here was a new cause of AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. 4 1 low pressures that lasted till the 8th, at once to give room to high pressures (Nagasaki : 29i°93 on the 8th and on the 9th, 9h. a.m. — Kioto : 29'."98 on the 10th, lOh. a.m. — Tokei: 30'."06, on the 10th, 9h. p.m. A whirlwind taking rise on the ocean under such circumstances must first be attracted towards Japan, then thrust aside: it is precisely what happened. — In the West, on the Chinese continent, the temperature kept high (mean of the maxima from the 1st to the 11th = 92"), and at the same time the atmospheric pressure, compared with that of Japan, was very low; thus when at Nagasaki the mean reading of the barometer at 9h. a.m. for the first ten days of August was 29'."825, from the 1st to the 11th it was 29'"76 at Zi-ka-wei and Foochow on the coast of China, 29^';68 at Chang-kia-chwang (Tchili), and 29"62 at Hankow, 600 miles west of Shanghai: it is therefore towards that quarter that the whirlwind must have been driven by the high pressures which on the lOtli settled over Japan. First signs of the Typhoon. Whether this Typhoon was in close connection with the preceding one of August lst-3rd; whether it was not that very same Typhoon turning westward again, though when last seen it seemed to be making for the Pacific Ocean, or whether it was not a new distinct whirlwind due to those peculiar atmospheric conditions tlie preceding Typhoon had contributed to establish in Japan : — these are questions it is imposible to answer for want of information with regard to the whereabouts of the whirlwinds in the interval between the 3rd and 8th of August. The first stations where, as early of the 9th, the sinking of the barometer announced the approach of the whirlwind, were Satanomisaki on the Soulhermost headland of Japan, and Nagasaki. At Zi-ka-wei there was no marked sinking before the lOth about noon. At Satanomisaki and Nagasaki, the wind since the beginning of the month, had kept steady from W., under the influence of the two easterly depressions already mentioned; it now suddenly turned to NE. (at Sata- nomisaki on the 9th before noon; at Nagasaki on the 10th afternoon), then to E. and lastly to SE. after the Typhoon had taken to run towards China. The Typhoon at those two stations was then felt as coming from S. or SE. Date Hours August 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 9 A. M. 9 p. M. 9 A. M. 9 p. M. 9 A. M. 9 p. M. 9 A. M. 9 P, M. 9 A. M. 9 P. M. Satanomisaki (Light-house : 200 feet) Baro- ■Wind, meter in 29.9i .92 ^^ { moderate .90 .87 p breeze .78? .75 SE |g''l^ .78 .81 1 |="^1« ,87 .89 g moderate Rain 0.30 Nagasaki Observ. (Height: 189 feet) Baro- meter Wind. Rain in miles nl 29.929 N 4.8 .898 ssw 0.6 .908 sw 2.6 0.50 .839 ENE 16.2 .749 ENE 11.6 .745 N 2.1 .775 E 8.6 0.29 .839 SE 5.6 .838 ESE 7.1 .879 SSE 4,0 At Satanomisaki the barometer fell 0'"30 from the 9th 9h. a.m. to the 11th between 4 and Sh.a.m. when it reached its minimum = 29"' 66. The barometer sank rapidly for 20 hours before the minimum ; its rising again was slower.— At Nagasaki minimum 29^"70 on 1 1th, about 3h. p.m. (fall : 0'."23). Rising again still more slowly that at Satanomisaki Light-house. — The indications of the barometer show that the whirlwind, after drawing towards the Light-house, left it on its right and went some way on to the North-west (latit.3f -longit. 128') \'2 AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. before it turned due West. The wind never was very strong, except at Satanoraisaiii where on the 1 1 th there blev^r a strong gale of E. and ESE. At Zi-ka-wei, during the whole of the 1 1th the sky was almost entirely clear ; only a few isolated cumuli appeared now and then coming from the NE. On the evening, between 8 or 9h., all the horizon to the East overspread, first with Cirri, then with Cumuli also from NE. and very high vapours soon taking up the whole sky. On the 12th, 4h. a.m., vapory low cumuli could be seen running very swiftly from NiVE. to SSW., whilst Cirrostrati rose up from the ESE. The barometer was sinking rapidly : the Typhoon then was approaching the coast of China. Our principal observations made during the passage of the Storm to the South of Zi-ka-wei are as follows. Zi-ka-wei Observatory. Date Hours Barometer Wind at sea level Direc. veloc. Therm Humid. Clouds Upper Lower Kain Remarks August loth 4 A. M. 10 4 p. M. 10 llth 4 A. M. 10 4 P. M. 10 12th 4 A. M. 10 4 P. M. 10 13th 4 A. M. 10 4 P. M. 10 14th 4 A.M. 10 4 P. M. 10 15th 4 A. M. 10 22.819 .862 .803 .816 .765 .770 .723 .728 .648 .648 .579 .604 .577 .627 .601 .673 .652 .696 .693 .765 .774 .847 S SE variab. SB SE NE NE NNE N NE NE E ESE 18.3 miles 1.3 4.9 2.1 5.0 6.0 6.0 3.1 4.3 6.4 18,3 20.1 16.0 ESE ESE ESE ESE SSE SE SE ESE SB 23.5 23.0 15.0 12.8 15.5 21.4 15.0 15.0 21.3 p 80.2 98 95.1 64 87.1 86 81.3 92 79.2 98 90.3 67 88.0 69 80.1 94 79.7 96 85.6 81 85.8 81 81.7 87 79.0 89 90.0 71 86.5 79 80.6 98 79,2 95 87.4 76 86.7 77 80.4 93 79.3 93 87.4 72 K.Br Ks Ac Ks Ks Ac Ks K ENE ENE G 3 C 8 C 1 2 4 6 10 ESE ESE I SE SB C C C 10 10 NE NE NE NNE NE NB 7 C SB 6 C 9 C 2 7 SB ESE SE SE SE SB 2h _ 3h pnj, Squally in the NAV. anil "W. , thunder and light shower. Barometer falling — Typhoon in the South. 9'' p.m. Horizon E. overcast. 5'' 30™ a.m. Eainbow on clouds. gh i^m p ]j]_ Meteor in the Scorpion. lO*" a.m. Light shower. Barometer rising. Such a variation of the wind from NE. to E. and SE., coupled with a real atmosperic depression is exceed- ingly rare at Zi-ka-wei, since the fact of a depression moving from E. to W. within a short distance is almost unheard of at this latitude. The Typhoon at Sea. There is no notice of any ship having met the Typhoon in the open sea; all the best and most detailed information is supplied by ships that were sailing along the coast visited by the storm on the evening of July 12th. Having then seen the Typhoon leave the neighbourhood of Japan, we shall take it again at the moment of its alighting on the continent to carry havoc and death on its path. AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. ■13 Ships at the North of the Centre Steamer Pecheli, Captain w. h. Jackson. Date Hours Latit. Longit, Barom. Wind Remarks July 12 th Midnight 3o! 50' 122! 20' In 29.74 NE 4-5 Hazy. 4 A. u. .63 NE 4 Heavy swell from the Eastward, 8 29. 52 122. 3g 122.31 .51 NbyE 5 10.30 29. 25 .38 N 6-7 11 30 .28 N 9 Slowed engines and put ship's head to the Noon 29.10 122. 35 .16 N 9-10 sea: terrific sea running from the ENE. 2. 30 P. M. .06 NNE 9-10 Hazy and cloudy: atmosphere full of spray. 4 28.50 122. 40 29.00 NBbyN 10 Hard storm — tremendously heavy sea run- 4.30 28.96 NE 10-11 ning. 5 .94 NEby E 11 6. 30 .90 ENE 12 Full hurricane force. 6.50 .91 ENB 12 7.30 28.95 E 12-11 9 29.12 ESE 12-11 Terrific sea struck the ship. 10.10 .25 SE 9 11. 10 .34 SSE 8 Experienced rain squalls. July 13th Midnight 28.38 122. 30 .41 SE-SSB 8-7 5. 15 A. M. .56 S 6-5 Heaw showers of rain. 8 .62 S 4 Noon 27.51 121. 42 .61 S 3 The Typhoon is perfectly set out by these observations and, with such a frightful wind so near the coast, one may well imagine what heart-rending disasters must have taken place in populous districts where the harvest was standing ready for the sickle. The minimum of the barometer took place on the 12th, 6h 30"" p.m., with the wind ENE. force 12. Since it may be admitted that strong winds near the centre are circular, it follows that the course of the Typhoon at that time bore from ENE. to WSW. : the centre lay then 65 or 70 miles from the coast. The steamer Swatow (Capt. J. Hutchison), from Shanghai to Swatow had stopped for shelter under the lee of Pootoo Island (latit. 29! 58' — longit. 122° 22'), where she remained till the 13th 8h a.m.— AtSh a.m. on the 11th, the wind was N. force 5-6. At 2h. p.m. on the 12th, it still blew from N. force 7-8; -at 4h p.m. NNE. force 7; -at 6 p.m. NE. force 6-7;-at8 p.m. NEbyE. force 8-9;-at lOh p.m. ENE. force 7-8. At midnight on the 13th it had veered to ESE. force 8-9 and finally settled SE. force 5-6 at 2h a.m. Rain began to fall on the 12th, noon, and continued tilUa.m. on the following day. The barometric minimum seems to have been observed on board the steamer between 4 and 6 p.m. on the 12th : wind then between NNE. and NE. The winds were evidently convergent, not circular; but those met by the steamer Pecheli much nearer to the Centre, if still convergent, were very much less so. Ships at the South of the Centre Chinese Steamer Hwai-Yuen, Captain Oscar Wilson. Date Hours Latit, Longit. Barom. ■Wind Course Remarks August 12th 8 A. M. 26° 23' 120° 34' in 29.80 WSW 4 N Heavy swell from E, — Rain, Noon 26. 69 120. 50 .70 WSW 5 NEbyE 27. 30 121. .55 WbyS 8 N Terrible squalls of wind and ram. 6 28. 5 121. 5 .48 WbyS 10 NEbyN Anchored in Bullock harbour 7 anchored .30 WSW 10 — squalls and rain increasing. 8 .20 WSW 11 9 .10 WSW 12 10 .05 WSW 12 11 .05 WSW 12 Very heavy rain. August 13th Midnight 1 A. M. .15 ,20 SW SSW 11 11 Squalls terribly strong. Heavy rain. 2 .40 s 10 Rainy — heavy squalls. 3 .50 SW 11 4 .60 SW 9 Rain moderating. 6 .65 SW 7 Showers with frequent lulls. 7 .70 SSW 6 Proceeded on our voyage. 8 .80 s 6 4i AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. This report brings out the same fact of moderate winds ( WSW. force 4 at 8 a.m. and noon on tlie 12th, lalit. 26!30'-longit. 1 20^40') at a good distance from the Centre being more or less convergent, whereas the convergence disappears almost efitirely for furious winds in the zone nearest to the Centre (WSW. force 1 1 and 12 from 8 to 11 p.m. on the 12th at the moment of the barometric minimum). At 6h SO-" p.m. the Centre lay by 122?40' long.; between 10 and 1 Ih p.m., by 121° bearing all the time from ENE. to WSW. The distance run over being 95 miles, the velocity of translation must have been near 2i miles an hour, — The steamer Hwai-ijuen got within 36 miles of the Centre which lay to the NNW. of her. At Wenchow (English Consulate) lat. 28ro'-long. 120°40, the barometric minimum 29'."07 took place on the 1 2th, between lib and lib SO™ p.m. The Storm at Sea. The barque Omega (Captain Ch. Bruce), from Chlfoo to Anioy, must have passed very near the Centre of the Typhoon on the 12th about noon : for the ship's barometer fell down to 28^50 (correction?): wind hurricane force turning from N. to WNW. (lalit. 28.27' — longit. 122!'!!'). In the afternoon furious Typhoon, the wind veering from W. to SW. hardest at W., the sea running very high filling the vessel fore and aft, lurching iierself half up the port rigging into the sea. Deck swept by the sea every moment, masts broken, boats carried away, one man lost. — At 4h, the force of the wind was such as to lay the vessel dipping her top sail yard in the water. — At lOh sounded the well, 4 feet after pumping five hours, pumped all night.. .etc. The Japanese Steamer Niigita Mara (Captain Wynn), from Kobe to Hongkong was, on the 1 2th, lOh a.m., in latitude 28"3.5 and longit. 122.58 : the lowest reading of the barometer was 28™ 40, at 5 p.m. The sea, which was fearfully high, swept the deck continually from every side, and had it not been for the ship's splendid qualities as a sea-boat, she must inevitably have gone to tlie bottom. Captain Wynn is of opinion that the Typhoon exceeded in power any he had ever seen or heard of. Steamer Europe (Captain T. Davies) from Shanghai to Foochow : — "Left Shanghai 11th August; had light variable winds and overcast weather going down the river; Bar. steady at 29'"80. At 2.45 a.m. of the 12th passed through Steep Island Pass; swell setting in from ESE. and SE. ; Bar. steady at 29''^80, wind being at the time N. At 9.30 a.m. came on thick rainy weather with heavy squalls of wind from N., N by E. and NE. At 9.45 very heavy squalls with blinding torrents of rain from N. and NE.; Bar 29',"60; put ship's head NE. ; lat. by D. R. 29^9' N. - long. 122? 15'E. At 10 a.m. blowing a hard gale, and high sea running from SE. and NE. ; slowed the engines, ship burying herself and flooding the decks fore and aft. At noon a hurricane from N. with a tremendous high cross sea from NE. and ESE., making complete breaches over the vessel; Bar. falling 29'."22. At 2 p.m. terrific cross sea and ship burying herself, becoming almost unmanageable, with blinding torrents of rain. At 3 p.m. a heavy SE. sea boarded carrying away the two quarter boats, after wheel, awnings, spars, ice chest, bath tank, taking away rails, &c., and stove in saloon skylight, windows, and part of the after part of deck saloon, partly filling the lower saloon, damaging all apparel contained ; at the same time staving in the engine room skylight, partly filling the engine room with water and putting the fires out in stoke hole, rendering the ship helpless. At 3.30 p.m. another heavy sea broke on board, tearing off part of main hatch tarpaulin; headed ship off to NW by N., seas making breaches over the vessel fore and aft, taking away steam pipe covers, ventilators, hen coops and several packages of deck cargo. All hands baling, pumping, battening down, and every effort made to save AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. 45 property. Bar. at 4.30 p.m. 28'"80. Gale raged to 5 p.m.; drifting toSW. At5.15p.m. gale lulled, windNE.; ship's head NNW. Sounded in 13 fathoms, and kept lead going. At 9 p.m. gale and sea going down. Bar. 28'.°83. 10 p.m. being in 9 fathoms let go starboard anchor, and gradually veered chain to 95 fathoms, and vessel rolling and plunging heavily. Pumping, baling and repairing damages. Midnight, gale moderating, vessel labouring heavily, 3 feet of water in lower saloon. 13th at daylight found ship to be in Taichow Bay. Barometer rising, and moderate NE. wind, but ship rolling heavily at times. At 3 p.m. having got water in stoke hole and engine room partly under, got steam and proceeded, but heavy easterly swell caused ship to roll so much that it was impossible to keep fires going, washing the stoke hole plates up with remaining water and choking bilge pipes with coals. Proceeded under Sanshi Island in smooth water and anchored at 7 p.m., and again started baling. At midnight 14th, Bar. 29';''20; 7 a.m. lit fires; at 0.30 p.m. proceeded towards Foochow and arrived there at 10.50 a.m. of 15th. Strong NE. wind and rainy on arrival. The Typhoon on the continent. The Amoy Gazette says : "The storm of yesterday (l2th of August) may be regarded as one of the most terrific ones experienced in Amoy for some years. We hear that the lightning struck the ground in a garden close to the Club, fortunately causing no loss of life. The barometer is still low." Amoy is a port on the coast of China in the Straits of Formosa : Latit. 24" 28 — longit. 118! 3'. The direction of tiie Typhoon on reaching the continent was ENE. -WSW. ; it follows that it could not prove very destructive on the banks of the Yang-tze-kiang. And yet at Wuhu on the 1 3th and 1 4th, the E. wind was uncommonly strong. At Hankow likewise that same wind on the 14th and 15th evidently belonged to the terrible storm that was raging in the region South of the river. The barometric minimum at Hankow was 29\"27, it took place on the 13th between 10 and 11 p.m. (Hankow: lat. 30! 34'-]ong. 114!20'). At Kiukiang (latit. 29! 43' — longit. 116! 8'), on the 14tb, 2p.m., heavy squall passing over, lasting for three hours blowing a gale of wind with heavy rain. At Hongkong and Macao the barometer was low on the 14th and 15th of August : the lowest reading, 29^^53, took place on the 14th afternoon. The wind, since the 12th afternoon, was keeping SW. force 2; it only changed on the 19th, passing to SE. and E. It was therefore convergent all the time during the storm. But the atmospheric pressure was very slow in getting up to its level again, an indication apparently of the Typhoon having remained for some time in these Southern regions. At Pakhoi, on the north coast of the Gulph of Tonkin, the wind was very feeble between SW. and W. , on the 13th, 14th and 15th with the barometer steady at 29\''55 up to the 19th, when it rose higher. Our Typhoon therefore seems to have been brought to a stand by an insuperable barrier of relatively high pressures along the Southern coast of China ; its dispersion probably took place somewhere in the region comprisal within latit. 24° and 27° by longit. 106° and 109°. Devastation in Kiang-si. — Failing precise meteorological observations, the track of the Typhoon may be followed through China by the sight of the ruins and of the frightful distress that have marked its passage. We give two documents of very different origin which check and complete each other : the first is a letter from the Rev. Rouge, catholic missionary, inserted in the Missions catholiques (N° for 25th November 1881); the other is an extract from the Peking oflicial Gazette for December 28th 1881. The principal towns mentioned in these documents are comprised between 26° and 28° latitude N. and 114° and 1 16° longitude E. ■46 AUGUST KIANG-SI TYPHOON. l/. Letter of ihe Rev. Rouge : « A fright ftd disaster has befallen this poor countrij of Kiang-si, alreacl'j so wretched. On the 13//). and Wth August a terrible storm followed by diluvian rains caused a sudden freshet worse than an;/ within the memory of the oldest inhabitants, particularly at this season of the dog days. In a few moments, the smallest water-courses became torrents, torrents became wide impetuous rivers, and rivers again swollen by the influx 0/ so many streams, rose to a prodigious height, and burst forth over the country, carrying away not only the harvest, but even the very soil of the rice fields. Alas.' how many dead bodies were swept along close by us in that great Kan-chou river, at the foot of the city of Ki-ngan! Hundreds there were either carried OMay by the flood or cruslied to death under the ruins of their houses, and most distressing for m-y heart, numbers of our christians were involved in that calamity. Some few miles from my residence there was the christian congregation of Pi-teou-shu comprising 86 people. It is no more : not a single house, not even the house of the mission could stand. The head cathechist with an old man were killed on the spot; several others got broken limbs or were left without shelter, even wi- thout clothing. Ten leagues from here, in the district of T'ai-ho, the congregation of Chou-san numbering 40 or 50 people has likewise been swept away by the flood with all the villages and markets situated near the river. We are at a loss how to provide for the most pressing wants. There is just now in the court- yard a trou/p of poor christians hunger-stricken and moaning : they only depend upon my purchasing some rice to relieve them with their wives and children. » 2/. Abstract of Peking Gazette, December 28th : Memorial from Wang Pang-hsi, Tutor of the Imperial Academy, who represents that he is a native' of Ngan-fou Hsien in Kiang-si, and has received from private sources further particulars of the terrible floods that have recently desolated that neighbourhood. It appears that on the \2th of August and follow- ing days the rain throughout the four districts of Lu-ling, Che-shouei, T'ai-ho and Yung-feng was continuous and heavy, causing several hundred landslips in different parts of the surrounding hills. Through the opejiings thus made the Dragon waters (^ ?Kj rushed forth in torrents, descending upon the astonished population and sweeping them avay before they had time to bethink them of means of es- cape. Memorialist is familiar with some of the scenes of the disaster. At Pi-t'ou, out of something Wee a thousand dwelling-houses only three or four were left standing, and over 1 80 of their inmates were drowned. At Shuei-nan, about ten chien (houses) withstood the force of the flood out of several hundred houses, and between sixty and seventy of the inhabitants lost their lives. Memorialist mentions these tiuo places merely as illustrations of the terrible nature of the visitation, which left numerous other villages and hamlets in the same state as Pi-t'ou and Shuei-nan. The neighbourhood in qtwstion is drained by the river that runs through Ki-ngan-fou and in that direction the waters carried down in rapid succes- sion the corpses of those who had attempted to save themselves by clingiyig to boards and beams, mothers loith children at their breast, and old men holding the hands of their grandchildren; all tossing about on the surface of the river, now sinking and now rising for three days before they finally disappeared. The disaster is without parallel in the history of the Ki-ngan Prefecture, and Memorialist has assured himself of the truth of the facts he relates both by correspondence with his family cmd by conversation ■ with such of his fellow-provincials as have arrived at Peking since the occurrence of the inundation. He therefore prays His Majesty to direct the Kiang-si Provincial Government to do all in their power to AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. 47 provide temporarily for the homeless and destitute survivors in the villages in question. ( Amted by the sr.- c. Daily News, 17 February 1882;. Extent of the Typhoon. The observations of Japan lead to think that by the 10th and 11th of August the Typhoon was of a small size and of moderate violence. Not so however when it had approached the Chinese coast : in both respects it had taken a wonderful increase. At Zi-ka-wei during the night of August 12th -13th, the anemograph of the Observatory registered a velocity of 26 miles, wind ESE. The barometer fell down to 29^572, whilst at the centre of the whirlwind, 155 miles to the South, it marked 28^°40. At Chinkiang, to the North-west of Shanghai, in the afternoon of the 13th, the wind blew steadily from NE., force 6; the Centre lay 250 miles to the SSE. and the Typhoon was then raging in Kiang-si. On the other hand, in the China Sea the SSW. monsoon continued to blow with the greatest regularity, but with an increasing force as the Centre of the Typhoon was moving Southward ; on board H. M. S. Magpie sounding on Macclesfield Bank (latit. 15°-long. 114°), the barometer fell slowly from the 11th to the 15th whilst the wind blew strong from SSW. (force 5-6). Owing to the persistency of the wind from SSW. and to its increasing force, there arose a swell in the same direction the intensity of which gradually increased : on the 11th, force 2; on the 12th, force 3; on the 13th and 14th, force 4; on the 15th, and 16th force 5-6; on the 17th, force 4; on the 18th, force 3; on the 19th, force 2. The following fact related by the Manila papers may likely have been due to the same cause. "During the night of the 12th August, there was a very high sea in Manila harbour with scarcely a breath of wind at the time. The damage caused by this heavy sea was chiefly confined to the junks and was trifling in nature. " We may also mention the barque Star of India: she on the 10th left Manila for Hong-kong where she arrived on the 19th, having met all the time with a succession of W. squalls with hurricane force. Here then is a Typhoon to be remembered. Secondary whirlwind In the same direction as the "Kiang-si" Typhoon, and following close upon it. It cannot but be both interesting and useful to note the passage in the same direction, that is frow ENE. to WSW. of a small secondary whirlwind following in the wake of the great Kiang-si Typhoon, but without any of its devastating fury. Here is then a short account of it. At Zi-ka-wei after the passage of the Typhoon, on August 16th, 10 a.m., the barometer had reached a maximum = 29'° 869; in the evening it began to fall again. The upper clouds came from the SE., an anomalous direction which pointed to a centre of depression in the East; the wind blew very strong all day from ESE. : there was still the influence of the great whirlwind then running towards the SW. (From the 13'th to the 18th the mean velocity of the wind at Zi-ka-wei was 409 miles per day, equal to an average of 17 miles an hour). On the 17th, 4 a.m. the Cirri were still bearing from SE. to NW., but there appeared some of those low swift vapoury cumuli, forerunners of storms: they ran from ESE. to WNW. At 2 p.m., the barometer had reached its minimum, 29'°724-wind veered from ENE. to E. and ESE. —On the 18th, 7h. a.m., the vapoury swift 48 AUGUST — KIANG-SI TYPHOON. running cumuli appeared again rising from tlie SE., that is with the wind, whilst the Cirri bore SSE. to NNW. The maximum velocity was registered on the 17th, between 4 and 5 p.m., viz. 25.5 miles. The depression evidently was proceeding from E. to W.; it must have passed very close to the South of Zi-ka-wei, for at Ningpo the wind turned to S. at the moment of the barometric minimum, 29\"8i, which took place about the same hour as at Zi-ka-wei. The barometric minimum and the wind observed at Wuhu, on the Yang-tze-kiang, (latit. 31123- longit. 118!22') prove that the Centre of the depression passed South of that port in the night of the 17th -18th; in the afternoon of the 18th, it lay below Hankow. At those two stations the wind kept from E. At Hankow the baro- metric minimum 29\"490 took place at 4 a.m. This insignificant secondary whirlwind was evidently brought to central China by the low pressures which had already* attracted the great and destructive Kiang-si Typhoon and which had only been partially levelled after its passage. — On the track of the secondary whirlwind the wind, south of the centre, blew from W. as at Foochow. Thus in the interval of few days, there occurred two well defined whirlwinds bearing at a comparatively high latitude from E. to W. , a direction which I had hitherto considered as against the rule in those regions. "MANILA AND MACAO" TYPHOON Seventh Typhoon: 18th -23rd August 1881. TRACK : Latitude Longitude August IStli ^'^^^■"- [W° 0'? 125° 0'? August iBtli ( ^^^^ j^_ ^g , ^24. ■>. iq., ( Midn. Luzon { 14. 30 123. I Noon 14. 45 121. 40 pnt- ( Midn. [ 15. 15 120. 10 """"^ \ Noon 16. 119. 2j i ( Midn. p, . 17. 118. ^^'' (Noon ^'^^^ 18. 116. 45 oOndJMidn. "^^ 19. 30 115. 45 ^"""^ I Noon \ 21. 114. 15 23rd I ^''*°- China < ^2. 112. 30 ^'^'"^ \ Noon ^''"'* 1 22. 15 109. 30 EVENTS : Great violence of the storm at Manila,: the velocity of tHe wind reached sometimes 100 miles an hour. Fall and destruction of St Nicholas Light-house ( Luzon ). Immense destruction among the small craft in the harbour at Manila. Storm at Macao and Hongkong. Before the Typhoon. I have no information fram Luzon with regard to this Typhoon begond the telegrams sent from Manila to Hongkong on the 19th and an abstract of the Manila papers, published by the China Mail of Hongkong. I am therefore unable to say under what peculiar circumstances it originated. Besides, even fuller observations from Ma- nila and any other places in the Philippine Archipelago would not supply any information in that respect, since it was from the depths of the Pacific, East ot the Archipelago, that the Typhoon came as also did the next, through it followed a different route. But we can inquire into the reasons for which it took such a direction from East to "West towards the Philippine and the South of China. In our description of Typhoons there has already been occasion to notice how those impetuous whirlwinds seem as it were to seek each other. Let a whirlwind, after dying away, leave behind a comparatively low pressure, the first whirlwind that springs up afterwards within a moderate distance is not unlikely to fake its course towards the point where the former vanished. We have seen above how one of the grandest and most terrible China sea Typhoons on record bore from ENE. to WSW. to the continent, spread havoc over provinces and finally went to die away probably in Kuang-si, to the North of the Gulph of Tonkin. It is precisely towards this same region that we shall now see the Typhoon to run, which crossed Luzon on August 19th at the moment when the "Kiang-si" Typhoon was vanishing. The Typhoon. Manila. — On August 19th, lib lO^a.m., a first telegram was despatched to the Governor of Hongkong by the Director of the Manila Observatory. It ran thus : "A Typhoon is raging in the ESE. of Luzon and it wilt probably pass over Manila. Its direction seems to be SE. to NW., although it is rather doubtful." This telegram did not reach Hongkong before the next day, 20th. All that day and following night, the weather kept fine with no appearance of a storm shortly to come on. At the date of August 19th, 3h lO"" p.m., another telegram was sent from Manila. By an unaccountable 50 AUGUST — MANILA AND MACAO TYPHOON. delay, very surprising at least in such a momentous circumstance when life and property were at stake, it was not received before the evening of the 21st. It contained the following signilicant words: "A Typhoon is now raging in Manila and its direction is WNW.: it is passing to the North." From the first telegram it appears that the Typhoon differed from several of its forerunners which had originated somewhere to the SE. or SSE., of Luzon and followed up the eastern coast of the Philippine : it came from the ESE., that is from those regions of the Pacific Ocean whence most of the Typhoons of the summer of 1880 seem to have issued. The Manila papers supply some details about the storm that raged there and about the passage of the Ty- phoon across the island of Luzon. It began to blow on the afternoon of the 19ih, and lasted till three o'clock the next morning. The vortex was calculated to be about forty miles to the North of Manila. The destruction among the small craft was immense. The British ship Titania (Capt. Townsend), which arrived on the 18th from Cardiff with a cargo of coal, went ashore near the Malecod, where she is probably stranded on sand. The Masonic also, it is said, went ashore in Cavite, where she had been anchored for some time. On shore the destruction was also great, especially to houses of light coustruction. According te the estimate of the Director of the Observatory of Manila, the force of wind reached some- times the velocity of 100 miles per hour, though an exact account cannot be given, owing to the destruction by the wind of the two anemometers possessed by the Observatory. The direction of the gale appeared to be WNW., but it cannot be said then in manila whether it has shifted or not before reaching the China coasts. The Light-house at St Nicholas has disappeared altogether and 11 lives were lost. During the night of the gale, the steamer Relna Mercedes was near colliding with the British barque W. H. Corsar, and to avoid this the steamer had to keep the engines at full speed from the direction of the barque until the weather changed. A destructive whirlwind (a tornado or a secundary whirlwind accompanying the Typhoon) was reported to have occurred in the village of Polo, near Bulacan (some 20 miles north of Manila) on the afternoon of the 19th, causing great destruction to a place named Mabolo. Nearly the whole of the houses of light construction were razed to the ground and two of stone suffered a like fate : but no loss of life was reported. This phenome- non was also reported to have crossed the parish of Pineda, where it caused a great noise, it carried away one man, one woman and one bullock; the last named, on being found, had one of his horns knocked off. One house disappeared under the force of the tornado. [China Mail). China Sea — We find some interesting observations on the passage of the slorra from Luzon to the coast of China. And first from H. M. S. Magpie. She was on surveying duty on the Macclesfield Bank to the East of the Paracels, in the middlle of the China Sea (latit. 15! 4.5' — longit. 1 1 'i. 15). The wind had then been blowing steadily strong SSW. : in the evening of the 19th of August it fell entirely as well as the SW. swell it had been raising and keeping on; the barometer had risen again after the passage of the «Kiang-si» Typhoon and reached its maximum, 29'" 81, on that same day 19th about 10 a.m. — On the next day, August 20th, blowing again with swell from W. and WNW. But whilst the wind settled in this last direction and freshened rapidly, the swell turned to N. and then to ENE., from which direction it came strong at 8h p.m. At the same time all over the horizon the sky looked stormy with bright flashes of lightning. There was evidently a centre of perturbation in the East-north-east. — On the 21st, the wind was WbyS. force 3-5 : minimum of the barometer 29™58 at AUGUST — MANILA AND MACAO TYPHOON. 5 1 4 a.m. Swell : at 4h a.m., NE. ; at 6h a.m. NNE., but chopped up by a heavy sea comhig with the wind from NW. and from W. ; at 4 p.m., great undulations bearing from North to South, showing plainly in what direction lay the Centre of the Typhoon. As early as the 22nd, the wind came to blow from SW. and SSW. again and brought about a swell from the same quarter. On the 23rd, 10 p.m., the barometer had risen and reached a maximum = 29\°79. The shortest distance of the Magpie to the mean Centre of the Typhoon was about 240 miles; the wind was then WSW. force 3 - 5 and the Centre lay to the NE. ; the wind then, far from being circular, was strongly convergent. The curve of the half hourly barometric observations made on board the Magpie at that time stationary on Macclesfield Bank, shows an uncommon feature in having two perfectly distinct miniraums, viz. at 4h a.m. = 29'."581 and at 6h a.m. = 29'"589. We subjoin that interesting series of observations. H. M. S. Magpie. Latitude 16° 27' — Longitude 114° 4' Date Hours Baro- meter Wind Ther- mom. Clouds Weatlier Eemarks in in August 20th 9 p. M. 29.678 NWbyW3-4 84.3 8 est O, M, L. 10 .678 id id O. M. L. Q. 11 .656 WNW 4^5 id llh. 10™ p,m. Looking very dark to WNW. 21st Midn. .646 id id 83.8 lost id Stars shining through the Stratus over head. 1 A. M. .630 "WljyN 3-5 id 1,40 .618 id id id 2 .605 id id id Midn. to 4 a.m. — Vivid sheet lightning all 2.30 .597 WbyS 3-5 id around. 3 .591 id id id 3.30 .591 WSW 3-5 id 4 .581 id id 83.5 lost id 4.30 .596 W 3-5 id 5 .604 id id 0. M. Q. 5h. — Lightning ceased. 5.30 .607 id id id 6 ,589 id id id Very cloudy and misty. 6.30 .609 id id id 7 .623 id id C. M. Q. 7h. Clouds broke a little to WNW. 7.30 .658 id id id 8 .657 id id 84.0 5 St id 8.30 .650 id id id 9 9.30 ,684 .078 WbyS id 3-5 id id C. M. Q. P, 9h. 30"— A squaU and passing shower. 10 .690 id id id 10.30 .666 id id id lOh. 20™ — A squall with heavy pass, shower. 11 .680 id 4-6 id 10, 45 — id id 11.30 .652 id id id 11, 15 — id id Noon .636 id id 83.3 5 St id It will be remembered that the Typhoon, in its passage across Luzon by the latitude of Manila, was not single, but had the company of a secondary whirlwind which followed close upon it keeping somewhat to the north of the main track. It is evidently this same whirlwind, which had constantly kept attendance on the Typhoon, that we find again in the middle of the China Sea making itself felt by the Magpie and still traceable on the coast of China, at Hongkong and Macao. — The presence of this second whirlwind had the effect to keep the wind bloving W. after the pasage of the first Centre : the same happened at Hongkong and Macao for the E. and NE. winds. Farther north than the Magpie, the German Schooner Wagren (Capt. Dibbern) had the ill-luck to stand almost right upon the track of the Centre by latit, 19! 42' and long. 116:32. The latitude is given for the date of the 21st 3h a.m. when from the violence of the wind (NNE. 9) they had to heave to. The barometer, after reading 29-27 at 2h a.m., had only sunk by 0^15 at 3h p.m., viz. to 29^M2, this being the last reading reported. The infiuence of the two Centres is again evident in this case, the wind still blowing NNE. force 10-12; at 4h ,)"J AUGUST — MANILA AND MACAO TYPHOON. p.m., it veered to N., then on the ^Snd midn. to NNVV., abating. The fury of the storm may be imagined from the following few notes. « On the 2 1st, 3 a.m. -Hove to under close reefed main sail. — 2h p.m. -Blew away main sail. — 3 p.m. -Set close reefed main stay-sail. — 3.30 p.m. -Ship hove on beam ends, -cut away fore topmast to right her, — lost foremast head and bowsprit and jibboom with main sail, fore lower and upper topsail topgallant sails Royal : fore topmast topgallant and royal staysails fore topmast staysails jib and flying jih.» This report gives us the means of determining with a fair approximation the position of the centre of the Typhoon at noon on August 21st. We find an interesting circumstance noted down in the report of capt. AGulland of the SS. Glencoe. Sail- ing from Singapore to Hongkong, kept within a certain distance, first to SW., then to S., and lastly on the ?lst, 22nd and 23rd to the E. of the Centre. In the evening of the 21st, frequent flashes of lightning. — On the 22nd after midnight, sudden periods of calm alternating with violent squalls from SW. (force 8); St. Helen's fire gleaming on yard arms. -At 2h a.m., the sky all in ablaze. The steamer then lay by 17!;i5' latit. and 113"0 Ion- git., consequently about 240 miles south-west of the Centre. The wind, blowing a strong gale (force 8) from SW., far from being circular, showed a marked convergence to the Centre, which fact is set off' by the observa- tions of the Magpie we have transcribed and some others we shall give below. Nearer to the Centre on the contrary, as for instance on board the Wagren, the wind was more furious and also more circular (NNE. force 10-11 before noon, N. force 10-12 afternoon at the moment of the shortest distance to the Centre; lastly NXW. in the evening). Hongkong and Macao. — The telegrams announced the courseof the Typhoon as running much farther to the west than Hongkong; fortunately there was nevertheless no neglect in making provision against a blow. And the precaution was justified by the event, since the track followed by the Typhoon on emerging from Luzon deviated to the North-west and came to pass very near, though below the English and the Portuguese colonies. "On the 20th, we said, there were no appearances of bad weather and the night was tranquil. About eleven o'clock on the 21st morning, however, puff's of NE. wind commenced and these became stronger and more frequent as the day wore on, while the barometer, which at 10 o'clock stood at 29\"70, fell rapidly and at 1 p.m. marked 29'° 64. The signs of coming bad weather increased in the afternoon and the cargo-boats and other Chinese craft were seen moving eastward in tow of steam-launches, and by .5 p.m. there was scarcely a boat to be seen. About to half-past 6 p.m. the Typhoon gun was fired and some of the more timid householders began to make sundry preparations for the expected storm. Most of the steamers in port also got up steam and several sought safer anchorage at the back of the Stone-cutter's Island. On the 22nd morning the wind kept steady from the NE. After 7 p m. (29'"3 4), tiie mercury oscillated and at 10 o'clock had risen a little, but this was succeeded by a steady fall and at 3h. 30™ p.m. the glass stood at 29'"07 the lowest reading, wind E. 11. Thereafter it rose slowly, but steadily until 6 p.m. and all fear of a typhoon was dissipated; by 6 p.m. the wind E. had died down and after that hour there were only occasional gusts. After 6h there was another fall, but at 8.15 p.m. the mercury made a very sudden jump upwards of over one tenth (29"'31) and continued to rise ( wind SE. and S. hard). The sea was running high in the harbour and the waves beat against the Praya wall with great violence. In the morning (22nd), when the tide was at its height, the Praya was in parts several inches under water and some of the Chinese shops to the westward were flooded. Owing to the length of the warning AUGUST — MANILA AND MACAO TYPHOON. 53 given of the storm and the precautions talten, very little damage has been done either ashore or afloat and we have heard of no loss of life (Dally Press. J From Macao we have no information about the storm beyond the good observations of Mr. Cinatti, which we give by the side of those from Hongkong. The way of observing the wind at this latter station must be noted. The observation is made, not at the harbour where the exposure is unfavorable, but on the top of Victoria Peak at a height of 1823 feet, where the wind has free play, so that its variations give a more correct notion of any atmospheric whirlwinds that may come near Hongkong. Macao Latit. 22.' 11' 24" — Longit. 113.° 33' 32" Hongkong Latit. 22.° 16' 23" - Longit. 114.° 10' 2" Bai'o- meter ■Wind Nebul Weather Date — Hours Baro- meter Wind Vict. Peak Weather Rain 29!695 NNW 3 6 C U. W. August 21st - 9 A. M. 29°731 N 5 C M .645 N 3 6 ill Noon .680 NE 7 C. M. Q. 0. C. Q. E. O. C. Q. .568 NNE 3-4 8 id T. D. 3 P. M. .650 NE 7 .538 NK 3-4 9 id D. 6 .580 NE 8 .538 NB 4 10 id 9 .500 NE 4-5 10 U 0. G. L. W. R. Q. 22nd Midnight in .413 NE 4-6 10 id id 3 a. m. _ 3.46 .371 NE 5 10 id id 6 .347 E 11 0. C. Q. R. id .362 NNE 7 10 id id 9 .374 E 11 .342 NNE 5-6 10 id id Noon .355 E 10 id .310 NNE 5-6 10 id id 1 P. M. .275 E 10 id -1 .236 NNE 5-6 10 id id 2 .225 NE 9 id .185 NNE 5-7 10 id id 3 ,165 E 11 id .161 NNE 7-8 10 id id 4 .175 E 11 id .161 NNE 7-9 10 id il 5 .208 E 11 id .168 NNE 8-9 10 id id 6 .208 E 11 id .167 NNE 8 10 id id 7 .195 lull id .167 NNB 7 10 id ill 8 .295 SE 10 id .174 K .5-8 10 id id 9 .364 SE 10 id 3.30 .174 E 4-8 10 G. 0. U. W. Q. 10 .394 SB 10 id .258 E 4-6 10 id 11 .424 SE 10 id .311 E 4-6 10 id 23rd Midnight .484 S 9 id .372 ESE 4-6 10 id 2 A. M. id .427 S .3-5 10 id 4 id .442 SSE 4-6 10 id 6 .681 S 7 il .506 SSE 4 10 id 8 .641 S 7 id .547 SSE 3 10 G. 0. AY. R. 10 .668 S 6 0. C. Q. .577 SSE 3 10 Id Noon .672 S 6 id The two centres of depression and whirlwinds which ran side by side across Luzon and in the long stretch over the China Sea, are brought out clearly in the foregoing observations, particularly in those of Hongkong. One of the two centres of depression seems to have been deeper and was the first to pass Hongkong. But they probably did not follow the same course, and the first, and lowest minimum observed here must have been identical with the second minimum observed on board the Magpie, belonging to the secondary whirlwind which did some damage to the North of Manila. For the Magpie lay South of the track (wind from W.) whilst Hong- kong kept North of it (wind from E. ). It is therefore very difficult to say of these two Typhoons which wa^ principal and which secondary, both appearing as true Typhoons, observed, the one on its Southern, the other on its Northern side. At Macao the barometer, instead of falling twice as at Hongkong, kept low from 4h to 10 p.m. : the reason of that difference it is impossible to make out. Higher up on the coast of China, at Swatow, capt. Schulzeon board the SS. Keelung at anchor in the harbour observed a minimum = 29'."584 on the 22d, 4h a.m., the wind blowing NEbyE. force 5, also evidently convergent. At 4h 30™ a.m. it blew ENE. force 6 ; at 6h a.m. EbyN. force 5 ; at 7h a.m. E. force 4 ; at lOh 45"" a.m., veered to SEbyE. force 5. At the moment only of this last observation could the wind be taken as very nearly circular, but as it settled about that quarter, it soon became convergent again. The barometer, after the minimum of 4 a.m., kept low till 7h. SO" a.m. when it 5 i AUGUST — MAXILA AND JIACAO TYPHOON. took to rising slowly. The wind at Swatow had only force .5, as the Centre was passing within 200 miles of it in the South-west ; the Magpie as we have seen, at an equal distance of the Centre on the other side of the track, did not experience any stronger wind : the radius of tlie storm therefore did not exceed 150 or 160 miles. At Macao the wind never attained to force 7 except about noon on the 22nd, that is when the Centre was about 60 miles distant. But on Victoria Peak (1823ft. above sea-level) the aerial currents met with no check, and it was 24 hours sooner, viz. on the 21st, noon, that they attained that force 7, the Centre yet being 190 miles from Hongkong in the South-east. Pakhoi, Gulph of Tonquin (latit. 2r29'-longit. 109!6'), about 250 miles to the East of Macao.-On the 22nd before noon, bright flashes of lightning in the North-east, East and South-east; no thunder heard on account of the great distance; — -from 10 a.m. till noon, a diluvian rain, but no wind. — On the 23rd, midnight, thunder- 3 a.m., a squall from WSW. force 7 with rain. At daybreak, wind moderating and turning to NW; in the afternoon keeping from the same quarter, but freshening, - heavy rain. At 7 p.m. blowing from SW. All night squally with rain. — On the 24th, wind S; squalls and rain. — There was a minimum of the barometer in the afternoon of the 23rd, but there is some uncertainty with regard to its amount : the fall since the 21st seems to have been about "'20. The foregoing data are rather deficient in precision and completeness. As far as can be made out, the Typhoon after passing Macao, ran westward and passed to the North of Pakhoi in the evening of August 23rd. Its last traces on the coast of China were however soon lost in presence of tlie new Typhoon then approaching in the North of Luzon. Velocity — Gradient — Attendant whirlwind. The Typhoon travelled from Luzon to Macao a distance of 920 miles in 72 hours (August 20th -23d): average speed = 8.5 miles an hour. Its velocity had been rather less, previous to its entering the China Sea; on the 18th and 19th it probably did not exceed 7 miles per hour. As for the barometric gradient and the slope of the atmospheric depression, the fact of there being, as we have seen, two centres within a short distance of each other makes it imposible to calculate this important ele- ment of a Typhoon with any degree of accuracy. It would he interesting to know the relative positions of the two centres at any moment during that period of four days, but we have no data for such a determination, our information with regard to the passage of the Typhoon across Luzon being confined to the note in the Manila El Comeroio, according to which, a tornado or secondary whirlwind seems to have be doing great havoc in the north of Manila about 3h p.m. on August 19th, at the time that town was experiencing all the fury of the main Typhoon. Now on the morning of the 22nd, in the middle of the China Sea, lieutenant H. Belam of H. M. S. Magpie was able to observe the passage of the two centres at an interval of two hours. The difference was of 4 hours at Hongkong and 5 hours at Macao, nearer to the track, showing a variation in the relative position of the centres. The Wagren seems to have passed between the two centres and the report of the captain might be very instructive, if more detailed and more explicit about the metereological observations. The barometric variation, on the approach of the first centre, was more rapid at Hongkong than onboard the Magpie in the proportion of 3^2 to 1, the fall in 4 hours being '1210 at the former station and only ''!065 AUGUST — MANILA AND MACAO TYPHOON. 55 at the latter in the offing. It is of course difficult to say precisely how far from each of those two stations the Centre passed. The action of the second Centre on the barometer was relatively more considerable on board the Magpie than at Hongkong: the two minima of the Magpie (29'°581 and 29™589) only differ by ™008 whilst those of Hongkong (29''!158 and 29'°192) show a difference of ™034. This would give to think that the second Centre turned round the other from East to West through South or inversely to the motion of the hands of a watch; or perhaps was the displacement shared between the two centres; but we repeat that on this interesting subject we cannot go beyond more or less likely surmises. Let us by the way note another fact: south of the track, with SW. and W. wind, there was a great dis- play of electric phonomena ; whilst on its northern side we find no notice of any lightning or thunder. With rain again there was the same difference; though at Hongkong there fell 12'°4 of water during the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of August. "PESCADORES" AND "CHUSAN" TYPHOON Eighth Typhoon: 22ncl-31st August 1881. TRACK : Date August 22nd 23rd 24th 26th Latitude Longitude Noon ( Midu. ( Noon ! Midn. i Noon Midn. i Noon „,,,, ( Midn. 2bth ^, I JNoon ( Midn. ' Noon ( Midn. ( Noon ( Midn. 27th 28th 29th 30th 31st I Noon ( Midn. i Noon ( Midn. 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TO 1-5 Ig CO (U -, c .4_9 -F o c: S • i-< o cS ja o jS o >-> H en S fi.g ho " ^^ T3 3 OJ o a X5 ■% TO en ni ■«t TO 43 05 is a> 05 >M ^ a ■s o a TO « 05 •a >i > 05 i 3 '3 o > 1=5 Cm o >-5 .a TO a „ o 'd s C/J i» CO 05 ffl J3 ^ fc- T3 >v A a TO 'o ti a o 05 O) O. tin > 05 a c« O) <^ .a a H O ?> TO a 05 ri <^ o ^ "ASH" TYPHOON Thirteenth Typhoon: 24th - 28th September 1881. TRACK : Latitude Longitude o 4. V «M.i. f Midu. Ti, i , T ( 16° 0' 124° 0' September 24th j ^^^^ East of Luzon j jg g^ ^^22. 35 „^,, ( Midn. „ , , T, j 21. 50 122. 35 ^^^^[■dooiL East of Formosa } 25 gg ^24. „„,, ( Midn. „ , o I 29. 30 126. 20 26th } ^^^^ Eastern Sea j ^^ ^ jgS. 20 „,,, (Midn. -, a ( 39. 131. 30 27th { ^^^^ Japan Sea j ^_ gg ^g^^ ^ 28th Midn. Pacific 45. 50 143. EVENTS • Storm spreading far and wide. Loss of the English steamer Ash and of the British barque Nouveau MondetU. Lovrest reading of the barometer on board the Barque Siba-ien in tlie Sea of Japan, on the 27th about midnight = 28'."21. On September 26th 5 a.m. I sent to the shanghai Mermry the following letter: Sir — For several days the barometer has been descending and the Northerly winds have been persistently blowing ; the presence of clouds principally in the East, and their great lines from the South to the North, all indicate clearly enough the existence of a violent Typhoon at sea, although far enough from the coast of China. At this moment ib may have reached our parallel and be about to turn a little to the East to rage upon Japan. If meteorological observations were telegraphed from Nagasaki and Yokohama, the course of the tempest would be already easy to determine, and a warning, evidently useful in this circumstance, could almost certainly be forwarded from Shanghai to one or other of these two'ports of Japan. But in the absence of any communication from abroad and in view of the distance of the tempest, I can only make simple conjec- tures, founded however on the experience of past Typhoons. I am ... It was a Typhoon, to be sure, and one of the fiercest among those that swept our seas during the last sea.son; it was at that moment passing at the latitude of Shanghai, 260 miles from the coast, and bearing prelty straight towards Nagasaki, since it sought the Straits of Gorea to penetrate into the Sea of Japan. This Typhoon differs from all its predecessors in that its Centre kept away from all land; yet, though its fury was felt far and wide, it was hampered at sea in its development. Cause of its direction towards the Sea of Japan. For what reason did it prefer Japan to China? Issued from the maritime region to the East or to the South- « East of the Philippines and proceeding first in the direction of China as far as the great Strait that separates Lu- zon from Formosa, why did it alter its course to rise towards the North and North-east? The first cause was that at that moment the atmospheric pressure was generally higher on central China and on the coasts than at sea and on Japan. From September 16th and during the passage of the small Typhoon which had come from the Strait of Formosa, the barometer had taken to rising rapidly at Hankow (600 miles West of Shanghai) and that had contributed not a little to repel the Typhoon towards the sea. On the 22nd, the pressure was at its maxi- mum for the month (30'.°20) with northerly winds blowing steadily from the first days of the month; the mean pressure between the 18th and the 25th amounted to 30^°07. — At Zi-ka-wei the barometer kept at 30',"02 on the average; it had shown a first maximum (30™13) on the 19th, and a second (30?12) on the 21st with strong SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 113 ENE. and NE. winds belonging botli to tlie monsoon and to the Ty[)hoon coming from the South-east. The same winds were also blowing at Nagasaki ; from the 21st the prevailing winds over Japan were from N. or from NW. At Nagasaki and Hiroshima the barometer was lower than on the coast of China, and much lower than upon Central China. The maximum observed on the 22nd was 30'."058, but the mean from the 18th to the 25th was only 29'."926. — At Hiroshima, maximum on the 22nd, 30'"163; mean height, 29'"944. If notice be taken of the fact that the farther towards the interior of Japan and the eastern coast, the higher the pressure (at Tokei, maximum 30? 276 on the 22nd; average from the 18th to the 25th 30^047), it must be granted that an area of comparatively low pressures extended over the Eastern Sea which separates China from Japan and consequently that this kind of aerial valley or atmospheric depression must have attracted the Typhoon prefirahly to any other region on either side. Such is the cause which made the Typhoon turn aside when about to enter the Luzon and the Formosa channel, and which kept it at sea, directing it Northward. But the pressure was still higher on the coast of Shantong than at Shanghai, whilst it was comparatively low on the Sea of Japan : in this latter direction was it therefore that it bent its way. We know on the other hand that the preceding whirl- wind had been passing there and was perhaps still running off in the North Pacific, drawing its successor in its wake in virtue of that law, namely that a whirlwind which succeeds another one within a few days' interval, will seek to follow it, unless from the great variability of the atmosphere, another more powerful focus of attraction should spring up. And this is so certain, that we see this maritime depression itself on the 23rd and 2 4th moving in part to the East and making as it were a bond between the preceding Typhoon and that which is coming from the South : it seemed as if running before the high pressures on the periphery of the great whirlwind. The second and chief cause of the direction taken by the Typhoon was the great atmospheric current which settled all along the Chinese coast on September 19th, as I shall soon explain. On the periphery of the Cyclone. — Anticyclone. We have seen that, almost all over China and Japan, the barometer stood highest on the 21st or 22nd of September. That excess of pressure was due to the winter Monsoon, combined with the high pressures both following upon the Typhoon of the 17th-19th and preceding the Typhoon of the 25th-28th. The familiar effects of what has been called Anticyclone were therefore generally well marked everywhere, on the coast of China as well as in Japan. Thus at Zi-ka-wei, for the interval from the 19th to the 25th September, with the barometer standing high, as stated before, the mean temperature was 69!l against 74^4 for the month; the vapour tension : 0?599 against 0"'733. At Tokei (Japan) the mean temperature from the 20th to the 26th, was only 63"0, that of the month being 72!8; the corresponding figures for tension of vapour were 0'."534 and 0i''677. These figures then imply a high atmospheric pressure, with comparatively low temperature and tension of vapour. For it was the cold air from the upper regions, descending at the periphery of the Cyclone or Typhoon at an enormous distance from the Centre, which condensed the vapour held by the lower strata : hence the incessant rains during that period. The full explanation already given of the internal mechanism of these huge whirlwinds, and particularly what has been said on the occasion of the "Wakayama" Typhoon, will dispense me from entering into more particulars with regard to such simple and natural facts. 114 SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. "What was the situation of the Centre at that time, that is about September 22nd, can only be surmised from its probable position on the 24th, when first noticed East of Luzon. On September 22nd, the Centre can be taken to have been in latit. 13° by longit. 13ll30', more than 1 250 miles from Shanghai and 1 400 from the capital of Japan. A good size indeed for a Typhoon 1 Its violence, as we shall see, answered to its vastncss, though the amount of central depression was but moderate. First notice of the Typhoon. In the course of September 24th, there were two telegrams sent from Manila to Hongkong: the first, at 1.15 p.m., gave notice of a Typhoon raging to the ENE. of Luzon and bearing Northward; the second, at 6 p.m., was more circumstantial: it reported the Typhoon to be then lying close to the North-eastern coast of Luzon and bearing more to the West. This second telegram was not such as to allay the fears of the people of Hongkong. When therefore, on the morning of the 25th, the wind which for the last five days had been from NE., veered to N. and took to blowing fresh (at Cape d'Aguilar, force 7), the barometer sinking at the same time, though slowly, they must have supposed the Typhoon to be coming straight upon them. But soon after 12 noon, the wind shifted to WNW. and abated; on the next day 26th it came to N. again and freshened (force 6), but the barometer was already rising and about noon the wind returned to NE. to blow steadily from that quarter till October 12th : it was the regular Monsoon. The Typhoon had then passed by Hongkong on its way Northward ; but the Hongkong meteorologists would probably have wondered if informed that, at the moment they most apprehended a visit of the Typhoon, it was lying nearly SOO miles away to the North-east and making for the North. The track indeed, contrary to the information supplied by the second telegram from Manila, instead of bending to the West on the evening of the 24th, left that very direction which it was following and turned straight to Northward. The Typhoon therefore did not penetrate into the channel which separates Luzon from Formosa, but came to skirt along the Eastern coast of the latter, as shown by the observations made in the Harbour master's office at Tai-wan-foo and Tamsui. Tai-wan-foo Latitude 22.° 58' — Longitude 120.° 13' Date Hours Barom. IWind Rain Remarks Sept. 23rd 8 A. M. 29^91 N-l Fresh wind and fine weather 4 p. M. .672 N y fresh throughout the day. Moderate 8 .693 Nj sea on the bar. „ 24tli 8 A.M. .711 N) Strong wind and fine weather 4 p. M. .621 N y strong all day — smooth water on the 8 — Nj nil bar. „ 25th 8 A.M. .606 N^ Strong wind and fine weather 4 p. M, .671 N > strong — smooth water on the bar. 8 .669 Nj „ 2Cth 8 A. M, .665 NM Strong breeze and fine weather 4 p. M. .826 N >■ strong — moderate sea on the bar. 8 .676 Nj „ 27tli 8 A.M. .766 calm Calm up to 8 a.m. SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 115 Tamsui Laliit. 55.° 10' — Longit. 121.° 25' Date Hours Barom . Wind Eaiu "Weather Sept. 23rd 7 A. M. In 29,857 NB 1 in CO. # p. M. .797 NB 4 0.20 CO. 7 .810 NE 6 O. M. Q. „ 24th 7 A. M, .775 NE 6 0. M. D. Q. 1 p. M. .720 NE 6 CO. 7 .726 NNE 7 0. M. D. Q. „ 23th 7 A. M. .718 NNE 6 O. M. 1 P. M. .718 N 4 O. M. 7 .761 NNE 3 0.50 0. M. „ 26th 7 A. M, .849 NE 2 B.C. 1 P. M. .871 NE 4 B. G. 7 .970 calm B. 0. „ 27th 7 A. M. .960 S 1 CO. The remarkable persistency of the wind from N. at Tai-wan-foo and from NNE. at Tamsui all the time of the passage, may have been due to the force of the winter Monsoon already steadily blowing on the coast of China at that season. That mighty very high lying current was the principal obstacle which kept the whirlwind at sea : it is likely not to have been very wide to the East of the coast, its limit being to all appearances indicated by the track of the Typhoon which followed it from South to North. This fact is most interesting and we are going to see that it was the cause of other not less noteworthy circumstances. It will not be without interest yet to adduce other proofs of the existence on the coast of China at this sea- son of the winds belonging to the NE. monsoon and of their strength. — If we take our station at the top of the Light-house on Fisher Island in the Pescadores group, we find that, up to September 20th, the wind was from SE. or unsettled; on the 17th, 18th and 19th, there was almost a perfect calm; lastly on the 20th at 3 p.m. there began to blow a light wind from NW. (force 1); at 9 p.m. it turned to NE. (force 1), and next day finally settled NNE. (force 2-3) : it was the winter monsoon which had just made its appearance. Getting strength from the approach of the Typhoon, it rapidly increased in intensity, viz. force 3-4 on the 22nd, 4 on the 23rd, 5 on the 24th; then went decreasing on the 25th (4-2) and still more on the 26th (2), being in opposition with the westerly winds which ought to have been blowing after the passage of the Typhoon, but were not able to take the upper hand; on the 27th the monsoon rose again to force 4 and continued thus to the end of the month, blowing steadily fromg NNE. At Lamock Island Light-house, it was also on the 19th that the Monsoon set up, but the persistent wind was from ENE; on the 25th the passage of the Typhoon brought light NW. and W. winds which, even on the next day, gave room to regular winds from ENE. (force 4-6). At Middle Dog Light-house also, same appearances, so that it clearly follows that it was the setting of the NE. Monsoon which preserved China from the fury of this terrible whirlwind. It skirted along that huge polar current on the edge of which, as I have said, the pressure was naturally lower, and was thus directed north- ward, keeping all the time away from the coast, and finally took to the Sea of Japan. This arrangement of the atmospheric currents along the coast of China also accounts tor the disposition of the higher clouds at Zi-ka-wei at the same time : they lay in long bands from S. to N. and proceeded from SSW. to NNE., showing the existence above the Monsoon of an opposite upper current. But on the morning of the 26th there appeared a bar of low clouds little above the Eastern horizon, which, together with the fall of 116 SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. the barometer and the great strength of the N. and NW. winds, gave to surmise the presence of a serious perturbation at sea to the East. ^^'e have seen that at all the Light-houses on the coast, the approach of the Typhoon had first added considerably to the force of the settled Monsoon, but that on its moving away the wind in some places had turned somewhat to NW. and even to W., in every case abating almost entirely. The same happened at Zi-ka-wei: after the passage of the Centre at our latitude, te wind abated and came to W. then to SW. without ever fresh- ening, and those westerly winds were perfectly convergent. That long interval of calm, after the barometric minimum of the 26th morning, set me wondering at the time: it now appears quite simple and natural, once aware of the fact, then yet ignored, that the whirlwind had to cope with that huge NE. current so well esta- blished all along the coast since the 19th ( 1 ). The enormous influence of this Monsoon of the Chinese coast upon the Typhoon will make itself felt again in another manner, even in the midst of the storm, to which we may now revert. Along the track. This influence of the Monsoon and of its distribution along the coast of China becomes palpable on com- paring the observations made in the great sea which extends from Formosa to Corea with those made in the Sea of Japan, far from regions protected by that huge atmospheric current. The essential difference between the two sets of observations is as follows. Whilst the track ran parallel to the Chinese coast, being constantly kept at a distance by the polar winds firmly settled there, the whirlwind was, as it were, pressed against that insuperable barrier, or rather was confined between two impenetrable walls not far apart from each other. Its central region, that of the lowest pressure, was drawn to an excessive length all along the path : it seemed to be encroached upon and almost levelled up by the high pressures the whirlwind had to contend with. If the Typhoon was able to keep its stand and go on its course, it was only through its great store of energy, owing to which we see frightfully strong winds near the Centre, even though the barometer was uncommonly high. In the Sea of Japan, on the contrary, it found free play, the obstacles on its way being comparatively insignificant : the depression therefore became deeper and more regular, the wind still beeping its excessive violence. ( 1 ) The importance on the coast of China of that phenomenon of the Monsoon or periodic winds cannot well be realized except with the help of observations made at the top of the Light-houses. The meteorologist is surprised at the variability of the vrinds on tUe coast at the sea level, compared with what they are even only at a height of 200£t. where they are almost perfectly steady and always strong. At such an altitude, there is but one wind from September to April, viz. North-easterly wind, at times rising to hurricane force. During the warmer months on the contrary, from May to September, the prevailing winds are from SW. and they are more frequent and stronger than at the sea level. All this in ray opinion, clearly shows how unreasonable it is to deny the existence of Monsoons and to admit nothing but trade-winds. A little practical meteorology is better than all possible arguments which are no grounded on actual facts. (See my paper on the inclination of the winds and their variation at various heights — 1881 J. SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 117 Sailing vessel Faugh Ballau^h CAPTAIN D. BUTE Bound from Amoy to Newchwang. Date Hours Latit. Longit. 123! 45' Barom. Wind Remarks S spt. 23rd Noon 27! 27' in 29.77 NNE 5 Fine and hazy — high sea from NNE. and E, 3 P. ir. • .73 NNE 7 setting in — Hard squalls and rain. 4 .73 NNE 8 Wore the ship westward. 6 .77 NNE 9 8 .80 NNE 10 10 .81 NNE JO Dry and cloudy. „ 24th Midnight .80 NNE 10 Wore the ship eastward. 5 A. M. .75 NNE 10 Clear weather. 8 .77 NNE 10 Noon 27.28 123. 19 .73 NNE 10 Hard squalls — high sea from N. to E. 4 p. M. .64 NNE 10 Wore the ship westward. 8 .65 NNE 10 10 .65 NNE 10 „ 25th Midnight .60 NNE 10 1 A. M. .56 N by B 11 3 .51 N 11 4 .49 NbyW 12 Rain. 5 .49 N by W 12 6 .45 NbyW 12 7 .45 NNW 12 8 .45 NNW 12 Barometer unquiet. 9 .45 NNW 12 Hard squalls and dry — sea from NW. to E. 10 .45 NNW 12 Barometer unquiet. Noon 26.35 122. 42 .44 NNW 12 Hard squalls and rain. 3 P. M. .47 NW 11 6 .54 NW 11 id id id 8 .60 NW by W 10 Moderating. 9 .65 NWbyW 9 „ 26th 6 a.m. .82 NW 5 Fine weather. Steamer Tientsin CAPTAIN: E.M. ROBINSON Bound from Amoy to Shanghai. Date Hours Latit. Longit. Bar. Wind Remarks S-pt. 24th Noon 4 p. M 8 „ 25th Midn. 4 a. m. 8 10 Noon 2 p.m. 4 6 8 10 „ 26th Midn. 2 A, M. 4 5 7 Noon 6 P. M. In 27.30' 120. 63' 29.77 .76 .75 .74 Taichow Isles .70 .67 28. 44 121. 49 .67 anchored .63 .62 .60 .60 .61 .61 .62 .64 .70 Weighed .71 29.24 122. 18 .75 .81 NNE 6 NNE 6 NNE 7 NNE 7 N 8 NbyW 9 NbyW 9 NbyW 10 NNW 10 NNW 10 NNW 10 NNW 10 NWby WIO NW « NW 7 NW 6 NW 6 WNW 6 WNW 6 Left Amoy Sept. 22nd 5 p.m. — Experienced strong NE. to NNE. winds. Barometer steady from 29W6 to 29'.° 7.5. Sky clear — heavy NE. sea. 3.45 p.m., cleared Bullock harbour. Heavy NB. sea and clear weather. 9.30 a.m., anchored in Barren Bay (lat. 28.° 44' —long. 121.° 49') for shelter. Clear weather. Noon, observed aneroid oscillating between 29'.''63 and 29'.''68 — Heavy gusts at time of hurricane force. Barometer oscillating slightly. Tremendous gusts of wind at interval — clouds passing from N. Heavy gusts still continuing — sky clear. Cross sea from NE. and W. — sky clear. Light westerly winds — heavy NNE, swell — fine weather to Shanghai. Barque Lydia from Shanghai to Kutchinotzu (Japan). Date Hours Latit. Longit. Bar. Wind Remarks Sept. 23rd Noon in 29.98 NE „ 24th Midn. NE strong breeze 4 am. NE strong gale Noon 30.41' 124,30' .87 N E gal e increasing „ 25th Midn. falling Terrific squalls — high sea. 8 a. m. .78 NNE Furious gale with aU the appearanoe of a typhoon raging to the Furious typhoon — heavy rain. [southward. Noon .72 NNE; typhoon 4 P. M. Typhoon increasing — a furious squall blew fore lower topsail clear 4.30 6 .66 N NW [away. 10 .58 NW Typhoon raging furiously — rain, high sea— Mean lower topsail blown „ 26th Midn. 29. 35 124. 50 .54 NW Midn. to 3 a.m., typhoon raging with heavy rain. [to pieces. Noon 30.14 126.30 .60 NNW moderate Moderating — fine weather. „ 27th Noon .92 NNW light Light and variable winds throughout 24 hours. 118 SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. It is needless to insist upon the enormous extent of the central region in this Typhoon : very seldom does it happen, in such small and swiftly moving whirlwinds, to see the barometer and the wind steady for ten or twelve hours at a stretch. This length of the central part lay along the direction of the track. The inconsiderable depth of the depression must also be noticed. There were three ships which got very near the Track, and yet on board that one which came closest to it, the Faugh BaUaugh, the barometer did not sink below 29™44. This was on September 25th 3 p.m., the ship lying then about 290 miles SSE. of Zi-ka- wei, where the barometer read 29™846. The barometric difference in that direction thus did not exceed 0V'4I, an insignificant amount which alone could hardly account for the violence of the wind. At Nagasaki, almost at the same moment, the barometer marked 29™ 81 4, when the distance to the Centre could be estimated at near 480 miles. Here then there was a not inconsiderable diminution of pressure and also a very low gradient of de- pression, which must have particularly contributed to carry the whirlwind in that direction. Zi-ka-wei. — Previous to the passage of the Typhoon on the morning of Sept. 26th, the barometer had been sinking slowly but quite steadily: it stood at maximum (30\''120) on the 21st 9 a.m. and fell gradually to 29'" 761 on the 26th, 3 a.m. The following table will give an idea of the regularity of this variation and also of the strength of the Monsoon which continued to blow almost to the time of the passage of the Centre. Zi-ka-wei Observatory Bate Hours \ Barom. Therm. Humid. Wind Nebulosity Rain iu Q 7o miles Sept. 21th 10 A. M, 30.113 71.6 74 NB 13.7 10 Cn ENB 4 p. M. .064 71.1 79 ENE 13.3 10 Ni NE 0.098 „ 22tlilOA.M, .072 73.4 78 ENB 13.2 10 Ni E 4 P. M. 29.997 74.3 80 ENE 15 10 Cn ENE 0.319 ,, 23th 10 A. M. 30.005 75.2 67 NE 12.5 6 C NE 4 p. M. 29.943 73.9 66 NNE 13.8 K W 7 C NE „ 24th 10 A. M. .992 73.6 61 NNE 11.4 6 C NE 4 P. M. .927 73.9 63 NE 8.6 3 G ,, 25th 10 A. M. .931 72.1 68 NNE 12.4 Ac 8 4 P. 11. .849 72.7 64 NNE 15.2 Ks SSW 9 NNE ,, 26th 3 A. M. .761 68.0 80 NNW 13.4 3 10 „ „ .872 74.3 66 NW 17.0 5 NW 4 p. M. .915 77.0 58 NW 12.7 3 N „ 27th 10 A. M. 30.045 75.7 63 W 4.2 Ao SW" 9 4 p. Ji. 29.996 76.3 60 wsw 4.0 Ac SW 9 „ 28th 10 A. M. 30.059 75.9 66 WNW 2.0 Ao SW 7 4 p. M. 29.998 78.6 50 Variablf 2.0 3 C „ 29th 10 A. M, 30.107 78.8 53 SW 5.0 4 p. M. .055 78.4 53 W 6.1 „ 30th 10 A. M .188 76.5 64 NNE 6.0 3 4 p. M. .091 76.1 54 NE 9.4 K WNW 7 The Typhoon on the coast of Japan. A first instance of the violence of the Typhoon in the vicinity of Japan is that of the British Brig Menatit- Ian. Captain Edwards reports: "On Monday the 26th September, when in latit. 3i;'l7'-longit. 1 26 140', encoun- tered a terrific typhoon; cut away both masts, lost our boats, tore up the decks and doing a considerable lot more damage. Ballast shifted, ship thrown on her beam ends". The Typhoon preserved its violence, but now, once disentangled from the Chinese Monsoon, it took shape and got developed into a true atmospheric whirlwind. The Barque Presto will show it to us, as, on the 26th, noon, it passed close to Quelpaert Island, just before entering the Strait of Corea. — Sailed from Nagasaki on the 24th September for Tientsin, fine weather; on the 25th, thick, dirty, rainy weather, wind east, strong NE. sea running, at 8 a.m. off Cape Gotto, barometer gradually falling, at 6 p.m. heavy gale and sea; brought vessel to the wind; on the 26th, at 10 a.m. heavy typhoon raging and torrents of rain; SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 119 barometer 28.90; all sails furled, different seas running, the wind being violent, vessel went over on her beam and leeside of decks completely under water. For the safety of life and property we were compelled to cut away the foremast which took bowsprit and jib-boom of main top-gallant mast along with it; and sprung the mizzen mast. After this the sails blew out the gaskets; wind increased from E. to WNW. Arrived at south end of Quelpaert at eleven ; barometer commenced to rise ; fine weather, at noon ; then calms for three days ; rigged jury mast and proceeded; on the 29th, gassed what we took to be part of the mast we cut away; foremast 6 feet out of water, end of lower yard 3 feet water out, all painted white. South end of Quelpaert NNE. 35 miles; anchored at Woosung on the 3rd October. On the western coast of Kiu-siu Island, the barometer did not fall so low on account of the greater distance from the track of the Centre, yet there were violent gusts. On board the Japanese barque Kanagaiua-maru (capt. Exstrand), the barometric minimum (29'"42) was observed on the 26th noon, near Kosiki Islands (latit. 32"12 -longit. 129^35 ): "at 11 a.m. the mizzen stay and staysail carried away; whilst securing the mizzen mast, the fore topmast staysail blew out of the bold rope; wind increasing in violence all the time. About this time a heavy sea struck the ship forward and washed away the forecastle railing and head board. The ship being now under the fore-lower topsail only, tried to set the main topmast staysail, but it carried away before it could be set. At noon, blowing a typhoon and wind hauling round to the SW., tremendous heavy sea running, ship labouring and straining heavily. It was the passage of the Typhoon in these parts which caused the total loss of the British steamer Ash, as we shall see further on. Nagasaki — A correspondent to the Shanghai Courier writes under date of September 27th: — "Yes- terday there was a heavy typhoon here, and 6 coal loaded junks sank at their anchors. Sampans innumerable were sunk or stove in and many lives were lost, steamers and sailing vessels were dragging about the harbour. I went on shore in the morning and could not get on board again, so sudden did it come up on shore. Tiles were flying about indiscriminately, sheet iron roofs were flapping in all direction, buidings were blown in, roofs taken off', fences flying right and left, flag poles falling, and people were pretty much scared. I felt unsafe myself in one house which swayed and rocked as though on earthquake were shaking it up generally." And yet the Centre passed more than 100 miles to the North-west of Nagasaki. The following table gives the meteorological obser- vations made at the Imperial Observatory and published together with those of the other stations in Japan by Mr. Aral, Surveyor-in-chief and director of the Tokei observatory. 120 SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. Nagasaki Latit. 32.° 44' - Longit. 129.° 52' - height 189 feet. D;-.te Hours Barom. Wind Therm. Humid. Nebulosity Kain Bemarks S,i.t. :5bh 9.30 A. M. 3.30 P. M. 9.30 2Cth Midnight 6 A. M. 7 8 9 10 11 Noon 0.30 P. M. 1 2 3 4 S 6 27th Midnight 6 A. M. Noon 29.870 .814 .822 .798 .025 .583 .550 .551 .484 .432 .377 .376 .335 .435 .514 .594 .655 .704 .827 .912 .970 NE NE E E SE SE SE S S SSW SSW SSW SSW SW sw SW w w w w NW NNE miles O °/o 4.9 70.3 96 2.7 72.8 98 5,8 72.1 98 4.2 74.0 92 14.7 78.7 74 16.1 79.5 77 16.9 79.8 72 20.5 7S.0 80 .■i5.6 81.1 68 40.2 79.5 75 39.1 77.8 82 — 76.6 88 36,0 76.6 84 47.4 74.5 84 3,5.4 74.1 86 28.7 74.3 88 26 75.4 80 24,2 74.9 76 21.6 74.0 74 13.1 72.4 72 3.6 68.7 77 6.8 76.5 57 Ac K. 2.005 0.11 From 2 to 2.35 p.m., thunderstorm in the '\^"., N., E. and SE. Sea in the harbour very hi^h. Heavy raiu. JVota — A building i ken breadth and 1 ken long in the Observatory was blown away to the distance of 48 feet from its base and unroofing the obsen'atory and neighbouring houses. On the 27th, 8 a.m., 4 masts of pretty large junks, standing out of sea, are seen from the observa'oi'y. Considering the proximity of the Centre and the great force of the wind, it may be talien for granted that at the moment of shortest distance ttie wind was perpendicular to the radius : hence the direction of the wind (SSW.) was identical with that of the track in the Strait of Corea. For the Strait we have two valuable documents published by the Tokei observatory, viz. the report of the captain of the Japanese steamer Chitose Mario anchored at Itsuhara, Tsushima Islands (latit. 30° 10 -longit. I^Q! 20 ) in the very middle of the Strait; and that of the Captain of the Annei Maru in the Corean harbour of Fusan, on the South-eastern coast of the great Peninsula, in latit. 35" 6 by longit. 129! 2 . Steamer Chitose Maru at Itsuhara, Tsushima Isl. Corean Strait. Date Hours Barom. Wind Sept. 20th 1 A. M. in 29.68 NE 6 .59 ENE 11 .43 E 10 .32 ESB Noon 28.80 SE 1 P. ir .73 SSE 1.30 .70 — 2 ..59 S 2.30 .69 — 3 29.00 SSW 4 .25 sw 5 ,35 _ G .70 wsw 7 — w Annei Mara at Fusan, Corea. Date Houre Barom. Wind Remarks Sept. 25th 1 A. M. in 29.87 N 3 Clear 8 — NNE 3 Cloudy Noon .85 NNE 3 Eaining 4 — NNE 7 id „ 26th Midn. — NNE 6 id 1 A, M. .80 NNE 5 id 8 .70 NNE 6 Noon .66 NNE 7 Heavy rain 1 P. M. .42 NE 8 id 3 .10 E 9 id 4 28.92 E 11 id 5 .60 NW 12 id 6 — W 12 7 29.25 W 10 Light rain 9 ..55 W 8 „ 27th Midn. .70 W 6 Clear The Centre therefore passed between Tsushima Islands and Corea, but nearer to the island than to the continent. We may also remark that its velocity of translation had decreased considerably in the Strait : after being of about 35 miles from noon to 2 p.m., it fell to 18 or 19 miles an hour between 2 and 5 p.m. The check SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 121 to the speed was due to -the narrowness of the passage and to the difficulty to pass over the two Tsushima islands, the mountains of which rise as high as 2 100 feet; hence also the deformation of the central region near Itsuhara. The Typhoon in the Sea of Japan. The observations made in the interior of Niphon and at the Light-houses on the coast show the Typhoon, like the preceding one, to have kep^as much as possible away from land in the middle of the inner sea. Here- with are the most interesting observations made at the various stations: Passage of the Centre Stations Latit. Longit. , ' ^ Greatest force of the ■wind Eain Date hours barom. wind o o ■" iiilles miles h in Nagasaki (32. 44'- 129. 52') 26th 0.30 p.m. 29.376 SSW 38..') S\V 47.4 2 p.m. 26th O.UO Hiroshima {34. 20— 132. 27 6.0 p,m, 29.522 S 27.8 SW 38.8 8 p.m. 26th 2.335 W'akayama(34., 14— 135. 9) 9.30 p.m. 29.777 S 31.0 SW 33.3 Midn. 27th 0..5.50 Kioto (35. 1-135.46) 9.14 p.m. 29.794 S 3.7 SE 13.4 6 p.m. 26th 0.380 Toltei (35. 40 — 139. 45 ) 27th 5.0 a.m. 29.867 S 12.5 S 22.1 9 a.m. 27th 0.930 Niigati, (37.55 — 139. 3) 6.0 a.m. 29.700 SE 8.1 W 23 6 9 am. 27th 0.040 Nobiru (38.23 — 141,12) 7.0 a.m. 29.793 S 36.0 S 39.6 6 a.m. 27th 0.010 Hakodate (41. 46 — 140. 44 ) 9.0 a.m. 29.538 ESE 20.0 SW 40.0 Noon 27th - From these data, the Typhoon would seem to have moved in the Sea of Japan with a pretty steady velocity of 36^/2 miles an hour on the average. From the observations at Hakodate given below, it is evident that in the course of the afternoon and evening of the 27th it got into the North Pacific through the Strait that separates Yesso from Saghalien : the contraction and cramping it was subjected to as it rose towards the Gulph of Tartary must inevitably made it swerve to the right towards the Ocean, and the Strait North of Yesso was just at hand to supply a means of egress without scaling over either of the mountainous islands; but its speed, as was natural, slackened considerably. Let us retrace our steps for a moment and get nearer to the track in the middle of the Sea of Japan. We shall find two ships struggling with the storm, from which we can learn the situation of the Centre on the 27th midnight and obtain some useful information with regard to the violence of the Typhoon in that quarter. The German barque Siberien, Captain Schultz, of 367 tons, belonging to Schleswig, was in ballast on a voyage from Wladivostok to Chefoo, and had only been three days at sea, when on the night of the 26th Sept. and morning of the 27th in latit. 39° N., long. 130° E., she passed through a typhoon of extraordinary violence, in which the barometer went down to 28'.° 21 (?) at 1 a.m. on the 27th. The storm commenced with the wind from NE., which shifted round to N., NW., and WSW., and blew with such terrible force that the Siberien was soon lying on her beam ends. At 1.30 a.m. had to cut away the main-mast, which in going over the side carried away the top of the mizen-mast and brought on deck the fore top-gallant mast, the royal yard and everything befcnging to it. All the copper on the ship got chafed and everything on deck disappeared. I am indebted to the kindness of Captain Davies of the steamer Europe for a circumstantial account of his voyage from Nagasaki to Wladivostock, during which he was caught in the Typhoon not far from where the barque Siberien also was grappling with the same storm. S.S. Europe, from Nagasaki to Wladivostok — "Saturday 24th September, at 5.30 a.m., weighed anchor and proceeded; had light NE. wind and fine pleasant weather till 6 p.m., vessel then off North end of Iki Island; wind then freshened to a strong NNE. breeze and high sea running from NE. and NNE., which continued till midnight — Barometer steady at 29^90. " — Sunday 25th — Strong breeze and high sea running — 1.30 a.m., moderating; steady breeze at NE. — 1?2 SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 4 a.m., came on heavy squalls with rain at intervals — Noon till midnight, moderate NE. wind and dull overcast weather — Barometer 29^90. "Monday 26th — Morning, moderate NE. wind and cloudy— 1.30 a.m., Dagelet Isl. bore E. 6 miles dis- tance — 4 a.m. set in squally from the NNE. and threatening appearance from E. and ESE. — Barometer steady at 29'" 90 — 8 a.m. wind increasing with blinding rain squalls — Noon, blowing a hard gale from NE. with torrents of rain and sea rising fast : barometer falling. Date Hours Barom. Wind Course Remarks Sept. 26tli Noon 29'.90 NE bard gale NNE lat. 38.° 48' — long. 130. = 51' 1 P.M. .90 NNE 2 .85 ENB hurricane- NE 3 .78 BbyB "Wind suddenly shifted. 4 .64 ENE ENE Torrents of rain — high sea. 6 .50 ENE Vessel shipping heavy bodies of water fore 8 ,41 EbyE and aft. 9 .38 Eby E Ship unmanageable. 10 .25 NE 11 .14 NE „ 27th Midn. .04 NNE furious 1 A. M. 28,90 NNE Gale still raging with unabated fury — vessel 2 .80 N terrific NE under balanced reefed main trysail, unable to 3 .76 NNW squalls keep head on to sea, labouring heavily. 4 .94 NW NNE From 2 to 3 a.m., the heaviest squalls which 5 .97 WNW N were something terrific in force — vessel com- 6 29.16 W NNW pletely helpless. 7 .34 w 4 a.m. Wind began to lull veering NWward 8 .35 "W by N moderate NNE — high confused sea running, vessel labouring 9 .39 WbyN and straining heavily. 8 a.m ., sea a little more smooth and regular, set single trysails and kept on our course carried westerly winds and fine weather to Port. Return of the Typhoon into the Pacific. Hakodate. — The Typhoon has been stated to have issued from the Sea of Japan through the Strait that separates Yesso from Saghalien. This comes out clearly from the observations made at Hakodate. Hakodate Latit, 41.° 46' — Longit. 14«.° 44' Date Hours Barom. Therm. Wind in ° mlleg September 26th Noon. 30.106 68.0 E 10.0 3 p.m. .056 68.0 ENE 10.0 6 .045 65.0 ENE 7.0 9 .031 65.0 ENE 6.0 27th Midn. 29.891 66.0 ENE 15.0 2 a. m. ,861 66.0 ENE 10.0 4 .795 68.0 E 15.0 6 .721 68.8 ESE 30.0 7 .708 69.5 ESE 35.0 8 .634 69.5 ESE 30.0 9 ,588 70.0 ESE 20.0 10 .677 70.0 ESE 20.0 11 .656 72.5 SW 20.0 Noon. .662 73.0 SW 40.0 1 P. M. .653 71.5 SW 30.0 2 .647 69.5 W 30.0 3 .665 69.0 W 15.0 4 .681 67.8 W 27.0 5 .691 67.0 W 25.0 6 .685 67.0 W 23.0 8 .681 66.5 W 30.0 10 .740 64.5 W 20.0 „ 28th Midn, .744 64.0 W 25.0 3 A. a. .829 63.0 W 23.0 6 .882 62.0 W 15.0 9 1 .947 64.0 WNW 5.0 The convergence of the ENE., E. and ESE. winds before the passage of the Centre is manifest. The Baro- meter had fallen pretty rapidly up to the 27th 9 a.m., but from that moment the pressure kept low till evening, with the wind blowing strong from W. Thence may be inferred that the Typhoon remained for same time to the North of Hakodate close to Yesso. On the 28th, about 9 a.m., whilst at Hakodate there was a light wind from SEPTEMBER — ASH TYPHOON. 123 WNW. with the barometer high; some little distance off, at Siriyasaki light-house, on the North-easternmost point of Niphoii, there blew a gale from NW., a sure sign of the Centre of the Typhoon being to the North-east of Yesso, after extricating itself from the Gulph of Tartary. Casualties at sea. This Typhoon of the 26th September will be sadly remembered as the one in which the British steamer Ash went down with all hands, — a day's voyage out from Nagasaki^ The Ash was a British steamer of 919 tons, commanded by Captain Lucock, and running under charter in the coal trade between Nagasaki and Shang- hai. There were 24 foreigners in the crew and several Chinese; and two well-known Shanghai river pilots were on board, Mr. G. M'Donald and Mr. J. H. Wills, the former as pilot, the latter as passenger. Some lights were seen on the island of Euro on the 29th Sept. by Captain Stout of the Waverley, but he did not pay any attention to them. The Russian gunboat Sobol left Nagasaki and searched the Goto islands, but found no trace of the Ash. Ship's boats were twice seen by vessels on voyages between Shanghai and Japan, but strangely none of them ever sought to pick up a boat, even to set at rest the doubts as to the fate of the missing steamer. A British gun- boat, the Foxhound, lay in Shanghai harbour all the time, but no action was taken either by the agents of the Ash or the British Consul, to institute a search; — the search by the Russian gunboat Sobol was done at the request of the U. S. Consul-General at Shanghai, acting on behalf of Mrs. Wills. Thus the Ash was lost, was talked of for a week or two, and forgotten, — all but by those whose relatives went down with her. The British barque Nouveau Mondelli, Captain Stegeman, is supposed to have been lost in the same Ty- phoon. She left Keelung (Formosa) about a week before that storm and was never heard of since. She had a crew of nine. (North-China Daily News). " TOA'GA'IA'G " TYPHOON Fourteenth Typhoon: 29th September — 10th October 1881. September 29th Midn. Noon 30tli Midn. Noon October 1st Midn. Noon „ 2nd Midn. Noon 3rd Miiin. Noon „ 4tli Midn. Noon „ Sth Midn. Noon eth Midn. Noon 7tli Midn. Noon , Sth Midn. Noon Sth Midn. Noon 10th Mi In. Noon 11th Midn. Noon 12th Midn. Noon 13th Midn. Noon TRACK : Latitude Longitude East of Luzon 14° 30' 125° 30' 14. 14. 30 30 123.' 45 122. 30 Luzon 14. 30 121. m China Sea (14. (14. 10 15 120. 15 118. 30 14! 14. 20' 116° 40' /14.° 20' 116° 40 China 40 114. 25 China Sea 14. 20 114. 45 Sea 15. 16. 15 112. 15 14. 35 112. 50 110. 50 15. 20 HI. 10 Gulph of Tongking 17. 109. 15 1.16. 109. 3J 18. 20. 30 108. 30 107. 15 30 Gulph 17. 18. 108. 107. 10 22. 30 108. 30 of TongKing 19. 40 106. 24. 20 HI. r24. 10 104. 50 China 26. 113. 50 26. 40 106. 29. 116. 29. 106. 30 32. 117. 31. 15 108. Yellow 34. 119. 30 China - 32. 45 109. Sea 36. 20 12.'-.. 30 35. 30 110. Japan 37. 132. 30 37. 30 112. Saa 39. 30 138. 38. 45 ,114. 30 Niphon : 37. 30 143. 40. 117. 30 Pacific 9 9 9 /39. Yellow 38. Sea 37. 36. 121. 124. 126. 15 127. 30 Co ea : 34. 130. 30 Japan : 32. 30 133. Pacific. 2 9 EVENTS : Wreck and loss on the Steamer Quinta on the coast of Hainan on the 4th of October. Immense disasters in Tongking. Here Ijave we again one of those Typhoons whose occurrence is so frightfnl a calamity for Hie populations of the countries they overrun. Even the ravages of the "Kiang-si" Typhoon are slight in comparison with the destruction and countless ruins caused by this Typhoon all through a kingdom in a single day, the imperishable memory of which I recall in naming it the "Tongking" Typhoon. First notice of the Typhoon, — its long track. It was Manila again that first gave notice of this Typhoon. On September 30th, 7h 35" a.m., a telegram was addressed to the Governor of Hongkong announcing a Typhoon in the East, approaching Luzon. On the next day, October 1st, lib 25" a.m., another telegram stating that the Centre had just passed South of Manila bea- ring westward : violence but middling. The direction stated was indeed that which it followed for a long time yet in the China Sea; it afterwards bent more and more to the North-west ; on October 4th got into the Gulph of Tongking ; on the 5th went over Hai- phong and the Kingdom of Tongking, spreading havoc on its passage. It then rapidly followed the curve on which it had started: on the 6th rose Northward; on the 7th turned to North-east; on the Sth came to sea again some- where above Shanghai ; on the 9th crossed Japan from West to East, to be lost sight of in the Pacific like so raanv others. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. 12!: On Luzon. Failing meteorological observations from Manila or any other point of the Philippines, I shall confine myself to giving an extract from the Manila El Comercio as translated by the Hongkong Telegraph. "The steamship Mendez Nunez, which arrived at Manila on the 4th October from Batangas (45 miles south of Manila), brought intelligenjp of a terrible storm vfhich had visited that province. The wind blew with typhoon force, driving from the NW. and veering round by W. to SW., and a tremendous fall of rain added con- siderably to the damage occasioned by the storm. In Galumpan, a village to the north of Batangas, the substan- tially built premises of Mr. Manuel Javier Martinez were carried away from their foundations by the inundating flood, with the whole of the inmates, eleven in number. The bodies of five of these unfortunates were recovered on the beach at San Luis, a rather surprising circumstance when it is remembered that they must have been carried some 24 miles, and further must have doubled Gazador Point. In Galatagan a pilot boat with the perso- nal effects of the alcade of that province came to grief, and at San Luis a schooner laded with sugar foundered. The steamship Oriana was compelled to seek shelter at Balayan." This information, coupled with the short indications contained in the telegrams, shows that the Typhoon, after coming from the East of Luzon, crossed this island in the evening of September 30th or in the morning of October 1st; the Gentre having passed to the South of Manila (according to telegram) and to the North of Batan- gas (according to report of Me)idez Nunez), was probably, on October 1st midn., in latit. 14''0', and entered the China Sea by 121 ' longit. The Typhoon also appears to have been much more violent in the southern half-circle with westerly Winds than in the northern half-circle with Easterly winds. China Sea. It must have been during the first hours of October 1st that the Centre of the Typhoon got into the China Sea, for on that day, at a short distance from the coast of Luzon, we find the British ship Earnock with strong NW. wind at noon and SW. winds at 9 p.m. It is true that the positions of the ship were not given with any great precision, as may be seen from the following extract from the report of Gapt. G. F. Parson. The ship Earnock, of 1198 tons, had sailed from Glasgow on June 11th, bound for Shanghai by the way of the cape of Good Hope. She arrived at destination on October 24th. — ". . Passed through Caspar Straits{latit 3° S. — longit. 107'' E. ) on September 20th ; came np the eastern side of the sea (China Sea), just skirting the shoals, and when north of them steering for the Luzon coast about M.mila. — Ist October, at noon, wind unstea ly, "W. to NW., a northerly sea and slightly falling glass ; became aware we were approaching a typhoon bearing somewheie NE. of us. Short- ened sail to allow it time to pass ahead. At 6 a.m. fouad we were approaching it too rapidly ; kept ship more away to the Eastward, but at 9 p.m. the barometer falling rapidly and weather getting much worse, put the ship's head to the Southward under lower topsails. Wind being then SW. and blowing a^eavy gale tiU 4 a.m. on the 2nd. — Made the South end of Formosa on the 7th." S.S. Fleurs Castle. — On October 2nd, at 5h 30"" p.m., the SS. Fleurs Castle bound for Shanghai, crossed the very Centre of the Typhoon in latit. 15° by about 113!80' longit., which observation gives the means of accurately laying out the track from Luzon to this point. Here is the interesting relation addressed to me by Gapt. J. B. Thomson. ^-^ SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TONGKING TYPHOON. Steamer Fleurs Castle October 2nd Noon — course X 26° E — barom, 29in50 — wind NW. — lat. 14.° 28' — long. 112.° 24' — Strong increasing breeze with ^■iolent eqiiall and heavy rain — sky black and threatening, heavy swell from N. — barom. falling rapidly. 1.30 P. M. — Slowed engines : barom. 29'.°25 — wind increasing — sky black and lowering. 2.40 — Barom. 29!"10 — wind blowing with hurricane force and veering to "W". 8.30 — Barom. 28'."30 — wind NW. blowing with terrific force — Ship heading about NNE.— engines going slow. — There was now very little sea as there was no heavy body of water on deck, the wind apparently cutting the tops of the waves off and causing a blinding scud which broke right over iis. 4.30 — Barom. 28'."35. .*> — Barom. 28'.''30, lowest reading. 5.30 ■ — The weather suddenly brightened, the wind falling almost to a Calm, 6 — Barom. 28'."30. A large nuniber of birds lighted on the ship almost covering her and remained until 7p.m. 6.30 — id 28'."50. 7 — id 28'."30. The wind suddenly burst upon us again with renewed fury from SW. 8 — id 28>.°90. 9 — id 29™00. 10 — id 29'°10. n — id 29l"20. Ship laying to heading SSE. October 3rd 3 A. M. — id 29i"30. Bore up and ran before the gale — Barometer rising rapidly and wind moderating. Noon — id 29i.n40 — Wind SW. 8-7 — latit. 15°, 54' — longit. 114°. 16' — Dark squally weather with heavy con- fused sea which continued until our arrival at Hongkong. This report is most interesting : the whirlwind is perfectly well defined with its NW. wind turning to W. and afterwards to SW. after the passage through the central region. The ship did not sail along a diameter of the whirlwind, but owing to her movement combined with that of the whirlwind, she described a curve whose convexity looked towards the Centre, its apex being on the very Centre. The duration of the calm was nearly an hour and a quarter, the velocity of the Typhoon about 10^2 ™iles an hour, whence may be inferred a length of 10 or 12 miles for the diameter of the central region, which enjoyed a clear sky with sunshine and was enlivened wi'.h the presence of myriads of birds which, caught in the storm, had sought a refuge there. Notice must be taken of the depth of the central depression indicated by the reading of the barometer = 28'.° 30. The ship may then have been in lalit. 15° by longit. 113° At the same hour on board H. M. S. Magpie in the bay of Hoihow (Hainan), the barometer maked 29? 7 8 : the total depression was then = l'^^°48 for a distance of 345 miles. On board the Fleurs Castle, from noon to 6 p.m., the barometer fell r."20, equal to the enormous amount of 0'"20 per hour. It must however be kept in mind that the steamer was going towards the Centre, though surely at a greatly reduced speed in the midst of that storm of North-westerly wind. Steamer Quinta. ■ — On finishing the description of this Typhoon, I shall give a short account of the sad event through which this steamer was destroyed alter being wrecked on the South-west coast of Hainan. For the present I shall only take out of the Captain's report what can be of any use to follow the progress of the Centre. October 2nd — 8.30 A. M. — left Hongkong. Passed Sharp Islands at 11.30. The wind was then from the E., the sky cleai and the in breeze fresh with a big sea : steering S 35° W. true. Noon — bar. 30.10 4 p. M. — 30.05 8 — 29.98 : weather threateidng and sea increasing, 3i-d^ — Midn. — .90 : there were all appearances of a typhoon passing over the vessel, 4 A. M. — .88 : very heavy squalls with rain and the wind was round to the N. Noon — — : latitude 19.° 3' — longitude 110.° 55' by observation : cun-ent to the West of 50 miles in the 25 hours. Wind and sea rising. 4 P. M. — .56 : at 2h. p.m., sighted Tinhosa Isl. and knowing very well that we could not keep the vessel against the i)ig sea and the strong breeze and the furious current, thought of steaming to seek the shelter of Tinhosa. 4 30 — — : anchored at Tinhosa with 45 fathoms of chain — latit. 18.° 40' — longit. 110.° 28', 8 — .44 9 — — : wind blows very hard in most violent gusts with heavy rain — Tinhosa bearing E., 3 miles 4th — Midn. — .44: [distant.. 4 A. M. — .46 : weather clearing up a little. 9 P, II. — .50 : till midnight the wind blowing hard in the same direction. Though the indications of the direction of the winds, in the foregoing report, be wanting in precision, those of the barometer are suficient to prove that the steamer was anchored at a good distance to the North of the SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. 1 27 track, as we shall see besides from other observations made at Hainan. The track therefore entered the Gulph of Tongking on October 4th, midnight. , The track, so early as the 3rd, had begun to bend to the north as if to avoid the continent, viz. Gochinchi- na, towards which it was directed ever since leaving Luzon : it then got into the Gulph of Tongking, inclining Northward more and more. The marked curve it described round Hainan and the Lien-chow peninsula had there- fore the effect to keep the barometg' low and to increase the duration of the storm raging to the North of the Gulph. Thus with the Chinese steamer Tong-ting which already on September 30th noon, had taken shelter off Baksha (South part of Lien-chow), the NE. wind had, on the 3rd noon, force 9; on the 4th midn., force 10, which kept on with E. wind at 6 p.m. and with SE. wind on the 5th from midnight to 6 a.m., and on (force 6) to the 6th 4 p.m. The barometer, low since the 4th midn., only began rising on the 5th 6 a.m. Its minimum, 29".''65, took place on the 4th about 6 p.m., with the wind E. 8-10. Some more detailed information can be gathered from the excellent series of observations made on board H.M.S. Magpie by lieutenants Carpenter and Belam, from which I have already borrowed largely. H. M. S. Magpie Hoihow bay (Hainan Island) 'Latit. 20.° 3' — Longit. 110.° 20' Date Hours Barom Wind Therm. Clouds XJpp. Low. Weather Remarks Sei t. 29th 4 a. m. 10 4 P. M. 10 „ 30th 4 A, M. 10 4 P. M. 10 Ootob. 1st 4 A. M. 10 4 P. Ji. 10 ,. 2nd 4 A. M. 10 4 p. M. 10 „ 3rd 4 A, M. 10 4 p. M. 10 ,, 4th 4 A. M. 10 4 p. M. 10 „ 5th 4 A. M. 10 4 P. M. 10 „ 6th 4 A. II. 10 4 P. M. 10 29.898 .958 .859 .898 .843 .902 .849 .906 .816 .896 .814 .867 .794 .860 .763 .811 .734 .766 .676 .740 .619 .664 .649 .627 .657 .663 .648 .772 .794 .867 .791 .885 SB 1 ENE 2 NE 2-3 NE 4-5 NE 3-4 E 3-6 NE by E 3-4 ENE 3-4 ENE 3-4 ENE 3-4 NE 3-4 ENE 4-6 NE by E 4-6 NEby E 3-4 NE by E 3-5 NE by E 3-6 NE 6-6 NE 6-8 NE 7-8 NE 6-8 NE 5-7 ENE 6-8 ENE 7-8 EbyS 6-8 Ebj S 8-9 SEbyS 8-9 SEbyS 4-5 SEbyS 4-5 SE 2-3 SE 2-3 SE 1-2 SE 1 4 80.4 12 83.5 4 84.1 12 80.3 4 82.0 12 77.8 4 81.8 12 81.0 4 81.0 12 83.0 4 82.6 12 81.1 4 81.0 12 83.6 4 82.6 12 81.3 4 81.6 12 82.2 4 79.0 12 78.0 4 79.9 12 80.3 4 78.5 12 78.5 4 78.0 12 80.0 4 81.0 12 80.8 .4 79.2 12 83.2 4 83.0 12 79.6 1 KSE 3 10 4 10 10 2 1 9 9 10 10 6 6 10 10 AoE 6 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 AoS 9 10 9 C Ca Cs Cs C Cs G C C Cs St St c C St St Cs St St St St St St Ni St St St St Ca E i 08 E: C. ' Cs I C. M. M. C. M. M.P. Q. C. M,Q. P. Q. M.Q. CM. M.Q. M.Q. M.Q. M.Q. M.Q. C. M. Q. C. M. Q, M.Q. M.Q. B. M. Q. M.P. Q. M.Q. L. M.P. Q. M.iJ. Q. M..B. Q. M.iJ. Q. K. Q. M. Q. P. M.Q. P. M.Q. M.Q. M.Q. B. M. B. M. 4.20 p.m. — Clouds rapidly from NE. A very red and fiery Several passing showers in the squalls. [sunset. 2 a.m. — A squall force 5 with heavy rain for 25 min. 4.10 — Clouds rapidly from NE. A large halo round the moon — Cumuli rapidly from ENE. 4 a.m. — Cumuli in patches from ENE. [the breaks. 10,30 -^ Cumuli rapidly from ENE. — Ac. visible through Clouds clearing away at intervals for few minutes. [ship. 6.20 p.m. — A heavy rain squall passed to Southward of 8 — A low light scud drifting rapidly with the wind. 5.30 p.m. — Clouds broke a little showing Ks and Ac 10 — heavy rain squalls. [from E. 2 p.m. — Rain ceased a little. 7 a.m. — A low scud drifting rapidly in tlie wind, 4.15 a.m. — A few flashes of lightning to WSW. Clouds moting slowly from NE In the Straits of Hainan, according to the observations of the Magpie, the winds from NE. or from E. seem to have settled as prevailing winds about September 19th at the same time as on the eastern coast of China; but they were far irom having the same regularity as at the altitude of the Formosa Strait light-houses as I already remarked when treating of the "Ash Typhoon." We therefore see the wind, on the approach of the Ty- phoon coming from Luzon over the China Sea, to vary slowly from E. to ENE. and to NE., to come to E. again on the passage of the Centre, and lastly to turn to SE. being there perfectly convergent to the centre which was then crossing over central China. 1 -8 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TONGKING TYPHOON. This variation of tlie winds on the approach of the Centre of the whirlwind we have already seen over and over again in other Typhoons, but more particularly in the "Shanghai" Typhoon of July 15th and 16th : the wind to a great distance on the route about to be followed by the Centre, then rising northward, was S. and gradually, under the action of the whirlwind, turned to SE. and to E; then according to the side observed, either again to SE., S. and SW., or to NE., N. and NW. It would then appear frequently to happen that in the fore part of a whirlwind the currents are quite divergent, whilst at the back they are generally found to be almost perfectly convergent, as we found it to be the case with the "Shanghai" and with tlie present Typhoon. This difference in the winds, being divergent before and convergent back of the Centre is solely owing to the fact that the whirlwind moves within a strong well settled atmospheric current and along with it. There will be no difficulty to apply this theory to the present case when the winds blowing steadily on the Southern coast of China are not from S. as in the former case, but from E. and NE., being the winter monsoon. These facts also supply an explanation of the slow sinking of the barometer and of the consequent long duration of that period before the passage of the Centre, and also inversely of its rapidity in rising again to its original height after reaching the minimum. The whirlwind, as it proceeded along with the general current blow- ing in those parts, met, as it were, no obstacle ahead, and the E. and NE. winds it raised on its passage mixed with the prevailing winds of like direction; in the hinder half on the contrary the winds of the main current came into collision with the NW., W. and SW. winds of the whirlwind : hence a diminished violence of the resulting wind and a condensation or compression of the air involving an increase of pressure. The Typhoon enters Tongking. — Tongking, whose eastern coast is all washed by the great Gulph of the same name, is comprised between Cochinchina to the South, Yun-nan to the North-west and Kwang-si to the North-East; it extends between the parallels of 20!0 and 22!30', and the meridians of 103° and 106! Its capital is now Bacht-Ninh to the north of the Song-ka river, 51 miles from the sea. On the Song-ka, about the same distance from its mouth, is the former capital Ha-noi or Keicho, having its harbour at Haiphong. This port was open to foreign trade in September 1875; it has two principal forts which are held by the French. The mouths of the several branches of the Song-ka form a great delta between the parallels of 20!0 and 20!50 ; they communicate with each other pai'tly by natural means, and partly by canals constructed by the inhabitants. The Typhoon must have reached Tongking in the evening of October 5th about the 20th parallel and must have traversed it in the middle, passing near both the old and the new capitals. At all events, it left Haiphong on its right, as clearly proved by the observations of the captain of the Chinese steamer Kang-chi then lying inside of the bar at Haiphong, which a few days later was to go to the rescue of the crew of the Quinta wrecked on the coast of Hainan. SEPTEMI3ER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. 129 Chinese Steamer Kang-chi : Captain Marsdur. Lying at Haiphong (latit. 20°.30' — longit. 106°.) Date Hours Barom. Wind "Weather October 5tli 6 a. m. in 29.88 NNB 6 Overcast — rain. 8 .78 NNE 6 •10 .75 NNE 7 Noon .68 NE 8 Heavy rain. 1 P. M. 1 .58 NE 8 2 ! .51 E.NE 9 4 .46 ENE 10 6 .40 E 9-11 7 .43 EbyS 9-11 Heavy squalls and rain. 8 ..53 SEbyE 10 10 ,70 SE 8-10 „ 6tli Midn. .80 S 6- 8 2 A, M, .81 S 6- 7 Weather moderating. 4 .84 SSW 4 6 1 .89 SW 3 Since the wind turned from SE. to S. and SSW. , it is evident that the Typhoon made for the North-west and for the North, or that, after spreading havoc over Tongiiing, it must have penetrated into Kwang-si near the * limit between that province and Yun-nan. — The paragraph on Casualties will offer the detail of the frightful disasters caused by the Typhoon. Proofs of the existence of two distinct whirlwinds in this "Tongking Typhoon". That we may get a clear view of the further progress of our Typhoon, it is well that we somewhat retrace our steps and consider some few facts which had been purposely left out. "On the 8th October, the British steamer Lido amved at Hongkong haibour after having gone through some excessively had wea- ther and having been in considerable danger off the Gulph of Tongking. She was from Bangkok to Hongkong, and she left the former port on the 28th September. At midnight on the 1st October, Ceicor de Mor Island {latit. 10°. 3o' — longit. 108°. 50") being passed, the api^earance of the sky became very ominous, there being a large ring round the moon, and haze, and the barometer was falling. In consequnce of these signs of coming bad weather, everj'thing was made snug on board in preparation for it and at noon on the following day (2nd) it was made evident that these precautious had not been taken unnecesEarily, for a heavy sea came rolling down from the NNW., the barometer then being 30',"10 — At 10 p.m. in hititude 14° .30' — longit. 110°. IC, the ship was struck by a heavy gale from the NNW.: the captain hove the ship on the port tack. — On the 3rd the gale increased, and there was a heavy cross sea which continually buried the deck and flooded the cabins fore and aft. A large quantity of water got below into the stoke hole. At noon, the barometer was still falling, and had got to 2S'"£0, with the wind from the NAV.— The morning of the 4th broke with a perfect hurricane from the WNW. ; the barometer had then fallen to 29'."20 — At noon it was noticed that there was a slight change for the better, and the gale began to show signs of moderating : the barometer had risen to 29>"30 and continued to rise until it reached 29'."40 at midnight. — The 5th opened with a brisk gale from the SW. and at 4 a.m. the engineer reported that the coal was getting short, a great quantity having been washed from the bimkers into the bilges, AU the available wood on board was at once brought into requisition, which together with a 65 gallon cask of oil on board, was all consumed by about 8 p.m. For the benefit of all concerned, rice was then burned to help the coal, as the ship was still 260 miles from Hongkong. — At midnight on the 6th the weather had much moderated, the wind being from S., and all available sail was set." (Daily To understand the particulars of this report, we must remember that the SS. Fleurs Castle which, in the middle of the China Sea crossed the central region of the Typhoon, had the barometer first falling rapidly to rise afterwards again with equal rapidity, which fact implies a great regularity in the shape of the whirlwind also borne out by the very regular variation of the winds. Further on, however, when the Typhoon was about pene- trating into the Gulph of Tongking, it was otherwise. With the Lido, on the morning of October 4th, the wind was still WNW., at the time when the Typhoon, which had passed over the Fleurs Castle, must have already been pretty far in the West; moreover the barometer, which has sunk far less than on the Fleurs Castle, did not beging to rise again till noon on that day and that it did first with excessive slowness, the rise for the whole 130 SEPTEMBER -OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. of that day being only 0'."20, whilst the Lido was making northward. Here then we have an anomaly which must be explained. Let us again revert to the Magpie, in the bay of Hoihow (Northern coast of Hainan), and take the series of half-hourly observations made by lieutenants Carpenter and Belam. H. M. S. Magpie (Hoihow). Date Hours Barom. Wind October 4th 9. A. M. 29'.°676 ENJB 6-8 30 .684 10. .664 30 .661 11. .659 „ 11 30 .645 Noon .639 jj " 30 P. M. .619 1. .595 ',', 7-9 30 .585 7-8 2. .679 6-7 30 .566 3. .566 " 30 .566 4. .850 7-8 30 .551 SEbyE 6-8 5. .569 E by S 6-8 30 .567 E 6. .546 7-9 30 .534 E by N „ 7. .558 E 8-9 30 .586 ESB 5-6 8. .696 E 7-8 30 .614 9. .630 E by S 6-7 30 .624 5-7 10. .628 6-8 30 .620 „ 7-9 Hours Date Barom . Wind 11. A. M. 29.°634 EbyS 7-9 30 .614 Midnight October 5th .608 3t 8-9 30 p. M. .608 7-8 1. .579 }* J, 30 .671 ., 2. .567 J, 30 .551 ESE 7-9 3. .555 EbyS 8-9 30 .657 )I it 4. .559 30 .553 >} '1 5. .5.53 )J J, 30 .561 6. .661 ESB [[ 30 .608 ,, 7. .616 ') 1 1 30 .615 EbyS 5> 8. .617 30 .630 „ 7-9 9, .639 SEbyE 8-9 30 .644 7-9 10. .661 seWs 8-9 30 .665 SE 7-9 11. .647 ,j 6-7 30 .643 SEijyS ,j Noon .629 30 P. M. .633 1} ,, The sluggishness of the barometer to rise again, both on board the Lido in the offing and on board the steamer Tung Ting off Backsha (South of Lien-chow) corresponds in these more detailed observations to two well defined minima, viz. one (29\"534) on the 4th, 6.30 p.m., and the other of greater duration on the 5th, between 2 and 5 a.m. (29'"551). There must have been at that moment two whirlwinds, a short distance apart, not on a common track, but the second lying somewhat more to the South than the first. The steamer Fleurs Castle would seem to have gone through their common central region before they were quite distinct yet : hence the great interval of calm between the two storms; hence also for her the almost perfect regularity in the variation of the barometer and of the wind. The Centre of the second whirlwind must have passed by the Lido on October 4h about or after noon; for it was only in the evening or the following night that she had the wind to turn at last to SW. On the South-eastern coast of Hainan, the steamer Quinta had her first minimum on the 3rd, little before midnight; on the 4th the rise had only been of 0\°02 at 4 a.m. and of O.^'IO at 9 p.m. Lastly, as we shall .see when describing the ravages of the whirlwind all over Tongking, the duration of the storm was quite uncommon and it was accompanied with truly diluvial rains; at Hanoi and Nam-dinh it began so early as the 4th 11 a.m. with a violent NW. wind, which continued with increasing force till 8 or 9 p.m., when suddenly a comparative calm set in, which continued all through the 5th. The storm soon took to blowing again with a new fury : the wind had turned to NW. and did not begin to lull before 11 p.m. or the 6th midnight. Such a furious NW. wind for 24 consecutive hours cannot be ex- plained except by supposing two distinct whirlwinds separated from each other as shown on their tracks. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. 1 3 I And now it mny be asked whether they were already distinct on the passage over Luzon. I do not think so, though the moderate strength of the storm at Manila, contrasted with its violence at Batangas, would seem to show the division to have already commenced. The effect was probably due to the mountains lying north of Manila. They must have acted on this occasion in the same manner as they had before with the double "Manila- Macao" Typhoon of August 19th-22nd; as also the high mountains of Formosa had done twice, viz. with the double Typhoons " Pescadores-Ghusan " of Ai^ust 22nd-31st and "Taiwan-foo-Amoy" of September 5th-8th. But the mountains of Luzon are far from equalling in height those of Formosa and consequently the splitting of a large Typhoon does not take place so readily. Therefore was it, as we have seen, that one of the two whirlwinds of the "Manila-Macao" Typhoon at first was nothing more than a tornado which afterwards got its development on the China Sea. There must probably have been something of the kind on September 30th, the splitting being incomplete on Luzon and the division into two distinct whirlwinds not being definitively accomplished before the 3rd of October. The two whirlvrinds over China. We may now get back to our two whirlwinds which we left on the coast of Tongking. Their passage below Macao and Hongkong had been indicated by a minimum of the barometer (29'"84) in the afternoon of October 3rd-wind ENE. 4-5. The barometer rose again somewhat on the 4th and 5th, but soon came to a stand; it even fell slightly between the 6th and the 9th. The fact appears still more strikingly in the observations of the coast light-houses up to Foochow where we find a minimum on the 8th, with the re- gular winds of the North-east Monsoon completely extinguished and partially replaced by Westerly winds. Still higher up, at Wuhu on the Yang-tze-kiang, minimum of the barometer in the evening of the 7th, with rain and violent wind from WNW. At Zi-ka-wei, barometric minimum on the 8th, 3 a.m., 29™844, whilst on the 4th the reading had been 30^°242; the wind had varied from E. to WNW. through S. If we go up so far as Shantong, we also find a considerable barometric variation at the NE. cape light- house : minimum, 29\"70 on the 8th afternoon; wind N. 6, veered on the next day to NW.5-4, then SW.3-4. The upshot of all this is, that one of the two whirlwinds, after turning the island of Hainan, must have alighted on the Chinese coast to the North of the Gulph of Tongking. It ran rapidly over the provinces of Kwang-si, Kiang-si and Tchi-kiangin the course of the 5th, 6th and 7th, crossed the great river near Wuhu on the 7th about noon, rose farther north to the old mouth of the Hwang-ho and got to sea again south of the Shangtong penin- sula on the morning of October 8th. — Herewith we give an extract from the Bulletin of Zi-ka-wei Observatory relative to this passage. 132 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. Zi-ka-wei Observatory. Date Hours Barom. Therm. Wind Nebulosity 1 Rain Remaiks in O miles Oct. 5th 4 a.m. 30.192 64.4 ESE 5.5 10 .252 75.4 E 12.7 K 6C E 4 P. M .l.-iS 74.5 E 11.8 Ks W 4 10 .177 66.4 E 3.1 Ac 1 „ 6th 4 A. 11. .125 64.4 E 2.5 10 .150 75.6 E 79 60 4 p. jr. .053 7.'").2 E 9.3 5C 10 .108 66.9 ESE 1.9 „ 7th 4 A. M. .032 65.1 E 2.3 K W 4 10 .045 76.6 SE 9.3 AcSW 9 4 P. M. 29.908 75.4 S 7.9 Ac 10 10 .891 72.5 S 7.1 10 In 9 p.m. vain commence 1 . „ 8th 4 A. M. .862 65.5 W 10.6 10 Ni 0.410 Ho.ivy ruin from 2 to 3 a.m. 10 .941 67.3 WNW 15.8 10 Ni WNW 0.012 4 p. j[. .927 67.5 NW 11.8 10 Ni 10 .982 65.3 WNW 6.1 10 „ 9th 4 A. M. .987 62.6 NW 7.1 Ac W 10 10 30.062 68.2 NW 4.8 Ac W 8 4 p. M. 29.993 72.3 E 3.5 Ac W 7 10 30.043 63.7 SSE 3.5 , Ks W 10 This first whirlwind, after thus coming to sea again, moved away westward and passed over Japan on October 9th. We shall follow it thither after giving a short account of the second whirlwind, which passed all over Tongking, carrying ruin and death on its passage. V\'e have no means to follow it closely through central China which it crossed farther west : it also must have risen farther north than its companion : in fact it is in the northern provinces that we shall be able to trace it again with the help of the observations of Ghang-kia-chwang and of Tientsin in Chili, of Newchwang north of the Gulph of Lao-tong, of Gliefoo and of cape Shangtong light-house. All over that region, as also lower down on the banks of the Yang-tse-kiang, the barometer stood at its maximum, which in the north also was the maximum of the month (at Ghang-kia-chwang, 30™536). "We need not point out again how those high pressures were simultaneous with a comparatively low temperature (minimum 43°6 on the morning of tlie 6th), a low tension of atmospheric vapour (0':''206 on the 5th 4 p.m.) and of a low degree of moisture {i\''/o on the 5lh 10 a.m.). Such phenomena are of constant occurrence in these conditions and are now familiar to us. At Ghang-kia-chwang, on the 5th, the barometer took to sinking. Wind steady from NE. with rain, veered on the 8th to W., on the 9th to SW., which direction it retained yet on the 10th, but without ever in- creasing in force all that time. The barometric minimum ^ 29'" 909) was observed on the 9th about 4 p.m., after a gradual fall of 0'"627. Let us add that, up to the evening of the 7th, whilst the wind below blew from NE, the upper currents on the contrary were running from SW. to NE. On the 8th, sky completely unclouded; on the 9th and lOth, Girri from E. or NE. These facts, compared with the variation of the winds and of the barometer at Tientsin, at Newchwang and particularly at the two stations of Shantong where the winds, on the 10th and 11th, turned to SW., N. and EN. and were pretty strong, force upon us the conclusion that the Typhoon or rather the depression, having lost much of its violence in rising northward on the 9th and 1 0th, bent its way eastward to cross the Gulph of Pechili and get into the Yellow Sea on the 11th and 12th. At Zi-ka-wei, after the passage of the first whirlwind which made away towards Japan, the barometer rose slightly, but began to fall again on the 10th, and, in spite of the high pressures brought about at this latitude by the action of the "Hongkong" Typhoon then passing over Luzon, it had a minimum on the 12th. The wind, SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. 133 which naturally had come back to ESE,, on the 10th turned again to W. through S. and to NW., but did not get stronger, owing very liicely to the opposition of the Southern Typhoon and particularly to an area of low pressures extending westward into the interior, which at that moment was the real cause of the direction taken by the Typhoon to pass over Hongkong. That whirlwind continued descending and crossed the South of Gorea from NW. to SE.; in the course of the evening on October 12th, it passed between Nagasaki and Hiroshima to disappear in the Pacific somewhere to the South and South-east of Japan : all the time of this short run, it showed no violence, neither had the depression retained any depth. The first whirlwind on the contrary had held out well and its passage over Japan was well defined. We left it on the North of Shanghai, as, on the 8th about midnight, it was getting into the Yellow Sea by the old mouth of the Huang-ho. On that same day afternoon, it traversed Gorea from West to East between the parallels of 36° and 37° which direction it kept on to the meridian of 132! On the morning of the 9th, it bent northward, and in the afternoon crossed Niphon above Niigata; it then followed the eastern coast of the island a short way down and lastly made away into the Pacific, bearing SE. or E. This strange path, as stated above, is well set off in the observations of the Japanese stations, of which I subjoin a short abstract. Lowest reading of Barometer in AVinds Mean velocity iVaffasaK (Latit. 32° 44'— Longit. 129° 52') 29. 745 on the 8th abont 6 P. M.— ESE., S., SW., \V., onthe 8tli: 9.9niile3 HirosMma( „ 34. 20— „ 132. 27)29.590 „ 9th „ Midn. — NE., S., S\\'., NNW., „ 9th: 8.0 „ Kioto ( „ 35. 1— „ 135. 46)29.660 „ 9th „ 3 a.m.— NE., SE', SSW., NW., ,, 9th: 4.9 ,, Niigata ( „ 37. 55— „ 139. 3 29.550 „ 9th „ 3p.m.- SE.. SW., WSW., NW., „ 9-lOth: 13.2 „ Tokei ( „ 35. 40— „ 139. 45)29.662 „ 9th „ 6 p.m.— NNW., NNE., SSE., NW., „ 9th: 10.0 „ Velocity of translation. — This was very variable with the regions run over by the two whirlwinds. The movements of the first whirlwind, which kept its original energy longer and came nearer to Shanghai, were more rapid than those of the second one, as appears from the following figures : From Luzon to Tongking, mean velocity of the two whirlwinds : 9 miles an hour. Through China: for the 1st whirlwind, 15 miles; for the 2nd., 12 miles. On the Yellow Sea, Japan Sea and Japan : 1st whirlwind: 30 miles. — 2nd whirlwind: 13 miles. CASUALTIES Loss of the German Steamer QUINTA on the coast of Hainan. The Quinta anchored at Tinhosa Island on the 3rd October. On the 4th as she was nearing the rocks, the wind from ENE. and sea from SE. being very violent, and might be smashed, tried to weigh at 5 p.m., and got the starboard anchor up ; but without getting away, the anchor stock being pulled off. The port chain was carried away to the extent of 30 fathoms. Brought the vessel up against the wind, and steamed against it; but she would not answer her helm, and so was forced to keep off before the wind. The captain tried to make a low sandy beach which extended between the two islands, but the ship again refused her helm and drifted sideways in, and struck with the fore end on some rocks which were near the shore, the after part being on the sand. The engine went full speed astern trying to get her off, but the effort was futile. The vessel laid over on her starboard side, and everything on deck was broken or cast away. The ship made no water until the 5th October. As soon as daylight set in, the landing of the passengers was commenced. This was a work of great difficulty and danger, for the weather was still very bad and there was an exceedingly heavy surf to be got through. How- ever, after great exertions, everyone was got safely off the vessel to the shore, with the exception of two Chinese '■' ' SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER TONGKING TYPHOON. women and one child, wlio were drowned the last evening by the capsizing of one of the boats. Having got the passengers on shore, everything was done that was possible to arrange for their comfort, and to alleviate the hardships of their unfortunate position. Canvas, stores and materials were got on shore, and a camp was set up on the beach near the ship. Two of the crew were despatched overland to Hoihow. The natives, instead of ren- dering assistance, devoted their energies to the plunder of the steamer, and after all the cargo had been removed, tlie ship was burned and she was completely gutted, only the bare iron shell of the hull remaining. On the 10th Oclober, a lot of fishermen came ashore and some difficulty arose between them and the five soldiers sent by the Mandarin of Moonchow, who would not let them pass towards the place where the passengers' huts were erected. Half-a-dozen of the crew armed themselves and assisted the soldiers against some sixty or seventy of the would- be robbers, and succeeded in driving them away. A reinforcement of thirty-five soldiers was granted. No further trouble was experienced of this kind. The existence at this place was not of a pleasant kind, until on the 18th the Kang-Ghi was sighted. She took all on the island on to Hoihow, which port was reached on the following day at noon. The Paladin took them all on board and brought them on to Hongkong. In October 1880 three equally sad shipwrecks had taken place on that inhospitable island and two of the crews had met with most inhuman treatment. It was high time to put a stop to such barbarous doings. Tlie Government of Germany has made the Chinese to give compensation for the rifling and burning of the Quinta. The Blasters in Tongking. Haiphong — The Saigon Ere Nouvelle publishes an account, compiled from letters received from Hai- phong, of the Typhoon which visited the coast of Tongking on the 5th October. The storm is described as the most frightful which has visited the country within the memory of man, and as having brought ruin and desola- tion where immediately before all was smiling prosperity. Words would fail to give any adequate idea of the horror of the phenomenon at which the community had the misfortune to assist. From the morning of the 5th the sky was dull and lowering, and a fine rain fell, interrupted now and then by the fierce rays of the sun. At about half past 11 the tide commenced to rise and with it came the first symp- toms of a terrible atmospheric disturbance. The wind freshened considerably and was not long before it was blowing a tempest. Under its influence there was soon a heavy sea in the river, and the men-of-war Perceval and Surprise had to place themselves under steam. At 2 p.m. the squalls which succeeded each other seemed as though they would tear up tlie ground itself. Nothing seemed able to withstand the combined action of the wind, and of the river and sea, the mixed waters of which rose in immense waves and dashed against the banks, which they were not long in breaking through and washing away, when the flood rushed furiously over the plain, inundating in a few seconds plantations and meadows, and houses were threatened with ruin. In a word, a few minutes were sufficient for the elements to destroy the results of years of toil, and to transform into liquid plains what the night before had been flourishing gardens and rice fields. At 6 o'clock night fell, and with it came anxiety, despair, and preoccupations of all kinds, for far from abating, the storm increased in violence and seemed to reach the paroxysm of its fury. Everything which up to then had been able to resist the force of the wind was uprooted; the large trees were torn up, and nothing could be heard but the roaring of the storm and the cracking of trees. In the European houses there was over three feet of water. Men, women and children were there, crowded together with animals which had come to seek a last shelter, while all the furniture was floating about, smashing up and threatening wounds to the occupants of the apartments. Darkness reigned over all this SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON., 135 disorder and rendered more poignant he despair of the feeble witnesses of the cataclysm. At last 3 o'clock on the (jth. arrived, and at this time the storm, satisfied with its work, began to lull,^and the tide to recede. At half- past 5 darkness was succeeded by the break of day, and the European could then survey the extent of his loss. The damage is immense, and fortunes acquired slowly and with difficulty have been lost in a day. The loss of life was also considerable. The bodies of 227 Annamese have been already recovered at Haiphong alone, and no doubt more will be found. Of five pilots who were at the mouth of the river four managed to reach the shore, after leaving their boats, but the fifth Mr. Bertrand, disappeared. The number of junks known to have been lost up to the 8th was 61 and fears were entertained for two vessels which had left the port at 11 a.m. — (Daily Press J. Tallee. — There were 6 feet of water in the houses three and four miles distant of the sea shore. The current was so strong that it swept away the entire town, the number of persons drowned being estimated at over 3000. The paddy fields throughout the district have been completely ruined. A large number of boats which convey the rice from the interior of the country to Haiphong have been sunk, and others have had their cargoes damaged. It is reported that the value of the rice lost and damaged will amount to over 300 000 dollars. The Vicar Apostolic for western Tongking, a few days after the disaster, sent to Paris the following tele- gram : "frightful Typhoon. - 200 churches, 34 parsonages and college destroyed. - 2 000 houses of christians blown down. - 60 000 christians ruined. -Enormous loss, great suffering. Mgr. Puginier begs for relief". We subjoin some extracts from letters of French catholic Missionaries in Tongking which appeared in the "Missions Catholiques" ; we trust they will not by found devoid of interest. Mgr Puginier, Vicaire apostolique du Tonquin occidental ecrivait : — * ' Le 4 Octobre, nous faisions la coupe d'un bois pour I'usage de la cuisine ; nous avions gravi la montagne avec les travailleurs. Cependant le oiel etait oouveit, un assez fort vent de NW. soufflait depuis le njatin et par intervalles tombaient quelques gouttes de pluie, Dans le courant du mois de September, nous aurionsregarde ce temps comme un signe de typbon : mais la mousson de NE. etant 6tablie et la saison des temp6tes ^ peu pres passee, aucun de nous ne songeait il ce qui allait arriver. Le soir, avant de prendre notre repas, nous voulions jouir de I'agrement de la nuit et du silence de la solitude. "Vers les 11 beures, le vent soufBant toujours du NE., devint subitement tres-fort et se declara par rafales, accompagnees d'une pluie fine semblable a un epais brouiUard. TTn changement instantane venait evidemment de se produire dans le ciel, et je previns mes deux mis- sionuaires que nous aJlions avoir un typhon. — La nuit fut tres-agitee, ainsi que la matinee du 5 ; U n'y avait plus a en douter, la tempete avait commence. Vers les 2 heures de I'apres-midi, le vent devint plus terrible et les rafales plus fortes et plus frequentes. A 5 heures elles redoublerent encore, et a partir de ce moment, le typhon etait dejj, tres-violent, Mais c'est surtout de 7 a 9 heures que le vent de NW. atteignit sa plus grande intensity. C'etait horrible et on croyait entendre le bruit continuel du tonnerre; cependant il n'y avait ni foudre ni eclairs. Tout le monde etait dans nne auxiete indicible ; a ohaque instant, on etait menace d'etre Scrase par la chute des mai- Eons dont le craquement continuel faisait frissonner. Dans cette periode le mal avait dejk ete considerable et un grand nonbre d'habita- tions avaient ^te renversees. A 9 heures du soir, nous etimes un instant jde oalme relatif et nous esperions que la tempete allait finir. Mais, apres quelques minutes, le vent d'W. se dechaina subitement encore plus terrible que le precedent. Les maisons deja ebranlees s'ecroulaient les unes apr^s les autres et les debris etaient emport^s a une trfe-grande distance. Des arbres seculiiires qui, jusque-la, avaient affronts toutes les tempfites, etaient d^raciues ou rompus par le milieu du tronc. — Une chose contribuait a reudre le typhon plus redoutable et augmentait les desastres : o'est I'inondation qui couvrait une grande partie du pays : sa hauteur variait de 3 fe 4 metres selon la profondeur des champs. En certains endroits, les eaux u'etant pas arrStees par des digues, furent refoulees par le vent d'W. et, en moins d'une heure, atteignirent une hauteur de 2 ou 3 Mfetres. Malheur aux vUlages qui par leur position fonnaient un obstacle k leur passage, il etaient submergees et les habitations etaient sapees par les flots. Tout etait renverse et emporte ; des maisons solidement baties et renforcSes k I'int^rieur par de nombreuses et grosses colonues en bois de fer n'ont pu resistor a la force des vagues efdu vent ; on a vu disparaltre mtoe des socles de colonnes en pierre que quatre heures auraient eu de la peine k porter. Des chretient^s, situSes dans cette zone particulik'ement maltraitee, ont 6te abim^es ; une de 70 neophytes en a perdu 45 ; une autre de 48 a eu 28 morts et une troisieme de 20 nouveaux n'en compte plus que 12. Les viUages paiens ont Hi au moins aussi iprouves ; un, entre autres, d'environ 280 habitants a 150 victimes.... Apres 2 ou 3 jours, la plaine inondee pr^sentait un aspect horrible ; les oadavres des noy^s avaient sumage et on les voyait par centaines. Les fleuves de leur cote en oharriaient continuellement ; car toutes les barques qui n'avaient pas eu le temps de se refugier dans les petits cours d'eau, ont &U submergees et les infortunes qui les habitaient ont iti noyia. C'est une desolation generale ; on ne se souvient pas d'avoir vu la pareille au Tonquin. Le nombre des victimes du typhon dans les deux provinces de H& noi et de Nam-dinh se compte par milli.rs. Les releves officiels, faits par les mandarins, sont deja trfes-considerables : mais ils sont encore bien au-dessous de la verite • la raison en est que les communes, oachant au gouvernement les quatre-cinquiemes au moins de leur population, n'ont dfl d6cla- 136 SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER — TONGKING TYPHOON. rer les morts qu'en proportion des contribuables. D'apres les renseiguement lelativement exacts que j'ai resne ile ilifEerentes parois^es, j'estime que dans ces deux provinces seulement, le nombre des maisons grandes ou petites, tant ohretiennes que paiennes, renversees, et des barques qui serv.iient d'babitations coulees, raonte k plusieurs centaines de mille. D'apres les comptes rendus de nos niissionnaires j'evaliie, an minimum, le chiffre des maisons cbretiennea abattues k 14000. En Europe, on se ferait diffloilement une idee du denfiment qui regne en ce moment dans les families de la classe paiivre des provinces ravagSes par le typhon, et c'est presque toute la population. La mission, de son c6te, a eu sa bonne part de maUieura ; en r,;siime : 10 maisons abattues et des pertes considerables au clief-lieu de la mission ; 26 cures ou annexes, plus de 200 eglises ou chapeUea, au moins 14000 maisons de Chretiens et un college renverses," Mr. Cosserat, Provioaire de la Mission et Superieur du College de Hoang-ngouiene eorit ; " Dans la soiree du 5 Ootobre, un affreux typhon a'est abattu sur nous, et en quelques heures le oher college de Hoang-ngoui^ne n'a plus ete qu'une ruine ! Plus des deux tiers des maisons ont ete renversees. La force du vent etait 6pouvantable ! La chapelle, aveo ses six rangees de colonnes de bon hois avait une force de resistance ^norme k cause de son poids ; cette force etait encore doublee par un plancher qui, a un pied au-dessus du sol, reliait toutes les colonnes les unes avec les autres. Le vent du Nord, la prenant en flanc, I'apoussie tout d'une pUce A 40 centimetres de la place puis le vent d'Ouest, la prenant ensuite debout, lui a enlevi et fraoass^ six metres de toiture et en mSme temps a fait incline^' les flO colonnes de Vidificel La classe de rhetoriqiie a ete enlevee de sa place et poussee k 2 metres de distance avant d'etre dialoquee et de tomber. II y a, en comptant tout depuis les plus modestes cases jusqu'aux cases les plus solides qui servaient de classes, 241 travees de renversees dans notre seul college, ce qui ferait si elles eussent ete reunies entr'elles, un prolongement de 482 metres de longueur ! Au milieu de notre malheur nous devons rendre gr9,ce a Dieu de ce que les 200 personnes du college ont pu passer saines et sauves au travers de cette avalanche de maisons qui s'eoroulaient de toutes parts. Les villages situes dans les terrains bas et inondees ont ^te bien autrcment eprouv^s; quelques- uns, dit-on, ont disparu completement ; le vent et les flots conjures ont entraine maisons et habitants. Partout le nombre des maisons abattues est incalculable. En plusieurs endroits des gens refugies dans les pagodes ont ete ecrases par cinquantaines et jdIus a la fois. Le typhon si tristement ceUbre de 1867 n'etait rien compare a celui-ci !" " HONGKONG " TYPHO ON Fifteenth Typhoon: 11th - 18th October 1881. TRACK ; October, llth Midn. Noon „ 12th Midn. Noon „ 13th Midn. Noon China Sea 14th Midn. Noon 15th Midn, Noon „ 16th Midn. Noon „ 17th Midn. Noon „ 18th Midn. Noon Latitude Longitude Luzon China Corea Japan 17° 30' 123° 0' 18, 122. 18. 30 120. 40 19. 118. 15 20. 20 116. 30 22. 114. 45 24. 45 113. 30 27. 114. 30 29. 116. 31. 30 118. 20 34, 122. .S6. 20 127. 37. 30 139. 30 Pacific EVENTS ■ Immense disaster in the native otaft at Macao and Hongkong. Wreck of the E. and A. S, N, 0, steamer Briabane at Fish Reef on the 10th October. Wreck of the British ship GeraZdine Paget on the Pratas Shoal on the 14th October, Atmospheric conditions on China before the Typhoon. The following diagram will, I think, give a correct idea of the atmospheric perturbation brought about in China by the passage, simultaneously but a great distance apart, of the two whirlwinds which made up the famous "Tongking" Typhoon. Zi-ka-wei Observatory Mean variation of the Barometer and Thermometer in October 1881. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 SO 31 30.3- 138 OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. The two whirlwinds, which we have followed up as far as we could, must themselves, in their progress through China, have become subdivided into secondary whirlwinds of less importance; Southern China offers several large mountain masses and extensive chains which must undoubtedly have acted like the mountains of Formosa and Luzon. In fact, there was at least one more whirlwind : less violent yet than the flrst two on their passage over our district, it appeared in its turn near Shanghai, following in their wake in the direction of Japan. On the 14th about 6 a.m. it passed over Zi-ka-wei, swift in its run, but devoid of energy; in the afternoon it alighted on Japan somewhat above Nagasaki, and on the 15th 11 a.m. passed on the north of Tokci. Notwithstanding this succession of three whirlwinds one after the other, the pressure was slow to regain its level on China; the temperature still was pretty high, above the mean for the month. The "Tongking" Ty- phoon must not only have become subdivided; it also must have spread partially over China and tended to keep down the pressure. But there is nothing better to show how con.siderahle the perturbation was at this time than the break in the regularity of the NE. Monsoon, which yet at the end of September seemed so well established all along the coast, particularly at the altitude of the light-houses. The North-easterly wind was light, unsteady and sometimes replaced by Westerly wind. There is therefore nothing wonderful if, after the "Ash" Typlioon (September 25th-27th), one of the most violent of the season, had been repjlled far from the Chinese coast by the polar current which had settled there so early as the 19th, we see another whirlwind of ecpial importance make its way towards the coast of China and have no difficulty to break ove:' the continent. The obstacle had been removed for the time by the veiy cause which had attracted this Typhoon from the Pacific to that quarter. Telegram from Manila to Hongkong. Manila 12th October 1881, 9.20 a.m. — "Another typhoon is coming from the East of Luzon; its direc- tion seems to be NW.byW." A second telegram dated Manila 12th Oc'.ober, 11.20 am, says : — "The Ty|)hoon is now raging in the provinces north of Luzon; it seems to inchne a little more to the N. than in the beginning." The Typhoon bore West-north-west and came to pass over Hongkong: tiie telegram was therefore of the greatest moment for the English settlement. The Typhoon on Luzon. The China Kail has some interesting notes on the Typhoon that visited .Manila, translated from the Ma- nila papers. "The official report from the Jesuit Father in charge of the observatory sets forth that the typhoon which visited the islands on the 12th October was nearly of the same force as that which occurred on the I9lh August last, with this difference that this time the radius was much smaller. The greatest force of the wind was marked by the anemometers between 11 and 121i in the night; there were gusts of 32 meters per second, or 70, 'i English miles per hour, but this was only for a short time; the mean velocity of the wind in the strongest period of the storm did not exceed 23 meters per second. The typhoon would have been blowing with stronger force in the northern provinces. The wind shifted from N. to S. by W. from the provinces of Isabel downward; and as in this direction the winds ran low, it is doubtless that these districts will suffer the most. The direction of the typhoon, before it entered the islands, appears to have been to the WNW., but shortly was twisted towards the N. by the indentation of the coast. The lowest reading of the barometer was 29'."619, and it stood in that state OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. 139 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the 12th, when it began to rise; a like fact was observed in the typhoon in August, and, in our opinion, this is owing to the obstacle offered to the run of the typhoon by the high mountains in the interior of Luzon. The quantity of rain fallen was 1^"587." From the foregoing indications we can infer that the track crossed Luzon between 17" and 18° latit. There may have been some slackening in the progress of the Typhoon over the island, perhaps also some momentary deformation or flattening of its lowe^ part against the eastern sida of the mountain, or even a splitting of the whirlwind, which circumstances would go to account for the great duration of the barometric minimum at Ma- nila and the violence of the storm notwithstanding the great distance of the main Centre; but all this was no more than a mon)entary and local action and does not seem have impaired tlie simplicity and unity of the whirl- wind, which reached the coast of China in the course of the 14tli. Even on the Southern coast of Formosa, at Takow and Taiwan-foo, nothing can be detected in the observations, impl\ing a splitting or a considerable defor- mation. Where the Typhoon was coining from when it reached Luzon, it is hard to say for want of any detailed observations in the island. A phrase in the Hongkong Daily press, which might liave cleared up this question, makes it on the contrary but more obscure; it is as follows: "From the report of the German ship Regulus, from Cardiff, which arrived here on the 17th (October), we find that she was caught in a Typhoon on the coast of Luzon on the 10th. No damage, however, seems to have been sustained by her, at least none has been repo^ ted." According to this, so early as the 10th, the Typhoon would have been raging on the coast of Luzon (probably the eastern coast), which would imply its having originated in that quarter at this very time. There may per- haps have been a misprint : the 10th for the 12th, yet I am rather inclined to admit the formation of a Typhoon in that region at the moment when low pressures obtained over central China and naturally occasioned high pressures at sea. Pratas Eeef. — Wreck of the British ship Geraldine Paget (Captain Wilkinson). She left Hongkong for Portland (Oregon) on the 28th September and met with light Easterly head- wind until the afternoon of the 12th October, when a heavy sea from E. set in and a strong wind commenced at the N. and gradually worked round to the E. At noon on the 13th it commenced to blow a perfect hurricane. By 4.30 p.m. all the sails beeing lost, had to bear the ship under bare poles, weather continuing the same with very heavy rain squalls, the wind blowing the vessel on her beam-ends, making her ship large volumes of water over her lee rails. On the 14th at 1.40 a.m. saw breakers on the lee. The niglit was as black as anything could be, and at 2 a.m. the ship struck on the eastern side of the Pratas shoal. Seeing the condition of the ship was hopeless, at daybreak the captain and crew took to the boats, and in doing so an able seaman named Richard Dyer was drowned. They pulled towards a fishing junk, which brought them to Hongkong. The unfortunate men lost everything except what they stood in. — (Daily press.) (1). Since the wind which threw the Geraldine Paget upon Pratas Reef was E. (hurricane force), the Centre of the Typhoon must have left the Reef to the North of its track : it must have passed it within a short distance on the 14th October about midnight. The distance between the point where the Typhoon left Luzon and Pratas Reef may be set at 260 miles : it was run over in about 24 hours, or at an average speed of 10 to 11 miles. (1) The Geraldine Payet was wrecked about a mile and a half to the Southwiird of where the Bolton Ahbey lies. It will be remem- bered that this latter ship had lost her masts in the "Pescadores and Chusau" Typhoon on August 22nd, 300 miles East of Luzon. She sailed 900 miles under jiiry masts and, after stmggling against several Typhoons, came to be lost on the eastern side of Pratas Eeef, on September 30th 1881. 1 10 OCTOBER HONGKONG TYPHOON. Steamer Oaklands. — She was en route from Tui-wan-foo to Hongltong when on the 1 'ith October, at G a.m. the barometer had fallen to 28'"50 and at that time the wind was blowing with terrific force from the EXE.; at 10 a.m. tiiewind fell nearly calm, leaving, however, a confused sea. At noon the breeze freshened, and liio wind struck the ship direct from the Wd. The gale went on to rage with renewed violence and at two o'cloclc the barometer was down to 28'"30. After this it became evident that the Centre of the storm had passed over the locality of the vessel, which by this time had some booms and sails blown away and the compradore's house knocked to pieces. At 6 p.m. the storm had begun gradually to subside, but there was still a mountainous sea, and the ship, which was "flying light" rolled rails under water. A large number of Chinese junks were passed all dismasted and otherwise damaged by the heavy weather. It is to be regretted tliat there be no indication of the position of the ship between 10 a.m. and noon, when she stood rigiit in the Centre of the Typhoon; nor does the barometric minimum 28'"30, observed shortly after noon, seem to be quite to be depended upon. H. M. S. Magpie and P. and 0. SS. Rosetta. The only truly complete document I have received relative to this period of the progress of the Typhoon, is the report of lieutenant Belam R.N. of H.M.S. Magpie which sailed from Hoihow to Hongkong and on October 1 Uh lay off the Ladrones Islands, 35 to 40 miles South of Hongkong. It is singular that the storm should have been so late to break out on that coast, which extends below Macao as far as Hainan; the distance of the Centre to the Magpie was not more than 140 or at most 150 miles on the morning of October 14Lh, when the wind, hitherto so variable, settled at last between N. anb NNW. with force 6. As for what took place to the North of the track, we fortunately find it in the report of Captain R. Bonlm of the P. and 0. SS. Rosetta. On the 14th about midnight, the Magpie and the Rosetta were pretty much at the same distance of the Centre of the Typhoon, and both ships' barometers stood about the same height; but the storm had set in only with the ship that lay farther North. The Centre passed much nearer the Magpie (barom. minim. : 29'.°145) than the Rosetta (barom. minim. : 29'°410), but the storm would not seem to have been worse for the former ship, whence we may infer the Typhoon to have been generally more violent in the Northern than in the Southern half-circle. At the moment of the barometric minimum, observed almost simultaneously on board the Magpie and the Rosetta, the wind was NVV. with the former and SE. with the latter. Since the direction of the Centre was to N\V. tlie diametrically opposite winds experienced by the two ships were circular or perpendicular to radii of the whirlwind. The diluvial rain at both places must be noted; as for lightning, it only appeared ahead of the Centre, not behind it. OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. 141 ^ ex, o s es S S o O CD Hi [>. ( ce o >^ o S • .3 i fill Si 1 & I 1 a to 3 1 -^ 1 "3 - 1 a CD bb Is 1 i 1 a 1 'ot ^ 1 'S rf red' c5 Qi -- 1 f^ i-S| fe *" fe s S f^ U § 1 ' s a, CD t> & 1 _a "3 1 1 n a 1 w a ^_:" -a S so- E^-a^ a . ■ ^ 1 S 1 <:ocCiOTt^ CO |«....«..^«ggg«-«||| 1 Z 'A z ^ I—" tf^ ^ „ „ ^ „ ^ ^ „ ce ¥ - a[> IK 02 CO 0(n ►4 ^ S g 2 1 s % g dfi fi^ p'^-ii4i4 > p- dS d S, jog'd = - " '„S _^ O' : ::0' d'aPn'SS MM m M ffiKpq d "do c ddddd W ., . w OJ - * CO M W a- =^o S oo " - : 2 s g ^ -(3 is = : = =o 'S C'CiHi-IO-^'SirHOiNO^-'^COCOt-OO o o O o OOOOOOi c! I-H rH i-t i-( rH T^ rH I-H iH I-H T— 1 _o fe- S cn en M 2 >> gO CTQ O O i:r> CN O iiC O O CO O Oa CO Oi i-H CO o o O o OCT^ irt r-joq CD o ^ I> r^ CO ifi -^ r^ lO l>l>i-.i>l>i:-j>i>i>-r^i>i- [>I>I>00 t^ r- h- E-- J> t- CT; b- 1- 1- I> CO OOOOOOOCOCOlCOQOCOt-OOOCOiO 00 CO O CO 1J3 00 O O O O ea 0000000000001>-aOCOOOOOOOQOQOQOQOOO d J> od 9? 2? t S° E- 99 S5 00 D- r* r* I?- r* I>- 1- 1- 1> COiO^QOOOOi-HtH ■=■ „ „ (N (MCd CM . rHi-H i-i « « n V ^"oa^rt "Z 1 =1. CO 02 M HS ;z la 2 !? ^ g ■^oot^t^co*#OiasiCTHi:oOOTi-'i>(:D'y3CiCOcooOTt(mioC300coooC!qi>cqco':qiOio-^-'d^NOTi-H 1-1 IX^ «5 CO 00 00 CO "oi ' ' ' PQ (M " OJ-g r-l c. a| " a 1^ - 1 S" g a (5 3~^ 1^ Is Is 1" o co' rH rH 1 1 §- o ^ 5 ^ 'i. a a . a a .a g . a a • P3 . <} o Ph 4 ■^ o (li Ti < §ri -g^- ggri 50 00 g Tl< 00 jS 1* o OOjI'SX a -«(00~^t»g-a'<»|5-*<»gJ TO 142 OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. P. & 0. S.S. Rosetta: Commander R. Barlow from Shanghai to Hongkong. Date Houre Course Kn. Barom, Wind Position Latit. Longit. Kemarks Q Oct. 14th 1 A. M. 2 3 4 S60W 13 5 S80W 6 7 8 S79 E 9 9 10 S73 E 5 11 Noon S55 E 1 p. sr. S35 E 4 2 3 4 5 S25 E 6 7 5 8 9 S16 E 10 11 7 Midn. West 6 29. ■.687 .617 .611 .572 .565 .568 ..■-35 .508 .505 .457 .417 .420 .410 .413 .413 .+33 .460 .510 .540 .611 .708 .708 NE liy E ENE-NE ENE I 23. 6' 117.25' 9 EbyN-ENE 10 EbyN— E 10-11 EbyS— ESE 11 SE by E 11 SE 11 SEby S SSE SSB SbyE S S 10 9 8 7-8 22.29' 116.14' In all sail and furled awnings — closed ports — dull gloomy weather, with frequent rain squalls. Battened down hatchways and secured everything for bad weather — Increasing wind and sea. 4 a.m. — strong gale — rain at times — a very high sea from SE., ship rolling heavily. 7 — Hard gale — frequent riin squalls, dull gloomy weather. 7.45 — Eased engines to half speed and rounded to with head E by S. to get an offing and avoid Centre of typhoon bearing R by W. 9 — Frequent furious gusts of wind and rain with very heavy sea — engines racing badly. 11 — Tremendous sea from SE. and E. — 11 .30; shipped a very heavy sea damaging the deck. Noon — Hard gale with furious gusts of almost hurricane force and much rain — ship taking large quantities of water on board. I p.m. — Hard gale with furious squalls of long duration with torrents of rain — ship barely having steerage way at tim, s fall- 3 — The same weather. [ing off 4 points in the gusts. 4 — Strong gale with hard squalls at times, ship labouring hea- 6 — The same weather. [vily and taking water ovnr. 8 — Decreasing f.ale and sea with frequent hard gusts of wind 8.45 — Full speed — 9.20 : slow, [and heavy rain. II — Frequent hard squalls of wind and rain with lightning 11 — Weather clearing — turned ship's head to W. Midn. — Overcast weather — strong winds and squally. The storm does not seem to have extended very far North : it hardly raged beyond the Strait of Formosa ; at Tamsui, in the Northern part of that island, it was yet violent enough (SE. 6), but at Foochow it had come almost to nothing (N. 3). Within the Strait itself, according to the report of the captain of the P. and 0. Steamer Sunda, bound for Hongkong, "after passing cape Turnabout (latit. 25° 30 ), nothing but bad weather was expe- rienced until Hongkong was reached. A very heavy gale blew continuously from SE. and the sea was excessively rough." According to these data, the Typhoon properly said, on the way from Luzon to Hongkong had towards the North a radius of 350 or 360 miles. At Hongkong, on the very track, the storm only set in about 8 or 9 a.m. (NNE. 5-7) with the Centre no more than 130 or 1 iO miles off. The small size of the Typhoon may perhaps be accounted for by the lateness of the season. The Monsoon, interrupted by the atmospheric depression above mentioned, already tended to take i!s regular cour.se again, and the Typhoon, whose direction was different, must have been cramped and as compressed in that great current. It yet pursued its course, propi'Ued hy the powerful action which iiad called it up, but, as we are going to see, did not get far inland. Macao and Hongkong The Centre of the Typhoon passed very near Hongkong and if the wind was not so very strong there, it must have been owing to the peculiar situaiion at the foot of a mountain (1825 feet) in a group of islands. The harbour is not open to any but westerly winds, which yet must naturally lose some of their violence in passing over numerous islets, so that altogether it may be deemed one of the safest in the world. Eastward of the har- bour, the peninsula of Kowloon forms an inner harbour which is nearly landlocked, and which affords protection to vessels in all weathers, but the situation is not a convenient one. On the approach of a Typhoon the native crafts almost invariably seek shelter over towards the northern side of the harbour. The situation of Macao with full exposure to the S^V. monsoon, renders it a more agreable and salubrious OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. ] 43 residence during the hot season than Hongkong, hut not a safer harbour. Macao, a Portuguese setllement in Chi- na, stands on a small peninsula projecting from the south-cast end of Hiang-shan ^island. The peninsula is nearly 2 milrs long, less than a mile wide at its broadest p.irt, and is connected with the island" by a low, narrow, sandy isthmus, across which extends a harrier wall to exclude foreigners from the interior of the islan.l. The town is- built on the declivities round the harbour 200 to 300 feet in height, the shore beneath being embanked, so as to form a marine parade, backed by a terrace of white houses. ( 1 ) I subjoin some detailed accounts of the storm, from the Hongkong papers. Hongkong — A telegram was received, from Manila on Wednesday morning ( 12th) advising a typhoon travelling NWi W., and a subsequent telegram siid, it seemed to be inclining a little more to the North. Xo apprehension of danger was entertained in Hongkong in consequence of this, as it was expected the storm would clear this place and be heard of from the North. On Thursday afiernoon, however, the cxireme sultriness indicated bad weaiherin the neighbourhood, and during the night the barometer fell rapidly. Early yesterday morning I iih the wind was chopping about between NW. and NE., and sometimes the clouds were observed to be moving in a direction different from the lower current of air. At eight o'clok the typhoon gun was fired, and the vessels in harbour prepared for bad weather, as did also the Dock Company's pjop!e. The Chinese, however, did not seem to apprehend a heavy storm and many of them kept tlieir craft in their usual place off the Praya. One of the earliest accidents was to the Hongkong Dispensary launch. As she was coming in, opposite the office of the Mes- sageries Maritimes Company, she was swamped, apparently through the men not keeping tier head to a large wave that came up, and she sank in three fathoms of water. The three men on board saved themselves by swim- ming to a lighter which was near by. The wind blew in gusts all the morning and the glass continued to fall rapidly, and it was feared that we were about to be visited by a genuine typhoon. These fears were heightened when shortly after noon the wind rapidly increased in violence, and it was about this time that the principal damage was done. A report has been sent in to the Harbour Master by Mr. A. P. Sampson, detailing the damage done by the gale. It shows that the estimates formed of the destruction to property were in no way over-estimated. A large number of junks and cargo-boats were sunk at the different piers all along the Praya. But the most damage had been done at Yau-mah-ti, where an immense number of cargo-boats, junks and sam|)ans, were lying on the rocks there. One or two junks had sunk out in the harbour, and the masts were standing above the water. The beach at Yau-mah-ti is literally covered with wreckage. The whole strength of the gale, which is admitted to have been the strongest experienced here for many years, was felt in that locality, and it is feared that in addition to the damage done to the native craft, a great many lives have been lost. The police under Inspectors Cradock and Cameron rendered most elTicient service in rescuing the people from the junks, cargo-boats and sampans, which were driven ashore, and suceeded in saving about 200 men, women and children from watery graves. An inquest was opened at the Government Civil Hospital on the 17th on the bodies of eleven Chinese drowned in the late gale. Dr. Marques gave evidence that all (he deceased appeared to have met their deaths by drowning. Macao — The gale has, it seems, done quite as much damage afloat as a "small typhoon." Over 50 junks of all sizes have been completely wrecked, and quite as many damaged, which is not to be wondered at. (1) China Sea Diiectory — Vol. III. 1 4 i OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. seeing the crowded state of our harbour on the approach of bad weather. Up to the hour I pen this, my informant gives the following account of junks lost: — 1 large junk; 11 timber and firewood junks; 16 open cargo boats; 14 salt junks of all sizes; 5 Tanca boats; 3 water boats; 5 passage boats. We have no Humane Society here, but the Water Police under our energetic Harbour Master, Mr. Ginatti, did very good service and rescued many crews from wrecked junks. Canton — 1 write a few lines this morning which I will endeavour to get on board the steamer to inform you of the terrible destruction to property and the great loss of life which has occurred on the Canton River during tlie late gale. The loss of life did not all take place on the river, but was caused in many places, espe- cially in the suburbs and in the country around, by floods and inundations, reports coming in all day yesterday from all quarters of the great damage done, attended in most cases by considerable loss of life. These floods have been, in addition to the ordinary cause of a high state of the river, very much aggravated by the banks in many places breaking and letting in millions of tons of water, which has, in places, played sad havoc with the rice crop, which is just now heavy in the head and more liable to damage than at any other time. The water has been three feet deep in many of the streets of Canton and Honam, and the lower floors of hundreds of houses have consequently been for many hours under water. The hulk of the Klnshan arrived here last night in tow of a Hongkong tug, and I hear that a steam launch was seen yesterday near Ghuenpee cruising about the river picking up dead bodies. The launch had two boats in tow for the reception of the drifting dead, and the charac- ters on the flags which were flying indicated that the work was being done by the Tung Wah Hospital, which is certainly a very thoughtful and creditable action on the part of the committee of that institution. Macao harbour Mr. D. CINATTI. Hongkong harbour Capt. F. W. SCHULZE of S.S. "Keelung" Date Hours Barom. Wind Eain October 1881 Barom. Wind Rain In 29.715 SW-NW 1 13th 4 p. M. in 29.721 NE 1 .700 NNB 2 10 .747 NE 3 )' 14th Midnight .713 NB 2-3 .604 N 5 4 A. M. .620 NBby N 3-5 Ellin ,, In 8 .559 NB by N 5-6 .558 N-NNW 5- 7 0.18 9 .535 NNK 5-7 .510 N-NNW 7- 8 10 .519 NNB 5-7 Rain .444 N-NNW 8- 9 11 .333 NNE 5-7 id .370 N-NNW 8-10 Noon .278 NNE 6-7 id .307 NNW-NW 9-11 0.02 1 p. M. .177 Nby B 5-7 id .236 NNW-NW 10-11 0.01 2 .098 NEby N 7-9 id .175 NNW-NW 11-12 0.02 3 .038 N by E 7-9 id ,i3:> NW 11-12 0.12 4 28.962 NE hy E 6-9 id .120 NW 11-12 0.09 5 .938 ENB 3-7 id J 5.30 .938 E 3-5 id jj 5.45 .958 EbyS 3-5 .151 NW-WNW 10-11 12 6 6.30 29.001 NB by E E 3 light .193 WNW 9-10 0.13 7 .056 SE-S 1-0 jj 7.30 .121 S-SSW 1-3 Rain .253 WNW 9-10 0.24 8 .175 SSW 7 id .338 W-WSW 8-10 0.23 9 .307 ssw 7-9 id .393 WSW 8-10 0.40 10 .421 SSW 7-9 id .467 SW 8-11 0.08 11 .513 SW 7-9 id .531 SW 6-7 0.10 15th Midnight .573 SW 7-9 id .574 SW 4 0.16 1 A. M. .637 SW by W 5-7 id .611 SW 3 0.05 2 .647 SW by W 5-6 id .631 SW 3 0.06 3 .767 SWby W 3-5 id .662 SW 3 0.02 4 .767 SW by W 3-5 id .690 SW 2 0.17 5 .773 SW by W 2-5 id .737 SW 1 6 .777 SSW 3 id 7 .822 SSW 2 id 8 .889 SSW 1 id Rain fall ; 2.20 Kain fall i 5.17 at Stone Cutters' Island. I 3.40 at Tiotoria Peak. OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. 1 45 The Typhoon on China. At Macao and Hongkong, the wind, after the passage of the Centre, settled at SW. and gradually abated whilst the barometer rose again : the Typhoon therefore must have bent its course from NW. to N. or even to NE. During this new period the Typhoon seems partly to have spread over the region along the coast North of Hongkong, for in the observations of the light-houses we see the barometer, after rising slightly on the evne- ingof the 14th and the morning of the 15th, fall somewhat again and then keep its level till the evening of the 16th. At Zi-ka-wei on the contrary, the barometer, after being almost stationary till the 14th noon, rose rather suddenly, to fall again on the 15th 10 a.m., slowly at first, but on the 16th 8 a.m. more rapidly, down to a minimumof 29'"882at 3 p.m. The wind, first from NE., was from E. (10. 6 miles) at 10 a.m.,ESE. ^8.6miles) at noon, SSE. (0.6 miles) at 5 p.m., W. (3.0 miles) between 7 and 8 p.m. and NNW. (7.9 miles) about 10 p.m., thus indicating the passage West and afterwards North of Zi-ka-wei of a whirlwind, which was nothing else than our Typhoon, but considerably mitigated. The rapidity in the fall of the barometer and the evolution of the wind gives to think that the Centre must have passed within a short distance. For all along the Yang-tze-kiang, at Hankow, at Wuhu and at Chinkiang the wind was about N., varying between NE. and NVV., thus showing the Centre to have been to the East of those stations. The Typhoon then, after leaving Hongkong, followed a track already gone over by several of its forerun- ners, but like them it lost much of its violence in going over an uneven though not very mountainous country, and passed close to us harmless and almost unheeded. But it was taking to the sea again and soon showed, as we shall see, that its energy was not all spent. Let us state at once that on October 17th about midnight, a small secondary whirlwind which had followed closely upon the Typhoon, made rapidly towards the sea somewhat South of Zi-ka-wei, most likely through Hangchoo Bay : it is pretty clearly indicated in the observations of the light-houses at the mouth of the Yang- tze-kiang and also at Zi-ka-wei by the wind returning to Ni\E. for a short while in the middle of the night of the 16th- 17th. This is, I think, sufficient evidence of the passage of the Typhoon over our region, and it is unnecessary to give the detail of observations made elsewhere. But we must not leave unnoticed this curious effect on the violence of a powerful whirlwind of a comparatively short run over the continent, which we found before in the case of several other whirlwinds : the natural inference is that an indispensable condition for the existence and energy of a whirlwind consists in the absorption and condensation of enormous volumes of vapour, which condi- tion cannot be fulfilled except on tiie sea or at least very near the coast. The Typhoon on the sea and in Japan. Though our Typhoon, in its passage near Shanghai, may have been ever so mild, it yet exhibited some little energy on the coast, for at the light-housps at the mouth of the Yang-tze-kiang, the force of the wind varied between 4 and 8. The following particulars also prove that it soon returned to something like its pristine fury. "The British barque Charley, Capt Andrew Ray, left Shanghai on the 9th October. Passed North Saddle (latit. 30° 50'-longit. 122? 40') 16th at noon. Wind SE. moderate, with dark heavy sky to the Northward. 146 OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. About 2 p.m., wind backed to the NW., with heavy squalls and thence to W., then NW., N., NE. with strong gale. — 17th, wind NNW., still blowing hard." "The British brigantine Lucij left Newchwang on October 11th; had light and moderate breezes from N.XE. with mostlly fine and clear weather until noon of the 16th when the wind gradually hauled round to the E. with strong puffs and heavy rain : North Saddle bearing SVVY4W. 17 miles. At 4p.m., strong breezes from S. with heavy cross seas. — Midnight 17th, it blew a gale from the S. to the W. with cross seas." It was towards the Sea of Japan again that tlie whirlwind bent its way after leaving the Chinese coast North of Shanghai on the evening of the 16lh. On the 17th noon, it crossed the southern part of Gorea and entered the Sea of Japan, bearing Eastward. About 8h p.m. , it touched the coast of Niphon somewhat to the South of Niigata (latit. 37° 55 -long. 139! 3'.) and traversed the island over its greatest width, inclining more and more to SE. and S; on the 18th about 2 a.m. it passed near Tokei and at last ran into the Pacific, very likely in the direction of the South-east. With the exception of the station of Niigata, close to which there passed the Typhoon or rather the small whirlwind, the wind was everywhere uncommonly light, even at Tokei where the fall of the mercury had been more considerable. We give here below an abstract of the observations made in the principal meteorological stations of the Japanese Empire. stations Latit. Longit. Nagasaki (32° 44'— 129° 52') Hirosliimai 34. 20 — 132. 27 ) Kioto (35. 1 - 135. 4li ) Niigata ( 37. 55 — 139. 3 ) Tokei ( 35. 40 - 139. 45 ) Barometric minimum FaU of the calculated barom. 29 "83 17th Noon o'."l9 29.73 „ 4 P. M. 0.31 29.72 ,, 5 p.m. 0.36 29 02 ,, 8 P. M. 0.52 29.61 18th 2 A. M. 0.47 Winds Velocity in 24 hours NE WNW N 150 miles on 18th N ENE NW NNE 130 „ N W NW 150 „ ENE ESE SE NW N 296 „ BSE NNW NNE N 116 „ Rain fall on 17th and 18th 0,035 0.003 0.845 0.350 0.210 Velocity and extent of the Typhoon. Velocity — It was very variable and increased very rapidly. From the 13th to the 15th, in the China Sea, it was of about 10^4 miles an hour; from the 15th to the 17th, on China, of 15 miles; whilst from the 17 to the 18th, on the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, it averaged 36Y2 miles. Extent — -I have already given some few indications with regard to the small size of the Typhoon proper. As for the atmospheric depression resulting from the action of the whirlwind, we see, in the course of the even- ing, on the 11th, the barometer beginning to sink on board the Magpie anchored offMamo chow island (latit. 21"34 -longit. 1 ll!45 ) some 780 or 800 miles from the Centre; there was yet no storm at Manila whose dis- tance to the Centre did not exceed 240 or 250 miles. The other stations on the coast of China do not lend themselves to a similar enquiry, on account of the numerous whirlwinds which sprang out of the preceding Typhoon and succeeded each other rapidly over that region. The "Hongl(ong" Typhoon once gone, the Monsoon NNE. wind settled all along the coast of China, at least at the height of the light-houses, with an incredible steadiness and violence, so that, on looking over the register of barometric observations, one might almost believe in carelessness or even culpable interpolation on the part of the observator: for day and night the direction of the wind seems perfectly unchangeable, its force not OCTOBER — HONGKONG TYPHOON. 1 47 being less constant and keeping between 7 and 9 of the Beaufort scale (0-12), and that not only for two or three successive days but for whole weeks and months. But the records of all the stations are alike, the fact happens regularly every year during the period of the winter Monsoon; it must then be admitted as unquestionable. In a first paper on that question (1), I took the fact of those strong and persistent winds on the Chinese coast during winter as being due to another cause besides that which causes the Monsoon, namely to an admix- ture of the tropical North-easterly trade winds : for in summer, when the Monsoon blows from S. or SW. and is perfectly well defined, even at the altitude of the light-houses, the winds are far from having the same steadiness both as to direction and force, nor the same violence as with the opposite Monsoon ; there is always an admixture of North-easterly winds which persist obstinately and seem to struggle for mastery with the prevailing winds belonging to the Monsoon. We cannot therefore henceforward expect to see any Typhoons venturing into that region : they will be sure to be repelled as that of September 25th was, as also that of October 25th in the most curious manner, as we soon are going to see. (1) — Sur rinclinaison des vents, 4° - Zi-ka-wei 18S1, "HUMBOLDT" TYPHOON Sixteenth Typhoon: 18th - 30th October 1881. PROBABLE TRACK : Latitude Longitude October IStli Midnight 19th Philippines 13° 13. 15' 30 122° 120. 15' 20 20th 13. 45 118. 15 21st China 14. 15 116. 22nd 1.1. 114. 23rd Sea 16. 15 110. 40 24 th 18. 15 107. 20 25th 24. 105. 26th 31. 107. 30 27th China 37. 111. 30 28th 42. 117. 30 29th 40. 30 129. 30th Japan EVENTS . 37. 137. 30 Great violenoee on Mindoro (Philippine islands). Wreck and loss of the Steamer Humboldt on Lincoln Shoal on October 23rd. On the coast of China before and during the passage of the Typhoon. The intensity of the Monsoon about the light-houses on the Chinese coast was also felt at sea some dis- tance off. It is likely also to have received a considerable accession of strength, even to a great distance, from the passage of this Typhoon, as may be gathered out of the following report of capt. Th. Shaw of the steamer Hoihow from Chinkiang (Yang-tze-kiang) to Hongkong. Steamer Hoihow — Captain Th. Shaw from Chinkiang to Hongkong. Date Hours Latit. — Longit. Ear. "Wind Neb. Remarks Oct. 18th 9 P. M, Leave Chinkiang in 5 Fine weather. „ 19th Noon Off Woosung 30.25 NE 4 3 Fine weather. „ 20th Noon 28.°10'-121.''50' .16 NEbyN 8 8 Strong breeze and cloudy weather with a heavy sea. „ 2lBt Noon 24. 33—118. 51 29.99 NE 9 9 Running under Reefed F. Topsails and Foresail — very heavy sea flood- 4 P. M Off Amoy .97 NE 9 9 ing the deck with water fore and aft, and doing considerable damage . „ 22nd 7 A. M Leave Amoy The barometer is too low for an ordinary NE. gale; there must be a Cyclone Noon 23. 46 — 117. 44 30.04 NE 8 9 Strong gale and high sea— running under Reefed Sails, [to the Southward. 4 p. M. Off Lamocks 29.97 NE 8 9 The same weather. 8 Off Breakers Pt. 30.02 NE 7 9 Moderating. „ 23rd 9 A. H, Hongkong Fresh breeze and cloudy weather. Noon 30.00 NE 5 10 Rain. The ship on the 20th, noon, already experienced a strong breeze (force 8), and yet she was more than 900 miles from the Centre, then hardly getting out of the Philippine Archipelago. The decrease in the strength of the NE. winds on the 22nd and particularly on the 23rd was owing to the position of tlie Centre which was drawing towards the coast of Cochin China, in consequence of which the whirlwind tended to make the winds turn to E. and ESE. OCTOBER ■ HUMBOLDT TYPHOON. 149 The Typhoon in the Philippines. Telegram from Manila. — "Manila, 18th October 3.50 p.m. : A l^rphoon is raging in the islands; its vortex is going to pass to the South of Manila and with regard to its direction it appears to be W74 NW." A correspondent of the Manila paper El Comercio wrote from Mindoro Island lying South of Manila and of Batangas, that nothing, on the morning of October 18th, yet gave any foreboding of the frightful storm about to burst out in the evening, only that^the horizon looi} 9 jj 3 P. M. i .83 9 8 1 .88 ,, 9 , 24th 5 A. M. .83 B 8 B. C. Q. 8 .90 „ 7 Noon .94 NE 7 )} 2 P. M. .92 7 5 30.03 jj 4 J, (1) Correction unknown. Here may be seen how persistent the NE. Monsoon was and bow it iiept the barometric variation within narrow limits. The sluggishness of the mercury in sinking and afterwards in rising again is an indication that the Typhoon had described a curve round Hainan to penetrate into the Gulph of Tongking and overrun that king- dom again. There is no notice of any damage done by this new Typhoon following so close upon its terrible forerunner; the country was evidently indebted for immunity to the NE. Monsoon, which counteracted the energy of the whirlwind. We may observe that the track of this "Humboldt" Typhoon passes througli most of the points visited at the beginning of the month by the "Tongking" Typhoon; on crossing (he Philippines however, the Centre kept at a rather lower latitude, so that the general direction of the track is rather more inclined to the North. Monsoon and swell in the China Sea. The steamer Keelung (Gapt. P. Scliulze), which we found at Hongkong during the passage of tlie Typhoon of October 14th, left that port on the next day for Singapore. On the 17th about noon, on passing East of the Paracels, she had the wind veering to NE. force 1. There can be no doubt that it was due to the far reaching influence of the China coast Monsoon, for there soon arose a long swell from the same quarter which gradually gained in intensity, whilst the sky, hitherto clear, became overcast. On the 18th, same wind, force 2; heavy NE. swell. On the 19ih midn. the ship lay then on the same parallel as the Centre of the Typhoon, then on Mindanao, 545 miles away in the East. At 6 a.m. the wind turned rather suddenly to WNW. 3; at 8 a.m. it went back 10 NW. and at noon settled again NNE. 2-3. This momentary evolution of the wind towards the West was really the only indication of a Typlioon in the East. Lastly on the 20th, 6 a.m., by latit. 8! 35' and longit. 108° the ship finally left the region where the NE. Monsoon prevailed; she found SE. winds again, and somewhat lower down light SW. winds. But the undulations of the sea continued long yet in the same direction ; the learned Capt. Schulze, in a report full of interesting information, notesitas high swell from NE. as far as latit. 2° 13 by OCTOBER — HUMBOLDT TYPHOON. 1 5 1 longit. 10i: 40' (October 22nd 4 a.m.).— It will be remembered that Capt. Th. Shaw, of the steamer Hoihoxv, had already found a strong- Monsoon and a high sea at the mouth of the Yang-tze-kiang (latit. 31"). It will be easily understood how, with such a barrier ahead, the Typhoon could not get fully developed. Causes of its direction towards Tongking. As I have just remarked, the NE. Monsoon between latit. 20" and 10^ if still extant, was comparatively light: It could not, as on the coast ofj^hina, be an effeclive obstacle to the passage of a whirlwind through the China Sea. Now there was, according to all appearances, an area of low pressures on the North of Indo-China, extending over Tongking and the southern provinces of China, Yun-nan and Kuang-si, which may well have had its origin in a detached portion of the atmospheric depression which accompanied the "Hongkong" Typhoon of October 14th. That Typhoon, we know, lost all its energy as soon as it had passed Hongkong and Macao, and gave rise to at least two whirlwinds which ran up Northward; it is therefore not unlikely that a portion of the depression may have continued to extend to the West and have been the cause which called a new Typhoon from the Philippines in that direction through the China Sea. Now all this is not a gratuitous hypothesis, and the log- book of H. M. S. Magpie, which has already enlightened us on many a point, supplies us from Hongkong a proof of the existence of those low pressures West of that port and of the Gulph of Tongking. On October 19th and 20lh, Cirri are entered as rather numerous, particularly on ihe 20ih, their direction being first SW., then WSW.; at 3 p.m. on this last day there was observed a bank of low clouds passing rapidly from E. to W. If we keep in mind the real constitution of an atmospheric depression, with more or less convergent winds below and divergent winds above, it will appear that those observations made at Hongkong are quite sufficient to reveal the cause which brought over Tongking that Typhoon which originated in the Philippine Archipelago. At Hongkong the barometer was high on the 18th and 19th (30i"02), and began to fall during the night of the 19th-20th, reaching a minimum (29'." 805) on the 21st 2 p.m. : the wind had passed from N. toE. where it settled till the evening of the 24tb, to come then to N. The barometer got high again on the 24th and 25th, and there was another minimum on the 27lh. This second fall was caused by the violent Typhoon we shall find at that date South of Formosa near the entrance of the Strait; it was its presence on the North of Luzon, even before the "Humboldt" Typhoon had reached the coast of Tongking, which accelerated the rise of the barometer at Hong- kong on the 21st afternoon and brought the wind round to N.; for the first minimum observed at that date was truly an effect of the "Humboldt" Typhoon, though its Centre still continued to approach the coast of China. We thus find two causes that kept the "Humboldt" Typhoon from the Chinese coast, viz. the buge aerial current which makes up the NE. Monsoon and which will soon again repel the "Monsoon" Typboon, and the high pressures which this same Typhoon farther North gave rise to on its approach. This last cause, I mean the approach of a new whirlwind in the East, was soon completely to mar the effect of the passage of the "Humboldt" Typhoon in its run northward through central China. The Typhoon in the North of China. The gradual fall of the barometer observed at Zi-ka-wei from October 22nd (max. : 30'"3l) to the 28th 1 p.m. (minim.: 30'." 00) must, I believe, be ascribed rather to the Typhoon which came from Luzon and Formosa at the end of the month than to the "Humboldt" Typhoon which rose from the West northward, though this latter may have a small share in it, since the ENE. winds which blew up to the 25th inclusively, abated and became variable on the 26th and 27th only to freshen again somewhat on the 28th, turn to N. on the 29th, and be superseded at the end of the month by W. and S. winds. 152 OCTOBER — HUMBOLDT TYPHOON. To trace our "Humboldt" Typhoon on China where it certainly penetrated on the 2itli or 25th, we must have recourse to the observations made in our stations of Northern China. Hankow — Let us first state that at Hankow (600 miles inland), we find a few indications of the passage of the whirlwind in the West. The barometer fell indeed as it did at Zi-ka-wei and continued to fall until the 28th, but at Zi-ka-wei, owing to the great distance, the passage of our whirlwind was not indicated by anything but the considerable weakening of the ENE. winds belonging to the other Typhoon, whil.st at Hankow its pas- sage in the West and afterwards in the North-west was marked by a real variation in the direction of the wind. On the 25th the wind was between N. and NNW.2; on the 26th it came to NNE. 2, at noon NE.2, and continuing its rotation, SSW., in the evening; on the 27th perfect calm all day long; on the 28th i\E. again, then NW. 2 These observations of Mr. N. Titoushkin are of great value for the determination of the route followed by the whirlwind : it really passed to the West of Hankow in the course of the 26th and was still going up northward. Chang-kia-chwang. (latit. 38°17'-longit. 116!l4') and Newjhwang (latit. 40!35'-longit. 122!o ). — For five days together, from the 21st to the 25th, the S. wind blew uninterruptedly; on the 26th and 28th it was succeeded by SW. and W. winds and the barometer fell. During this same period there blew at New- chwang a pretty strong SSW. wind, which turned to W., N. and lastly NNE. (7-8) on the morning of the 28th. The minimum of the barometer was observed at Chang-kia-chwang on the 27th between 4 and 6 p.m.; the wind still kept SW. to 8 a.m. on the next day, when it turned to NE. and got considerably fresher (26.5 miles about noon). At Newchwang the minimum (29','^87) was observed on the 28th 3 a.m., and as I stated before, the wind soon came to NNE. and blew violently for the rest of the day. The upshot of all this is that, before the whirlwind came to those northern regions, there was ah area of atmospheric depression North of Peking, on Mongolia. That depression caused a strong aerial current to blow from the South over the northern provinces of China and greatly facilitated the coming of the southern whirlwind by opening an outlet for it. The whirlwind passed to the West and the North of Peking in the evening of October 27th; to the North and to the East of Newchwang in the morning of the 28th : its passage brought heavy wea- ther all over the Gulph of Pechili and the North of the Yellow sea: on the 28th, wind NNE. 7-8 at Newchwang, NW. 6 at Chefoo. At cape Shantong, on the 29th, wind : N. 9-8. The whirlwind in Japan. — The whirlwind came into the Sea of Japan just North of Corea and made for Japan. Its passage over Niphon was hardly noticed, the barometer alone revealed it. It penetrated into the island by 37" latit., and came to issue into the Pacific above Tokei, where the barometer fell to 29\°585 on the 30th 6 a.m.: this was also the minimum for the month. The wind, which was SSE. before noon on the 28th, passed to W\W., then to NNW. on the 30th, and came back to SE. and SW. in the afternoon of the 21st. These last winds, constantly light, were convergent to a centre of depression, of small consequence in itself, but which nevertheless, on passing from W. to E. North of Niigata, brought there violent winds, viz. on October 31st from W. (25 miles) and on November 1st from WNW. (15 miles). It was a second whirlwind coming like the preceding, from the North of China which it had crossed in the same direction and over the same track; it also came from the SW. and must have been part of the same Typhoon, from which after leaving Tongking, it must have broken loose on striking against the mountain chains of Southern China. Velocity of translation — It increased very rapidly, as will be seen from the following means : In the CMiia Sn, from the .„ I9th to the 22nil : 5.2 mnes. „ ,, „ ._ „ „ 22nd „ 25th: 9,7 „ Cn ci-ntral China, from the 25th to the 28th : 18.3 ,, In tie North of China and the Sia of Japan, from the 28th to the 30th : 21.7 „ , "MONSOON" TYPHOON Seventeenth Typhoon: 24th — 30th October 1881. TRACK : October 24tli \ East of Luzon, on Pacific. „„., [ Marcli slow between Luzon g_ jj I and Formosa northwardly. 28th iJe-curving towards the East. 29th J 30th ^^ Pacific, South of Japan. MVBNTS : Progress very slow. — The Typhoon suddenly thrust away into the open sea. Loss of the German Frigat G, T. Miiiits on the coast of Batanes island, on October 26th. Loss of the American ship I^ew Era on Cape Bojeador (Luzon), on the 25th. Great flood in the Provi.ce of Ilooos (Luzon). Reason of the name of " Monsoon " Typhoon. H. Piddington, in his Sailor's Horn-book, speaking of the various tracks of Typhoons observed in the China Seas, mentions a particular one in the following terms : "It is perfectly well ascertained by a good log and notes from the commander of the vessel. Captain Shire, of the Barque Easurain, first travelling out from the coast (east) of Luzon and then curving to the N.byE., but when arriving at about 50 miles from the South point of Formosa, suddenly re-curving again, so as to travel out to Eastward 1 making thus, if we suppose the Cyclone to have originally come up from the ESEward from the Pacific Ocean, in about latit. 15° and longit. 130^ a double curve analogous to the curves of the Cyclones of the Gulph of Mexico, and occurring not far from the tropic, or with us in latit. 20° and in the West Indies from 25° to 36° N-" It was in November 1847 that this Typhoon took place, and, from what I am going to say, most probably on the first days of the month. On October 29th 1880, a Typhoon formed in the region South of the Philippines Archipelago, after rising from S. to N. over the China Sea towards the West of Luzon, appeared at the Southern entrance of the Formosa Sl;rait as if to enter it and pass to the North of Formosa; but, repelled by a stronger power, it came back a short way and turning eastward, escaped into the Ocean to the East of Formosa. My paper on the "Typhoons of 1880" gives the evidence relative to that singular track. And now we find in 1881 a third instance of the inability of Typhoons to pass through the Formosa Strait at this time of the year: for the present Typhoon of October 24th-29th after being almost reluctantly attracted in that direction, was repelled from the Strait by an irresistible force and compelled to escape eastward into the open sea. There must therefore exist in that region, at this time of the year, a powerful force depending upon the state of the atmosphere, which generally hinders the passage of whirlwinds and protects the coast of China against 154 OCTOBER MONSOON TYPHOON. their incursions. That force is nothing else than the NE. Monsoon, and such is the reason of the name given to the Typiioon which offers us an opportunity of ascertaining this remarkable fact. Here we find a most curious confirmation of what I stated on another occasion about the mutual attraction which Typhoons or depressions seem to exert on one another and which often determines their direction. The "Humboldt" Typhoon still lay on the Chinese continent, but devoid of energy as it had become sub- divided and spread over a vast extent of country. Two principal fragments or rather misshapen whirlwinds were then rising Northward one behind the other to make their way towards Japan. From the 24th to the 28th Octo- ber, the atmospheric pressure on central China must have been low, whilst the action of violent polar winds on the coast and pretty far South on the sea must have raised here the pressure, li a whirlwind came to spring up on the Philippines, its direction might then be pointed towards China. The condition of the atmosphere seems to have been favourable to such a formation and, on October 24th, there really was a Typhoon making Its appear- ance on the North-eastern coast of Luzon with a well marked direction towards China. Two telegrams from Manila. "Manila, 24th October 1881, 4.25 p.m. — ATyphoon is raging to the NE. of Luzon, close to the coast; it appears to incline to the WNW." "Manila, 25th October 1881, 8.30 a.m. — The Typhoon announced yesterday is going very slowly and, as the last, changes its direction frequently through the hills of the island." The hills in the North of Luzon have nothing to do with this, for such a violent wiiirwind would not be disturbed by such an obstable : the cause of its slowness and hesitations must be sought for elsewhere. The Monsoon in the Strait of Formosa. Tai-wan-foo. — Though a better view of the important phenomenon of the Monsoon be obtained at some dis- tance in the offing and at a certain height, yet it is far from being unperceived on the coast. Thus at Tai-wan-foo (South-western coast of Formosa) we find the wind during October to blow between N. and NNW., usually fresh and often strong. That direction of the prevailing winds is imposed by the enormous mountain chain which runs all through the island from North to South and naturally affects the Monsoon whose normal direction is NE. At Tai-wan-foo those NNW. winds are very dry, and there was not a drop of rain during October. Tamsui (North of Formosa). — Here there are no mountains to disturb the wind and therefore it blew steadily from NE. since October 17th. As I have already stated, it was on the 19lh that the Monsoon got defi- nitively settled on the opposite coast of China. At Tamsui its average force was 5 of Beaufort's scale (1 ). (1) — At Tamsui and at Keelung tliose North-easterly winds liave a remarkable effect which must not pass unnoticed and which gives to that Monsoon of the Northern coast of Formosa a special and almost unique character. Everywhere else the winter Monsoon can generally be called the dri/ Monsoon in opposition to the summer Monsoon which is the wet Monsoon. Now on the Northern coast of Formosa, though it be not exactly the reverse, yet it is certain that the time of the NE. Monsoon is emphatically the wet season The following figures will show to what enormous extent this part of Formosa deviates from the common rule. Keelung lies about 25 miles East of Tamsui. Monsoon region in Eastern Asia. Wind Rain stations Winter Summer Winter Summer Year In In ill Nikolfljewsk N 68 W East 3.29 9.74 13.03 Newchwaiig N 29 E S 16° B 1.58 19.58 21.16 Peking N 37 W S 17 E 1.74 23.94 25.68 Zi-ka-wei N 10 E S 59 E 14.81 27.52 42.33 Nagasaki N 7 W S 11 W 12.26 35.45 47.71 Keelung N 47 E S 62 E 64.79 55.33 120.12 Hongkong N 73 E S 1 E 13.63 70.97 84.60 ManUa N B4 E S 50 E 15.00 51.54 66.54 OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. 155 But, as I said before, it is at a distance from the coast, far from the causes which on land make the winds so variable, and particularly at a certain height above the sea level, that we, can properly appreciate what that winter Monsoon is on the coast of China, though it may be, as I really think, blended with the Norlh-easterly trade winds, here having a common direction with it. Not to make this discussion too long, we shall only take the observations made during the last fortnight of October at the principal light-houses of the Strait of Formosa. Fisher Island (Pescadores) : latit. 23^33'-longit. 1 19!28'-height 205 feet. Previous to the 17th the wind tended to come to N. or NNE., but was variable. From the 17th, there was but one wind, NNE., blowing day and night without interruption and almost without variation of force, between 6 and 7, except on the 17th and on the 31st. During the period from the 25th to the 28th, when the Typhoon was raging South of Formosa, that same NNE. wind blew steadily with force 7. It rather lulled on the 30th, and on the next day fell to force 1, under the influence of the violent whirlwind which had just altered its direction. Lamocks : latit. 23!'l5'-longit. 117°17'-height 241 feet. At Fisher Island the proximity of the long and high mountain chain of Formosa caused the Monsoon to haul somewhat to the North. Here, at the West, near the Chinese coast, at the 'southern entrance of the Strait, the winds have very free access from the East and North-east and it is between these two directions that the prevailing winds kept up, being mostly from NE. and ENE.; so early as the ISfh they had force 8, on the 21st they rose to 10, fell to 4 and 3 on the 27th oscillating now and then to N. and NNW. under the influence of the Typhoon; on the 31st rather changeable again. Ockseu : latit. 24159'- longit. 119?28'- height 286 feet. Here, at the northern entrance of the Strait, there is nothing to interfere with the wind which consequently retains its full force. — Monsoon perfectly steady from NNE. On the 18th force 9; from the 19th to the 23rd force 10 without any intermission; then till the 29ih force 9; on the 29lh and 30th falling to 7 and 6, oscilla- ting between NE. and NNE; on the 31st, blowing from N force 4. Middle Dog : latit. 25!58'-longit. 120!2'-height 257 feet. This is the northernmost of all the light-houses of this region. Monsoon perfectly steady NE. force 7-6. On the 31st wind oscillating between N. and ENE. force 2. Such, I think, was the obstacle which was necessary and also sufficient to check our atmospheric whirl- wind and fling it back to sea again. The persistency of this Typhoon in attempting to pass through the Strait in answer to the call that indraughted it, is not less remarkable than the mightiness of the huge aerial current esta- blished all along the coast of China and capable of overcoming such a terrible antagonist. There must have been What at first sight appears a strange anomaly is easily explained. It is well konwn that, if a current of air come to strike a high mountain and be forced up along its side to pass over it, it will cool down on rising and the moisture it may contain will condense first in the shape of cloud and then into rain, so that when descending on the other side it will have been deprived of most of its moisture. And now with regard to the NE. wind prevailing at this season, Keelung and Tamsui are on the side of mountains against which the wind has to rise and consequently parts with its moisture on cooling, whereas Tai-wan-foo and Hongkong are on the opposite side. From the 14th to the 18th October, at Tamsui, there were but two days without rain, the 15th and 16th, and the rainfall during that interval amounted to 17'."54 ! There is yet however another circumstance on the northern coast of Formosa to further that enormous pi'oduotion of rain in winter : it is namely that the NE. wind passes above and parallel to the great marine Japanese current or Kurosiwo whose temperature in winter still attains 70° : it precisely first touches the eastern coast of Formosa, then to bear NEward. 156 OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. a great force of resistance on both sides to bring about such a protracted struggle. But how can we realize the fact of a comparatively small whirlwind coming- from afar as indraughted towards a region of low pressure and ha- ving to cross a strong opposite current which, far from having any apparent tendency to obey that same call, on the contrary bars the passage of the whirlwind with all its might? This is, I confess, a serious difficulty against the hypothesis of a call towards central China. And yet we shall see hereafter that the Monsoon itself had to yield to that call and give rise towards the West to a whirlwind which afterwards was not without exerting some action upon our Typhoon after it had the worst of it near Formosa. On this difficult point I shall venture the following explanation. The Monsoon, as well as the NE. trade wind which is blended with it, cannot have a very great depth : their great force at the level of the sea and at the inconsiderable height (200ft.) of the light-houses seems to prove that, at the same time as they must con- tract in order to pass through the narrow Formosa Strait, they are not free to expand upwards. Above then and at a great height, there must be another not less powerful current running in the opposite direction or nearly so, which current is nothing else than an equatorial current called Northward and towards central Asia to fill the [dace of the mass of air which during winter escapes unceasingly with the Monsoon and the trade winds. Now in this current our Typhoon may have had its head and it was probably with its help that it sought to force its way through the Southern entrance of the Strait of Formosa. The Storm between Luzon and Formosa, Wreck of the American ship NEW ERA (Captain Th. Sawyer). "Left Hongkong for San Francisco with general cargo, on the 17th October, had nothing to report up to the 25th of the same month, when she experienced a strong gale. For two days were unable to take observations. At 4 p.m. of the 25th a hurricane came on from the NW. , veering to WNW.; at 8 a.m. of the 26th we determined to set some sail, thinking we were free from the coasts, in order to put back to the North; but at 1 p.m. heavy breakers were observed ahead, and shortly afterwards the vessel struck some rocks, and bumped on them for about half an hour, until carried over by the force of the waves. The vessel was carried to the praya, some half a mile from the land, the situation of the vessel being about five miles to the West of Cape Bojeador; at 6 p.m. we lowered the lifeboat, but a heavy sea smashed it against the side of the ship, and the three men who had got into it were carried by the sea towards the West. No assistance could be given them. The rest of the crew remained lashed on the poop of the ship, so that the sea should not carry them overboard; at 8 a.m. of the 27th the vessel was split in two, and the masts fell, placing us in an awkward position, as we might have been killed by the de- bris which tossed around us. Fortunately we only suffered a few contused wounds, in which state we determined to jump into the water; and after struggling with the waves for about one hour and a half succeeded in landing where we found the three men above-mentioned, and the Captain was glad to see that all the crew were, by the grace of God, saved... On the following day the Governor of the place, D. Mariano Luna, arrived at the praya and took us to his residence in the village...". Flood in the Province of Ilocos ( Luzon ). According to the telegram from Manila, on October 24th the Typlioon was already raging in the provinces North of Luzon. Till the 28th there blew a furious Westerly wind accompanied with diluvian rains: it drove back the water of the rivers into the interior and on the North-western coast, near cape Bojeador, causing such a flood as had never been known; the Province of Ilocos, both North and South, was completely laid waste. OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. 157 The persistency of those Westerly winds is a clear proof that the Typhoon continued on the North of Luzon as late as the 28th. Its first direction on the 24th and 25th was to WNW. ; it came from the East and bore towards the Norlh-eastern headland of Luzon. We have already seen on the 25th the New Era in the storm, near cape Bojeador, with violent winds from NW. turning to WNW. Once arrived close to the coast of Luzon, the Typhoon was precluded from going on; it had to keep in that region, rising slowly Northward towards the Southern cape of Formosa. ^ Wreck of the German Ship G. F. Miintz. Tlie floods of Ilocos and the wreck of the New Era were not enough for the fury of the Typhoon ; there must yet be other disasters. Almost equally distant from Luzon and from Formosa there are two groups of islands belonging to the Philippines, viz. the Babuyanes islands close to Luzon on the North and the Bashee islands in the middle of the Strait that separates the two great islands. It was on one of those small islands, the Batanes or Batang island, that the German ship G. F. Miintz, capt. Hector Stenzel, was cast by the storm. "The vessel left Hongkong on the 8th October, in ballast, bound for Astoria, province of Oregon in North America. All went well up to the 24th October, when she experienced strong wind from N., which was blowing with hurricane force, and tremendous sea, with an adverse current running. The vessel was in the midst of a typhoon on the 25th such as the Captain said he does not recollect having met during his thirty years experience as a sea-faring man. One of the crew was killed by the force of a wave which swept the deck. This state of things continuing, the ship stranded on the coast of the island of Batanes on the morning of the 26th, about 9 o'clock; the Captain, his wife and fourteen of the crew being saved, and the vessel was left lying upon a rocky bank. On the same day the crew tried to save the ship's papers and some of their clothing; a few natives came to the scene and off'ered them hospitality, and on perceiving that they were amicably disposed, the offer was gladly accepted... On the 29th the Captain presented himself to the Governor of the place, Senor Gandullo Luque, to report the loss. . . .". How the Typhoon cannot have come near the Strait of Formosa. What we have just said of the fury of the Typhoon on the Northern coast of Luzon and on the Bashee is- lands proves clearly that it continued for a long time in that region, but does not give the direction it ultimately followed. The comparison of some series of observations will show us towards what quarter it must have made off, for it could not possibly long remain almost stationary. Takow Harbour. Latit. 22.'= 36' — Longit. 120.° 17' Date Hours Barom. Wind Rain "Weather Oct. 25tli 9.30 A. M. in 29.77 Noon .73 >NNE Cloudy 3.30 p. M. .67 „ 26th 9.30 A. M. .70 in Noon 1 .67 ^Variable 0.15 Cloudy 3.30 P. M. .60 „ 27th 9 30 A. M. .64, Noon .62 >NW 0.10 Overcast 3.30 P. M. .54 „ 28th 9.30 A. M. .58 Noon .58 .NNE 0.05 Cloudy 3.30 P. M. .55 „ 29th 9.80 A. M. .87 Noon .86 >NE 0.20 Overcast 3.30 p. M. .85 „ 30th 9.30 A. M. 30.00 ' Noon .00 ►NW Cloudy 3.30 p. M. 29.95 , „ 31st 9.30 A. M. 30.05 Noon .03 >NW Fina 3.30 p. M. 29.97 158 OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. Tai-wan-foo Harbour. L-ititiule 22." 58' — Longitude 120.° 14' Date Hours Barom . Wind Kain Cct. 25th 8 A. M. 29.765 NNW liglit 4 r, M. .795 NW strung 8 .775 .^ „ 26th 8 A. M. .726 NNW fresh 4 P. M. .603 8 .654 ,, „ 27th 8 A. M. .632 „ modsr. 4 P. M. .566 8 .609 „ 28th 8 A. M. .652 , strong 4 p. M. .596 Nil 8 .674 ,j „ 29th 8a.m. .853 „ fresh Sliowers 4 p. M. .878 ^^ 8 .926 „ 30th 8 A. M. 30.028 „ light 4 p. M. 29.975 ,, strong 8 .996 „ „ 31st 8 A. M. .891 ,, nio.ler. 4 p. M. .985 8 30.011 33 Weatlier Light wind and clear slcy untiL 1 p.m. — afterwads siiiong breeze — hazy weather. Fresh NN^.V breeze with hazy weather throughout the day — moderate sea on bar. Moderate breeze with hazy weather all the day — heavy sea on the bar. Strong breeze with hazy weather all the day — heavy se.i on bai\ Fresh breeze with showers of drizzling rain — moderate sea on bar. Light wind and fine weather up to 3 p. m. — afterwards strong breeze — smootli water on bar. Molerate breeze and fine weather all the day — smooth water on the bar. On those two points of the South-western coast of Formosa, not far apart from each other, the barometer was already low on the 25th and still went sinking slowly till the morning of the 28th ; then on that and the next (lay it rose very rapidly again : the Typhoon, alter keeping for three days about Formosa, must have made off some way or other. On the 28th and 29th, the wind at Takow veered from NW. to NNE. and NE., whilst at Tai-wan-foo it blew from NNW. and got fresher: the flight of the Typhoon cannot therefore have been Westward; it must have been Eastward. And this is confirmed by the observations made at Fisher Island light-house (Pes- cadores). They give the barometric minimum in the night of the 27th -28th, whi:h would be impossible if the whirlwind went Westward, since the light-house lies 38 or 40 miles to the left of the two harbours. But more conclusive yet is a comparison of the observations made simultaneously at Fisher Island and La- mock light-houses, both almost on the same parallel and about 120 miles apart. The barometric minima were observed almost simultaneously on the 28th about 3 a.m. : 29™54 at Fisher Island and 29™75 at Lamock. The Monsoon wind was NNE. at Fisher Island and it retained its force (5-6) from the 25th to the 30th. At Lamock it was ENE. but the action of the Typhoon niade it to turn on the 27th and 28th to NNE., to N., sometimes even to NW. and weakened it considerably (force 3-2); on the 29th the Monsoon took its regular cour.se again (force 4-5) whilst the barometer rose, a proof that the Typhoon did not come to that quarter. At Hongkong and Macao, barometric minimum also on the 27th : at Hongkong at 3 p.m. (29'" 781; at Macao at 4 p.m. (29'." 81) and the barometer then took to ri.sing again. The Typhoon therefore is not to be sought for here. At Tamsui in the North of Formosa, the NE. Monsoon, perfectly steady, gained strength between the 25th and the 2 th; on that day, noon, it had force 9 and the barometer must have had its minimum between 7 a.m. and noon : at 7 a.m. 29'" 659 — at 1 p.m. 29'.°699. Now if there were a whirlwind proceeding from the Southern headland of Formosa Eward or NEward, it would first naturally bring to the Northern coast of the island strong NE. winds which afterwards would turn to N; and this is precisely what took place at Tamsui when the Monsoon freshened and attained (on the 28th) to force 9, to abate afterwards. Besides, the barometric mi- OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. 159 nimum seems to have taken place somewhat later than in the ports of the South-west coast, which circumstance agrees with the indications of the wind. We are then sure that our Typhoon made away to ENE. It had come from ESE. and described an arc of a parabola wliose apex lay between Luzon and Formosa, though it would seem that the second branch of the curve was not symmetrical with the first. On October 28th, Capt. pi. Shaw of the SS. Hoihow, going to Shanghai, noticed in the Formosa Strait that, in spite of a strong breeze from NE., the heavy swell also from NE. he had had all the way, now fell ra- pidly. At noon, on emerging from the Strait, no swell— wind NE. 6; but on the 29th midnight there is an entry in the log-book of Swell from the Eastward. — We have here a sure indication of the presence of the Typhoon in the East. The Typhoon in Japan. — Three whirlwinds at the same time. The progress of the Typhoon had been exceedingly slow ever since its first appearance on October 24tli, to the 28th when, after vainly attempting to penetrate into the Strait of Formosa, it came hack towards the E. to the open sea. It first proceeded slowly, though the call Westward to which it obeyed was so much the stronger as the Monsoon which had just so firmly barred the entrance of the Strait, even began to lose .some of its strength and yield to the preponderating influence which, under the present conditions of the atmosphere in cen- tral China, tended to turn the aerial currents from the sea to the continent : on the two last days of October the NE. wind lulled down rapidly; the high pressure collapsed and, on the 31st, a whirlwind which we shall soon follow, sprang up inland and ran, first Westward, then towards the North and North-east where we shall find it again under rather singular circumstances. As for our Typhoon, there was but one way open for it, namely towards Japan where we know the at- mospheric pressure to have been very low at the end of October, owing to one of the fragments of the "Hum- boldt" Typhoon which passed over that country from NW. to SE. Its progress was slow, but its velocity increased gradually (1). When it arrived near the Southern coast of Japan, the "Humboldt" Typhoon was already far away in the Pacific and, on the 3rd, very high pressures had settled over the Northern part of the Archipelago and as far as the coast of Siberia : (at Tokei, on the 3rd 9h p.m. : 30'"5 48 ; at Wladivostock, on the 4th 8 a.m.: 30." 477 according to the excellent observations of Gapt. Anderson of the SS. Appin which were of great help to me in unravelling the apparent confusion resulting from several simultaneous whirlwinds). The Typhoon had to incline somewhat to the North to avoid those high pressures, which it did from the 3rd to the 5th; it now followed the lead of a first continental depression which came from the South-west over the North of China and Mongolia and seems to have been nothing else than a whirlwind detached from the Typhoon as early as October 25th, as we shall see hereafter. It went along the Southern coast of Niplion, on November 6th after- noon, cau.sed a strong blow from E. (22.6 miles) at Tokei. In the evening of that same day, it turned round the peninsula east of the Gulph of Yedo; on the 7th about midnight, it alighted on the island to the North of the Capital, crossed Niphon between Tokei and Niigata, passed over the sea of Japan and rose up Northward, all the time in the wake of the depression, though they got somewhat further apart in the Sea of Okotsk towards Kam- tchatka or about Berhing's Straits. (] ) The British steamer Tyne (Capt. Hazard), after leaving Nagasaki in the evening of the 2ncl, had first strong breeze from ENE. and heavy rain, then strong breeze from NW. with clear weather on the 4th and 5th ; it was evidently our Typhoon. 160 OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. A third Centre of depression from the West, very likely from the desert of Gobi, came to be indraughted behind the two depressions. On the 7th noon, it passed northward between Peking and Newcbwang; on tlie 8th skirted along the coast of Siberia somewhat behind our Typhoon and made of for the Pacific througli the Strait of Sungar between Niphon and Yesso. This third depression probably did not continue its course NEward; it must have inclined somewhat to the South on the lOlh and 11th and have finally disappeared in the SE: for at Tokei the barometer fell again on the 10th and 11th, and on the 12th the wind passed from W. toNW. and N. The lowest minimum observed at Tokei during all that period of atmospheric perturbation was 29'" 702, on the 6th 3 p.m. On board the Appin, in the bay of Gamon, a little to the South of Wladivostock, the barome- ter sank still lower, viz. to 29'" 436 on the 7th 7 a.m., which minimum was simultaneous with the passage of the Centre of the continental depression formed near the coast of China at the end of October. At that moment the wind was moderate and variable, because the Typhoon which had crossed Japan was just reaching the inner sea and was not far distant from the coast of Siberia : the winds it tended to bring out tliere were then naturally contrary to those of the depression passing in the West. There was a second minimum (29\"650) for the Appin on the 8lh between 5 and 6 a.m., chiefly due to the third depression coming from Northern Asia, which, on its passage near the western coast of Japan and rising up towards the North-east, caused a violent blow from SSW. (force 9) encountered by the Appin in latit. 4C30' by longit. 130!0. Tlie Centre of the Typhoon was at that moment about 180 miles from the Appin in the NNE., and it was probably on account of that circumstance that the barometer sank less than in the first instance, though the wind was stronger. In a case like this of several simultaneous perturbations which each and every one bring their influence to bear on the phenomena observed at the various stations, it is hardly possible to determine the tracks with uner- ring accuracy. In such complicated cases the winds are light and irregular and their indications cannot be received too cautiously; the barometer with its variations at the several stations is more to be depended on. Splitting of the Typhoon at Formosa Point. Course of this second whirlwind; its breaking up on the continent. We have seen that when, on October 28lh, the Typhoon had finally left the South Point of Formosa, the Monsoon abated and was superseded at several points of the coast, about Shanghai for instance, by very variable winds as to strengtii and direction. At the same time the barometer took to sinking. At Zi-ka-wei there was observed a first minimum (30'"003) on the 28th 1 p.m.; a second (30*"058) on the 31st 3 p.m.; a third (30\"071) on November 3rd i a.m., and the barometer kept thus low to the 9th. As for the winds during this period, they were NE. and E. on October 27th; ENE. and NE. on the 28th; NW. and N. strong on the 29th; W. on the 30th; SSW. and S. on the 31st; SE. and E. on November Isl; variable on the 2nd. On the 3rd they began to haul to W. and WNW., where they settled till the evening of the 7th. All this points to a very complicated system of whirlwinds which it is not easy to make out clearly. An attentive and minute comparison of our observations with the three-hourly observations made at the four light- houses of the mouth of the Yang-tze-kiang, also at Chinkiang, at Wuhu, at Ningpo and Hankow, together with the reports of several captains, have led me to the following conclusion : whilst the "Monsoon" Typhoon was battling with the Monsoon winds between Luzon and Formosa, there happened what we had already seen twice under similar circumstances, viz. the depression split up on approaching Formo.sa and the whirlwind thus formed rose Northward to seek an easier passage. Between the 25th and the 29th October, it ran up to the 33rd parallel. OCTOBER — MONSOON TYPHOON. 161 causing on the way little storms all round its Centre, particularly with the winds between NE. and NW., as is natural at this period of the prevailing Monsoon. On October 30th the whirlwind turned to the W. and entered the continent. Descending first to the SW., then on the 31st to the S., it came to pass below Zi-ka-wei again, taking to the sea in the afternoon and soon turned to the North again on the coast East of Zi-ka-wei, its motion at the same time getting slower and slower. It would seem to have remained in the neighbourhood of Shanghai, somewhat to the North after November 2nd or 3rd, oscillating now to the right, now to the left until it vanished, for there can be discovered no trace of its escape any way. But that is not all. On October 30th, whilst this whirlwind was descending on the West of Zi-ka-wei, there must have come off out of it another small whirlwind, which occasioned at Hankow a barometric minimum in the afternoon of the 31st and brought the winds, first to NW. 1, afterwards to ENE. 1 and to SSE. 2 on its passage, which then would seem to have been effected through the valley of the Yang-tze-kiang, but South of Hankow. This minimum at Hankow I do not ascribe to the same whirlwind which, at Zi-ka-wei on the same day and almost at the same hour, caused the barometer to sink even lower, the wind turning from SW. to S. and to E. : the way in which the wind varied simultaneously at the two places is incompatible with a single centre of depression. — Besides, I find in the observations of the catholic Missionaries at Song-show-chwang (1) (near Lan-chow, the capital of Kansu) the passage in the East, on November 4th about midnight, of a violent whirlwind bearing SW. to NE. A barometric minimum, the lowest in November, 622'°"'9, took place on November 4th 4 a.m. and the wind on that day blew first NNE. 3 before noon; from 2h 30m p.m. on till late in the night, it was NNE. 7. On the other hand at Tientsin the barometer was low (fall = "30) on the morning of the 6th; fresh NW. wind settling in the course of the day. — At Newchwanga marked minimum (fall = 0'."58) at noon; wind settling very strong NNW. 7 . It would be easy, I think, to identify the whirlwind which passed below Hankow on October 31st with that which descended from the high table-land of Asia towards Mongolia and the Sea of Japan where we met it in the evening of November 7th effecting its junction with the Typhoon that had come to Japan from Formosa. And thus by a strange coincidence those two fragments of the same depression, after such different courses, would seem to have met again 13 or 14 days after parting. From the 1st to the 4th of November, the Hankow whirlwind seems to have continued to penetrate into the interior of China, probably in a westerly direction up the valley of the Yang-tze-kiang; to have begun turning Northward about longit. 110° and to have made for the North-east after passing Lan-chow. This track cannot however be taken unreservedly; but if the identity of the two whirlwinds could be borne out by a few observations between Hankow and Lan-chow, the Hankow whirlwind would then appear to have been the principal one of the two which we find West of Zi-ka-wei on October 30th and 31st, for the whirlwind which on the following days came to sport over the course of the Yang-tze-kiang possessed but little energy and was to vanish quickly. I shall mention a last particular which seems to justify the importance given to the Hangkow and Lan- chow Typhoon ; namely that on the coast of China between Wenchow and Ningpo, on the afternoon of October 3 Isf and the morning of November 1st, the Chinese steamer Yungning (capt. Buchanan) only found a strong SE. (1) That station is of great importance for us, being farthermost in the interior. It lies in latit. 36.° 1' by longit. 103. *• 56', nearly 5000 ft. above the sea level and belongs to the great high Asiatic tableland. 162 OCTOBER MONSOON TYPHOON. breeze, pointing to an important Centre of depression in the West. Between Ningpo and Shanghai, from the 2nd noon to the 3rd 10 a.m., the winds were variable, with rain. The 2nd continental depression. — It will be recollected that on November 8th a third Centre of depression made its appearance about the Siberian coast of the Japan Sea, and occasioned a pretty strong storm (wind SSW.) which the English steamer Appin went through. This depression came from the West and well may have been formed at the expense of the preceding one, for it was hardly noticed at Song-show (Kansu). It was on the contrary well marked at Si-wan-tze, another high station (3800 ft.) of the catholic Missionaries, in Mongolia, 68 miles to the NNE. of Peking. But here it got blended with another depression which came on almost immediately, so that there was but one minimum, viz. on the 8th about noon, the fall of the barometer being O^^Sl since the 4th; whilst at Newchwang there were two distinct minima: on the 7th shortly afternoon and in the night of the 8th-9th. We see from all this what a deep atmospheric perturbation was brought about by that "Monsoon" Ty- phoon all over China, Mongolia, Eastern Siberia, Japan and the surrounding seas. Obliged to yield to a more powerful antagonist, it divided its forces and turned all obstacles, thanks to the perturbation caused by its very struggle; one part reached the Centre of China and then took the shortest though not the easiest cut to join again the main body, which had proceeded slowly to another field. MINMANAO AND COCHIN CHINA TYPHOON Eighteenth Typhoon: 6th — 12th November 1881. DETAILS OF THE TRACK UNKNOWN The Monsoon in the China Sea. The winter Monsoon, on becoming settled on the coast of China about the middle of October, worked a thorough change in the system of the winds and set a protecting barrier against the inroads of Typhoons : that of October 25th-28th once gone, it extended down to Luzon. From the first days of November, the polar winds lowered the temperature somewhat and caused the barometer to rise ; consequently any depressions or whirlwinds which should yet have to make their appearance before the end of the year must necessarily be thrust towards the Southern part of the archipelago and be confined within the equatorial zone. But even here the NE. Monsoon extended down to the Equator. At the date of October 20th, the SS. Keelung (Capt. F. W. Schulze) sailing to Singapore had finally parted with it by 9°latit., though the swell it was raising farther North where it had its full strength continued lower down so far as 2° above the equator. But on leaving Singapore on the return voyage, on October 28th, the NE. winds appeared as settled winds so low as 2' and their force increased with the latitude; on the 31st, by 9° latit., they were offeree 4. There is therefore nothing to wonder at if a Typhoon emerging from the Philippine Archipelago should only make for the Southernmost part of the Indo-Chinese Peninsula, towards Saigon for instance, as one precisely did at the same date in 1 880. Course of the Typhoon in the China Sea. I have no information in this respect beyond the brief indications given in the Manila paper El Comercio by the Director of the Observatory. On November 6th the barometer was sinking at Manila under the influence of a centre of depression formed in the South, near the Northern coast of Mindanao : it was a well defined Typhoon which penetrated into the China Sea along the parallel of 10° with a slight inclination to WSW. (?); it would seem to have passed close to Saigon about the 12th. I only mention a second Typhoon supposed to have been raging in the China Sea from the 16th to the 20th of November. There is no reliable information to prove its reality. DANUBE TYPHOON Nineteenth Typhoon: 26th -29th November 1881. TRACK: November 26th Midnight 27 ,, Philippines 28 29 " China Sea Latitude Longitude ( 9°. 0' I 11. I 12. 30 I 14. 127° 0' 123. 15 117. 30 110. 13 This Typhoon, notwithstanding the lateness of the season, was not inferior to any in violence. In laying out its track, I have made use of some interesting correspondence in the Manila El Comercio and of the report from the SS. Danube whose position during the storm was such as to leave no uncertainty about the course of the Typhoon from the Philippines. The Typhoon in the Philippine Archipelago. Mindanao. — According to a letter from a Missionary residing at Jabonga de la Laguna de Mainit (latit. 9?29'-'longit. 125!38') the Typhoon would seem to have formed in that neighbourhood on November 26th; for the last four or five days there had been rain with winds variable in direction and force. On the 26th, wind often violent, passing rapidly from SW. to NE. On the afternoon a deluge of rain; at 5 p.m. a sudden calm; at 6 p.m. a furious wind springing up from ESE. and a diluvian rain : turned to SE. during the night- storm lulling gradually. Cebu. — The S.S. Sorsogon, anchored in the harbour of Cebu (latit. 10° SO'-longit. 124! 0') had the following observations. Steamer Sorsogon at Cebu. Date Hours Barom. Wind November 26th 10 A. M. in 30.10 N freshening, rain. 6 p. M. .04 N id id 9 29.96 N strong 10 .94 N hard 11 .90 N id 27th Midn. .88 N less hard 1 A. M. .85 NNE strong —hard squalls 2 .81 NE id 3 .86 E-s id 6 30.00 S-SW id Though the depression is inconsiderable, there is no doubting that the Centre passed near Cebu, somewhat to the South of the island, on the 27th about 2 a.m. It was bearing straight West or inclining slightly to Northwest. NOVEMBER — DANUBE TYPHOON. 165 On the other hand, the report of the Captain of the S.S. Danube, sailing up to Hongiiong, shows the Ty- phoon to have run from the 10th to the 13th parallel between the 26th and the 29th November. The Typhoon in the China Sea. Steamer Danube s China Sea. Date Hours Barom. "Wind November 28th 4 A. M. 6 7 8 9 10 Noon 1 p. M. 3 4 5 5.30 6 6.30 7 8 9 10 29th Midn. Kemarks in 30.10 Nby E — NbyW — Nby W 29.95 N by W — N by W .85 NbyW .80 N byW .75 NNW .65 NNW .48 NNW .25 NNW .00 NNW 28.95 NNW .90 W .92 w 29.05 sw .27 sw .60 sw-s 30.00 SE Fresh and sea. „ „ — set all fore and aft sail, ship steering NE ^ E. Increasing wind and sea, "with thick rain. Eapidly increasing wind and sea, took in fore and aft sail. Engines dead slow, ship hove to on port tack. Wind and sea increasing with heavy rain — Latitude 12° 34' longitue 111^ 30'. Blowing a heavy gale and increasing in violence. Blowing a most furious typhoon with a very heavy confused sea, heavy rain and hiiil alternately. A heavy sea broke over ship and carried away port life boat, after steering gear and various other thing's. V. ind veering to westward — from 5.30 to 9.30 p.m. we have the heaviest of the typhoon. Weather beginning to moderate. Wind and sea rapidly going down. The velocity of translation of the Typhoon increased gradually : it was considerable for the latitude, viz. about: 14.5 miles on the average. This might be the proper place to speak of the deep atmospheric perturbations which took place in the course of this month on Northern China and Japan, and caused real storms to be compared with the Typhoons we have been investigating; and those perturbations may have been connected in more than one way with the few Typhoons we met with on the China Sea in November. But observations are completely wanting between the North and the South and we should have nothing to go by but a certain resemblance with the tracks of previous Typhoons. On the other hand, if the two sets of phenomena are really of a different nature, the investigation of the northern storms would carry me beyond my subject which is a monography of the Typhoons properly so called, leaving out that peculiar class of whirlwinds which seem to belong specially to the North and to the cold- er season. I shall then confine myself to de.scribing the last Typhoon of 1881, and bring this long discussion to a close. '-' -=' CC83o'= A LB AY TYPHOON' Twentieth and last Typhoon : 9th - 14th December 1881. I have not been able to get any information about this Typhoon beyond what concerns its passage over the Philippine Archipelago. It is worth noting that its course was very nearly the same as that of the "Elgin" Typhoon, the first of the season. Albay (Luzon : latit. 13°13'-longit. 123!40'). A correspondent of El comercio gives some interesting particulars of the storm of December 10th and 11th at Albay, a harbour on the eastern coast of the South of Luzon. On the 10th in the morning, weather uncer- tain, a good breeze between NNW. and NW., barometer at 29^88 sinking; same wind all day with rain which stops after sunset, barometer 29" 80. — All night of lOth-llth fresh wind from NW. At daybreak rain setting in again, barometer falling more rapidly; 8 a.m. storm already raging violently from WNW., barometer 29™82; 10 a.m. violent wind from W., diluvian rain, barometer : 29V'69. — At noon hard squalls between W. andSW., barometer 29'° 61, rain continuing. — No change till 2 p.m.; wind then turning to S. without abating; barometer 29'.°53 5 p.m. barometer at minimum 29'."45. 6 p.m., rises again. — 7 p.m. rain and wind abating rapidly. — 9 p.m. fresh wind from S., sky clearing up, barometer rising steadily. — On 21st at daybreak, fine weather. — 10 a.m. barometer : 29i°92. At Albay, during the storm, the S.S. Francisco dragged her anchors, and went to the coast but without any serious damage. — At Marinac, a ship reported as wrecked. — At Sorsogon two lorchas engaged in unloading the steamer Gravina, foundered with part of the cargo worth | 10,000. The variation of the winds at Albay, together with that of the barometer, leaves but little uncertainty as to the course of the Centre of the Typhoon. On the 10th of December and on the 11th till about 8 a.m., it rose from SE. to NW., skirting along the eastern coast of the Archipelago between latit. 10° and 14? At Albay the winds were all the time strongly convergent (NNW.-NW.) whilst the Centre was approaching. On the 11th, about 8 a.m. the Centre lay to the E. of Albay (wind : WNW). At noon the violence of the W. and SW. winds accompanied with diluvian rains, showed that the Centre had turned to the left and was about to cross the island as several of the preceding Typhoons had done but somewhat more Southward, close to Albay. In fact, the wind turned to S. at 2 p.m. and the barometric minimum did not take place before 5 p.m.: the wind then continued to blow in the direction of the Centre of the whirlwind and that complete convergence was kept up by the torrents of rain which fell uninterruptedly. It however diminished after the passage of the Centre whilst the Typhoon crossed the island, making for the China Sea. Several of the preceding Typhoons underwent a singular deviation on reaching Luzon : the cause of this we think we discover in the fact of there being an area of low pressure in the new direction followed after the DECEMBER — ALBAY TYPHOON. 1 67 deviation. The same happened with the present Typhoon under quite similar conditions. There must have been a centre of depression on the Gliina Sea which probably extended to Gochinchina and to the kingdom of Annam : at least it is what appears likely from the observations made at Pakhoi on the northern coast of the Gulph of Tongking. We subjoin an abstract of the observations made at that time. Date Baiom. Therm. Wind Weather December 4th in 30.15 62°5 N 5 O. G. 5 .20 64.5 N 5 jj 6 .23 69.0 N 5 B. 0. G. 7 .22 69.5 NE 5 ,, 8 .17 64.5 NNE 5 0. G. P. 9 .17 67.0 N 5 B. C. 10 .06 69.5 ESB 4 )) 11 .08 73.5 ESB 4 O. P. E. 12 .11 73.5 ESB 2 B, 0. 13 .12 71.0 N 4 33 14 .11 66.0 N 6 0. G. 15 .17 55.5 N 6 0. M. D. 16 .25 56.5 N 7 0. G. M. P. 17 .36 57.0 N 6 B. C. 18 .37 51.5 N 5 S) The Monsoon here blew fromN. and was pretty strong in the Gulph of Tongking. The considerable change it underwent on December 10th, 11th and 12th implies a considerable perturbation South of Pakhoi. The pas- sage of the Typhoon was but scarcely indicated on the 14th by a slight fall of the barometer, after which the Northerly winds regained their ascendancy accompanied with very high pressures. There being no ship, to my knowledge, to have met with this Typhoon at sea about the coast of Cochin- China, I cannot venture to say what course it followed after getting clear of the Philippines. CONCLUSION. We have at last completed the long investigation of the Typhoons of the past year. Let us now cast a glance at the ground we have gone over and endeavour to find out what link there may be between the pheno- mena and pave the way towards discovering their laws. And first, if the tracks given for 1880 be compared with those now described, there appears a considerable difference in extent to the advantage of the latter. Not that, of all the Typhoons which in 1880 crossed tfie China Sea from East to West, there have been none to rise Northward, pass over Japan and disappear in the North Pa- cific. Far from it, and if in my first paper the tracks be generally cut short, it is only because the thought had not then occurred to me to seek how to connect those violent whirlwinds with the more harmless ones which, in summer, come from the interior of the continent and pass at the latitude of Shanghai or still higher. In spite of the gap which unfortunately exists for the interior of China in the series of observations I had at my disposal, I believe my identifying of the whirlwinds to be in the main well justified. And this will not be the least important result of these researches. l/. The Typhoons of the China Sea then appear to be atmospheric whirlwinds or cyclones whose tracks approximate to parabolic curves whose apex is turned towards the West, and generally lies in the interior of Cbina, between 25° and 30° latitude. A branch of the curve usually goes over the Archipelago of the Philippines, and the other over that of Japan; in other words the movement of translation generally takes place from South to North, the whirlwind withal inclining somewhat to the West during the first period and to the East during the second. The region where the Typhoons first appear is a zone comprised between the parallels of 10° and 17", Some were found to spring up in the very Archipelago of the Philippines, but the greater number came from ma- ritime regions farther East. 2/. Though the Typhoons may have been ever so violent at sea and just before taking to the land, once on shore they have always proved very moderate, so much so that their passage often went unheeded except by attentive observers. One only was an exception to this rule, the "Kiang-si" Typhoon which also showed other peculiarities, having followed a course all the reverse of that indicated above. Some Typhoons however, on com- ing to sea again recovered some of their first energy, though they remained far from what they had been before, both as regards depth of depression and force of wind. 3/. That loss of energy and decrease in the amount of the depression seems to arise from two causes : from the almost complete cessation, on the continent, of all condensation, consequent upon the suppression of those moist convergent currents which, at sea, supported the energy of the whirlwind; and from a weakening and scattering of the depression by the resistance of the numerous obstacles it meets on its way. Let us take for instance those wliirlwinds which entered the continent by the way of Tongking and Cochin China. As they got farther and far- CONCLUSION. 1G9 thereinto the interior of China, they had to rise gradually up to the high table-lands in the North-west and in the North, afterwards to coaie down again and make towards the Sea of Japan? The scaling of the numerous moun- tains standing in the way always occasioned, as we have seen, a splitting of the main whirlwind and sometimes even of the secondary ones. 4/. That action of a serious obstacle such as a mountain chain in the way of a whirlwind is still far more marked and effective in the case ^ a Typhoon revelling in its full power on the open sea. It then happens that two distinct real whirlwinds set up on either side and they are the more formidable as, in consequence of their proximity, there is a want of regularity in the winds and in the variations of the barometer, such as to per()lex the most experienced mariner. We found amongst others a most curious instance of the kind in the "Pescadores- Chusan" Typhoon. 5/. In summer the atmospheric pressure is much lower over the interior of the continent of Asia and Over China than on the coast and in the Siberia, and lower again on the coast than in the open sea. A maximum of pressure occurs in the middle of the Pacific and a minimum on the Okostk Sea and near Behring's Straits. These various conditions in the equilibrium of the atmosphere are precisely what determines the formation of Typhoons and their general course. They always move towards the nearest areas of lower pressure : thus they will go from sea to land, from the Philippines generally towards the coast of China, if there is no insuperable ob- stacle in the way; thence they will advance somewhat into the interior, but soon finding mountainous tracts which seem to form a barrier, they will turn towards the North of China in quest of pressures lower than on the South- ern coast. They will then follow the general direction of the isobar lines which takes them over Japan into the North-Pacific. 6/. A curious fact, to which I have called attention whenever an opportunity has occurred, is this : the direction a Typhoon will take often appears as being induced by the position of the preceding Typhoon at the time. Typhoons seem as if to seek one another, which is the same as to say that a Typhoon, tending to move towards the areas of barometric minimum will make towards any place where a violent whirling motion lowers the pressure; also that a Typhoon, having just vanished or become scattered, will be likely to draw the nexf Typhoon to the same region. 7/. What has just been said, together with the instance of some of the whirlwinds whose formation on the coast of China we have witnessed, shows that those gyrating movements of the air often succeed high pressures, which are brought on by the collision of high currents of different directions and have the effect to check the rise of the lower moist currents : the winds then are light or null, the air exceedingly clear; at night the radiation of the earth is intense and the temperature falls, whilst by day time the sun shines brightly and the weather maybe quite warm; with a few days of such weather, particularly at sea, the lower strata of the air may become overheated and absorb vapour of water: let then the instable equilibrium of the strata (t) be disturbed by any cause such as a slight rotating motion in the upper regions caused by the the various currents and gradually spread downwards, the moist air below will rise; condensations will soon take place and contribute to diminish the pressure already lowered by the very rotating motion thus furthering the rise of the warm moist air. On the (1) In a perfectly constituted V7hirlwinrt on the march the instable equilibrium, which we t.ike above as possible, does not really exist. There is a well established circulation of the air through the Centre between the upper and the lower regions, the wind being ascending at the Centre, diverging above and converging below, The cold dry air of the upper regions is unceasingly descending at the periphery of the whirlwind and, though naturally the sky be clear- and the Solar radiation intense (as shown by the actinometer), the tem- perature, even by day time,i3 generaUy below mean. 170 CONCLUSION. Other hand, the gyrating motion once set on, the air thrust out by the centrifugal force increases the pressure all round and forces the lower masses of air to rush with increased velocity towards the Centre; the condensa- tions increase more and more, and the latent heat of the condensed vapour in expanding the air diminishes the pressure below. In this way the successive effects become causes in their turn ; everything tends to accelerate rotating motion and to extend the circulation of the air far and wide, and a whirlwind is constituted. And now, if in a particular direction the air, better equipoised and submitted to other influences which tend to maintain high i)ressures, does not yield to the general impulse, whirlwind will move in the opposite direction or in that which offers the greatest facility for the outflow of the mass of air accumulated in the region of maximum pres- sure. An effect of the gyrating motion is to spread this maximum pressure on the circumference and thrust it out farther and farther as the whirlwind gets its development and expansion. But a result of that extension of the whirlwind and of that spreading out of the high pressures is that the gradients become less steep and the •eentral depression less marked, the rotating motion slackens, the large local condensations come to an end as partial condensations take place everywhere, the original whirlwind finally collapses and gradually vanishes away. Such is the way we may imagine a Typhoon to originate, to get its development and come to an end. 8/. It follows from this, or rather from all our observations, that in the lower strata of the air the currents are partially centripetal or rather describe spiral curves more or less inclined on the radii, whilst in the upper regions they are divergent, as the cirri have shown on more than one occasion. It must then necessarily be admitted that the air rises when it is approaching the Centre where the pressure is lower and descends at the periphery of the whirlwind where it is highest. 9/. In the case of Typhoon going along with a well settled great aerial surface current, the direction of the winds at a distance ahead of the Centre seems to be divergent, but these winds belong properly to the main cur- rent and not to the Typhoon. The border of the Typhoon being reached, as clearly indicated by the maximum of the barometer, the winds begin gradually to feel the strong indraught towards the Centre and first get fresher or lighter as they are of the same or of the opposite direction with the normal winds of the whirlwind. But in the zone of greatest perturbation, the storm is pretty much alike on all sides. Behind, the winds are most com- monly convergent. 10/. At the limit of a whirlwind, upon the track or close to it, the barometer is high; its variations, if any, are small. The weather is clear, the wind light, often variable; the mean temperature falls, the quantity of vapour in the air diminishes considerably. These various phenomena which have been called Anticyclone may be momentary if the whirlwind is coming towards the station where they are observed ; otherwise they will be more or less persistent according to the direction taken by the whirlwind. 11/. If, taking the twenty Typhoons of 1881 together with the fourteen of 1880, we seek for any rule as to their direction in the different months, there does not come out anything definite to be given as a natural law. The most that can be said is that their tracks first make their appearance in the China Sea where also the last of them is to be seen. The tracks thai present a great concavity looking eastward, those consequently whose first branch is most southerly and lies flattest on the parallels of latitude, seem to belong to the months of a moderate temperature. May, June, the end of September, October and November; for the pressures are comparatively low over the China Sea and Western China, and in the North over Japan and the Sea of Okotsk. During the warmer months, July, August and beginning of September, the curves described by the Typhoons are very open, for there CONCLUSION. 171 is a minimum pressure prevailing on the coast of Middle and Northern China; then is it that Shanghai and some- times but more seldom, Ghefoo, are exposed to such unpleasant visitations. In Japan August and September make up the true Typhoon Season : during the other months they only come towards Japan at the end of a long course over China and are then really insignificant. J 2/. Lastly, as soon as the NE. Monsoon has fairly come to an end in the China Sea, the Typhoon Season may be said to have set in and it will last as long as the summer Monsoon. When once the NE. winds have made their appearance on the coast of China in September, as a general rule there is no fear of Typhoons on that coast any more; their tracks are thrust away towards the South, and when the Monsoon has got well established down to the equator, as it happens in November or sometimes as late as December, they disappear entirely. ^8S1 . The first Typhoons -^ May^ June , July . lOO 10^ 104 106 108 110 112_ Hi 116 1541? m m "124 _m__m wn B2riffiII-W_.J3S^ ml~mll^. 100 TdTj — io"6 — ^ilil — no — uz iii uS iia 120 MT^^ "fee i28 i3g_m m jgg i38^;;kc__ji2_ .ife j881 . Typhoons '. Jiilij ScAii^ust/ IT. m iqs__}04 106 108 no 112 m fg" m 120 122 i2l_ %i 105 — io2""T(3 106 m~ m 112 114 116 118 120 viii m m m iso m m m~~m r40 ~ ij3~i44 loSi - (h-eat Pescadores tkChiiSStn Tyftlwori- Ahigust 25 -5f Jn: looi . typhoons in Sepfanher W /SS/ lifplvoons in Septemher . 1 |]"0 102 104 106 106 110 ]]a llj 116 118 izp Jgg _m I2g 128 130 J3g__J34 136_. 138' 140 1l42_„Ji4 18Si . Te/ri^vo TongJdng Typhoon « OcUe,- ft iS8i . Typhoons in October w. i00^ ~"ii>2 m iggrTiw rtO'i >r*-: 18S1 : Monsoon 'Typhoon^ Typhoons on Fovemher m. I* J I J- . - "if 1 ■raiSsafSSc