10 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



The second severe West Indian hurricane of the season was felt only over the 

 Leevvartl Island ^ ot the Lesser Antilles on ;- eptember 8, from which rej?ion it moved 

 northwest, and recurved northeastward over the Bermuda Islands during: the 

 night of the 12th-18th. On September 7 the Weather Bureau observers in the 

 eastern W^est Indies were advised that conditions were threatening over the Lesser 

 Antilles, and to be alert to take local action, if necessary. The morning of the 8th 

 the approach of a severe storm from the eastward of St. Kitts was indicated, and 

 hurric-aue warnings were sent to that island, and advisory messages were te e- 

 graphed to other observers in the threatened district. It was ca'cnlated at that 

 time that the hurricane would reach onlj' the extreme northeast islands, and snb- 

 seiiuent events showed that this was a correct calculation. At St. Kitts the wind 

 reached and maintained a velocity of (>"2 miles an hour from x.\H to 8. "24 p m. 

 of the sth. and a momentary or gust velocity of 120 miles had been recorded at 

 5.51 p. m. The islands to the east and northeast of St. Kitts experienced cor- 

 respondingly severe winds, and reports from vessels show that the violence of the 

 hurricane did not le-sen during its suhse luent course over the o';ean. The hur- 

 ricane was slightly less intfn e and far less disastrous at St. Kitts than the storm 

 of August 7. the latter fact being due t > the circumstance that the August storm 

 left only the stronger trees and buildings 



On the morning of the 9th the following message was sent to the central office 

 of the Canadian meteorological service at Toronto, through which reports from 

 Bermuda are transmitted to the Weather Bureau: 



Hurricane central northeast of Porto Rico, moving northwest, and is likely to pa s near 

 Bermuda. 



Similar messages were at the same time sent to the New York and Philadelphia 

 maritime exchanges and to the nress associations. The hurricane reached and 

 passetl Bermuda the night of the r2th. At Bermuda many h.>uses were blown 

 down and miich property was destroyed. 



The third and last destructive tropical storm of the year advanced from the west 

 part of the Caribbean Sea along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Octo- 

 ber 28 to 31. For several days previous to the 2~ith. Atlantic coast sh pping interests 

 were advised of threatening weather conditions, and a careful watch was kei)t for 

 a storm development which, at that season, these conditions favored. Reports of 

 the ■J7th showed th^ looked-for development south of central Cuba, and, during 

 the subse uent movements of the storm, warnings of dangerous gales were t'-le- 

 graphed to points along the Atlantic coast of the United States, twenty-four to 

 forty-eight hours before the beginning of the gales. The storm was excejjtionaily 

 severe a ong the North Carolina and Virginia coasts, where an immense amount 

 of damage was cau.sed by heavy seas and high tides. On the New Jersey coast 

 thousands of dollars' worth of fishmg propertj^ whs saved by fishermen who profited 

 by the Weather Bureau warnings, and nets to the value of thousands of dollars 

 were lost by fishermen who did not heed the warnings. 



COLD WAVES, SNOWS, ETC. 



The cold waves, frosts, and lieavy falls of snow were forecast with 

 great accuracy. In the Gulf districts alone the warnings of frosts 

 and freezing weather resulted in saving fruit and vegetables to the 

 value of hundreds of thousands of dollars. 



The cold waves of Fel)ruarv, 1900, were particularly severe, and 

 covered practicall}' the entire United States. In New Mexico, warn- 

 ings issued on the 6th prompted precautionary measures which saved 

 a number of human lives and prevented the loss of live stock and 

 perishable produce. In the valleys of California special warnings of 

 the heavy frost of February 7 were widely distributed. In the sugar 

 and vegetable growing districts of the middle and west Gulf States 

 thousands of dollars were saved by protective measures which were 

 taken upon the receipts of warnings of freezing weather. ^Vnuounce- 

 ment was made on the 16th of the severe cold which reached Florida 

 the night of the 17th, and on the morning of the 17th this announce- 

 ment was sui)plemented by special forecasts and warnings of freezing 

 weather as far south as Tampa. As a result of these warnings thou- 

 sands of acres of oi-ange groves were protected, either by the system 

 of tents now in use or by the use of dry heat. As a consequence, 



