Vol. XY. No. 379 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



3.5.5 



THE VIRGIN ISLANDS HURRICANE. 

 Detailed reports have now come to hand in regard to 

 the cyclonic weather experienced in the Leeward Islands and 

 also, with disastrous results, in the Virgin Islands, between 

 the dates of October 7 and 10 of tbia year. 



Very commencable observations were made in the 

 Virgin Islands at Tortola by Mr. W. C. Fishlock, Curator of 

 the Experiment Station, under the trying and dangerou.-5 condi- 

 tions of the storm In Antigua and St. Kitts, Dr. H. A. 

 Tempany and Mr. F. E. Shepherd also made careful note of 

 changes in progress. 



Virgin Islands (Tortola). 



METEOEOLOiUCAL OBSERVATIONS. Sunday, October S: 

 No indications of approaching bad weather. Wind south 

 of east blowing steadily. During night, wind freshened and 

 about 4 a m. was blowing quite stron.< from about south-east. 

 Barometer somewhat low (2990 al 8 a.m. on Monday). 

 jUonday, SJlh: Towards mid-day wind increased somewhat, 

 clouds flying due west. Heavy rain in the afternoon, 

 barometer steady at about 2980. Between 4 and .5 p.m. 

 the sk}" became very overcast, heavy rain fell and wind 

 increased in force but was still south of east. This indicated 

 that the centre of a storm was passing south as the 

 birometer showed no tendency to fall At about 6 p.m., 

 however, the barometer commenced to fall rapidly and 

 steadily, and by 7 p.m. the vi^ind was very violent, the 

 first trees beginning to fall about this t-rae. Wind blew 

 with its greatest violence between 8 and 9 p.in with 

 a velocity estimated to be over 100 miles per hour. Barometer 

 rose slightly soon after 9 p.m. but there was no period nf 

 calm. It was therefore assumed that the centre passed to the 

 south or west of Tortola, and was either breaking up into two 

 storms or changing its track. The baiometer rose very .slowly 

 and the wind blew in fierce gusts from south, southwest and 

 west till about 3 a.m. on the lOth The lowest reading that 

 the barometer recorded was 28'80 at 8.50 p m. on the 9th. 



EFFECTS OF THE sTOEM. The most remarkable feature 

 regarding the hurricane was that it came on unexpectedly, 

 there being none of the usual indications. In Tortola the 

 destruction of life and property has been great, twenty-one 

 deaths and fully 100 cases of injury being reported for Tortola 

 alone. The destruction of dwelling houses was very great 

 and a large number of the inhabitants were left homeless. 

 Most of the cultivations were dev^xstated and the cotton crop 

 has been entirely lost. The Federal Government of the 

 Leeward Islands has taken active relief measures, assisted by 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



Virgin Islands (St. Thomas.) 



The first signs of the hurricane were .shown by rough 

 sear and a falling barometer on October 7. On the 9th, in the 

 Danish Islands, the barometer was falling rapidly with heavy 

 .'^qii alls from the north-east, and by the afternoon the glass was 

 as low as 28 02. The wind increased in intensity until be- 

 tween 7 and 8 p.m. when there was a lull. After about an 

 hour, the wind blew with redoubled strength from the west 

 and later from the south, accomi>anied with a deluge of rain. 

 The damage to house property in St. Thomas is reported to 

 he very great, and the shipping also suffered to a very great 

 t^xteut. The damage in the neighbouring island of St. Croix, 

 which is of greater agricultural importance, is estimated at 

 about .'^1,000, 000. 



Antigua. 



In Antigua evidence of disturbed weather conditions 

 •was visible from early Saturday morning, October 7, at 



which time at 10 a.m. the barometer reading was 29-94. 

 Wind direction was east all the morning and back round to 

 south-east by the afternoon. Fall of the barometer was 

 very slow, and it was inferred that a disturbance had passed 

 to the south of the i.sland Sundav, October 8: About 9 to 

 1 o'clock the wind which had been southerly to south- 

 easterly all night backed up to the east and the barometer 

 started to fall once more. After having moved up to the 

 east the wind moved suddenly again and remained in that 

 quarter for the remaindei- of the time Monday, October 9: 

 Barometer remained very low with strong south-easterly 

 wind and heavy sea; the lowest reading obtained was in the 

 afternoon at 3 p.m. when it touched 2979. It appears from 

 these observations that there were two distinct disturbances, 

 one of which passed .south of Antigua on Saturday night 

 and the other on Sunday night, both following the same 

 track. 



St. Kitts-Nevis. 



Saturday, October ,'; Barometer was low (29-8.5) in the 

 afternoon, with a north-east wind. Sunday, Sth: The wind 

 blew from south to south-west and it "was inferred that 

 a storm had passed. On Sunday evening the wind again, 

 went to northeast and kept in that direction all night. 

 Monday, 9th: In the morning the wind went to south-east and' 

 blew a strong breeze all day from that direction. The lowest 

 barometer reading was 29'75 on Monday at 3 p.m. 



As in the case of Dominica, St. Kitts-Nevis suffered, 

 not from the effects of high winds during these disturbances 

 but from heavy seas. Newly planted coco-nuts were washed 

 away in Nevis, and in both of these islands cotton along the 

 coast was blasted. 



General Inference. 



It would appear from these observations, including' 

 those recorded at St. Thomas over which island the 

 centre of a hurricane passed, that there were two distinct 

 storm areas. They probably passed south of Antigua 

 moving fairly slowly in a north-westerly direction, but rapidly 

 increa,sing in intensity. The conditions observed at Tortola 

 were probably due to the progress of the second cyclone 

 being retarded by the presence of the first: the second cyclone 

 may even have been forced somewhat eastward for a time 

 These conditions would cause the movement of the centre of 

 the second cyclone to be very slow: this is borne out by the 

 statement that the unusually long period of an hour and 

 a half was occupied in the central calm passing over 

 St. Thomas. 



Last Season's Weather Conditions in St. 



Kitts. — In addition to what was published on this subject 

 in the last issue of the Agricultural News, the fact may be 

 added that in one respect the weather was not entirely favour- 

 able. On the northern side of the island the heavier rainfall 

 affected the working of the muscovado estates, and with one 

 exception they were unable to finish reaping by the end of 

 July, and some have had to leave cane standing over to reap 

 in November. This delay was caused from the lack of fuel, 

 since the constant showers interfered with the drying of the 

 megass. As already noted, under the conditions existing at 

 the Central Factory, the weather for the season under review 

 was most favourable. This fact is of interest as showinii 

 another weak point in the small muscovado plant, namely its- 

 complete dependence upon weather conditions. 



