WEATHER BUREAU. 13 



nif?ht. A.S a result thousands of people who lived near the beach or in small 

 houses moved their families into the center of the city and were thus saved. 

 Those who lived in large strong buildings a few blocks from the beach thought 

 that they could weather the wind and tide, one of whom is the writer of this 

 report. Soon after 3 p. m. of the 8th conditions became so threatening that 

 it was deemed essential that a special report should be sent at once to Washington. 

 Mr. J. L. Cine, of this office, took the instrumental readings while I drove first to 

 the bay and then to the Gulf, and finding that half the streets of the city were 

 under water, I added the following to the special observation at 3.80 p. m: " Gulf 

 rising; water covers streets of about half of city." 



The water rose at a steady rate from 3 p. m. until about 7.30 p. m., when there 

 WHS a sudden rise of about 4 feet in as many seconds. At this time I was standing 

 in the door of my residence. Rosen burg avenue and Q street. The water was about 

 8 inches deep in the building, and the sudden rise of 4 feet brought it above my 

 waist before I could change my position. The ground at this point has an eleva- 

 tion of 0.3 feet, which made the tide 15.2 feet. The tide rose during the next hour 

 nearly 5 feet additional, making a total tide in that locality of about 20 feet. The 

 tide on the bay or north !-ide ot the city did not attain a height of more than 1 5 feet. 



The prevailing wind was from the northeast until 8 p. m.. when it shifted to the 

 east and continued from this direction until 10 p. m. After 10 p. m. the wind was 

 from the southeast and after 11p.m. the prevailing direction was from the south or 

 southwest. A storm ve.ocity was not attained until about 1 p. m., after which the 

 wind increased steadily and reached a hurricane velocity about 5 p. m. The great- 

 est velocity for five minutes was 84 miles per hour at 6. 1 o p. m. . with 2 miles at the 

 rate of 100 miles per hour. The anemometer blew away at this time, and it is esti- 

 mated that prior to 8 p. m. the wind attained a velocity of at least 120 miles per 

 hour. 



In conimenting on the work of the Weather Bureau in issuing warn- 

 ing of the hurricane, the Bo.ston Herald, of September 17, 1900, said: 



The excellent service rendered by the Weather Bureau during the recent storms, 

 which carried havoc in their path, is deserving of recognition. It was not through 

 any lack of attention on the part of the forecasters that the victims of the hurri- 

 cane on the Texas coast were overtaken by such a terrible disaster. The weather 

 office .sent out its hurricane warnings both for the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and 

 when the storm turned from the north of Ciiba westward the Bureau turned its 

 attention to Texas, and on the morning of the 7th, nearly thirty-six hours before 

 the disaster, warned the people of Galveston of its coming, and during that day 

 extended its warning all along the Texus coast, thus preventing vessels from leav- 

 ing. Furthermore, the weather officials were remarkably success ul in anticipat- 

 ing the coming of the hurricane, with less force, up toward the lakes, and thence 

 in this direction. That such horrible disasters fol owed in the storm's path must 

 be taken as showing either that the warnings were unheeded or that the havoc 

 wrought was something inevitable. 



Tlie Chicago Inter-Ocean of September 14, 1900, said: 



Simple justice demands public recognition of the efficiency of the chief of the 

 Meteorological Bureau and his staff. They have demonstrated the r usefulness in 

 such manner as to set at rest all doubt with regard to the wisdom the Government 

 has displayed in maintaining the weather service against all opposition and all 

 ignorant prejudices. 



After the vortex of the storm had passed Galveston it moved north- 

 ward with a rapid loss of energy to Iowa, where it recurved eastward 

 over the Great Lakes, attended by gales of unusual violence. Along 

 this part of the storm's track ample warnings had also been sent, and 

 a general observance of the warnings by the shipping interests reduced 

 to a minimum the damage it caused in the lake region. On the 

 morning of the 12tli, when the storm was central in the St. Lawrence 

 Valle}', the following special bulletin was issued: 



Tnere is little doubt that severe and dangerous ga'es will be encountered to-night 

 and to-morrow over the banks of Newfoundland and along the west part of the 

 trans- Atlantic steamship routes. 



Reports of incoming vessels showed that unusually severe and 

 especially destructive gales prevailed over and near the Grand Banks 

 during the period specified. 



