DEPARTMENT OF AIARINE BIOLOGY. 121 



Company, and I have pleasure in expressing my full appreciation of the 

 thorough excellence of their work. 



The Anton Dohrn, when upon long courses, makes an average speed of lo 

 knots, but is more economically run at 8 knots. Thus her limiting radius at 

 a speed of lo knots is 875 miles, or 873^2 hours ; whereas at 8 knots her radius 

 is 1,350 miles, or 169 hours. Her license was granted at Key West, Florida, 

 on May 31, 191 1, her number being 208,685, signal letters LBVW, 30 net 

 and 45 gross tons, temporary certificate of enrollment No. 15, Alfred G. 

 Mayer, master. 



On October 17, 1910, a great hurricane passed over the Tortugas. The 

 storm commenced at 8 o'clock in the morning, the wind being from the east, 

 and it constantly increased in violence until the center passed over the island 

 at about 2^ 15™ p. m., by which time the wind had veered to the north. The 

 central calm lasted about 15 minutes, after which the hurricane set in very 

 suddenly from the southwest, to die down by nightfall. The aneroid barome- 

 ter at the lighthouse sank to 27.96, and the wind is believed to have attained 

 a velocity of about 100 miles per hour. The glass sides of the lighthouse 

 were shattered, fraginents of seaweed (Sargassum) were lodged upon the 

 lamp, 160 feet above the sea, and the sand ridges thrown up along the 

 beaches are higher than those of any previous storm, not excepting the well- 

 remembered ones of 1846 and 1876. 



Of the laboratory buildings, the sailors' dormitory was wholly destroyed 

 and a portion of the roof of the main building was blown 500 feet to the 

 southward. The kitchen and aquarium, which are upon the water's edge, 

 sank 3 feet through the washing away of their foundations, but were other- 

 wise not seriously injured. The machine-shop, which is 40 feet long and 20 

 feet wide, was blown from its foundation and moved 5 feet to the south- 

 ward ; but, being very strongly constructed, by Mr. Mills and our own men, 

 it suffered no material injury. Our windmills were overturned and nearly 

 every plant in our garden was destroyed, including all of the Solanum being 

 cultivated for Professor Tower's experiments. In fact, every leaf of every 

 plant was torn to shreds by the onrush of sand-filled air and salt spray, which 

 drove over the entire island. 



In viewing the destruction one notable feature was at once apparent : those 

 structures which had been built by our own men were intact, while the porta- 

 ble buildings imported from the north were seriously damaged. The Insti- 

 tution having generously appropriated $4,000 to repair and strengthen the 

 buildings, we have employed our own men upon this task and they have 

 accomplished it in the best possible manner. An investigation of conditions 

 in Key West showed that wooden buildings, if properly constructed, are 

 better able to withstand hurricane winds than are those of concrete, and with 

 this in view we have replaced all structures in wood so strongly braced that 

 we now feel confident the buildings will withstand a storm such as that of 

 the late hurricane without suffering any material injury. The building which 



