HUKEICANES. 251 



25th, and 26th of the same month. It produced much damage, but scarcely reached 

 the American shores. Its duration was about forty hours, and progress more 

 tardy than some others. 



Track No. X. A violent Hurricane and snow-storm, which swept along the 

 American coast from the parallel of 30° N., on December 5th and 6th, 1830. This 

 track corresponds to another storm of similar character, which swept along the 

 coast on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January, 1831. These violent winter storms 

 exhibited nearly the same phases of wind and general characteristics as those 

 which appear in the summer and autumn. 



Ti-ack No. XI. The violent inland storm which passed over the Lakes Erie and 

 Ontario on November 11th, 1835. This storm was very extensive, spreading from 

 the sea- coast of Virginia into the Canadas, to a limit unknown. The anterior 

 portion of this gale was but moderately felt, and its access was noted chiefly by 

 the direction of the wind and the great fall of the barometer ; the violence of the 

 storm being exhibited chiefly by the posterior and colder portion of the gale, as is 

 common with extensive overland storms. The regular progression of the storm, 

 in an Easterly direction, was established by facts collected by Mr. Redfield, from 

 the borders of Lake Michigan to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the coasts of New 

 England and Nova Scotia. 



In pursuing the descriptions above, it is to be noted that the lines on the chart, 

 representing the routes, are given by Mr. Redfield as but approximations to the 

 centre of the track or comse of the several storms ; and the gales are to be con- 

 sidered as extending their rotative circuit from 50 to 300 miles or more, on each 

 side of the delineations ; the superficial extent of the storm being estimated both 

 by actual information and by its duration at any point near the central portion 

 of its route, as compared with its average rate of progress. 



The circular figure which appears upon the chart, on Tracks Nos. I., V., and 

 VII., will serve, in some degree, to illustrate the coiu-se of the wind in the various 

 portions of the superficies covered by the storm, and also to explain the changes 

 in the direction of the wind, which occur successively at various points, during 

 the regular progress of the gale. 



(193.) The tracks and descriptions of these storms, which occurred so 

 many years ago, are still reliable and typical of those encountered in more 

 recent years. We therefore let them remain, only giving here some more 

 modern instances of irregularity in their phenomena. 



Truck No. XII. On September 4th and 5th, 1888, the Northern part of Cuba 

 was devastated by one of the most destructive Hurricanes recorded. It originated 

 in the N.E. Trade Wind belt, Eastward of the meridian of 60°, on August 30th 

 and 31st. On September 1st, its centre was near lat. 20° N., long. 60° W., moving 

 to W. by N. at about 16 miles an hour. Thence it passed Northward of San 

 Domingo, and on the night of September 3rd it struck the Cuban coast near 

 Sagua La Grande with devastating force. Continuing its course, it passed o\e,x 

 the island, to the Southward of Havana, and then developed a most remarkable 

 feature, changing its course to the South of West. After leaving the West end of 

 Cuba on the 5th, it took a W.S.W. direction, skirting the North coast of Yucatan, 

 and reached Vera Craz on the 7th, where it did much damage to the shipping. 



In connection with this Storm, it is reported that the master of the Spanish 

 mail steamer Catalunu, about to sail from Puerto Rico for Havana, seeing unmis- 

 takable signs of an approaching Hurricane, quickened his departure and put his 

 vessel on her comrse at full speed, keeping the North wind as nearly abeam as 

 possible, and arrived at his destination in advance of the Hurricane, which had 

 not gained a mile on him. This action, though very risky, is mentioned in order 

 to show how a skilful navigator, thoroughly understanding the Law of Storms, 



