KATHLEEN 
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BENGORE HEAD™ 
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06 
“SOUTHER 
THE ST. THOMAS-HATTBRAS HURRICANE OF SHPTEMBER 3-12, 1889. 
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| SEPT.4 
NOON G.M,T. 
Sql. 3—A hurricane of groat intonsity is passing clove to the northward of St ‘Thomas, moving about W. NW. 
Lowest barometer at St Thomas during tho day, 24,97. Steepext observed barometric gradiont (between St. Thomas and 
Puerto Rico), .75 inch in 06 milex ‘The cyclone fw a largo ono, and of terrific onergy,—an enormous whirlwind more than 600 
miles in diametor, with # central calm arca about 10 miles in diametor, It was oxperlenced with deatructive violence amongst 
tho Windward Talands, from Martinique to Barbuda, oh the 24, and tho vortex passed over St Obristopher's about midnight, 
the central calrn lusting from 10,15 p.m. of the 24 Ul 12.46 o m. of the #4. There are evidences of another hurricane 
about 1,000 miles enstward of tho first, moving about W. NW, 
SYMBOLS 
WIND WEATHER 
ME fires} = 
- 6 
I SEPT.S 
NOON GMT. 
Spl. 4—Tho hurricane ix central north of Puerta Rico, where strung northerly, westerly, and southerly gales are 
experienced, but not of full hurricane force. During the forenoon its massive, towering cloud-bank is clearly visible from 
Turk’s Island, 300 miles away, causing great alari fill it ix seen to be moving well to the northward of the island. A violent 
storm in Santo Domingo this afternoon scenis to be either an offshoot from the cyclone or the effect of another storm crossing 
the island to join tho great hurricane—possibly a storm that was felt at Curacao the previons day. 
continued its motion toward W. NW. and its present position is clearly indicated about the eastern limits of the Chart. 
The second hunicane has 
Sep 6.—The hurricane ix moving rather slowly along a northwesterly course, toward Hatteras The enormous seas 
started by the great whirlwind during its progress thus far have overspread almost the entire western half of the Atlantic: 
heavy northeasterly swell at Jamaica and through the Windward Channel; northeasterly and casterly, all along the Bahama 
Islands and northern Florida; very heavy surf at Bermuda; loug rolling swell from S. SE., off Hatteras, perceptible as early 
as the 2d and increasing daily; long, low southerly swell off Nantuckct as esrly as the 4th, when the storm-center was 1,300 
miles away. The second hurricane is moving northwestward, and is beginning to recurve about 600 miles S. E. from Bermuda. 
Sept 6,—The concentric isobars on the Chart show that the hurricano is now cantral about widway bolweon Bemuda aid 
Eastern Cubs, with barometric pressure at tho center probably below 2840. All the charactoristios of « troploal yelone am 
still exhibited, and to a marked degree: cireular in outline; very stoop gradients and enqmous wind 
velocities near tho center; sudden shifts of the wind in torrie squalls; heavy driving main mingled with foam caught up from 
the crests of tho waves; sky of inky blackness, with niasses of flying sourt so low as to touch the masta — Close by, in front, 
and on cithor side, calm, sultry, hazy weather, with a tremendous swell rulling in from the direction of tho distant at maxaivo 
cloud-hank of tho hurricane. A long ridgy of high pressure is building up to the northwand of tho hurricanoa 
storm area notice: 
Sept S.—"Tho hurrleane in contral about the axin of the Gulf Strcam, of Hattorue Tho nrva of high Daromoter in advance 
{a rotanting its northward progross, and preventing it from veourving to the northeastward. ‘Tho heavy surf and the incronsed 
Height of tho tides, due to tho atorm-wavo of the hurricane, begin to attract genoral attention and vo cause damage along tho 
Jow-lying portions of tho coaat botweon Norfolk and Nowport; warm, wngist ocean alt ia boing driven in ovor tho cold inshore 
cuitent, and donve foyu aro onoountered off tho const north of tho 846th parallol, Tho storm ta losing w little of its tropical 
Jntenaity, but {Us aren th inoroasing and winds of hurricanc force aro raging over A Vast arva botwoon Hattoras and Bormuda 
Sqpt. 9.—Tho storm ia atill raging with great violence between Nantucket, Hatteras, and Berinuda. Tremendons seas and 
tides are driving in on the coast It is blowing with burricano force close in shore near Hatteras The xtorui-center is still 
moving northward, but more slowly, and tho great area of high baromoter into which tho hurricane has forced its way stands 
fast, the pressure rining to 30.90 over the Gulf of St, Lawrence and the isobar of 30.00 reaching south on cither sido well 
down toward tho tropics. To tho northwestward, northward, and northeastward, close to the onter limits of the great whirl- 
wind, warmn, sultry weather provails, with calme or light Variable winds, hazy weather, and barometer above the normal. 
SEPT.10 
NOON G.M-T. 
Spl. 10.—The burricana seems to be gathoring all its strength for a Jast desperate struggle to force its way Yong its 
normal track to the northeast. The wind-arruws plotted on the Chart illustrate very graphically tho inarked circular character 
of the great whirlwind. Tho storm-wave, or general clevation of the oceanic surface caused by the in-rushing and whirling 
winds, and the reduced barometric pressurn (acting as a partial vacuum), bank up the water in tho bight of the coast about 
Sandy Hook, and cause the greatest floods on record at many places along the eastern coast of New Jersey and the southern 
shore of Long Island ‘ 
ure nt the 
Sot 1—The Varoni 
notric gravionts a 
Tho low area in ite’ 
fow winds of full hurricane force arv reported. ‘The sil-<e 
The clouds are Dreaking My In plaooe, 
and tho eyclonic circulation fy po longer so woll marked, Tho warm waters of the Gulf Streath have been dio in towant 
the coast off Block Isfand by: the lung-continnod and furious suutheastorly gales to the right of the storm trnokhd, mingling 
dense fogs and mqually, unsettled weather 
rie pr for hax increas! noticoably 
Ver jer has 
aver, and stormy winds aro still felt nlong tho emt 
much lees stoop) 
moved in toward ali 
with the cold in-shore current, can 
Spe To—The Mairricano conCintion (le slow NUE mMay MATH CowaNt Hattoms — Yostontay moming tho observer at Santiago 
do Cuda reported the ayelone iweurving. ‘Th rnorning tho mteteomlogist wt TMavana, 900 miles away, roporta the eyelone's 
movements, guided by the motions of tho upper cloukk—the olruy veil Cat overmproate tho entiry wky with a thick baze, 
and tho long feathory plimos of olerug cloud tat ary filotly visible above I malating froin tho distant storm, ‘Tho influence 
of tho great hurricano bogine to bo folt along the outer etgo of the Gull Stans, below Mattos A heavy suet ia rolling im 
on tho coast all tho way from Capo Florida to Book Island, and tho long southerly awell has reachod beyond Sablo [sland 
Tho wecond hurricane te anoving NRA, and niyo of high prusaury ix oxtonding Sd, batween the wo 
(0 Oppo Broton, 
ag 
Tho groat hurrloano hus blown vol’ ant, and although w fow reports still alvo m foro of wil ax bigh aa 10 of 
alo, the ston hi ly onded, [a comnante deft Inland during the Lith wud Lith, with cloudy, rainy 
mo \ liginl TE Teaves a mountainous cromesoa (hit fate for movant tay, « coast Hino wtrown 
with wreckage, and alrowly sno Qeonty additions have been site to the Hat of duroltote nnd deifting wroeki whist yoni tions 
ary plotted on tho Pilot Chart awa eautlon to navinatons Taw many yeoole It wrookod at wea ean never be filly Known, but 
Tis entire truck je marked hy wrookw and wreckage. 
