March 30, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



15' 



water-spout passed over her, completely dismasting her below the 

 heads of the three lower masts. No previous warning was received ; 

 the weather was apparently clear at the time ; and the whole affair 

 was over in a few minutes. The dismasted vessel reached Bermu- 

 da on the 1 6th. Again, when the second of these two cyclonic 

 storms was central about latitude 39° north, longitude 67° west, 

 Captain Hogan, British schooner ' Alma,' passed within two miles 

 of a large spout which was travelling from west to east. This was 



very unsettled weather ; wind mostly from the south-westward,, 

 but often falling calm and flying to the opposite point of the com- 

 pass, where it soon died out ; thunder and very vivid lightning alii 

 around the horizon, but most marked to the north-west and north- 

 east. On the 13th (34° north, 75° west), calm and light variable 

 airs, followed by a breeze from north-north-east, which by mid- 

 night increased to a whole gale. Similarly, Captain Paine, Ameri- 

 can barkentine ' Henry Warner,' reports that during Jan. 21, 22^ 



at 2 P.M., Feb. 14, latitude 30° 40' north, longitude 73" 50' west, 

 and it was blowing a gale from north-north-west at the time. The 

 meteorological conditions prevalent about this time between the 

 Bermudas and the Atlantic coast of the United States are well 

 illustrated by a report made by Mr. Lund, British steamship 

 ' Rothiemay,' Captain Olsen. This vessel arrived at Philadelphia 

 Feb. 20, from Montevideo. From Feb. i (latitude 19° north, longi- 

 tude 58° west) to 9 {27° north, 73^ west), fine, pleasant weather, 

 with occasional showers ; light to fresh breezes from south-east- 

 ward. From the 9th to the 14th (34° north, 74° west), rainy and 



and 23, off the coast of New Jersey, he encountered light airs going 

 around the compass two or three times every twenty-four hours, 

 exhibiting this same tendency towards the formation of incipient 

 whirlwinds and water-spouts, indicative oftentimes of the gradual 

 generation of a great cyclonic storm. 



" A still later report, and one of the best and most detailed 

 which has recently been received, relates to a spout sighted by Cap- 

 tain Battle, American schooner ' Ethel A. Merritt.' This was on 

 Feb. 18, latitude 24° 02' north, longitude 81° 14' west, in the Gulf 

 Stream, off Key West, about niidway between the Florida Keys. 



