WEST INDIAN HURRICANE 19 



ing the storm of 1831 1,477 persons were killed outright, 310 

 were injured, of which number 114 died, and property to the 

 value of $7,397,532 was destroyed. During the storm of 1898 

 83 lives were lost, about 150 persons were injured, and the esti- 

 mated value of property destroyed was $2,500,000. At St Vin- 

 cent the storm of the present year was pronounced in every way 

 far more destructive than the hurricane of 1831. Accounts agree 

 that these storms stand as the record hurricanes of the Wind- 

 ward islands, compared with which all others experienced inthose 

 islands have been comparatively unimportant. A notable fea- 

 ture of the storm of the present year was the period occupied 

 by the center, or vortex, in crossing the island of St Vincent ; it 

 appeared to poise, or hover, over that locality about three-quar- 

 ters of an hour. This fact indicates that the center made, or 

 attempted to make, a recurve at that point ; and one of the 

 known characteristics of cyclonic storms is that the} r develop 

 their greatest strength during recurves. 



In all descriptions of hurricanes particular mention is made 

 of the premonitory signs of their approach. These signs are 

 found in the sea, in the wind, and in the clouds. The sea, ren- 

 dered tumultuous by the terrific, confused winds about the 

 storm's vortex, becomes disturbed and runs in swells far in ad- 

 vance of the body of the storm ; the winds increase in gusts, and as 

 a rule converge toward the vortex; and high cirrus clouds, carried 

 forward by the upper air currents, are observed many hours in 

 advance of the storm's arrival. The most important indication 

 is, however, found in the action of the barometer. In that por- 

 tion of the storm's vortex which may be termed its periphery 

 the air is, as it were, piled up by the centrifugal force exerted 

 about the cyclone's core. This action causes a slight but well- 

 marked rise in the barometer, which in hurricanes 'of average 

 diameter and speed precedes the arrival of the center by several 

 hours. This rise is quickly followed by a rapid fall in the ba- 

 rometer, with increasing seas coming from the location of the 

 storm center, and cirrus clouds change quickly to heavy, 

 rapidly moving, lower clouds, which usually move in a direc- 

 tion almost perpendicular to a trajectory of the storm's path. 

 In many instances the lower clouds precede the arrival of the 

 vortex one to two days, rendering upper cloud observation after 

 the first signs of cirrus impossible. 



In this brief review it may be of interest' to note the relative 

 frequency of hurricanes in the several islands of the West Indies. 



