THE WEST INDIAN HURRICANE OF SEPTEMBER 

 io-ii, 1898 



By Prof. E. B. Garriott, 



U. S. Weather Bureau ' 



That Providence favored the American arms in the recent war 

 with Spain appears from the fact that during the entire period 

 of hostilities our fleets in West Indian and Southern waters were 

 not endangered by tropical storms. 



During the investment of Santiago, when a hurricane visita- 

 tion would have resulted in damage and perhaps disaster to the 

 American fleet and consequent appalling losses to our land forces 

 in subsequent blockading operations along the coasts of Cuba 

 and Puerto Rico, and finally during the dispersion of the naval 

 forces and the transportation to our shores of a large portion of 

 the army of invasion, no serious storm interfered with the ful- 

 fillment of American designs; and it was not until an attempt 

 was made to naturalize the Maria Teresa that the weather failed 

 to cooperate with the plans of the United States Navy. As a 

 matter of fact, and in a seeming safe extension of the favor be- 

 stowed, the hurricane season has passed without the occurrence 

 in or about Cuba or Puerto Rico of a violent atmospheric dis- 

 turbance. 



The single West Indian hurricane which did occur during the 

 season of 1898 confined its ravages to Barbados, St Vincent, and 

 St Lucia, islands of the Windward group. Like many other dis- 

 turbances of this type, this hurricane had its origin in the region 

 of equatorial rains far to the eastward of the Windward islands. 

 Reports at hand show that it was first encountered at midday, 

 September 9, in latitude north 12° 2', longitude west 54° 2', by 

 the French barque Tourny, Captain Mortois commanding. This 

 vessel experienced strong northeast winds with heavy sea swells 

 during the afternoon of the ninth, and from 4 p. m. the barometer 

 fell one-tenth inch an hour and reached a minimum of 29.35 at 

 7 p. 111. This hour marked the time of the passage of the storm's 

 vortex. The wind went to southwest blowing exceedingly strong, 

 and by 11 p. m. the air had become relatively calm, although 

 tremendous seas continued. The vessel lost all sail, and her 

 cargo of rice was almost a total loss. 



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