BY MR. JAS. THORPE. 



37 



of the cyclone either in barometer, wind, or rain columns. This 

 record is valueless. At Biralee on the Bowen River " the wind 

 was S.E., gusty, never approaching a gale." 



The barometer (aneroid) on board the "Fiado" at Bowen, 

 at 9.30 a.m., registered -2 8. 50 inches ; on board the " Maranoa,'* 

 at Flat Top Island, 30.29 inche^ — a difference of nearly an inch 

 and three-quarters in 130 miles, and presuming that the readings 

 require little or no corrections, this gives a resulting gradient of 

 80, steep enough to accoLn->t fcr the exceptional severity of the g^le. 



Apeculiar phosphorescent appearance was noted from Bowen, 

 and also from Poole Island. (See appendix.) 



As to the cause of this cyclone I am unable to do more than 

 speculate. Probably it had its origin not far from the coast. We 

 see on the coast north of Bowen a disposition to northerly winds; 

 south of Bowen, a south- east gale. Where these opposing cur- 

 rents meet a gyratory movement is set up, intensified by the force 

 of the wind itself. The northerly wind, in this case, remained 

 master of the situation, the south-east gale changing away into 

 E.N.E., N.E., and N., sending the eddy whirling away in- 

 land, instead of (as the theory of cyc^nes would lead us to expect) 

 recurving on the coast, and going off in a south-easterly direction. 

 The actual rate of progression of the centre of depression v.est- 

 ward was about ten or twelve m'les an hour. The actual force 

 of wind can only be judged of by its effects, even had there been 

 an anemometer available rt the beginning of the storm (which 

 there was not ; in fact, I suppose there is not more than one in 

 the colony), it would not have been there when the storm ceased. 



I have to tliank OaptP.'n Wyborn and the Assistant Super- 

 intendent of Telegraphs, BoA^en, Mr. R. 0. Bourne, for the assist- 

 ance they have rende..ed me. 



The wind and weather symbols in the Appendix are according 

 to the Beaufort scale. 



APPENDIX. 



Stations to North of Cyclone's Path. 



Cairns. — 16th to 26th, northerly winds. 27th to 29th, south-east 

 winds. 30tli and 31st, northerly winds and fine weather. 



Cape Cleveland. — 17th to 2Gth, northerly winds and fine weather. 

 27th to 29th, south-easterly winds and fine weather. 



SOth, 9 a.m. S. W. 



3 p.m. W.S.W. 

 9 p.m. N.W. 

 Misty, and passing showers, 

 lightning. 



7 

 4 

 5 



p. q. 

 m. d. 



m. 



29.70 

 29.90 

 29.96 



80 

 83 

 77 



31st, northerly wind, rain, thunder, and 



