HURRICANES IN THE BAY OF NORTH AMERICA. 181 
of respectful consideration and comment, at least. Its essen¬ 
tial feature is the hypothesis that eddies form amongst the 
rapid upper atmospheric currents and descend toward the 
surface of the earth, bringing down with them some of the 
intense energy of motion characteristic of their place of 
origin. The Edinburg Review for October, 1888, contained 
an able and favorable review of Faye’s theory, going into the 
whole subject somewhat exhaustively. To one statement, 
however, I must take decided exception, and as it is rather 
an essential part of the theory I may as well quote it here. 
The reviewer says, after speaking of the comparatively Clear 
and calm space at the center of a tropic cyclone: “ There 
can, then, be no doubt that in the calm space of the typical 
storm of the tropics the air is descending; and if it be de¬ 
scending at the core, it is difficult, if not impossible, to believe 
that it is mounting in the spires.” Relative to this state¬ 
ment I must say that it seems to me incredible that any one 
who has seen a tropic cyclone, or who has considered the 
known facts regarding cyclonic circulation, can fail to admit 
that there is an ascending current in the spires of the whirl¬ 
wind. It is now well known that in a hurricane the winds 
at the surface blow somewhat spirally inward; the next 
upper current (bearing the low scud) moves in a circular 
direction about the center; the next higher (the high cumu¬ 
lus) in an outward spiral, and so on up to the very highest 
cirrus, which radiates almost directly outward. These fea¬ 
tures of cyclonic circulation are illustrated' by means of this 
large chart, showing the marked spirally in-blowing char¬ 
acter of the circulation in the great, hurricane off our coast 
the 25th of last November, and by the cyclonoscope con¬ 
structed by Padre Vines to illustrate the typical and normal 
relative direction of motion of the various atmospheric cur¬ 
rents, as observed by him in hundreds of cyclones. If, then, 
we are to believe the substantial accuracy of such data, there 
is no possible alternative but to accept the observed fact 
(regardless of any theory) that the air moves inward below, 
and, whirling about the central core, flows outward above. 
21—Bull. Phil. Soc., Wash., Vol. 11. 
