On three several hurricanes of the Atlantic, and their relations to the northers of Mexico and Central America, with notices of other storms / by W.C. Redfield.

  • William C. Redfield
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On three several hurricanes of the Atlantic, and their relations to the northers of Mexico and Central America, with notices of other storms / by W.C. Redfield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Tampico they might serve to show the true state of the storm at that point, which from its position on the eastern coast is sheltered from the force of the westerly winds, which con- stituted the left hand side of the storm.] After careful inquiry I cannot find that this gale appeared to the southward of the chain of islands which forms the northern boundary of the Caribbean Sea, nor in that southern portion of the Gulf of Mexico which is known as the Gulf of Campeche. We will now follow the course of the storm, directly in its path of violence. Right and Left Center of the Gale. 19. Our first report is that of the Dutch Schr. Antje, already mentioned as having been dismasted, Aug. 30th, in lat. 25° 54', Ion. 63°, in a violent gale from S. and E. [Per- haps this report of the wind's direction is intended for southeastward ; i. e. southward and eastward, as the phrase is often used by seamen. It is probable that the date is given in nautical time, and applies more especially to the time of the casualty. Thus it may re- fer to the afternoon of the 29ih, and to the latter part of the gale. This will agree better with the next report.1 20. At Turk's Island, lat. 21° 30', Ion. 71° 4', Aug. 30th, heavy tempest from S. to S. W. 21. The Brig Helen and Elizabeth reports a hurricane on the evening and night of Sept. 2d, at Rum Cay and Watling's Island. The latter island is in lat. 24°, Ion. 74° 28', and the effects of the gale were here most disastrous ; not a house on the island but had been more or less seriously injured, and most of them were in ruins. 22a. A Nassau account, already quoted, shows that the hurricane passed over the Ba- hama Islands on the 2d and 3d of September. The loss of life and property at these islands is represented to have been very great. A comparison of the above accounts and positions will show that the Turk's Island date is given erroneously, perhaps in nau- tical time. These reports are sufficient, however, to show the arrival of the gale on the evening of Sept. 2d at the eastern por- tion of the Bahama Islands. From these islands to the center of the Gulf of Mexico the reports are sufficiently numerous and full for the objects of this inquiry. The next report, though much abridged, affords a good account of the access and progressive phases of the storm, first on the northern margin and then in the more central portion of its track; showing the direction and mod- ifications of the wind successively induced as the ship and the storm advanced westward in their respective, and, in part, coin- cident courses. « 226. Ship St. Mary, Foster, for New Orleans, at noon of Sept. 2d was in lat. 27°, Ion. 76°, [then in advance of the northern border of the gale,] a favorable N. E. wind wafting the ship swiftly to the southward. . . Low fleecy clouds flew swiftly to the west; a high sea, without any apparent cause, rolling furiously from E. N. E. On the morning of Sept. 3d, [front centre of the gale then nearly as far westward as the ship,] the wind increased, the east sea had swelled to mountains, the sun shone silvery bright, and the clouds dis- played fiery copper tints. At 8 a. m. passed near the Hole in the Wall, [S. E. end of