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
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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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    Abaco, lat. 25° 51', Ion. 77° 11',] tem. of air 82°, water 81.J0, wind increasing, in sudden gusts ; sails reduced and well secured. Shortly after noon of the 3d, passed Stirrup Key and entered upon the great Bahama Bank. The wind, from E. N. E., continued to in- crease, but was fair for crossing these smooth shallow waters. Appearances now altered and the clouds flew to the west with great velocity and low elevation ; ship reduced to close-reefed topsails and reefed fore courses. At half-past 8 p. m., departed from the Bank and encountered, in the Gulf of Florida, a heavy breaking sea. The night w as dismal in the extreme, but the ship scudded with safety. After daylight on the 4th, the sea ran very dangerously, and during the morning the clouds came flying from the east with heavy squalls of wind, lightning and torrents of rain. By 10 a. m. the Florida Reef, near to Loo Key, was seen, over which the sea was breaking frightfully, the wind blowing E. by S. Ahout noon the wind had increased to a perfect hurricane; to run was no longer safe, and the ship was hove to with head to the south, under a storm mizen topsail, which soon blew to fragments. At 6 p. M. had drifted into shoal water, but to set sail was impossible, as no canvass could stand, and for four anxious hours the ship drifted to the west. The wind during that long night blew steadily from E. by S. with increasing violence. Towards morning of the 5th it veered gradually to the S. E. and moderated to a hard gale, with heavy rain. Finally, the morning of the 6th brought, in the Gulf of Mexico, a clear sky and a gentle breeze.—(Jour, of Capt. Foster.) [The veering of the wind from N. E. to S. E., to the right on the compass card, during the storm, together with its force, shows the ship to have been in the right center of the gale, as will appear also from a collation of the other reports. The duration of the gale and the slowness of the changes of its direction, with this ship, are largely due to her westerly progress, which in the later part coincided with the course of the storm.] 23. Brig Florida Banco, at noon of Sept. 2d, was in lat. 2'J° 30', Ion. 75° 54'; took the first of the gale about 10 p. m., wind N. E., veering afterwards to E., at which point it stood at noon of the 3d, about six miles south of the Hole in the Wall. Had the hardest of the gale between Stirrup Keys and the Banks in the afternoon and night of the 3d. (Journal of Capt. Eldridge.) 24 a. Barque Rapid, Ward, bound for Havanna, Sept. 2d, a. m., wind E., five and six knot breeze; lat. obs. 26° 31'. p. m., wind N. E., begins fresh gales and clear weather. At 4 p. m. made the Hole in the Wall, S. W. by W., 15 miles. At 8 p. m. the Hole bore N. E. by E., 7 miles ; ends with fresh gales and squally appearance. Sept. 3d, at 1 a. m., made the Berry Islands bearing YV. S. W., five miles, fresh gales and squally, took in main-top gallant sails, p. M., fresh gales and squally ; at 2h. 30m. p. M., went off the Bank; wind N. E. by N.; at midnight made the Doubled-Headed Shot Keys and hauled up west. Sept. 4th, at 2 a. m., the Double Shots bearing E. N. E. about nine miles distant, close reefed topsails and sent down fore-royal yard; at 5 a.m., finding the gale increasing sent down top gt. yards and took in flying-jib boom ; reefed all sails and furled them as fast as possible; running before the wind under bare poles, wind N. N. E. At 8 a. m., still studding, and judging the land of Cuba at not more than ten miles distance, brought the barque to under the main spencer. In less than ten minutes she was hove on her beam ends, the water rushed into the cabin, and every thing was soon washed from the deck. Find- ing no relief, cut away the mizen topmast to get her off before the wind, rather than founder. Lost the fore-topmast staysail, fore-topmast and head of the foremast, could not get the barque before the wind, and the sea constantly breaking heavily over her. By this time it was noon, and the wind, which had suddenly shii'ted, was blowing a tremen- dous hurricane from S. to S. W. At 1 p. M. the force of the hurricane began to abate, still blowing very heavy and in squalls. At 4 p. m. more moderate, and at 6 p. m. kept away S. W. under foresail, the wind at S. E. Sept. 5th, at daylight made the Pan of 3Iatanzas. (Logbook.) [It will be seen that the Rapid was further south while exposed to the gale, than either of the three vessels last mentioned. The sudden shift of the wind to an opposite direction shows that the barque was at that time near to the axis of the gale, and that this axis passed near to the north coast of Cuba in its westerly progress.] 246. Capt. Ward states that a Spanish ship was dismasted at Ginger Key, [lat. 22° 53', Ion. 78°,] the hurricane shifting round the compass.