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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    Gale or Norther of the Gulf of Mexico in October, 1842. This storm appeared at the southwestern borders of the Gulf of Mexico at the close of September and beginning of October; but from what direction it arrived in that region, does not clearly appear. We may suppose its previous course to have been west- wardly, like other storms of these latitudes ; and on almost any hypothesis its route must have been, in part, on the nearly adja- cent portions of the Pacific Ocean and the gulf of Tehuantepec, a region which has long been noted for its tempestuous character* From the region first mentioned, this gale appears to have moved in a northeastwardly or more easterly course through the Mexican sea, across the peninsula of Florida, and over the At- lantic Ocean, touching the Bermudas, till, near the 60th degree of west longitude, it becomes lost to our present inquiries. The route of this storm is indicated on Chart I, (track XIII;) and our reports and observations which relate to it are as follows. (See also Chart III; where the localities are indicated numerically.) 1. Weather at Vera Cruz, as per logbook of II. M. S. Ringdove.t—Sept. 29, a.m., wind N. N. W., force 4-2, b. c.; p. m., N. N. W. 4, b. c—N. N. W. 6 ; o. c. q. r. At sun- set struck topmasts and pointed yards to the wind ; N. 7, q. r.—midnight, N. 8, b. c. q. Sept. 30th, b. c, wind N. 7; N. W. 5; W. 2 ; N. N. W. 6-7;—midnight, N. N. W. 6. Oct. 1st, a. M., b. c, wind N. N. W. 5; N. W. 4; p. m., W. N. W. 5, o. c. q.; N. N. W. 7, o. c. q. r.;—midnight, N. N. W. 6, o. c. q. Oct. 2d, a. m., wind N. N. VV. 6, o. c. q.; N. W. 5, 4, b. c.;—p. m., N. W. 4; N. N. W. 5, b. c. Wind more moderate on the 3d, but con- tinued N. N. W. and N. W. till about noon of the 4th. [This storm at Vera Cruz was a proper Norther of the Mexican coast, and its duration from Sept. 29th to Oct. 2d, shows its progress to have been very slow at that time. This protracted duration is not unfre- quent, but rather common in the Northers at Vera Cruz. This may be ascribed, with probability, to the cessation of the westerly progression of the storm, and the gradual commencement of an easterly course.] 2. The Mexican brig Secunda Fama sailed from Vera Cruz on the 29th September. On the 2d of October in sight of the bar, [of Tampico, lat. 22° 15',] was suddenly attacked by a violent gale of wind, which drove her on a reef of rocks four miles northward of Lobos Island, [lat. 21° 30', Ion. 97° 24',] where the vessel filled, and those on board lost all hope of escape. On the morning of the 3d the clouds cleared away, and they discovered the Texan sloop of war Austin under the lee of the island, whose officers succeeded in reach- ing the wreck with a life-boat, saved the people, and landed them at Tampico.—(Ma- rine Report.) [The shorter duration of the gale here than at Vera Cruz, shows a nearness to its northwestern border.] 3. The schr. Caroline, from Metamoras, took the gale at N. E., Oct. 1st, about 100 miles east of the Rio Grand del Norte; the wind first veered eastward, [as the vessel moved * Vide Humboldt's New Spain; New York, 1811, Vol. I, pp.21, 64—66. The Pacific coast of Central America being seldom visited by our navigators, we are unable to obtain reports from that region. t For an explanation of Capt. Beaufort's meteorological symbols, see note at p;igc 6.