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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    to exhibit all that can serve to afford us any knowledge of the strength, extent and progress of the storm, and of the time and manner in which its winds were successively exhibited. 1 will first submit such accounts of the storm as relate to the left hand side of the axis line, as far onward, in its course, as the south shore of Cuba, and including the adjacent portions of the Gulf of Mexico. 1. At Belize, British Honduras, lat. 17° 29', Ion. 88° 12', [180 miles L. ?] the weather in the first week in October, as stated by the master of the Gilbert Hatfield, was very bad ; with squalls and heavy rains; very wild weather. The mate thinks the worst of the weather was between the 1st and 4th of October. [This position was in the Belize river, near the southeastern shore of the peninsula of Yucatan, and under the immediate shelter of the broadest if not the most elevated portion of Central America.]* Mr. LoxswoRTtr, pilot at Belize, informed Capt. Good that the effects of the gale were experienced on all the Honduras coast. Capt. Reed was informed at Belize, that the gale was heavy outside, and that several vessels drove from the anchorage. 2a. Logbook of brig Maria L. Hill, at anchor off Campeche, lat. 19° 51', Ion. 90° 33', [390 miles L. ?] Oct. 2d, pleasant. Oct. 3d, strong Norther this day ; received no cargo. Friday, 4th, strong Norther all this twenty-four hours ; received no cargo. Oct. 5th, more moderate ; wind still to the north.—From this time the weather continued pleasant till the 13th. [This appears to show us the left border of the gale.] 26. At Grand Suline, (Bouche de Silan,) N. coast of Yucatan, lat. 21° 25', Ion. 88° 42', [3G0 miles J,.,] the Betsey Hall, loaded with mahogany and ready for sea, went on shore Oct. 4th, during a heavy swell and imbedded in the sand. The Alexander Petrnn and Ar- tebonite also dragged their anchors and went on shore ; the former knocked her bottom out and sunk.—{Shipping Lists.) 2 c. Royal Mail steamer Trent, at anchor off Tampico, took a Norther on the night of Sept. 21st, and was compelled to slip cables and proceed to sen ; continued blowing from N. N. W. till 24th, with barometer from 29 80 to 2982. Returned to the anchorage and had strong breezes between S. E. and E. N. E. till 27th, when the wind hauled to N. N. E. At 4 A. M. of the 28th, a violent northerly gale set in, with no indication beyond the rising of the barometer, which compelled us to slip a second time, blowing from N. 9. W., with a heavy sea, through the 29lh, and continued with strong breezes on the 30th,—and fresh breezes Oct. 1st, with fine weather; the barometer ranging throughout the Norther, from 30 in. to 30-14 ; thermometer from 82° to 78° Fahr. Oct. 2d, fresh breezes with dark blue clouds to the N. W.; at 8 a. m anchored at Vera Cruz; bar. 3015, wind increasing; noon, strong breezes, bar. 30 12; 4 p.m. fresh gales from N. N. W. ; 6 p. m. proceeded to sea; 8 p. M. bar. 3007, therm. 82° ; midnight, heavy gales with much sea. Oct. 3d. a. m. fresh breezes from N. N. W., with thick rain and much sea; 8 a. m. bar. 3002; noon, 3000, lat. 20° 7', Ion. 94° 29'; 8 p. M. bar. 2993, range of therm. 85° to 84° ; towards midnight heavy gales from N. W. Oct. 4th, strong gales this day from N. to N. N. W. with heavy sea from northward, the bar. fell in half an hour from 29-98 to 29-90; 8 a. m. bar. 2990; noon, bar. 29 92, lat. 20° 11', Ion. 92° 40', the su.-dl be- came very high and came from N. E.; [then 540 miles L. ?J weather hazy and sky of a copper-colored appearance, small scud ftybig fast; 8 p. m. bar. 29 92 ; therm. 84° to 83°. Oct. 5th, strong breezes and squally tins day, from N. N. W. to N.; 8 a. m. bar. 3002 ; noon, 3002, lat. 21° 53', Ion. 90° 17', [468 miles L. (?)] therm. 84° to 82°, atmosphere still hazy, air cooler to the sense, heavenly bodies much clearer. Oct. 6th, moderate breezes from N. by W. and fine, atmosphere clear and dry, bar. 3002 to 3005, lat. 22° 3i', Ion. 87°, * The profile elevation of this part of Central America, above the two oceans, is believed to be about five thousand feel. But both eastward, and west war.1, near the Lake of Nicaragua, and at the isthmus of Tehuantepec, the elevution is inconsiderable, say five hundred feet.