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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    below at the commencement of the gale, and was called to reef the foresail at half past 11 a. m. 1 deem it proper to present the above details, but in estimating them, allowance may be made for the position and condition of this suffering observer. Orange Key and Riding Rocks are near the line given for the route of the storm's axis, but its actual course may have been a little devious from a direct line, and here more westward.J 48. Ship Chester, passed Stirrup Key, [Berry Islands,] Oct. 11th, was boarded by the keeper of the light on Abaco, [Hole in the Wall, lat. 25° 51', Ion. 77° 09', about 70 miles R.,] who reported that the hurricane had blown down all the houses. The wind was heaviest from S. E., on the morning of the 6th. 49. Schr. Magnet, Oct. 5th, 6th, near E. side of Abaco, [lat. 26°, Ion. 77°, about 70 miles R.,j had a heavy gale of wind from E. S. E. to S. S. E., during which lost sails and spars, was thrown on beam ends, &c. [Latter part of gale not mentioned.J Saw Schr. Chase about one mile from Abaco, wind blowing on shore. Brig Partridge was also dismasted near Abaco. 50. Barque Reform, for Mobile, at noon Oct. 5th, fresh breezes from S. E. and cloudy ; double reefed the topsails; at 2 p. m. made sail, and stood in W. S. W. for Abaco. At 5 p. U. made the land ahead and hauled the ship to the wind ; at 6 p. m. tacked ship to the eastward, the wind increasing, with a heavy sea from S. E.; close reefed fore and main- topsails, furled courses, jib, and spanker; at 9 p. m. wind still increasing from S. E.; at 11 p. m. fore-topmast staysail blew out; took in fore-topsail and hove to under close reefed main-topsail, blowing heavy. Oct. 6th, at 1 A. m. the gale increased to a hurricane and blew away the furled sails from the gaskets. At 2 a. M. the gale suddenly subsided and the wind changed to S. W. [N. of Abaco, a few miles R.] In 33 minutes it was again blowing a hurricane from S. W., as hard or harder than before. About daylight it began to moderate, and at 11 .v. H. the wind had veered to W. Lat. at noon 27° 31'. 51. Ship S'ar Republic, took the gale Oct. 5th, lat. 26° 46', Ion. 76° 58', in company with Rrform. Increased to a hurricane from E. S. E. till about 2h. 30m. a. m. of the 6th, when it died away, and in about 30 minutes shifted from E. S. E. to W. and came out from that quarter with great fury. At the time of the lull the barometer stood at 2810, [or as cor- rected 011 for its adjustment, 2824,] when it rose rapidly 3-lOths in 30 minutes, and then remained stationary for two hours ; rising again as the gale abated. Lat. at noon of 6th, 27° 25', Ion. 77° 15' by computation. [A few miles R. of our axis line.] 52. Brig Josephine, encountered the hurricane on the evening of Oct. 5th, 21 miles N. E. of the Hole in the Wall, [or S. E. point of Abaco,] blowing from S. E.; cleared the E. point of Abaco, and scudded before the gale till 3 a. m. of the 6th, when it lulled, and then came out from N. W., blowing a hurricane for four hours, which dismasted the brig. Lat. at noon 27° 30', Ion. 76° 30'. (?) [The brig's position at the time of the lull is supposed to be at the axis of the gale, which may have been to the right of our axis line.] 53. Nassau, N. P. [lat. 25° 04', Ion. 77° 18', about. 90 miles R.] We experienced a se- vere hurricane on the Banks on the night of Oct. 5th, and the loss of lives and property has been greater than that of any previous gale for some years. In this harbor, from the quarter we had the wind, S. E., all was protected, and no damage of consequence. (Ber- muda Gazette.) A letter from an officer at Nassau, states that the gale commenced with the wind from S. E., and gradually drew round to S., ending about S. W.—{Nautical Magazine.) 54. Letters from Long Island, Bahamas, [lat. 23° 20', Ion. 75° 15', about 275 miles R.,] state that the gale was by no means severe there, blowing only in squalls attended with torrents of rain. Rum Key has also suffered little from its fury.—Ber. Gaz. [Lat. 23° 41', Ion. 74° 43', about 280 miles R.] These two islands are on the S. E. border of the Bahama group, and opposite the eastern part of Cuba, the highlands of which would afford some degree of protection, under the R. side of the storm.] 55. Ship Berlin, Oct. 5th-6ih, lat. 26°, Ion. 75°, [175 miles R.,] experienced a hur- ricane from S. E., veering S. W., with a heavy sea. 56. Barque Lagrange, Oct. 5th-6th, lat. 26° 31)', Ion. 75° 30', [127 miles R.,] experi- enced a very severe gale from S. S. E. to S.; which increased to a hurricane at 3 a. m. Lost bulwarks, deck load, &c.