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342
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
Augvst, 190
an hour from the southeast. Storm warnings were continued along the middle Gulf coast, vessels were again advised that it would be unsafe to leave port, and railroad and other interests were notified that a severe storm and high water were indicated. By the morning of the 15th there was every evidence that the storm possessed hurricane force. Stations on the west Florida and Alabama coasts were informed that the storm would be very severe and dangerous for any class of vessels. The forecast official at New Orleans was authorized to order, at his discretion, hurricane warnings on the Gulf coast from the mouth of the Mississippi westward, and was directed to notify, by all available means, points in Louisiana and Mississippi that severe gales and heavy rain would occur during the next twenty-four hours. Similar advices were also telegraphed throughout Alabama. During the next twenty-four hours the center of disturbance crossed the coast line somewhat to the’west of the mouth of the Mississippi, and advanced thence northward over east central Mississippi, where it was central at 8 a. m. of the 16th.
After passing into the interior, the storm showed a rapid decrease in strength. At Now Orleans the barometer fell to a minimum of 29.41 inches at 9 a. m. of the 15th, and the maximum wind velocity recorded on that day was 4!* miles an hour from the northeast, at 9:?>5 a. m. At Mobile the ■storin was most severe from 5:15 to 6:30 p. m. of the 15th. and the wind attained its greatest velocity, 60 miles an hour from the southeast, at 5:50 p. m., with an extreme velocity of 78 miles an hour. Between the hours of 5 and 7 p. in., the iwind velocity averaged from 50 to 60 miles an hour. From a short distance west of the mouth of the Mississippi River to a point somewhat to the east of Pensacola. Fla., the storm was very destructive. The forecast official at New Orleans reports that the estimated damage to property on the Louisiana >coast amounted to more than $1,000,000, exclusive of the damage to growing crops. The official in charge at Mobile reports that, according to the estimate of the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the value of property saved by the (warnings of the Weather Bureau aggregates several millions of dollars.
( A detailed description of this storm will be found in the (following reports submitted by the Weather Bureau officials at New Orleans and Mobile.
Report by Dr. Isaac M. Cline, Forecast Official, New Orleans, La.:
The S a. m. weather map of August 12, 1!K>1. showed a general barometric depression over the Gulf States, and there were conditions along the Gulf coast which indicated that a storm was probably developing in the central Gulf. Attention was called to this in the genera) forcast at 8 a. m., August 12, and shipping interests were advised to be n the alert.
1 p. m. special observations were called for on this date, but they revealed no material change since morning in the conditions. Some tugs and barges were, however, advised not to go into the Gulf, and the advice was heeded. At S p. m. the lowest barometer was 29.82 at ■Galveston.
—• The 8 a. m. reports of August 13 showed a storm developing in the central Gulf oft the mouth of the Mississippi Kiver, and the following was issued and distributed:
“Storm northeast, 9 a. m., stations along the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. Disturbance in the Gulf off the mouth of the Mississippi —River, increasing in intensity: will probably cause brisk to high northerly winds to-day and to-night.’’
Several tugs with ileets of barges were held in the basin on tiie ad-,vice of the Weather Bureau. The New Orleans agent of a steamship ine, running to Tampico, 'Mexico, after consulting ihe Weather Bureau bfficialsover the telephone, wired his correspondent at the latter place to hold bis vessel until further notice from the Weather Bureau.
By S p. m. the storm had developed considerable intensity. The wind at Port Eads was blowing 4S miles an hour from the northeast. N’o report was received from Port Eads on the morning of the 14th. 1'lie following warning was issued ami distributed:
‘‘Continue storm northeast. 0 a. iu.. along Louisiana and Mississippi -coasts; disturbance central in Gulf, off Louisiana coast, moving north: will cause high winds, shifting to west.”
All the railroads running into southeast Louisiana and southern Mis-
sissippi were requested by telephone to send notice to their agents i these districts that a severe storm and high water were indicated an to be on the alert and prepare for the same. The officials of the com panies distributed the information promptly.
By 8 p. m. August 14 the storm had spread into the west Gulf, wit' the barometer reading 29.6(i inches both at Galveston and New Oi leans. Kotwithstandiiigthebarometriegradientsto the westward wer slight, storm northeast signals were ordered at Galveston and Sabin Pass, Texas.
At S a. m. August 15 the report showed a well-defined hurricane ii the Gulf oil the coast of Louisiana, and moving slowly toward th< northwest. The following warning was issued:
“Continue storm northeast along the Louisiana and Mississipp coasts; storm increasing in severity and moving northward; liigl northeast to east winds and high water will continue to-day and prob ably to-niirht; the tide has risen 7.1 feet in 4S hours.”
The following was received from Washington, 10.53 a. m.
“ At your discretion order hurricane warnings on the Gulf coastfron Mississippi westward: storm undoubtedly of great intensity and wil strike the coast between the month of the Mississippi Iiiver and Gal veston.	Gakriott.”
It was my desire to wait until receipt of 1 p. m. specials, which hac been called for, before issuing'a hurricane warning for the east Texai coast, but I learned that all the telegraph wires east had gone down and that only one or two wires north and west remained. On accoun of the threatening conditions and the probability of all wires goinj down and making it impossible to get warnings out. I issued a warn ing at once for the territory between the mouth of the Mississipp Kiver and Galveston, as follows:
“Hoist hurricane signals 11 a. m. along Louisiana and east Texas coasts: storm off the Louisiana coast undoubtedly of great intensitj and moving northwest: wil) probably strike the coast between the mouth of the Mississippi Kiver and Galveston, causing htirricanc winds from an easterly direct on on the Louisiana coast and northerly on the east Texas coast.”
This warning was supplemented by the following advisory mcssagt sent to Galveston:
“Only high north winds indicated for east Texas coast, which wit give low water at Galveston.”
This was also given to the press so as to allay the fear of those inter ested in Galveston who would probably read of the stoim in the Gulf.
The storm blew with great fury along the immediate coast of Mis sissippi and Louisiana, commencing on the afternoon of the 13th and continuing through the 14th and 15th. The high wind was not felt at New Orleans until the afternoon of the 14th.
The following are the essential features of the weather at New Orleans on the 14th and 15th :
Avtjust 14.—Cloudy, damp, cool, and windy weather; 10 strato-cumu-lus from northeast at 8 a. in.; (> alto-stratus from west and 4 cumulus from northeast at 1 p. m.; 10 cumulus from northeast at 4 p. m. and H strato-eumnlus from northeast at 8 p. m. At S a. m. the barometer reading was 20.703; at 1 p. in., 29.7^<t; at 4 p. m., 20.G71; at 8 p. m., 29.053. and at midnight, 29.050, which was the lowest reading for the day. The wind blew steadily from the northeast throughout the entire day: at 8 a. m. the velocity was 0 miles an hour: at 1 p. m. and 4 p. in., 20 miles; at 0:40 p. m.. 32 miles, and at 8 p. m., 24 miies. Highest velocity for the day, 32 miles an hour. Light showers occurred from 1 to 5:55 a. m., 7 to 7:40 a. in., 8:20 to 0:15 a. 111., 10:20 to 11:40 a. m., 12:40 to 2:4ti p. m., 5:10 to 5:20 p. m., 0:05 to 7:55 p. m.. and from 0:05 p. m. till past midnight. Total rainfall for the day, 0.7S inch. The Mississippi River at this point rose l.‘J foot in the twenty-four hours ending at 8 a. m., and to a stage of 5.0 feet, and two hours later had risen to 7.1 feet, due to the backing of the water, and continued to rise.
Avgust 15.—Wet and stormy morning and forenoon; cool, overcast, and stormy in the afternoon till about 5:45 p. m.. when the sun broke through tiie clouds in the northwest; the evening was cool, partly cloudy, damp, and comparatively quiet. Clouds: 8 a. in., 10 strato-cumu’his from northeast: 1 p. m., 10 strato-cumulus from north; 4 p. m., 10 nimbus from northwest; 8 p. m., few cirro stratus from southwest and 0 strato-cumulus from northwest. At 8 a. m. the barometer reading was 29.431 inches, having fallen steadily all the morning; at 9 a. m. it was 29.410, the lowest recorded during this storm: after this it began to rise: at 1 p. m. it was 20.401: at 1 p. in.. 29.5|ti: at J> p. m., 29.50ti, and at midnight. 29.050.’ The wind blew steadily Irom the northeast from early morning till about 10 a. m., then it backed to north with occasional gusts from northeast till about 11:55 a. m., when it backed to northwest for a few minutes: from this time till about 3:45 p. in. the wind blew mostly from north-northwest, and during the remainder of the day from northwest with decreasing energy. From 12:0] tr> h a. m. the wind velocity was from 20 to 35 miles an hour from northeast; at 9:35 a. m. there was a severe squall, during which the wind reached u velocity of 40 miles an hour from northeast.: this was the highest velocity recorded for the day: at 1 p.m. the wind was 40 miles troni north: at 4 p.m. it was only 24 miles from northwest: at 8 p. m.. 15 miles from northwest, and at midnight 8 miles west.
To-day's windstorm is the severest experienced in this city since