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August, 1901.
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
1870 with one exception, August 19, 1SS8, when the wind blew at the rate of 00 miles an hour from the east. The rain that began at 9:05 p. m. yesterday ended at 7:30 o’clock this morning; light showers occurred from 8:2(> to 9 a. m., 11:15 a. m. to 12:40 p. m., and 2 to 5 p. m. Total for the day. 0.59 inch. The Mississippi this morning stood at a stage of 11.4 feet, a rise of 5.5 feet in the past twenty-four hours; soon after noon the river began to fall, and after 4 p. m. it fell rapidly.
During August 13 and up to the afternoon of the 14th the storm moved northward. At 8 a. m. of the 14th the wind at Port Eads had changed by the way of the east to southeast, with a maximum velocity of 72 miles an hour, This, with other reports, showed that the storm had moved to the westward of that place. The j a. m. reports of the loth showed the storm moving toward the northwest. During the evening of the loth the storm changed its course from northwest toward the northeast. The center of the storm appears to have struck the coast of Louisiana to the west of the mouth of the Mississippi River, as forecast in the hurricane warning. It then moved toward the northeast over southeastern Louisiana, the center probably passing between Xew Orleans and Port Eads, across southern Mississippi into Alabama, and thence northward up the Mississippi Valley.
EXTENT OF DAMAGE.
Much damage an.d loss of life was reported. It is estimated that the damage to property on the Louisiana coast will amount to more than $1,000,000, exclusive of the damage to growing crops, which can not be estimated.
The greatest damage in the vicinity of Xew Orleans occurred at Milnelmrg and Bucktown, on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The West End sullered serious damage. The Old Basin overflowed its banks and inundated a large section of the city, causing much damage, especially in the vicinity of Treme market, where the streets were covered with water from 1 to 3 feet deep. The Orleans levee board and the city authorities, acting upon information given out by the Weather Bureau, had a force of 500 men at work strengthening the canal levees. By noon of the 15th the water in the basin began to recede, and by sundown it had ceased to How over its banks.
All the towns south and southeast of New Orleans suffered seriously; also all towns along the Mississippi coast. Only 10 persons are known to have perished, but more lives no doubt were lost. P. ail roads east and north sutiered serious damage. Mail communication with the East was cut off on the night of the 13th and has not vet been restored, August 17.
The warnings issued by the Bureau, well in advance of the hurricane, and the advice that conditions were very threatening, are credited with saving many lives and a vast amount*of property, as the following editorial from the Daily States of August 15 indicates:
“serious damage probable.”
“ The severe storm which has been raging over the Gulf coast of the Southwest during the past two days is quite likely to furnish a chapter of unpleasant reading when all the reports have been made tip. The continued force of the wind and wave has resulted in producing a serious situation all down the lower coast, where the water has been backed up even higher than was the case in the irreat Chenier Caminada disaster, which occurred in October, l-sHU,and destroyed so many lives. It is greatly feared that the loss of life among the tishermen and others who make their temporary habitation on the low-lying coast and the adjacent islands will be considerable.
“ Fortunately, the splendid service of the Weather Bureau, by the timely notice it sent out of the approaching storm, gave many an opportunity to secure protection, and the consequent disaster will he much smaller than would have been the case had the storm broken upon the coast without warning. Communication with many important points is difficult, owing to the fact that the wires are prostrated, but if the storm has prevailed over the principal sugar and rice districts with anything like the same force that characterized its passage over the coast sections the damage to the crops must be considerable.
“ The rice crop throughout Louisiana and Texas is just in that condition where the ripening grain will cause the stalks to succumb to heavy winds, ami it is feared that the loss resulting wiil be considerable. The sugar-canc and cotton crops will probably come out better than the rice, by reason of the fact that these crops have not reached that advanced Stage of ripeness where the injury done would be irreparable. The chief damage to be apprehended is to life and shipping on the coast and in the Gulf and to the great rice crops of Louisiana and Texas.
“ It is sincerely to be hoped that the early and accurate warning given 0y the Weather Bureau enabled most of those exposed to seek places of safety, which appears to have been the ease from reports brought in by several who were on the lower coast at the beginning of the storm.”
The Times-Democrat of Autrust 15, 1901. published the following regarding action taken as a result of the warnings:
“ High winds prevailed along the coast yesterday afternoon and last night, and the warning sounded by the Xew Orleans Weather Bureau >ffice was amply justified.
“ The advice which Forecast Official Cline gave the owners sels of various kinds to keep in port was heeded, and this fact p tended to minimize the damage resultinc from the high wind.
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“The timely warning sent out by the Weather Bureau offici terdav saved many of the vessels from the storm. The V Bureau office here early yesterday notified all points all al( Louisiana and Mississippi coast to advise ship owners not to sci vessels to sea. This warning was heeded, for about twelve si were stopped at the Head of the Passes and cast anchor, and main in the river until the storm has passed over.
“ At 4:30 o’clock the Weather Bureau reported the storm t< creasing. The last information received was that the wind was ing oil the Passes at the rate of 48 miles an hour. It had in greatly in velocity, and was growing greater in its force all the t “The storm was reported to the Weather Bureau officials « centered south and central of the Passes. It was moving slowl; ward
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“ ‘ It is by far the worst storm of the season,’ ” said Captain the steamer Lawrence, last night, “ ‘ and I am afraid the worst i come. So far as I have been able to learn there are no boats out lake, as the framing came in time.’”
The Picayune of August 17, 1901, says:
“ The merchants along the river front took advantage of the warnings of the Weather Bureau, and got their goods up on pis above high-water mark; so that, comparatively speaking, the i to stocks of merchandise is small.”
The Picayune of the same date, in publishing a sketch of th ings issued bv the Weather Bureau in connection with this stori ’ * * * * * *
The lesson to be drawn from the above story should be one < dence on the part of the people in the great and important woi by the Weather Bureau. The uses made of the datly forecast numerous and well known as to call for no remark; but the'\ the manifold business interests of the country of the publicatioi weather data and the dissemination of the warnings of except severe and injurious weather conditions should be as fully appr as it deserves. Warnings of stprms and hurricanes, issued 1 benetit of marine interests, are most important and pecuniari able.”
The Daily Item of August 17, 1901, makes the following e comment:
“The Weather Bureau, by the timely notice it sent out of proaching storm, gave many an opportunity to secure protecti' the consequent disaster was much smaller than would have b casS hail the storm broken upon the coast without warning.”
Supplementary report by Mr. II. F. Alciatore, tempc in charge, Xew Orleans, La.:
I have the honor to submit the following additional report effects of the hurricane of August 13-16, 1901, at the mouth Mississippi River, based on mail advices and telegraphic repor our displavman at Port Eads and Piloltown. La.:
At S p. *m., August 13, 1901, the barometer at Port Eads wi inches, and the wind was blowing from the northeast at the 18 miies per hour. Later in the evening the wind increased i and the telegraph and telephone lines were prostrated and h mained down ever since. At S p. in., August 14, a report was the telegraph office by the displavman but was never sent, t being down. This report showed that the barometer was 29.50 wind from southeast, 00 miles per hour, and that some time dur day the wind had reached a maximum velocity of 72 miles pi from the northeast.
During the night of the 14th and morning of the loth the an eter cups were blown away and the anemometer support k down, from which it would appear that a hurricane velocity in of that reported in the S p. m. observation of the 14th must h curred. The instrument shelter was washed away. The llagst broken by the wind and fell to the ground. The office buil small cabin Carre) weathered the storm, but the papers and therein were soaked with water.
At Pilottown, l.a., about 12 miles up the river, the stoi equally severe. The large and substantial “lookout” towe which* storm llags were displayed was blown down :probably night of the 14th) and completely wrecked. The outhouse in our displavman was accustomed to sleep was blown down and filled with water, the tide having risen about four feet in ab minutes, and property belonging to the Weather Bureau was The storm-warning lanterns, property of the Bureau, are howe ported to be in good condition. The displavman reports that “ a hurricane here (Pilottown) for twenty-four hours from nortl east-southeast.
Report by Mr. William M. Dudley, official in <’ Mobile, Ala.: