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During the afternoon, between 4 and 4.30 p.m., the centre passed South of Fisher Island and probably within 10 miles of the station. The lowest reading of the barometer was 28.75 at 4.30 p.m. (it had fallen 0.4 since noon) the wind being from NE of full typhoon force with heavy squalls and torrents of rain. By referring to the observations printed elsewhere it will be seen how quickly the wind direction changed. It had been steady at SE up to 2.30 p.m. but had increased in violence from force 9 at 11 am. to force 11 at 2.30 p.m. At 3 p.m. it was ESE 11, 3.30 p.in. E 12, 4 p.m. NE 12, 4.30 p.m. NE 12, 5 p.m. N 12 at which direction it remained till after 9 p.m. though the force of course decreased. The typhoon was moving away from the station in a SEasterly direction.
From the Fisher Island and Anping observations alone the centre can be very accurately deter- mined and at 6 p.m. 21st July was situated in 23° 20′, 119° 40′. At the latter station the barometer had been falling very rapidly since noon and the wind direction had backed from SW to S and increased to force 10. At 6 p.m. the barometer read 28.98, it had fallen 0.38 since noon. There was very heavy rain and squalls. At Takow the barometer had fallen from 29.42 at noon to 29.23 at 6 p.m. and from the observations made on H.M.S. Firebrand, which was at anchor in Takow harbour it is seen that the wind remained steady in direction from SSW but increasing in force. The weather had been very wet and squally the whole day. At 6 pm. SSW 8 was observed on the Firebrand. At the Custom House at 3 p.m. the wind is entered as WSW of force 10. The wind forces observed at the Custom House for the previous day and up to this time as compared with the adjacent stations are doubtless over estimated. This is seen from the wind observations at S Cape and Anping together with those of the Firebrand for the 20th. Moreover had it not been for presence of the Firebrand at Takow, the wind observations would not have been put on record as although frequent observations of the baro- meter were made at the Custom House, no observations of wind were recorded between 9 p.m. of the 21st and 9 a.m. of the 22nd between which hours the centre of the typhoon passed over the port.
At S Cape the barometer had fallen 0.14 since noon and at 6 p.m. read 29.34. The wind bad veered since the former hour and increased in force, it was now from SW of force 7, the.weather being squally, showery and gloomy.
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On the other side of the Channel on July 21st at 6 p. Lamocks, Swatow and Breaker Point had light to gentle W & SW breezes with overcast weather barometer 29.43 at the latter station and Lamooks. The Fokien near Breaker Point having left Swatow for Hongkong about noon reported "moderate W to SW winds with rain and heavy cross swell to port." The barometer was rising. At Chapel Island there was a moderate NNW gale, barometer 29.29 and cloudy weather. The Benlarig had at 8 p.m. a strong W gale with increasing sea. At 6 p.m. "brilliant yellow sunset was noted. At the lighthouse stations in the N part of the Channel the wind was backing and increasing somewhat in force, the weather being cloudy and squally. Turnabout and Middle Dog both had the barometer reading at 6 p.m. 29.37 this being the lowest recorded and wind being NE 6 and ENE 6 respectively. At Ockseu it was NNE 5. The Mathilde close to Ockseu at 8 p.m. experienced a fresh NNÉ gale and high sea, barometer 29.35 (lowest).
Since 6 p.m. the barometer at Anping had been falling very rapidly the wind remaining Southerly of force 10 the heavy squalls being of full typhoon force. At 9 p.m. the barometer attained its lowest point and read 28.62 the wind at the time being somewhat less strong. The centre passed W of the port distant about 10 miles at this time. At 9.15 p.m. the wind backed to SE for 5 minutes in a very heavy squall. At 9.30 p.m. the direction was again South and the barometer had risen 0.10 since 9 p.m. At 10 p.m. it had backed to ESE and was of force 10. At 10.30 p.m. the same wind. At 11 and 11.30 p.m. it was NE of force 8. Mr. STRANGMAN, the observer, has a note "11.15 p.m.- 0.15 a.m. wind lessened in force, a lull compared with what preceded and followed." At 11 p.m. the barometer read 29.17 having risen no less than 0.55 inch since 9 p.m. At this time the rise was checked for 1 hour, the reading being 29.16 at 11.30 p.m. and 29.17 at midnight. At the latter hour the wind had backed to NNW a strong gale. It was overcast and squally, but the heavy rain had ceased. Mr. STRANGMAN adds: "Enormous amount of damage to life and property ashore and afloat, the shipping suffering severely. Three big Amoy junks being blown into a sweet potatoe field. The sea rose 2 feet above the highest water known here for some time."
At Takow at 6 p.m. July 21st the barometer reading was 29.24, the wind being from SSW of force 8 with heavy rain squalls. The barometer was falling very rapidly and the wind increasing in force the direction remaining constant at SSW according to the observations on board the Firebrand. The Custom House observations give the wind at 9 p.m. as WSW force 10. The force at that hour agrees with the Firebrand observations, but the directions are 4 points asunder. The reading of the baro- meter was 29.02, a fall.of 0.22 since 6 p.m. Between 9 and 10 p.m. the barometer fell 0.29 according to the Custom House observations and 0.35 by the Firebrand readings, the readings being 28.73 and 28.675 respectively. The latter was the lowest reading recorded on the Firebrand, but the Custom House observations were made every quarter of an hour and we have from them the lowest reading at 10.45 p.m. 28.69. At 10 p.m. the wind was from SSW of force 10 to 12. On the Firebrand an aneroid was used and up to 9 p.m. the readings agree very well with those of the Custom House where a standard mercurial barometer is used. The aneroid of the Firebrand appears to have become deranged and read too high after the passage of the centre. The readings of the Customs House barometer are therefore afterwards alone used.
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