79
467
The observations made at the stations in and around the Formosa Channel are given in detail for 17th September at noon to the 19th at noon inclusive. The following are some additional observations for noon of the 17th:-
COAST STATIONS.
Bolinao, Steep Island, North Saddle,.
.29.73 -.04 .30.00 .01 .29.98 .01
S
0.
NE
I
f.
NE
omq.
VESSELS.
S.S. Taichiow,
10° 57'
108° 39'
29.76
SW
0.
high sea.
Sh. Albania,
.12 50
112 32
WSW
0.
Bq. Sachem,
.14 20
113 17
WSW
S.S. Cheang Hock Kian,...15 25
110
WNW
0.
swell.
A
Kong Beng, Hupeh,
.17
59
111 14
.70
NW
0.
17 59
113 41
.75
var.
0.
swell.
Sch. Santa Cruz,
56
116 29
.67
WNW
rq.
Bq. Jessonda,
.20 10
113 43
.76
NW
high cross sea. fine.
S.S. Chusan,
.20 28
111 27
.74
N
0.
وو
Zafiro,......
**
Kowshing,
...20 32 ..20 42
118
57
.48
NW
Q.
118 48
NW
0.
»
Nanshan,
.22 2
114 0
.72
NW
Asagao,
.22 35
115 45
.60
NW
0.
Verona,
.22 27
115 19
.66
NNW
22
27
Fushun,
.25
116 45
N
"}
Paoting,
.25
119 12
.53
NE
10
""
Chi Yune,..
.25 25
119 45
.64
NE
7
opq.
cross sea.
moderate sea.
heavy swell. high sea.
The centre was at noon on September 17th in 21° 40', 121° 15', moving NWard and at 4
p. it passed a little to the North of S Cape. The barometer reading at 4 p. was 29.21 (lowest). At noon the wind force decreased to a gentle breeze and so continued until after 3 p. the direction during the time varying between N and NE but being chiefly N. At 3 p. it commenced backing and at 4 p. was from WNW 5. At 6 p. it had come to SSW 3 and at 7 p. it was SSE increasing quickly in force with rapidly rising barometer. During the night of the 17th to 18th a fresh to strong SE gale blew at the station with wet squally weather. The diameter of the central area when near S Cape where gentle breezes prevailed was about 60 miles. The lowest readings of the barometer were taken at Takow (29.29) and Anping (29.25) at 4 p. and at Fisher Island at 5.30 p. (29.22) after which hours the barometer rose at those stations. There is some uncertainty as to the position of the centre after it passed near S Cape at 4 p. The barometer at Fisher Island was as low within 0.01 at 5.30 p. as it was at S Cape at 4 p. while Anping and Takow lying between had higher readings, moreover the wind circulation at Fisher Island, Anping and Takow do not agree well with the position of the centre. The wind during the early part of the evening was blowing round the Island of Formosa owing probably to the mountain chain which runs north and south through its centre. The Takow wind forces are over estimated. Moderate to whole NNE gales blew in the Channel during the 17th, the higher forces being registered in the northern part. The weather was overcast but dry until the evening when rain set in at some of the more southern stations. In N Formosa moderate SE breezes prevailed with showers at Keelung. Hongkong had light to gentle NNW breezes and fine weather but the sky clouded during the evening. The day, but more particularly the night, temperature was excessive as usually is the case when a typhoon is approaching the Colony from the eastward. In Luzon light to gentle S breezes prevailed with overcast sky.
On the 17th several vessels in the Channel and at the ports on the SE coast had bad weather the nature of which can be readily inferred from the observations made at the Channel stations which are printed elsewhere. Vessels in the neighbourhood of Hongkong had chiefly moderate to fresh NNW breezes. The Schooner Santa Cruz bound for islands in the Pacific left Hongkong on the 12th September. In tacking for the Balingtang Channel she encountered strong ENE breezes and heavy seas, On the afternoon of the 16th the wind backed from NE to NNE at midnight with very quickly increasing wind and sea. The upper topsails, jib and mainsail were made fast and the foresail reefed. On the morning of the 17th the wind backed slowly and there was a tremendous sea running from all points of the compass and heavy seas breaking over the ship (barometer 4 a. 29.66). The lower topsails were made fast and she was hove to on the port tack at 9 a., wind NW by N. The ship was working tremendously in the high sea. At noon on the 17th in 19° 56', 116° 29′ (barometer 29.64) the wind was WNW: At 4 p. they kept her off and stood to the Eastward until 7 p. when the wind and sea again increased, so they hove to again on the port tack. At 9 p. there were heavy rain squalls from the West with short intervals and a tremendous sen from E and NW. The Zafiro and Kowshing WSW of the centre were almost together at noon in 20° 30′, 119° steering about S by E. They had N to NW fresh breezes, overcast sky and heavy ESE to SE swell. The lowest reading of the barometer was at 4 p. 29.45 and the wind then commenced backing through W to SW increasing to a moderate and fresh gale with heavy rain squalls, high sea and rising barometer (at midnight 29.58). At midnight the centre was perhaps in 22° 25′, 119° 20′ moving a little to north of west but owing to the causes above mentioned there is some uncertainty as to this position.