366
30
September 10th.
S.S. Arratoon Apcar, 20° 58′ 114° 16′ 29.61 NE 7
I.M.C.C. Kaipan,
""
"
Holstein, 19 47 112 22 59 NNE 12 org. Mathilde,...(18 30 111 15)? .40 NW 9
ory.
.18° 12′ 109° 33′ 29.67 S.S. Tai Cheong, ...18 02 111 34 Sh. Lilian Robbins, 19 20 114 23 September 11th.
.30 .56
NW 2 od. NW 11 ESE 10 org.
oq.
S.S. Framnes,
>>
Mathilde,
21° 46′ 113° 50′ 29.84 10 01 111 51 .62
SE 4 op. I.M.C.C. Kaipaa,
18° 12′ 109° 33′ 29.71 SSW O orq. S.S. Tai Cheong, ...15 28 110 08 .79
September 12th.
W 5 org.
W
4 0.
S.S. Hongkong, ......20° 32′ 108° 32′ 29.81 SW 4 C. | S.S. Strathdee, ......19° 32' 107° 30 29.80 S
4 r.
The foregoing observations refer to the typhoon which crossed the China Sea between the 7th and 12th September, but the observations made on board the sailing vessel Lucile which was in the Pacific at some distance to the eastward of Luzon appear to show that two typhoons were in existence at the same time the one crossing the China Sea in a WNW direction, and the other moving north- wards in the Pacific. With regard to the latter the Lucile experienced increasing WNW winds with heavy squalls on the 4th in 13° 32, 127° 41' the barometer having fallen to 29.73. On the 5th in 15° 19,′ 127° 44′ the vessel was hove to on the port tack, the wind having increased to a gale from SW with squalls of typhoon force and a high cross sea. The barometer remained almost steady. On the 6th in 14° 50, 128° 32′ and on the 7th in 16° 41, 128° 32′ the SW gale continued with heavy squalls and a cross sea, and it was not until the 8th that the barometer rose decidedly and the weather improved. It appears, therefore, that the Lucile was under the influence of a typhoon (XII) which was moving to the northwest and north. On the 10th September a typhoon was approaching SW Japan and it subsequently moved to the NE crossing Japan on the 11th and 12th. It appears probable that this disturbance was the saine as felt on board the Lucile between the 4th and 7th. track of the typhoon across Japan is taken from the Japanese Weather Maps, but as the China Coast was not directly affected and the observations from the Japanese station of Naha (Loo Choo islands) are not yet to hand, it is impossible to prolong the track of the typhoon to the southward of Japan with certainty.
The
With regard to the typhoon (XIII) in the China Sea, the following conditions prevailed there for the two or three days previous to the 7th September:-Moderate to strong E and NE breezes with squally wet weather to the north of 16° or 17° latitude and moderate to fresh SW breezes to the south of 13° latitude. In the intervening area, particularly on its eastern side, light variable winds and calms prevailed and a gradual but moderate decrease of pressure was in progress at Bolinao and Manila. Between the 6th and 7th pressure increased 0.07 inch at Bolinao and a fresh SE breeze blew there on the morning of the 7th and at Manila a moderate SW breeze so that a southerly current had now taken the place of the light variable winds which had previously prevailed on that part of the Luzon coast. On the S. coast of China pressure was slowly decreasing and the fresh NE winds were still maintained. The marine data for the 7th indicate a depression, which was as yet of slight intensity, to be central in about 16°, 117° and it seems probable that the increase of pressure and the rather sudden advance of the southerly current northward on the W coast of Luzon were the chief causes which determined the formation of the cyclonic depression. The steamships Sungkiang and Zafiro, situated at a distance of about 120 miles to the rear of the centre at noon, experienced fresh to strong S to SW breezes accompanied by heavy rain and a high SSW sea. The sailing vessel Lilian Robbins was situated at a distance of about 150 miles in front of the centre at noon and they had the wind increasing from the WNW accompanied by rainsqualls.
On the 8th the observations show a considerable decrease of pressure on the S coast of China while at Bolinao the barometer had again fallen, although the centre was now slowly moving away from the station, which appears to indicate that the depression had become deeper since the previous day. The centre at noon on the 8th was probably situated in 17° 30, 115° 30′ which shows that the disturbance had moved towards NW by W at the slow rate of just over 4 miles per hour. The centre was thus about 30 miles to the NE of the Lilian Robbins at noon.
This vessel had expe- rienced a strong or whole NW backing gale with heavy rainsqualls and a high cross sea during the morning. They did not record the height of the barometer until 8 a. and thence it was almost steady or fell slowly until midnight when it read 29.26. The wind had gradually backed from W to SW between noon and midnight, but it continued to blow with force 10 except for a short time near 8 p. when it moderated slightly and at the same time the rain ceased and there was some partially clearing of the sky. The vessel was thus in the lefthand semicircle and the centre was slowly passing at a short distance to the north of her position on the evening of the 8th. Both the Zafiro and Sungkiang had passed into the NE quadrant since the previous day and had experienced the wind backing to SE during the interval. The barometer had fallen although they continued to be at about the same distance from the centre as on the previous day which, as above stated, indicates that the depression had become deeper. The S.S. Arratoon Apcar, bound for Hongkong and at a distance of about 150 miles to the SW by W of the centre, experienced a W by S gale with high sea and a falling barometer. They very properly ran to the eastward, but as the disturbance was moving very slowly they gained no immediate relief as they continued to experience a strong gale from WSW during the evening with the barometer still falling.