639976-1896-Post-Office-Notification — Page 1

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 29th AUGUST, 1896.

On the 29th at noon the centre was situated in 20° 30', 116° 00'. e., 150 miles to the SE of Hongkong, its course since leaving N Luzon having been towards WNW at the rather high average speed of 13 miles per hour. Pressure remained highest at about 29.8 ins. over S Japan. At Bolinao 29.68 the barometer was rising while, in Hongkong, 29.41, and to the westward it was falling fast. At the S entrance to the Formosa Channel, where NE veering gales blow in the morning, the barometer was rising after noon. At Breaker Point the barometer read 29.43 at this hour. In Hongkong at 4 p. the wind had risen to a fresh increasing gale from NE by N and after 6 p. it commenced to veer slowly attaining typhoon force at 7 p. and reaching its maximum at 10 p. (velocity 108 miles per. hour) from E by S. It then veered rather quickly and had decreased to storm force from SE by Sat midnight. The barometric minimum (28.87) occurred between 9.30 p. and 10 p. At Victoria Peak the wind direction was about two points more southerly and the wind velocity greater than at the Observatory in the proportion of about 3 to 2 up to the time when the cups of the anemometer at the Peak unfortunately blew away. This occurred at 5.50 p., the wind velocity at the time being at the rate of 110 miles per hour. If the proportion between the velocity at the Peak and at the Observatory was maintained later in the evening the velocity at the Peak at 10 p. would correspond to 170 miles per hour; but, of course, it is possible that this was not the case, and that the proportion, instead of remaining tolerably steady, decreased. If the proportion decreased to about 4 to 3 when the centre was nearest, the maximum velocity at the Peak would be 140 miles. The damage caused to buildings at the Peak as compared to that in the City certainly suggests that a much higher velocity was reached at the upper level than at sea level. At Gap Rock the barometric minimiun (28.54) was recorded at 9 p. and at the same time the wind which had been from NE, vecred to E and decreased for a short time, afterwards increasing again and attaining a S direction at 11 p. Gap Rock was thus on the northern edge of the central area at 9 p. and probably within 10 miles of the actual centre. steepest gradients corresponded to 0.2 inch in 15 miles. At Macao the barometric minimum (28.72) was at 11 p. with a hurricane from E quickly veering to SE and SSE.

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At sea a large number of vessels were involved in the storm in the left-hand semicircle. The bark Lothair was nearest to the centre, she being situated at noon on the 29th 50 miles to the SE by E of Gap Rock. They experienced typhoon force from NNW which backed to W and S in the evening so that the centre passed between the vessel's position and Gap Rock. They had no time to make accurate observations as the vessel was thrown on her beam ends, the lee side being under water up to the hatches and they had to cut away the rigging and let the masts go overboard to save her. Fierce W and SW gales were experienced, in the left-hand semicircle, at a distance of 200 miles from the centre.

On the morning of the 30th the centre was passing to the North of the I.M.C.C. Likin at anchor in Hui Ling San harbour (21°35', 111°48′). At 2.30 a. they had the barometric minimum, 29.04, with typhoon force from WSW and gradually veering to S at 10 a. Towards midday the centre was passing N of the port of Pakhoi. Strong SW veering winds with squally weather prevailed; the barometer read 29.36 at 9 a., 29.12 at 3 p. Probably the centre was situated in about 23o, 1094° at noon, filling up and continuing on its course towards WNW.

W. DOBERCK, Director.

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Hongkong Observatory, 28th August, 1896.

Chonglong.

Darius.

Gwanansiong.

Hong Yuen.

Jootekseng Ahyik.

Ship Socotra.

Soon Hin.

List of unclaimed Telegrams lying in the Joint Telegraph Companies'

Offices at Hongkong.

Hongkong Station, 29th August, 1896.

Tukyeloong.

Wahseng.

Wingcheong.

Ying Chong-Care Tong San Wo.

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ALES

J. M. BECK,

For Manager in China