196
108
proceeding N. At 8 p. with NW by W gale increasing the royals were handled and at 9 p. the jib- boom carried away at the cap. There was now a strong W gale and high sea. At 11 p. all was made snug and they wore the ship to the southward, but too late. Shortly after midnight on the morning of the 25th it blew a typhoon from SW by S with fierce squalls and a high cross sea.
The barque laboured heavily, rolling and pitching hard and the waves broke on board both fore and aft. The mainsail was blown from the yard. The gaff topsail and flying jib were lost, and the mizzen staysail and main-topmast-staysail blew to ribands. In the forenoon it continued blowing with full typhoon force from SW. The lowest barometer was 29.40 and the temperature (88°) continued abnormally high. At noon in 14° 40', 132° 28' barometer was registered 29.70 (with SSW 12), at 4 p. 29,65 and at midnight 29.63. It then blew from SSW with increased fury, high cross sea, furious squalls and continuous downpour of rain. Of course the readings of the aneroid are uncertain as it is so difficult to read it to a tenth in such weather. At noon on the 25th South Cape registered: 30.02, NNE 5, c. Light N breezes prevailed over Luzon with cloudy weather (barometer 29.91 in the north and perhaps about 29.80 in the south).
On the 26th October from midnight to 8 a. the typhoon continued from SW on board the Xenia. At 1 a. the foretopsail blew away and she was hove to on the port tack (being in the left hand semi- circle). At 11 a. she was kept away from the wind. At noon she was in 15° 41', 131° 12'.
At 1 p. the typhoon blew from SSE. At 3 p. the foretopmast stay carried away but the mast was secured (barometer 29.60 falling). At 8 p. it blew from the same quarter with unabated fury. The schooner Jenny in 7°, 150° had strong southerly wind on this day.
On the morning of the 27th it blew from SSE by E on board the Xenia. Part of the starboard bulwarks were washed away. After 8 a. it began to moderate. Foresail and upper foretopsail were At noon she was in 18° 13′, 129° 1' with barometer 29.80. In the afternoon it blew ESE 8 with a fearfully high cross-sea. At noon South Cape registered 29.97, NNE 3, c. and Bolinao 29.84, NNE 1, b.
set.
On the 28th the Xenia at noon in 19° 12', 127° 40′ had the wind from ESE moderating to a breeze but the sea kept running high from all directions. At 7 a. the cap to the foremast head carried away and broke the foretopmast stay. The weather was clear and barometer rising (29.93 at 6 p.) At noon it blew a moderate NNW gale in Bolinao with falling barometer (29.67). South Cape registered: 29.96, NNE 4, c. but it blew NNE 6 to 7 at Fisher Island. The S.S. Koushing in 16° 41′, 119° 42′ registered 29.61 strong NNW wind and rough sea. At Manila it blew a gentle WSW breeze. The barometer was rising in southern China, gradients rather steep for N winds, weather clear, warm and dry.
Although it is not possible to construct a very accurate path from these observations the positions of the centre of the typhoon must have been nearly as follows. On the 24th October 15, 136°; on the 25th 15, 133°; on the 26th: 15°, 130°; on the 27th: 16, 127°; on the 28th: 16°, 125"; and on the 29th: 17o, 123°.
In the afternoon on the 29th this typhoon recurved. The following are some of the principal observations made at noon. The barometer was falling at all the stations in China :---
COAST STATIONS.
Steep Island,
N
750 30.14 .03
NNW
cm.
Ockseu,
NNW
550
29.99
.05
NE
c.
Fisher Island,
NW
400
.84
.12
NNE
9
cmq.
Anping,
NNW
400
.84
.10
N by E
of.
Hongkong,
WNW
550
.98 .08
N by E
b.
South Cape,
NNW
300
.82
.14
NE
cm.
Hoihow,....
W by N
700
30.08
.01
NE
Bolinao, Manila,
WSW SW
200
29.55 .12
200
.72 .01
WNW SW
7
C.
oqr.
C.
VESSELS.
S.S. Esmeralda,..
" Bombay,
"
Kowshing,
Bq. Xenia,
S.S. Cosmopolit,
Past Capones. 26° 18' 120° 30′ Manila. 19° 20' 126° 3' 16 27 109 48
SW 250 29.66 WSW NNW 550
30.09 NNE SW
200 NE 200 29.80
W
750 29.97
WSW
E
N
10 10 10 45
pq.
ouq.
C.
At Bolinao it blew at intervals during the night in furious gusts of wind and rain especially between 3 a. and 4 a. on the 29th.
The Xenia had a heavy cross swell. She had proceeded straight for Hongkong without further reference to the typhoon, and ran in consequence again into the left hand semi-circle after the centre had recurved. She was now to the N of the centre and had at 11.30 p. a strong NE gale and mountainous NE sea. She was hove to on the starboard tack, and had therefore to go through the typhoon again. However it seems it did not blow so hard as before as the centre was now moving against the NE monsoon. The lowest barometer 29.79 was registered at 6 p. at South Cape after which the fresh NE gales gradually decreased in force.
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