Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 366

362

26

وو

وو

S.S. Pronto,

Canton, Lyeemun,

» Ardgay,

.33° 16′ 123° 09′ .30 36 122 57 29 42 122 00 28 04 121 54 Choy sang,.....27 30 120 55

20.76

August 4th.

6

q.

S.S. Wuotan,

"

SE .64 SE O rq. ,54 ESE 7 SPI .54 SE 4 c. .52 E 3 C.

""

Peiyang, Fooksang, " Belgic,

Ancona,

26° 40′ 121° 15′ 26 19 120 17

Min River. 24 25 118 23 23 45 118 12

29.47 ESE 3

34444

.46 $ .39 SSE .41 SSW 4t .49 SW

C.

c.

C.

Typhoon IX, to which the foregoing observations refer, was already in existence but far away in the Pacific, on July 29th. On this day the ship Ivy experienced a fresh WSW gale with hard rainsqualls in 19° 45', 133 00'. Unfortunately they recorded no barometric observations but doubtless the bad weather encountered was due to a typhicon which was passing to the N and W of the vessel. On the 30th, the vessel being situated in 18° 54′, 132° 45', the wind had backed to SW of force 6 the weather remaining very squally. The typhoon had now also commenced to affect the weather at Naha (Loo Choo Islands) where the barometer was falling quickly and the wind increasing from the NNE. On the 31st the observations show that a considerable decrease of pressure had taken place at this station during the preceding 24 hours and that the typhoon was also affecting the stations in Formosa and SW Japan. The centre was perhaps situated in 26°, 129° at noon and during the evening it approached the neighbourhood of Naha where the wind backed to WNW and blew a fresh gale, the barometer reading 29.17 at 9.30 p. The minimum reading recorded was 29.07 at 1.30 a. of August 1st the wind having then backed to WSW of force 5. Very heavy rain was falling with the wind steadily backing to SW and S during the morning but the barometer rose slowly. The centre was thus passing a little to the north of this station on the morning of August 1st its course probably being towards WNW and W during the time. At noon on August 1st the centre was situated in 27°, 127° or about 60 miles to the NW of Naha. The barometer was now falling rather quickly in the neighbourhood of N Formosa with the wind increasing to a fresh breeze from W at Keelung, the centre being situated at a distance of about 300 miles to the ENE of the station. Pressure was also giving way on the East coast of China and moderate to fresh NE breezes blew at the lighthouse stations at the mouth of the Yangtze the centre bearing about 350 miles to the SE of the North Saddle lighthouse at noon. In SW Japan moderate or fresh E breezes prevailed the barometer being almost stationary the centre being about 350 miles SW by S of Kagoshima. The steamships Macduff and Empress of Japan had fresh NE to E gales at a distance of about 250 miles to north of the centre and the bark Alcides about 200 miles in front of, i. e., to the west of the centre, had an increasing N gale, a heavy sea and squally weather but the sky was only partially clouded and the weather remained dry.

On August 2nd at noon the centre was situated in 27° 00′, 123° 45' the disturbance having moved westward at the rate of a little more than 7 miles per hour since noon of the preceding day. When the warning of August 2nd was issued from the Hongkong Observatory the centre was thus 170 miles to the NE of Tamsui (N Formosa). On referring to the noon observations made at the coast stations on this day it is seen that pressure had decreased generally on the China coast between Hongkong and Shanghai during the preceding 24 hours, the fall being a rapid one in the area between the N part of the Formosa Channel and Wenchow. The disturbance had also begun to affect the Yangtze stations where the barometer was now falling. In SW Japan and at Naba pressure was increasing as the typhoon moved away to the westward. Cyclonic winds were increasing in force on the China coast between N Formosa and Shanghai and very bad weather prevailed over an extensive area. At sea, E to SE gales with a heavy sea prevailed at a distance of 350 miles from the centre in the NE quadrant and in front or to the W of the centre it was blowing with storm force from Nat a distance of 150 miles. The noon position given for the bark Alcides is very doubtful, but it is certain that the vessel was very close to the centre which must have passed a little to the north of her position. They experienced typhoon force of wind from N backing to W during the afternoon and evening accompanied by violent rainsqualls. The barometer fell to 28.60 at 4 p. but the instru- ment then became deranged and they were unable to make further observations.

On the 3rd August the noon observations made at the coast stations clearly indicate that the centre was then situated between the Middle Dog lighthouse and Wenchow. The notice issued from the Observatory on the morning of the 3rd was therefore quite accurate. An excessive decrease of pressure had taken place during the preceding 24 hours at these stations and all stations between Hongkong and Shanghai and also the Yangtze ports were now much affected by the disturbance. By aid of the observations made on board the S.S. Choysang and other vessels the exact position of the centre at noon is found to be a little to the East of Namquan harbour and in 27° 10′, 120° 45'. During the preceding 24 hours the typhoon had thus moved westward at an average speed of 7 miles per hour.

The S.S. Wuotan at anchor in Bullock harbour and situated about 50 miles to the N of the centre at noon, had experienced typhoon force of wind from NE by N accompanied by thick rain since 7 a. the barometer remaining steady at 28.94 between 9 a. and noon. At 1 p. the wind veered to ENE with rising barometer and at 3 p. the wind had come to ESE and had decreased to force 10 with a lighter appearance of the sky. The bark Otago, hove to, was at noon situated at a distance of 65 miles to the SW by S of the centre. They had experienced a heavy gale from W, backing to SSW during the morning and her decks were constantly filled by sea water, everything moveable being washed away. During the evening the gale abated the wind direction backing to S by W with