Ostǝbər 6, 19 06.]
About thirty more bodiès have been recovered in the New Territory within the last two days, while other 83 missing junks have been reported.
HONGKONG TYPHOON RELIEF FUND.
Mr. H. Hunter, the Hon. Treasurer acknow. ledges, with thanks, the following subscrip-
tions:-
•
Already acknowledged Nippon Yusen Kaisha
...$77,223.65
3,000 2,000
Staff, China and Japan Telephone and
250 199.57
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. Formosa. At the 8. Caps, the N. breeze had; freshened to force 6, and a N. gale, force 8, was setting in at the Pescadores. About noon & new signal was sent out telling that the cyclone was nearing the E. shores of the Island, with a slow motion.
All the stations seem to have been too far from the central vortex to determine more accurately its direction, though it was clearly moving towards Formosa and China. In the afternoon we had to forecast rough weather in the Channel, with strong N. winds along the coast, N. of it, up to the Chusao.
The worst of the cyclone was not in the centre of the isobars, which are shown surrounding Formosa, on the Sicawei daily charts, but in the
southernmost part. near the Bashee Channel. It may be that the violent vortex was formed not far from Formosa.
Two points seem quite clear: First that the vortex, while advancing Westward, was deepening more and more; indeed, though it did uot pass 80 far from the S. Cape 88 from the Pescadores, yet the fall of the glass at Hokoto (Pescadores) was heavier than 136,50 at the other station (Koshun). The next day, 100 still at Swafow, the minimum was lower. though at still greater distance. The second remark is that the storm which first travelled to W.N.W., (roughly seems to have deflected little by little to W. or possibly W.S.W. as it approached the China coast. The reason may have been the high reading then prevailing in Siberia and Mongolia, which were progres- sively encroaching over the Yangtze Valley. From the 15th to the 16th the barometer had risen from 30.24 to 30.35 at Troizkossavsk (3. of Lake Baikal).
Banque de l'Indo Chine
Chartered Bank of India Australia
and China
2,000
Carlowitz & Co.
1,000
Mercantile Bank of India, Ltd...
1,000
Mitsui Bishi Goshi Kwaisha
1,000
Netherlands Trading Society & Staff 1,000
Hughes and Hough
250
Palmer and Turner
Collected by "China Mail," Ltd.
Electric Co....
A. F. Arculli
H. F. Carmichael
100
European Staff, A. S. Watson & Co.
Ltd.
100
G. Kumabe, Consul for Japan
Lane, Crawford & Co...
100 100
A. R. Marty...
100
Denison, Ram and Gibbs
77
Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Dun u
50
A. C. Hynes...
50
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50
D. I.
50
B. L.
59
A. Rodger
50
50
His Honour Mr. A. G. Wise
50
Collected by "China Mail,” Ltd.
46
A. B. Avasia...
T. E. Cocker
Lt. Col. H. G. Fitton, D.S.O.
P. N. H. Jones
Ottó Kong Sing
E. Buxton Ferman
20
W. S. Dupree
10
Miss H. 8. Fletcher
10
Miss B. V. Fletcher
10
Miss Johnstone
10
J. P. M..
10
Alberto Moreno
10
E. A. Nicholls
Miss L. A. Eyre
St. Andrew's Chapter...
B. A, Hale
E. A.Irving...
Mrs. Lai Yan Chee
THE HONGKONG TYPHOON.
FORETOLD BY FORMOSA.
10
As a consequence, the pressure went up from the 16th to the 17th. from 29.76 to 30.04 at Shanghai, and to 30.00 at Hankow and Tchaod This served to make the gradient steeper and to increass the violence of the
vortex.
As far as can be seen, from the curves traged with the tri-daily observations received from Formosa, the centre passed on the 16th, about 9 8.m., off the S. Cape, and about 3 p.m., E. of the Pescadores, where a heavy N.W. gale was felt at 1 p.m. (These measures are of course only approximate). Henceforth, from lack of stations, it is not possible for us, with our actual scanty information to trace out the move- ments of the centre, through the spacious stretch of sea, south of the Channel,
The first information at our disposal is from the M. M. steamer Oceanien carrying the French Mail to Shanghai. The ship left Hongkong, on the 17th, at 3.30 p.m. "When out of the Hongkong passes, Commandant Couret noted, in his very full report, very $90,451.72 variable E. breezes, with light (but well-marked E. ly swell. Whether this swell was due to the very unsteady breezes, or was the swell of the typhoon, cannot be determined with any certainty, though the latter alternative seems the more likely. Weather remained fair until 8.30 p.m. when the sky became overcast and lightning was seen near the horizon. At 9.30 p.m. squalls began to be felt, first from E, N. » then from N. as they became steadier and more violent. The seas from E. and S. E. were soon enormous, and the Captain was forced to heave to, steering E. to keep clear of the coast, the ship labouring heavily.
Sicarei, September 22, 1906. So many naval officers, shipmasters and other friends have applied to the observatory for information respecting the disastrons typhoon of the 18th., that we feel we meet a general desire in publishing at once the following notes, though they must necessarily be very imperfect and will have to be completed, and perhaps corrected, when the observations and documents are at hand, which we hope to receive as usual by the kindness of our navigating friends.
The storm was a typhoon, with a narrow diameter, but regularly shaped somewhat of the type of the one which took the coast between Amoy and Swatow, during the night of the 9th instant.
The first signs of the new disturbance were once more given by the Japanese observations in the islands E. of Formosa, the importance of which cannot be over-estimated. With these and the telegrams from Formosa, we were enabled to send the first warning; "Typhoon South of Meiaco Sima" to put ships leaving for the South upon their guard. This was cabled to the China Coast Semaphores, on Saturday, 15th, at 11.30 a.m.
The direction of the centre could not yet be surmised. The bulletin printed the following day, the 16th, noted that the movement was bringing the centre towards the S. end of
The whole report cannot be quoted here. At midnight, the gale was veering from E.W.E. to E.; at 1a.m. on the 18th., violent easterly squalls, at 1.30 a.m. full storm from E.S.. the centre was passing . of the vessel. The glass stopped falling about 2 am. and rose rapidly at 2.30 a.m. the wind shifting gradually to S.E. The minimum registered, all corrections made, was 29m. 57. The steamer was then not far from Breaker Point, having steered up to 10 p.m. at the rate of 13. 5 knots.
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It is worth noticing, that while the Oceanion was in the struggle with the storm, 8.W. of Swatow, the Kanebow. Captain Z. Meathrel. experienced a heavy N.E gale far north of the Channel, from 8 p.m. to midnight, and went, at 4 a.m. on the 18th to take a shelter under Tricog Islands in lat. 27. Let us remark also that the French Mail as soon as she could make out the land, found herself 13 miles N. of the estimated position; a strong current had set in, owing doubtless to the mass of sea-water pushed ward, or driven by the violent cyclone towards
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the coast of China: this is the phenomenon of the disastrous cyclone waves
60 so well known in the Bay of Bengal and elsewhere."
As regards Hongkong the particulars of the catastrophe are too well-known to be reported here. The daily fall of the 17th, had been rather deep, but we do not know exactly the time of the lowest reading during the storm. Taking as an approximation 9.30 a.m., in the middle of the hurricane we find that from the passage S. of the French Mail, the cyclone had travelled with a velocity of about 13.7 miles an hour. The rate was apparently increasing from Formosa. When we compare the curves traced on the tri-daily observations of South Cape and the Pescadores, it appears that neary 7 hours were taken to pass from the first station to the second: now, from the S. end of Formosa the passage, 8. of the Opesnien, the distance was crossed on the track, in about 34 hours, which makes a mean velocity of 7. 5 to 8 miles an hour: there is every reason to be- lieve that it was increased gradually.--- N.-C.Daily News.
CORRESPONDENCE.
OUR ALOOF OBSERVATORY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY FRE38.”
8.8. "Taming," October 1st.
S R, Re typhoon of the 18th instant, I would call your attention to the Manila daily weather report of the 13th as issued from that observatory.
arometer falling in Northern and Western Luzon and almost stationary in the rest of the Archipelago. There is a centre of depression to the West of North Luzon. Without being dangerous for the Archipelago it will cause winds from the 3rd quadrant on the Western coasts and especially in the South of China and Sulu seas with rains and thunderstorms etc., etc."
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At an interview, on the 24th instant, with Father Algué director of the Manila Observa- tory, inventor of the barocyclonometer, anthor of Cyclones of the Far East,' the recognised text book on the subject, and certainly the greatest living authority on the subject of typhoons, he stated that this depression was probably the beginning of that memorable and disastrous storm of the 13th, gradually gaining power and size. it rushed across the China sea with what result we know.
This will show the necessity of a harmonious understanding between the two observatories which is scarcely poss ble whilst the present director here is in charge, he having gratuitously insulted the reverend father in 1898 by reporting him to the Agricultural Department of the United States of Amerios, "calling the attention of aid Government especially to the scandalous alarm which, according to him, the alarming predictions of typhoons sent out y the Manila observatory and published in the papers of Hongkong frequently caused. Vide Keport of Philippine Commission 190o, Vol IV, pages 121 and 122. The result of this naturally was the order that from that time all notices of typhoons sent from Manila to points outside the Philippine Islands, should be suspended."
This raised such a storm of indignation in the press of both Hongkong and Marila and the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce so vigorously protested that this order was revoked, but even now the notices come through the U. 8. Consul, and we are indebted to his courtesy for their publication, instead of having a perfect under- standing between the observatories of Manila, Sicawei and Hongkong.
To this end the present Meteorological Ofice and Observatory should certainly be entrusted to the Jesuit fathers, working quietly, unobtrusively and faithfully "to the greater glory of God" and for the general benefit of mankind and by whom wo, sailors, swear. The present staff might be pat in charge of a branch station on the Pratas Is, where one is needed and which would thoroughly protect the Colony. A radical change is necessary. Ask any shipmaster är merchant.-Your's faithfully,
A. OUTERBRIDGE
MASTER MARINER.
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