in perfect hurricanes, so that the typhoon during that long period never appeared to be exhausted, Some of these ships had a very long struggle; for instance the Nanking Maru had to mancœvre round the trajectory from the 10th to the 15th, starting W of Oshima, sailing parallel to the typhoon to the S of Ishigakijima, thence to the SE of Naha, while on board a gale (force 11) blew from the 9th, 6 p. m. to the 12th, 6 p. m. (72 hours) then since midnight of the 13th to noon of the 15th (60 hours), making a total of 132 hours of hurricane.
The following list does not include such terrible experiences as those given above, but gives many instructive details: the names are given in alphabetical order. Here we are glad to offer our best thanks: to the commanding or observing Officers who were good enough to send us their reports, either regularly during the whole year, or each time they have been engaged in rough or typhonic weather. The present list countains only the names of the ships that were at sea during the actual typhoon.[1]
Angkor (M.M). Captain Brun.—Having left Shimonoseki for Shanghai, the steamer was too advanced to have a real struggle with the cyclone, However, when it reached lat. 32°50', and long. 427° 10', on the 11th at 6 a. m., while the pressure was falling and the wind playing between E and ENE, it met with a very distinct and characteristic swell form SSE (force 4), which backed gradually to SE when approaching the mouth of the Yang-tze. We find here a fairly precise bit of information showing that the swell diverging from the centre was felt with force at a distance of some 450 nautical miles. Near the Saddles the rain came down with heavy squalls.
Fausang (I. C. N. Co). Captain S, Findeison.—A very interesting note in the report of that steamer stales that the swell extended still farther. After leaving Chefoo on the 10th, dead calm prevailed till about midnight; at 4 a. m., just after doubling the SE Promontory of Shantung (in lat, 36° 8', long. 122° 42'), a swell from SE started running, increasing in extent until 8 a. m. and then remained constant, at force 4 to 5, certainly due to the typhoon, This time the undulations emanating from the vortex were felt at a distance of about 780 nautical miles, and it may be noted that the observation was made nearly at the limit reached by the movement.
The steamer sailed back from Shanghai on the 14th and had very fresh N to NNE winds, abnormal at this time of the year and due, no doubt to the typhoon, some 420 miles distant, which was then recurving back towards the north of Naha.
- ↑ No further evidence can be gathered from the lags of our correspondents sheltered in the harbours. But their reports have been very useful, more than once to decide many points, for instance the sphere of influence of the cyclone.
