Page:The National geographic magazine (IA nationalgeograph21890nati).pdf/261

The Hurricane Season.—June may be fairly said to be the first of the five hurricane months in the North Atlantic and the above diagram is presented in order to draw special attention fo the Law of Storms, especially to certain important modifications of the old laws. The spiral lines indicate the general wind-circulation in this particular hurricane, and the complete data presented on the Chart must convince any one that conclusions based upon such evidence must be worthy of the most careful consideration. This hurricane was one of the most severe on record off our Atlantic coast, and, though much larger than a hurricane the the tropics, similar evidence can be presented to show that the 8 point rue is seldom a safe guide for obtaining the bearing of the center: a 10-point or even a 12-point rule is generally better, although the 8-paint rule is fairly correct if applied to the direction of the low clouds, rather than the wind. With a NE'ly wind off Block Island, for instance, it should not be assumed when there is a hurricane below Hatteras, is a very characteristic and important feature. There is likewise a wide region where thy wind fs frorn the SE. and s veaset ranuing bfore His stuuly SE. wind would plunge deeper and deeper into the hmricane, Sintilsely io the thades, to windward of the 1 ef a Invyieane; nel anti] Uwe barca ae Tas fallen about G-tonchs of an hich is it safe to assume that, because the lrade-wiud twerearea in forre cuxd remains stealy Ms dircetion, Fou lite on the ty the slonu; by attempting too aaly te eross ita tack, running free 45 soon as the wind being to freshen, yon are liable wr plunge directly into the vuctus,