T H E
“BOKHARA” TYPHOON.
8th-12th of October, 1892.
MONG the more disastrous typhoons of the year 1892, there
is one that caused so terrible a loss, that the blow with
which it struck the minds of the residents of Shanghai and
Hongkong will remain for a long time one of our most gloomy
memorials. I need not say that I mean that terrible typhoon,
which, originated on the 7th of October to the East of Luzon,
passed on the 10th very near the South Cape of Formosa, and
whilst crossing that island, wrecked in one might the Norwegian
steamer Vormand, and the English mail Bokhara, with an enormous
sacrifice of so many precious lives.
Besides the interest which must attach to the history of that
typhoon, on account of those disasters, the many lessons that may
be derived therefrom, have induced me to take it as the subject of
a lecture, to be delivered at a meeting of the S.M.S.
I think it advisable to begin its history, with a short account.
of the atmospherical state of our Eastern regions from the
Northern Coast of China to Japan and Luzon, at the beginning of
the typhoon. I will produce two tables, in which I shew the
meteorological observations made on the mornings of the 7th and
8th of October, at 16 selected stations; and these tables are
sufficient to perfectly serve the purpose.


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8
is probable, it was formed at that date). The centre of the
typhoon, if formed, must have been lying at that time over the
China Sea by 14° N., about 1,000 miles from Shanghai. Hence
the rise of the barometer at Shanghai at that date, if any, was
surely the rise due to the anticyclonic area we are looking for,
and of course the appearances shew that it was so. However,
notwithstanding that first appearance, I venture to say, that such
area was not in any way connected with the typhoon. The
barometric curves above reported shew a rise of the barometer
beginning first at Tientsin, and reaching its highest º; there
on the 15th, subsequently the same rise reaching its highest
reading at Shantung Cape, on 17th, at Shanghai on the 18th, and
later on the same day, at Pagoda Anchorage. You will see it, at
the same time, getting lighter, the more it extends towards the
South. Then suppose it was an anticyclonic area depending on
the existence and place of the typhoon, evidently it should have
followed a Northward trajectory, as did the trajectory of the
typhoon itself. Therefore as this area followed a contrary one
and had originated far to the North, we must couclude that it was
not in any way connected with the typhoon. The only connection
between these two phenomena, was that this area of high pressure
was prevented by the typhoon, from extending more towards the
South. Let us therefore conclude that :
lst—The assertion of an anticyclonic area all around the
centre of a typhoon is unfounded. -
2nd—The assertion of an anticyclonic area preceding the
typhoon so as to be felt at any place several days before the
typhoon is also unfounded. -
3rd—That there is such anticyclonic area somewhere, ahead
or in rear, in the right or in the left, we can neither affirm nor
deny, according the present considerations.
4th—The assertion that such anticyclonic area should be a
prognostic of a typhoon, either coming on, or only existing
somewhere is an assertion still more evidently unfounded. There
are in fact numerous such rises of the barometer without any
typhoon ; and there are typhoons without any such rise within
600 to 1,000 miles from the centre, and when such rise takes
place within 600 to 1,000 miles from the centre it is very probably
an accidental occurence. And one might as well describe as
prognostic of typhoon every phenomenon which occurs from time
to time outside the limits of a typhoon.
Having come to these conclusions on that important point
we will return to our typhoon. The first intelligence of it came
to Shanghai on October the 8th by a telegram from Manila, dated
October the 7th, reporting a typhoon by the S.E. of Luzon.
I doubt seriously whether this circumstance had been really


10
to determine with greater accuracy the position of the typhoon at
2 p.m. on the 9th of October.
APPARI (Luzon Island, Lat. 18° 22), October 1892.
Date. Hours. Barometer. Diº"rors. quº"; i. Direction.
6 A.M. 29.68 N. N.E. 3 6 N.E.
10 29.70 N. N.E. 5 8 N.E.
8th P.M. 29.61 N. N.E. 6 8 --- N.E.
4 29.56 N. N. E. 7 8 Nbus. N. E.
6 29.54 N. 7 10 3 y N. N. E.
8 29.54 N. 7 10 25 N. N. E.
6 A.M. 29.31 N.W. 11 10 ,, N.N.W.
10 29. 16 N.W. 12 10 x - N.W.
9th 1 P.M. 29.09 N.W. 12 10 * > N.W.
4 29.07 W. 11 10 * > W.
6 29. l l W.S.W. 9 10 3 * W. S. W.
8 29, 17 S.S. W. 9 10 * > W. S. W.
6 A.M 29.42 S.S.W., 4 10 22 S.S. W.
10 29.54 S. S. W. 4 10 * > - S. W.
10th 1 P.M. 29. 54 S. W. 4 8 -- S. W.
4 29.57 W. S. W. 1 8 W.S. W.
6 29.62 N.W. l 10 S. W.
8 29.67 W. 1 10 S.W.
Indeed, they plainly show, that the centre passed at its shortest
distance from that spot, at or about 2 p.m. on the 9th ; its bearing
being at that time to the North-East of Appari.
To determine the distance of the centre, which is the only
difficulty in the matter, we may avail ourselves of the observations
made at South Cape. The centre having from the beginning
travelled directly towards that last station, and passed very near
to it, on the 10th, at 1 p.m., a rough determination of its velocity
will enable us to determine with sufficient accuracy the distance
of the centre from the South Cape, when the height of the bar-
ometer at that station was precisely the lowest reading made at
Appari. The lowest reading of the barometer at Appari was 29.06,
the same reading of the barometer at South Cape was taken at 5 a.m.
on the 10th. Then, by a rough estimation of the velocity of the
typhoon at 8 miles per hour, we see that the lowest reading of
Appari was observed at South Cape when the typhoon was
distant about 65 miles. Then taken as granted both that the
isobaric lines were roughly circulars round the centre, and that
the central low pressure remained unchanged, from the 9th, at
2 p.m., to the 10th, at 5 a.m., we must conclude that on the first
of those dates, the centre of the typhoon was 65 miles to the
North-East of Appari. That positiou, as well as the assumed


16
Date, Hour. pºor. º: Rain. Weather. Remarks.
ſ: A. M. N. E. 7 29.28 ... ORQ At 6 p.m. bar. stood
10th 13 A.M. N. by E. 9 29.25 0.14 QHQ 29.13, but slowly rose
3 P.M. N.N.E. 10 29.03 ... OGQ afterwards from 3 to
9 P.M. N.E. 10 29.10 ... OGQ 10 p.m. The gusts
were blowing with full
| 3 A.M. N. 6 29.37 ... ORQ typhoon force.
11th - 9 A.M. W. N.W. 7 29.69 2.67 ORQ
l; P. M. N. N.W. 6 29.75 ... ODF
9 P.M. N 8 29.82 ... OG
3 A.M. N. N. E. 5 29.84 ... O
12th Jº A.M. N. by E. 6 29.92 0.35 B
- 3 P.M. N. 4 29.88 ... O
* \9 P.M. N 2 29.95 ... C
Fish ER IsLAND, October 1892.
ind. aro-
IDate Hour. pºliº Force. *:::. Weather.
Midt. N. 7 29.64 OMQ
3 A.M. N. 7 29.59 OMQ
6 A.M. N. 7 29.61 OMQD
8th - 9 A.M. N. 7 29.66 OMQD
Noon N. 7 29.60 OMQ
3 P.M. N. 7 29.57 OMQ
6 P.M. N. 8 29.57 OMQ
\9 P.M. N. 8-9 29.57 OMQ
Midt. N. 9 29.56 OMQ
3 A.M. N. 9 29.49 OMQ
6 A.M. N. N.W. 9 29.46 OMQ
9th 9 A.M. N. N.E. 9 29.47 CMQ
Noon N. 9-10 29.43 CMQ
3 P.M. N. N. E. 10 29.33 CMQ
6 P.M. N. N.E. 10 29.35 OMQ
9 P.M. N. N. E. 10 29.36 OMQPD
, Midt. N.N. E. 10-11 29.27 OMQPD
3 A.M. N. N.E. 11 29. 15 OMQPD
6 A.M. N. 11-12 29.04 OMQ
10th - 9 A.M. N. 11 29.08 OMQ
Noon N. 11 29.02 OMQ
3 P.M. N.N. E. 11 28.93 OMQ
6 P.M. N. N. E. 12 29.03 OMQ
\9 P.M. N.N. E. 11-12 29, 11 OMQD
, Midt. N.N. E. 10-11 29.18 OMQR
3 A.M. N. N.W. 10 29.33 OMQR
6 A.M. N.W. 9 29.47 OMQR
11th - 9 A.M. W. 6 29.51 OMID
Noon W. N.W. 7 29.53 OMP
3 P.M. W. N.W. 7.8 29.59 OMQR
6 P.M. N.W. 7-8 29.68 OMQ
\9 P.M. N.W.W. 7 29.69 OMP


19
light which was battened down and which was re-secured again.
Oil was then put into the weather latrines, aft and forward, which
'decidedly assisted in keeping the heavy breaking tops from coming
inboard.
“At 2 p.m. (Monday, 10th) a roll to windward lifted the port
lifeboat out of the davits which was stove in, and carried clear of
the ship, and the 2nd cutter at the same time became unhooked
but was re-secured, though practically useless: the only boat being
left in the davits was the after port cutter.
“At 4 p.m. (Monday, 10th) the barometer shewed 29.15, but
although the wind was blowing with terrific force, still very little
water came inboard.
“At 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. the weather remained the same
throughout without any material change in the barometer.
“At 8 p.m. the glass was steady at 29.15.
“At 10 p.m. three heavy seas broke over ship breaking in after
skylights, commander's cabin and engine room skylights and
stokehold doors and wheelhouse, putting out all the fires below,
the heat and steam being so great that it was impossible for the
engineers to get into the engine room or stokehold. The ship was
now unmanageable with no steam and the chief engineer reported
that it would be some time before he could possibly be ready; the
lead was kept going, 25 fathoms being the average soundings.
“At 11.35 p.m. (Monday, 10th) the 3rd officer called the
attention of the commander to a dark object on the lee beam; the
land loomed up large through the drift. The chief officer came
on the bridge and the reef was then plainly visible about 20 yards
off. Nothing could be done.
“Then the commander said “Good-bye" to the chief officer
and 3rd officer on the bridge and left them to warn the passengers;
his words on bidding “farewell” to his officers were : “Good-bye,
we have done our best to save the ship and there is nothing more
that can be done;” at the same time shaking hands with them all.
The chief officer and 3rd officer remained on the bridge with the
look-out men and helmsmen.
“A minute afterward she struck, grinding her broadside on to
a reef extending the whole length of the ship, and heeled over to
port; she again struck the reef with fearful force and, as she began
to settle down, it must have driven the whole of the starboard
side in. The seas in the meantime breaking clean over all and
washed the whole of those who came on the bridge on to the reef,
which extended 250 yards from the high land ; those that were
saved were also thrown in this manner on to the reef being on the
upper deck; of these there were 23,-7 Europeans, viz., Chief
Officer, G. Prickett; 3rd Officer, T. Jones Parry; 4th Officer,





42
CONCLUSIONS.
We have followed this terrible typhoon all along its trajec-
tory from its first appearance to the East-North-East of Luzon
till its cessation on the Western Coast of Japan. We will now
summarize on a page or two all the conclusions we have been
able to arrive at from the study.
From a theoretical standpoint we may sum up the results
as follows:–
1st.—No area of high barometric pressure can be asserted
to exist within 600 to 1,000 miles from the centre, either all
around it, or allead of it.
2nd.—Save the inner spirals, which appear to be circular
or almost so, the whirlwinds have a decided tendency towards
the centre of the typhoon. This tendency of the wind towards
the centre of the typhoon is well ascertained not only outside
the limits of the typhoon, but within these limits, in the very
body of the cyclone. Therefore an uprush of air must exist,
either in the inner or the outer spirals. Not to carry this
conclusion beyond its logical limits, we have abstained from
denying a descending current of air in the inner and circular
spirals.
3rd–Typhoons as well as tornadoes are subject to dipping
and rising of their lower part, with the difference, however, that
in tornadoes the lower part rises up entirely, while in typhoons
only the inner spirals do so, the outer ones continuing to touch
the grº und.
From a practical standpoint: 1st. We have endeavoured to
warn mutatine officers, that in lower latitudes careful attention
must be paid to Cirrus and Cirro-Stratus as the best sign of a
still distant typhºon. According to the remarks originally
made by Rev. F. Saderra; the bearing of the centre of a typhoon
and its direction are shown by the point on the horizon from
which the Civius appear to be radiating and the motion of this
point.
2nd. We seem to have established the fact notwithstanding
various contradictions that the rule given many years ago by
Rev. F. Dechevrens must be retained : The centre of the typhoon
bears, generally speaking, 10 to 12 points from the direction of
the wind. Therefore, under ordinary circumstances, with your
back to windward you will have the centre on your left 2 or 4
points in front. But to prevent fatal errors which might ensue