Gale of 1878
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| Category 2 hurricane (SSHS) | ||
|---|---|---|
 Reconstructed weather map of the hurricane over Maryland |
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| Formed | October 18, 1878 | |
| Dissipated | October 25, 1878 | |
| Highest winds |
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| Lowest pressure | 963 mbar (hPa; 28.45 inHg) | |
| Fatalities | 71 direct | |
| Damage | $2 million (1878 USD) $45 million (2008 USD) |
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| Areas affected |
Cuba, Bahamas, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Washington D.C., Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, New England | |
| Part of the 1878 Atlantic hurricane season |
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The Gale of 1878, was an intense Category 2 hurricane that caused extensive damage from Cuba to New England.
Contents |
[edit] Storm history
A tropical storm formed off the coast of Jamaica on October 18, 1878, and moved nearly due north. On October 20, the storm reached hurricane status and on October 21, the hurricane struck Cuba. The damage in Cuba was only minor and three schooners sank. The hurricane continued moving northeast and made landfall in North Carolina where it wrecked a schooner and several steamers. The storm later continued inland moving at speeds between 40-50 mph, carrying hurricane force winds as far as Richmond, Virginia, before merging with an extratropical storm over New England.
[edit] Impact
The hurricane killed 71 people and left $2 million dollars in damage (1878 USD).
[edit] Cuba
Hurricane conditions were reported at Havana. Much damage was done to buildings, though three schooners sank over waters. Pressure reports were missing during the storm's passage over the isle, and the lowest pressure noted was 29.67" at 4:25 p.m. Observations were sporadic during the cyclone's passage over the island.
[edit] Mid-Atlantic
There were sustained wind speeds over 100 mph recorded at Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Several ships and schooners sank during the storm.
In Virginia, the hurricane damaged several weather stations and 19 sailors drowned when their ship was driven ashore during the storm. There was heavy tree and building damage in Richmond.
Washington D.C. experienced heavy tree damage and isolated flooding.
Many houses were damaged in Maryland. Many of the telegraphs lines were blown down, and several sections of Baltimore were flooded.
The hurricane wrecked many ships and small boats in the Chesapeake Bay, while South Wilmington, Delaware, was flooded. In Middletown, damage was done to the Presbyterian church, Episcopal church, and the Delmarva Drying House. The long bridge over the St. Augustine creek and surrounding marsh was destroyed.
Severe damage occurred across New Jersey, including many railroad lines being washed out, and the toppling of the spire to the Fourth Presbyterian Church from strong winds.
In Pennsylvania, at least 700 buildings were destroyed while nearly fifty churches lost their spires. There was nearly $2 million dollars (1878 USD) in damage.
Minor damage was reported and several more ships sank in New England.
[edit] Eyewitness to the storm
Mr. Bolton an employee of the U.S. Signal Service, described the storm fury as he tried to fix one of the weather stations; "....I was at the station when the gale, which proved so disastrous to human life commenced. A severe rain storm has prevailed all day Tuesday (22nd) but the gale did not reach the station until 9 p.m. It rapidly increased in velocity until it almost became a hurricane. The members of the crew at this station, whose duty it is to patrol the beach that night, performed their duties with the utmost difficulty, as they could scarcely make any headway against it, and often had to cling to some stationary object like a telephone pole to prevent themselves from being carried away at the mercy of the fearful tempest..." [1]
The station employee also described when the A.S. Davis ran aground during the storm: "....The debris was thickly scattered along the beach for a distance of fully 4 miles....I proceeded to Cape Henry, Virginia to assist the Signal Officer there. The body of one of the crew was there. About 1 ½ miles south of Cape Henry the bodies of eleven of the crew had been washed ashore.....During the heaviest part of the gale, the wind at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina registered 100 mph. The instrument itself was finally blown away and therefore no further record was made. It was the severest gale that had occurred on this coast for sometime."[2]
