1853 Pacific typhoon season

At noon on 12 July 1853, the barometer peaked at 30.02 inches of mercury (101,659.4 Pa) aboard store-ship USS Supply (1846), then lying at Napha, Lew Chew islands, 26°12′N 127°43′E. Easterly winds prevailed over the next several days.

At 8 am on 17 July 1853, USS Caprice, a store-ship bound from Shanghai to Lew Chew, left the mouth of Suzhou Creek

Suzhou Creek

Suzhou Creek is a river in China that passes through the Shanghai city centre. It is named after Suzhou, a city in neighbouring Jiangsu province which was the predominant city in this area prior to the rise of Shanghai as a metropolis.One of the principal outlets of Lake Tai, Suzhou Creek has a...

 and stood down Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

. Its barometer peaked at 29.71 inches of mercury (100,609.6 Pa) at noon. That day, USS Susquehanna (1850) and USS Mississippi (1841)

USS Mississippi (1841)

USS Mississippi, a paddle frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to bear that name. She was named for the Mississippi River. Her sister ship was . Her keel was laid down by the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1839; built under the personal supervision of Commodore Matthew Perry. She was...

 steamed from Edo

Edo

, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...

 on a southwesterly course with the barometer at 30 inches of mercury (101,591.7 Pa), quite above the local seasonal mean, but a cyclone quickly approached. USS Saratoga (1842)

USS Saratoga (1842)

USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. Her keel was laid down in the summer of 1841 by the Portsmouth Navy Yard...

 left Edo

Edo

, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...

 for Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 at the same time. That night, the barometer reached 29.84 inches of mercury (101,049.9 Pa) aboard USS Supply on easterly winds.

USS Caprice anchored that night with a heavy ground swell from southeast; at noon on 18 July 1853, its barometer stood at 29.67 inches of mercury (100,474.2 Pa). The barometer commenced falling on USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna with an east-southeasterly wind. USS Supply reported a strong easterly wind and accelerating decline in barometric pressure. In the afternoon, USS Caprice worked from the Yangtze River with a southeasterly wind; at midnight, its crew recorded a barometric pressure of 29.62 inches of mercury (100,304.9 Pa), a force-2 wind, and a heavy swell from the southeast.

On 19 July 1853, USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna, then approximately 550 miles from the track of the cyclone, experienced a heavy swell from the southeast quarter at 31°14′N 135°03′E. USS Mississippi then lay 24 hours with head to southeast. The gale meanwhile blew at USS Supply from the northeast with increasing violence.

On the morning of 20 July 1853, USS Caprice experienced pleasant weather and a good breeze veering from east-southeasterly to northeasterly-by-easterly and gradually increasing in strength from 3 to 4 with "very heavy swell" from southeast to east-southeast; at noon, the ship reached 31°33′N 123°18′E in 18 fathoms of water. The cyclonic wind meanwhile veered to the east aboard USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna and increased in force with "very heavy sea." At the USS Supply, the gale continued to blow from the northeast with increasing violence. At 6 pm, the barometer on USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna reached its minimum, 29.36 inches of mercury (99,424.4 Pa). The master of USS Mississippi placed her with her head to northeast, with no indications of a favorable change despite a very apparent rise of the barometer. At that same hour, USS Caprice reported a barometric pressure of 29.42 inches of mercury (99,627.6 Pa), took in its sail, and prepared for a gale, but the barometer then rose to 29.5 inches of mercury (99,898.5 Pa).

At 3 am on 21 July 1853, the barometer subsided to 28.88 inches of mercury (97,798.9 Pa) aboard USS Supply, and the gale blew with its greatest force from the north. At 9 am, the barometer of USS Susquehanna stood at 29.36 inches of mercury (99,424.4 Pa) and thence continued to rise slowly as the strength of the gale abated. The day aboard USS Caprice commenced pleasantly with fresh breezes from northeast-by-east and a heavy sea from the east; by 10 am, the wind increased to a force-7 northeast-by-easterly gale with a barometric pressure of 29.4 inches of mercury (99,559.9 Pa). At noon, USS Caprice reached 29°30′N 124°42′E. USS Saratoga on a northerly track also encountered heavy sea and strong winds, heaving at 29°01′N 129°37′E. The barometer aboard USS Supply fell to 28.82 inches of mercury (97,595.8 Pa) at noon and slightly increased that evening. The British schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

Eament meanwhile voyaged through Taiwan Strait

Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...

 that afternoon from Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 toward Wusong

Wusong

Wusong,Chinese: s , t , p Wúsōng. formerly Woosung, was a port town located fourteen miles downriver from Shanghai.The Battle of Woosung occurred on 16 June 1842 between British and Chinese forces during the First Opium War. It was the site of China's first telegraph wires and first railroad, both...

 with moderate northerly breezes and fine weather. At 5 pm, USS Caprice recorded a northeasterly gale with its barometer at 29.35 inches of mercury (99,390.5 Pa), which dipped to 29.34 inches of mercury (99,356.7 Pa) at midnight.

On 22 July 1853, USS Caprice reported northeasterly gale and heavy sea from east and northeast; by 3 am, its barometer dropped to 29.27 inches of mercury (99,119.6 Pa), and the wind shifted to northeasterly-by-easterly at 5 am and increased, reaching force-9 at 9 am with barometer 29.27 inches of mercury (99,119.6 Pa), sea running from northeast, and rapid gale scud flying overhead. Aboard British schooner Eament, the day began with steady north-northwesterly light breeze and fine but cloudy weather; at 11 am, she deployed all studding sail

Studding sail

A studding sail or studsail is a sail used to increase the sail area of a square rigged vessel in light winds. Traditionally pronounced stuns'l.It is an extra sail hoisted alongside a square-rigged sail on an extension of its yardarm...

s and braced, reaching 25°30′N 120°46′E at noon with barometer of 29.4 inches of mercury (99,559.9 Pa), north-northwesterly breeze, and heavy sea from northeast. USS Caprice reached 28°46′N 124°49′E at noon, and experienced an east-northeasterly force-10 gale at 1 pm; by 3 pm, the barometer stood at 29.25 inches of mercury (99,051.9 Pa) with squalls and rain. At 3 pm on 22 July 1853, the barometer aboard USS Supply at Napha settled to 28.74 inches of mercury (97,324.8 Pa), its lowest, probably marking the nearest approach of the center of the cyclone. Even the loudest winds of this "gale...of much violence" accompanied scud cloud moving overhead remarkably slowly and scarcely stirred the upper layer of cloud. The center of the storm probably tracked 80 miles south of Napha. At 7 pm, USS Caprice hove to east-by-north force-10 strong gale in high sea with rapid scud flying overhead. The barometer aboard USS Supply rose only to 28.83 inches of mercury (97,629.6 Pa) by midnight with improving weather. By midnight, British schooner Eament pitched very heavily in increasing gale, double reefed the foresail, and recorded barometer of 29.39 inches of mercury (99,526 Pa); she sailed off the north end of Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, heading northeastward, approaching the center of the cyclone.

Throughout 23 July 1853, USS Caprice lay to a high and regular sea from east-northeast with rapid scuds flying. At 1 am, the north-northwest gale split inner jib

Jib

A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bow, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast...

 of British schooner Eament; the course of the vessel fell from northeast to east-northeast, and gale increased. Barometer aboard USS Caprice stood at 3 am at 29.22 inches of mercury (98,950.3 Pa) and rose by 9 am to 29.25 inches of mercury (99,051.9 Pa) with a force-10 easterly gale. By 10 am, British schooner Eament bore 5 miles south-southwest of Agincourt island. The sea hove to USS Saratoga near 30°N 124°E. The wind at USS Supply veered through easterly. At noon, USS Caprice reached 28 30, and British schooner Eament recorded barometer of 29.2 inches of mercury (98,882.6 Pa) on strong gale from north-northeast. At 3 pm, barometer aboard USS Caprice dipped again to 29.23 inches of mercury (98,984.2 Pa), and its crew at 5 pm recorded a easterly-half-southerly force-11 gale. At 4 pm, gale increased against British schooner Eament; her crew close reefed her foresail and mainsail, and the aneroid barometer fell rapidly. At 9 pm, the ship experienced an east-by-south gale, barometer of 29.23 inches of mercury (98,984.2 Pa) and spoon drift flying overhead. At midnight, British schooner Eament pitched heavily between Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 and Madjico-sima island group; her barometer read 28.5 inches of mercury (96,512.1 Pa) in strong gale and heavy rain.

On 24 July 1853, USS Caprice lay in a force-10 east-by-south gale with high scud flying westward with great rapidity. At 1 am, wind at British schooner Eament blew a north-northeasterly hurricane with very high sea. At 3 am, USS Caprice measured a barometric pressure of 29.22 inches of mercury (98,950.3 Pa); at 7 am, it dipped to 29.2 inches of mercury (98,882.6 Pa) and at 9 am to 29.18 inches of mercury (98,814.9 Pa) with an east-southeasterly gale. At 11 am, wind split the foresail of British schooner Eament. The sea continued to heave USS Saratoga near 30°N 124°E. USS Mississippi at 26°25′N 128°10′E near Ryūkyū Kingdom

Ryukyu Kingdom

The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...

 measured a pressure of 29.6 inches of mercury (100,237.1 Pa), and the cyclonic wind veered to east-southeasterly. At noon, the barometer aboard USS Saratoga reached its lowest, 29.6 inches of mercury (100,237.1 Pa), at 29°28′N 128°17′E, with the east-northeastly wind, which later veered south-southeasterly. The wind at USS Supply veered to southeasterly, and the barometer rose rapidly. At noon, USS Caprice reached 28°26′N 124°47′E, and British schooner Eament reported less violent gale but very unsettled weather. At 1 pm, USS Caprice reported a "southeast by 10 east" force-11 gale with heavy squalls of wind and rain and irregular seas; British schooner Eament reported west-northwest moderate wind, dirty-looking weather, high sea, and aneroid barometer at 28.3 inches of mercury (95,834.8 Pa) and still falling. Barometer aboard USS Caprice dropped to its minimum at 1 pm to 3 pm, 29.16 inches of mercury (98,747.1 Pa), with the center of the cyclone probably tracking 150 miles away, having advanced just 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) in 70 hours, indicating an average velocity less than 3 knots. At 3 pm, USS Caprice recorded heavy cross sea and spoon-drift flying overhead; clouds in the overcast sky passed slowly westward. Meanwhile, British schooner Eament experienced calm with the vessel on the southern edge of the eye of the cyclone. At 3:30 pm, the wind increased southwesterly; Eament labored heavily. By 5 pm, the barometer aboard USS Caprice increased to 29.18 inches of mercury (98,814.9 Pa) under sluggish clouds; British schooner Eament recorded south-southwesterly gale, which by 5:30 pm blew a hurricane. At 6 pm aboard Eament with her scudding under bare poles, wind blew an increasing hurricane from south with aneroid barometer at 28.14 inches of mercury (95,293 Pa) as she ran behind the eye. At 7 pm, British schooner Eament recorded a south-southeasterly gale, and USS Caprice reported a less severe southeasterly gale and a barometric pressure of 29.24 inches of mercury (99,018 Pa). At 8 pm, the sea hove to British schooner Eament under bare poles with southeasterly gale. At 10 pm with les wind and heavy rain, crew of British schooner Eament set fore staysail and close reefed fore and mainsails. At 11 pm aboard USS Caprice, the barometer reached 29.27 inches of mercury (99,119.6 Pa) with occasionally breaking clouds passing to the northwest. At midnight, British schooner Eament recorded a strong gale.

At 3 am on 25 July, USS Caprice recorded a southeast-by southerly force-8 gale, barometer of 29.25 inches of mercury (99,051.9 Pa), and squally conditions with light rain; her barometer had varied only 0.11 inches of mercury (372.5 Pa) in the previous 72 hours. At 5 am, the wind blew at force-7 with a barometer 29.28 inches of mercury (99,153.5 Pa). At 9 am, the gale increased with rain and squalls, barometer at 29.32 inches of mercury (99,289 Pa), and moderating sea. At 11 am, the ship recorded a force-8 gale and barometer 29.34 inches of mercury (99,356.7 Pa). At noon, the chip reached 28°51′N 124°03′E with force-8 southeasterly gale. At 3 pm, the wind blew a south-southeasterly force-7 gale with cross sea and barometer 29.37 inches of mercury (99,458.3 Pa). At 9 pm, the wind dropped to a force-6 south-southeasterly gale, sky brightening to northward, and patches of blue sky to southeast and overhead.

On 26 July 1853, USS Caprice recorted southeasterly-by-southerly force-6 strong wind, barometer at 29.5 inches of mercury (99,898.5 Pa), scud passing northward, and sea from south-southeast. At 9 am, a heavy cross sea rose against the vessel and the barometer reached 29.52 inches of mercury (99,966.2 Pa). At noon, she reached 29°31′N 125°16′E in 40 fathoms of water. At Ryūkyū Kingdom, the wind veered to the southward, and the barometer rose to 29.74 inches of mercury (100,711.2 Pa). At USS Supply, the barometer rose to the local seasonal mean of 29.8 inches of mercury (100,914.4 Pa) as the wind veered to southerly. The barometers at Napha and aboard various vessels fell and rose not entirely gradually but with very moderate fluctuations of some hours continuance, common under other widespread cyclones. In the afternoon, wind and sea increased against USS Caprice with heavy squalls and scud cloud passing rapidly to the northwest. At 5 pm, the force-8 southeast-by-southerly gale continued with barometer at 29.49 inches of mercury (99,864.6 Pa); the day ended with moderating force-7 wind and barometer at 29.51 inches of mercury (99,932.4 Pa).

At 5 am on 27 July 1853, a force-7 southeasterly gale reached USS Caprice with increasing squalls. At 8 am, the ship recorded a force-8 southeast-half-east gale, low, thin scud passing northward, and increasing sea from south. At noon, the ship reached 28°55′N 124°16′E in heavy squalls and rain with nimbus clouds passing to north-northwest. the barometer aboard USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna attained 29.8 inches of mercury (100,914.4 Pa), near the local seasonal mean. USS Saratoga off Saddle island near the mouth of the Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

 meanwhile experienced southeasterly winds, squalls, and continued "bad" weather. At 7 pm, USS Caprice recorded force-6 south-southeasterly wind and barometer of 29.55 inches of mercury (100,067.8 Pa).

At 1 am on 28 July 1853, USS Caprice recorded force-6 winds from south-southeast, barometer of 29.54 inches of mercury (100,034 Pa), and moderating sea; at 7 am, wind increased to southeast-by-east force-7 gale with barometer at 29.56 inches of mercury (100,101.7 Pa). The barometer aboard USS Mississippi and USS Susquehanna maintained 29.8 inches of mercury (100,914.4 Pa), near the local seasonal mean. USS Saratoga off Saddle island near the mouth of the Yangtze River

Yangtze River

The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

meanwhile experienced southeasterly winds, squalls, and continued "bad" weather. These ship-based observations suggest a spatially enormous, slow moving tropical storm (or typhoon) passing well to the west of the Mississippi and Susquehanna. At noon, USS Caprice recorded steady southeast-by-east force-7 gale, high, irregular sea, barometer at 29.58 inches of mercury (100,169.4 Pa), and its position at 29°0′N 124°37′E; force-6 southeast-by-south wind persisted through the afternoon with barometer 29.56 inches of mercury (100,101.7 Pa) to 29.58 inches of mercury (100,169.4 Pa), and the day ended with southeasterly strong wind and squalls.

At 7 am on 29 July 1853, USS Caprice recorded force-7 southeasterly gale, barometer of 29.55 inches of mercury (100,067.8 Pa), low scuds flying northward, and high, irregular sea from south-southwest. At noon, the ship at 28°09′N 123°22′W in 45 fathoms of water recorded barometer 29.56 inches of mercury (100,101.7 Pa) and force-7 southeast-by-south gale with scud flying northward. At 3 pm, she recorded south-southeast force-7 gale and barometer at 29.52 inches of mercury (99,966.2 Pa), and at 6 pm, she recorded squally force-9 strong gale with rain and heavy sea. At 11 pm, gale moderated to force-5 and barometer to 29.58 inches of mercury (100,169.4 Pa).

On 30 July 1853, USS Caprice recorded breaking clouds, clear skies to its east and southeast, strong south-southeasterly to southeasterly strong breezes, and stratocumulus and nimbus clouds passing to the north-northwest. At noon, she traversed in 43 fathoms of water at 29°0′N 124°30′E through heavy sea from southeast and swell from south-southwest with barometer 29.55 inches of mercury (100,067.8 Pa) to 29.61 inches of mercury (100,271 Pa).

On 31 July 1853, USS Caprice recorded force-6 southerly strong breezes and heavy swell from south-southwest. At noon under double-reefed topsail and foresail, she reached 28°19′N 124°17′E with barometer ranging between 29.57 inches of mercury (100,135.6 Pa) and 29.63 inches of mercury (100,338.7 Pa).

On 1 August 1853, USS Caprice recorded force-5 fresh breezes moderating to force-4 and heavy swell from south-southwest. Barometer rose from 29.62 inches of mercury (100,304.9 Pa) at 1 am. At noon, she reached 28°35′N 125°09′E in 50 fathoms of water. By midnight, her barometer reached 29.69 inches of mercury (100,541.9 Pa), nearly the same as the commencement of this very extended cyclone.