1804, September 4.—­A great cyclone, a detailed description of which is given in the work of Mr. Jonnes.

1818 and 1814—­Both hurricanes happened on the same date, that is, the 23d of July.  Yauco and San German suffered most.  A description of the effects of these storms was given in the Dario Economico of the 11th of August, 1814.

1819, September 21.—­(San Mateo.) This cyclone is mentioned by Jonnes and by Cordova, who says that it caused extraordinary damages on the plantations.

1825, July 26.—­(Santa Ana.) Cordova (vol. ii, p. 21 of his Memoirs) says of this hurricane:  “It destroyed the towns of Patillas, Maunabo, Yabucoa, Humacao, Gurabo, and Caguas.  In the north, east, and center of the island it caused great damage.  More than three hundred people and a large number of cattle perished; 500 persons were badly wounded.  The rivers rose to an unheard of extent, and scarcely a house remained standing.  In the capital part of the San Antonio bridge was blown down, and the city wall facing the Marina on Tanca Creek was cracked.  The royal Fortaleza (the present Executive Mansion) suffered much, also the house of Ponce.  The lightning-conductors of the powder-magazine were blown down.”

1837, August 2.—­(Los Angeles.) This cyclone was general over the island and caused exceedingly grave losses of life and property.  All the ships in the harbor of San Juan were lost.

1840, September 16.—­No details.

1851, August 18.—­No details, except that this hurricane caused considerable damage.

1867, October 29.—­(San Narciso.) No details.

 [Illustration:  Casa Blanca and the sea wall, San Juan.]

1871, August 23.—­(San Felipe.) No details. 1899, August 8.—­(San Ciriaco.) When this hurricane occurred there was a meteorological station in operation in San Juan, and we are therefore enabled to present the following data from Mr. Geddings’s report:  “The rainfall was excessive, as much as 23 inches falling at Adjuntas during the course of twenty-four hours.  This caused severe inundations of rivers, and the deaths from drowning numbered 2,569 as compared with 800 killed by injuries received from the effects of the wind.  This number does not include the thousands who have since died from starvation.  The total loss of property was 35,889,013 pesos.”

The United States Government and people promptly came to the assistance of the starving population, and something like 32,000,000 rations were distributed by the army during the ten months succeeding the hurricane.

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