[Fraxinus]

It is known that the Atlantic Hurricanes have cycles, however before the solid consistant satellite coverage that began in the 60's it was quit possible for even major hurricanes to go unrecorded. How often have you seen the Weather channel say this about a storm "only of concern to shipping interests"?
I believe that Radios did not become standard equipment on ships until about the time of the first world war. Thus until the 60's it was possible for a hurricane that did not cross a major shipping lane or inhabited land to go unrecorded.

[3niner]

"Thus until the 60's it was possible for a hurricane that did not cross a major shipping lane or inhabited land to go unrecorded."

Even when a ship encountered a tropical storm, it could usually avoid getting into the worst of it, so they had no way of knowing if they were skirting a tropical storm, or a hurricane.