341
H. E. the Governor was to have visited the camp yesterday evening, but on Tuesday & tele phonic message was received at Stonecutters' to the effect that His Excellency could not be pre- sent, and stating that he would make the call on Friday evening.
THE PHILIPPINE WEATHER
BUREAU.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Port forbidding vessels to leave this harbour. So slow had been the recognition of the work of the observers that this order gave rise to much adverse official comment, which quieted suddenly on October 20, when a terrific storm broke upon the city.
It not only fully justified the forecast, but it turned official favour so strongly toward the weather office that a recommendation at once went forward to Madrid that the office be furtished equipment and support by the Government. Such support began in 1884, when the Jesuits unaided had for 19 years maintained and developed the service. Thereafter the office was recognised as of the official establishment.
[ FROM A MANILA CORRESPONDENT.]
Probably no benefit within the gift of central
Although able to instal itself through gov. authority in the Philippines is more widely appreciated than that relating to a Weatherernment favour in the spacious and commanding Bureau for the islands. A long step in the
direction of efficient service has been taken in
the organisation of a Bureau upon the founda- tion laid by the Jesuits at their college and observatory in this city. Failure to provide 2 service an 1
equipment owned wholly by the Government provokes some criticism; bnt apart from that, experience of 36 years has. certainly better prepared the Jesuits to continue in charge than any other agency immediately available, and their devotion to the work is nuquestioned. Moreover, the policy of central authority to balance liberal outlays in its own direction by economies in others has here signal illustration, for a force of 106 persons is secured at a rate of pay averaging only a trifle above one dollar in gold daily--the Director. receiving the highest salary at 82,500 per year and rain observers the lowest, at 890 per year-and the total cost of the Bureau for the first year, including $8,066.50 for new instruments and $4,500 for rent of quarters and of old instru- ments, printing, and the care of all property, amounts to only $51,684,50.
|
grounds that it now cccupies and to win the unstinted confidenoo of the native public and of foreign residents with shipping interests, the office seems to have run against a foe in Hongkong, through whose influence the War Department at Washington refused to continue the support which Spain had furnished. When on that account the service suffered impairment, a chorus of protest came from all the weather stations on the China Sea and from Japan, from the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce, and from merchants in every quarter, coupled with testimonials as to the value of the service. An investigation followed, which brought out so much of merit in the work of the Jesuits, that the Rev. P. Jose Algue, the Director of the Observatory, was invited to Washington, where he gave abundant proof of the industry and ability of Jesuit work in the two volumes on Climatology of the Philippines, which the Gor. ernment has published, and in the atlas which provides the only complete and accurate maps of the islands ever printed. These maps had been drawn by the force in the office, and with such skill and mastery of the subject as to leave for the experts in Washington very little corrective labour. A result of Father Algue's visit was to establish in the islands a branch of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, which will supplement the land map work that his office has performed with chart guides in place of the unreliable drawing which compel navigators to to be good guessers, especially in the southern
waters.
The purposes to be served by an efficient Weather Bureau are of prime importance to every substantial interest hereabouts. There' is nothing so vital to the commerce that travels these seas, or that may make it busier, as warnings which may enable it to escape the fury which now and then transforms stretches of placid or sparkling blue into water-mountains running amok. The safety of multitudes in well settled regions can be insured only by measures
It will be some time before the Bureau can possible under such a servico, for confining the destructive horrors of land-tornadoes to things become fully operative in accordance with the incapable of removal from their path a
terms of the law passed by the Civil Commission thoroughly equipped Bureau should provide in May. While the work to be undertaken is those within its sphere with data on which to by no means new, it is to be brought for the first time under a direction that deserves to be calculate more closely than ever before the adverse chances of weather they must combat,
called systematic, and its installation starts and to prepare themselves to meet and to mini-almost with first principles. In respect to inise its perils.
stations
The Jesuits began work in 1865. They had a few simple instruments, and the undertaking primarily was little more than an adjunct to the course of instruction that they furnished in As the Attenéo, their school in this city. it developed they utilised their mission for the collection of weather reports and added slowly to their original working plant. The onterprise had no official countenance and, so far as the publie knew of it, invited only ridicule. It plodded along for years almost unnoticed, but contin- ually improving its service. When it fentured to send out reports and warnings, they were generally unheeded. Early in July, 1879, warning of a severe storm obtained from one of the southern missions was given to the officials here, with request that they should inform the provinces, and was sent to Hongkong. It received the usual treatment. The storm came two days after the warning. It levelled many houses and unroofed many others in Manila, but directed its greatest force against the northern provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, which it laid completely waste. Plantatione were levelled, houses blown away, and 1,300 persons were known 10 have been killed. Walls seven feet thick went down like so much grain, and roofs of houses along the path of the storm were carried two miles by the force of the wind. In November of the same year, when the officials were asked to send warning to Southern Luzon of the approach of a bard storm they did so. There was some destruction of bosts, crops, and houses from this storm, but comparatively few persons perished. On October 18, 1882, warning, of a storm coming upon Manila, resulted in an order from the Captain of the
|
|
[October 26, 1901.
The
same character as that which visited Galveston last year, when the engulfing flood was only Father Algue went to four metres deep. Leyte for a personal inspection of this ruin. He learned that a bay near the town lot nearly all its water a few hours before the storm broke. It had been drawn away by the suction of the coming tempest, to return as part of the later deluge. Had the people appreciated the.. significance of the suction, and gone into the hills with such trappings as they could carry, they might have found safe refuge within easy Only those whom' fear reach of their homes. drove to such refuge survived the outburst.
There are other considerations that commend A Ormoc as a place for a first class station. cable is to connect Suriagao, in the north-east of Mindanao, with Maasin, in the south of Leyte. When the Mindanao Pacific coast line shall be picketed with lookouts, connecting by land lines with Surigao, a storm area of most prolific quality will be brought under con- stant watch, and its performances may be definitely heralded not only for the Philippines but for China and Japan. Massin would keep in touch with Ormoc by land lines.
hardly inferior to that of east coast of Samar Mindanao for weather out-posts. That island must be wrested from insurgent control before it can be properly utilised; but eventually a line of land telegraph will extend from Borongan, on the coast in the south-east of Samar, to Cat- balogan, the capital of the island, whence there will be easy communication with Leyte. It is probable that Borongan will become a centre at which will be collected weather news of the east coast of Samar, and as the exposed coast of Leyte almost immediately south of Sama will also be under observation, the pickets of Min- danao, Leyte, and Samar will cover thoroughly more than seven degrees of latitude in the most dangerous parts of the Pacific. The Luzon stations then take up the patrol, and will keep area for six under continual observation an degrees further northward, projecting that service, indeed, to the Batanes Islands, two degrees further north, from which point the watch for weather will be turned over to the In the south, the Japanese in Formosa,, Philippine service will sweep the Jolo Sea to the boundaries of Borneo. Plans look to the installation of the service described, with the When exceptions noted, in the present autumn. that shall occur, a vast improvement on any. thing possible heretofore in the Philippines may confidently be expected.
a
Besides furnishing forecasts and storm warn ings to captains of ports, weather stations and various officials within telegraphic reach, the storm forecast, the plan is to equip important Burean is required by the law to warn Formosa sea ontlooks with stations, and of course to pro-and Japan of dangerous storms likely to strike vide telegraph lines from them so that their the Asiatic coast. This merely follows a eus- reports may have immediate value. This pre- tom long established for the exchange of paration is proceeding with all possible despatch, weather information among the spheres operat- Warnings but the difficulties in its way are obvious, for ed in this part of the world.
to the China sent from hère are also they involve cable-laying and land lines over territory not wholly pacified. It is hoped that coast, although except in the lower latitudes sent out from Japanese offices nine first-class stations may shortly be ready. warning The island of Luzon is to have three on the are usually sufficient for that territory. The Pacific. Ontlooks at Zamboanga, Iloilo and law requires also that the Bureau issue Cebu may be placed in the frontier class, for monthly bulletin and report of weather Iloilo and Cebù were mainstays in the former phenomena, with comparisons with correspond- service and have carried much of the burden ing months of other years, and a résumé of since American occupation. The other stations crop reports. Special reports and maps are of this class are at Dagupan, which catches likewise to be prepared, as occasion may call for warnings from the China Sea immediately them. At all the first-class stations hourly northward of Manila, Baguio, in the Province records must be compiled, to be mailed to the of Benguet, where the climate is under inspec- Bureau monthly, with crop statements, and tion to determine scientifically the merits such daily reports by telegraph as may be re- of that province as a health resort, and quired. Observers of the second class must Ormoc, in Leyte. Ormoc is on the west coast make six daily memoranda of weather condi- of Leyte. It appears on the map to be fairly tions, to be compiled and forwarded with month- sheltered from storms requiring much sealy erop reports; and telegraphic service may room in which to gather force; but an experi- also be required. Third-class observers will ence at Palo, directly across the island but perform similar work, reporting of the weather apparently well protected by Samar, in 1897, twice daily. At rain stations, the maximum and reason for a station in that minimum temperature must be taken twice a furnishes one region which may be central to news of storms day, and the daily rainfall, reports on the same to be forwarded by mail with the monthly crop over a wide area and which yet may escape at- mospheric hindrances to the free transmission report. There will be nine first-class stations This particular storm lifted the in addition to the central station in this city, of such news. roof off the Palo church and then stripped 25 of the second class, 17 of the third class and completely the interior of the church, leaving 20 rain stations. The central station will em- nothing standing except one stone wall, part of ploy, in addition to the director, three first- another, and part of the tower. Water engulfed class observers, three calculators, two assistant the town to the depth of 7.3 metres, or nearly observers, three assistant directors, a secretary The severity of the storm may be and librarian with an assistant, two assistant 24 feet. judged when it is known that it was of the calculators, a chief draughtsman and
|
ап