A westward-moving tropical cyclone was noticed on October 12 to the east of the Philippines. With wind speeds approaching , the typhoon passed north of Polillo Island before crossing Luzon, bypassing Manila about 95 km (60 mi) to the north. Seven boats were wrecked during the height of the storm. Along the Pasig River, a lorcha (Chinese boat) was left adrift after separating from a towboat, causing it to capsize along the breakwater; one person was killed in the incident, while the others swam to safety. Three American soldiers also died in the typhoon, alongside many Filipinos. Considered one of the most severe typhoons in 20 years by newspapers, the storm downed most telegraph lines and damaged many houses. In the capital Manila, most streets were flooded in the Paco district up to a foot deep. Rainfall during the storm reached . After leaving the Philippines, the typhoon progressed westward into the South China Sea and was last noted on October 18 south of Hainan island.