The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-02-23
IN MANILA

TYPHOON IN MANILA
APPROACH OF THE TERRIBLE WIND
AND EFFECTS OF ITS VISIT.
The Inhabitants Are Warned by Signals
and Have Ample Time For Preparation.
Breaks Up With Deadly Squalls and
Closes In Devastating Floods.
Early in tho eventful week warnings
came from our excellent observatory
that trouble was brewing down on the
Pacific to the south and east, and about
Friday the No. l typhoon signal was
displayed. The news respecting the
storm was indefinite. but the villain
was supposed to be moving northwest,
headed directly 4pr us. Saturday up
went signal Nc. 2, and in the afternoon
No. s, and in the evening No. 4. Still
everything was calm and peaceful, and
Sunday morning dawned pleasant but
for the exception Of a haze. Early il
the forenoon up went signal No. 8,
which is only three from the worst one
that can be put up-No. g., and now ev-
erybody began to get ready for the in
visible monster. All the steamers and
ships in the river put out extra cables,
and the former got up steam. No craft
OF any kind were permitted to go out Of
the river, and the feet Of ships in the
bay appeared to be putting out their
spare anchors. Still everything was
calm, but the haze thickened, and low
sand clouds began to sail in from the
China sea.
Just after we finished tifin, at our
little seaside house, our gaze was riv-
eted Oh a native coming down the street,
dressed in a black coat, with shirt hang
ing out beneath, in true Philippine Gus
tom, and wearing white trousers and q
tall hat He carried q sort Of decorated
cane, marched down the center Of the
street and gave utterance to solemn SEN
tlments in q deep, musical voice. In
short. he was the official crier to herald
the coming typhoon, and as he marched
along the bells in the old church a
out a wild, warning plea The natives
opposite US hastily began to sling ropes
over the roofs Of their light nipa shan
ties, and \ Of the English fellows
who lives just back of us had already
stretched good sized cables over the
tall, sloping tin roof Of his domicile. A
sort Of hush prevailed, and then sudden
gusts began to blow in of the bay. The
scud clouds increased and appeared to
be in a terrible rush The roar Of the
surf became louder and louder, and n
after another OF our oyster shell win
dows had to be shut The typhoon was
advancing slowly, but its course was
sure.
Our 8 o'clock dinner passed, and now
the wind began to howl. Before going
to bed we moved out of our little parlor
such valuables s might be most missed
by being carried through the air, in case
our roof came of, and went to bed
amid q terrific din. Sleep was impossi-
bic. Our house trembled like a blushing
bride before the altar, and for a trium-
phal exit-wedding march--the tin was
suddenly ripped off our secondary rain
shed roof like so much paper. Great
pieces of tin were slapping around and
up against the house and would have
sawed q head or hand of had one at
tempted to poke itself outside. AT $3.50
q. m. we took a look into the ''sala."
No glass would have stood the gusts
that came bouncing in from the bay,
but our oyster shells did not yield. The
noise outside was deafening. The house
hung together, and we were thankful
that we were not OF in the bay. The
wind lulled in the early morning, and
at y a. m. came some Of the most ter
rlble changes Of wind, the deadliest
squalls and most terrific blowings I ever
felt. Down came all the wires III tho
main street; over went half Q dozen
nipas on one side Of Us; crack, bang,
broke of some great venerable trees.
The street was a mass Of wreckage as
far as we could see, and few signs Of
life were visible.
All the rest Of the day the winds
blew most fiorcely, but we could see
that the center Of the typhoon was pass
ing OFF to the northwest l sailed out
in the afternoon and managed to keep
along behind the houses and reached
the Luneta, where all the lamps bent
their heads, with broken glass, and
the huge waves were flying far