Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-04-21
The Climate of the Philippines

The city of Manila is about 600 miles
nearer the equator than Havana and
one would expect this latitude to be
hotter than Cuba, but the mean tenn
perature is said to be about the same.
There are three distinct seasons in the
year, although the extreme range of
grees. 1t must, however, be under
stood that the difference between the
apparent temperature in the sun and
in the shade is far greater in the trop-
les than in the temperate attitudes
During the middle of thc day the sun
eXerts peculiar influence upon animal
life. 1t is so depressing that the ma
tives who are thoroughly acciimated
keep in the shade a much as p ssble,
and very little business IS done be-
tween 10 o'clock in the morning and {
in the afternoon. Bat even 4 small
umbrella affords great relief. int they
are carried by nearly every person in
the streets. Although the difference IN
temperature is very small u.illinS
shade appears to make II difference OF
20 degrees.
Between the months of November
and February the climate is temper
ate and comparatively dry. From
March to May the hottest season of thc
year prevails, and there is practically
no rain, although the ught deWs are
50 heavy that everything Is dripping IN
the morning. About June 10 the mon
soons begin to blow The wind some.
times approaches the force OF u hurri-
cane, the ram comes down IN wide
sheets and solid chunks. so that it is
almost impossible to venture abroad.
Fines, storms are ,pasmodic, bar they
do a great deal of damage at times
The average weather during the wet
season j., slow, steady downpour that
may last tor week without intcrmis-
sion and everything i, constantly sod
den with moisture. Vegetation grows
Al wonderful rate, but the human
species become almost amphibious dur
ing this season, which lasts until the
end Of October.
Il will be seen that the American
army has about 8 weeks more OF fair,
hot weather in which field campaign
ing will be possible Then the divis-
ions must be distributed IN fortified
posts and remain on the defensive un.
til late in the fall. During the season
OF the monsoons, the rebels may make
"A ltIe trouble 10y raiding small towns
between showers, bat the low lands will
be almost ailoat and pursuit will be al
most impossible. In the meantime,
their arms will rapidly deterioratc I'M
less the greatest care Is taken Of them,
for iron and steel must be bathed in oil
to escape serious corroslon.
a good deal has been said against
the climate of the Philippines, the anti
expansionists contending that 1t is i'm.
possible for white man TO live there.
This is altogether misleading. AS com
pared with the West Indies, the climate
is far healthier. Yellow fever is un-
known and malarial disc Ises are far less
prevalent than in Cuba. The two dis
eases winch make most havoc among
the natives are smallpox and cholera,
both OF which are imported from China.
The natives IN the interior are practi-
cally free from these epldemcs which
prevail about tie chief ports. Anyone
who disregards tbs laws of health by
going about OF sleeping in wet clothing
will get "sore bones and possibly
malarial or rheumatic fever, just as he
would in Michigan. Those who drink
|
stomachs with fruits Invariably get
bowel trouble, and some OF them will
die. In spite of the prevalence of
smallpox among the soldiers, and the
abrupt change from the temperate to
the torrid zone, the death rate and
the sick rate have not been excessive
At any rate, it appears to have been
less than was experienced at either
Tampa, Fernandina or Camp Thomas.
All authorities agreed that the troops
which did the lighting at Santiago
must be hurried out of the country TO
escape destruction by yellow fever,
bat there has never been any evil re-
port from the health OF the army in
the Philippines.