The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
WHEN 1T RAINS IN MANILA.
A FAIL OF 0VER THREE FEET IN
FIVE DAYS DURING JULY.
Record for the Month Was 48.ss8 Inches, |
Equalied Only Once Since Records Have
Been Kept in tho PhiIippines-Three |
Distinct Typhoons in Three Weeks.

when il was indicated TO you by cable that some
rain had fallen, or was falling, or was about to
fall in this ncighborhood. Some OF the troops
now here came down In the FIRST or second expedi
tons of last year and reached this lovely spot n
time 10 form some sort Of acquaintance with Mr.. X.
Season, when he was doing business in one OF his
favoritc fields. When there was n little damp
spell in the early part Of June Of this year and the
late Corners who did not know any thing about rain
storms talked wisely OF the rainy season." and
said il would not interfere materially with vigor
Gus prosecution Of the campaign, there was a
gentle but perceptibe gurgle in the throats OF the
weathcrwise Of last summer. Then there came
along a mail, which brought some papers from
the States. with dispatch from Washington
saying that Manila tolcgraphed that the cam
paign would be kept up without cessation during
the rains Thcrcupon all the Quartermastcrs and
Commissaries who had had experience in the
rains last year wcre relieved and ordered home,and
the entire administration, with tho exception Of
the Chief Signal OfIlccr composed Of men
who had heard that IL could rain in these parts.
but who knew nothing about il from actual expert
cnce. The veterans grinncd, and prepared to
have what fun they could when the rains finally
came in earnest
That happened very carly in July. Just about
the beginning Of the month the typhoon signals
went UP in front of the oiccof the Captain of the
fOrL Inc ClOu0S Eatncreu, Sullen ana angry
looking. and set about the natural business Of
clouds in the Philippines when the southwest
monsoon is blowing. Somebody venturcd TO re-
mark at headquarters that il was wet. lie was
jcercd at and informed that IL was nothing. That
was correct information. The rain had not yet
begun to fall. There is rain and rain II never
rains in the United States except at Utica, in the
State Of New York, and sometimes in the State Of
Oregon. II has been known To sprinkle in tho
Borough Of Manhattan, and there is on occasion
a heavy mist in Brooklyn. But in Manila. when
the ranmakers take OIL their coats and go at it in
earnest there is precipitation that makes the rain
gauges at the observatory get busy with them
selves ard stay busy for sometimes week at
spell. There is no language OF hypcrbole in
speaking of rain here. sublimated superative
is feeble. Not only docs IL rain TO beat the band
and the and the Dutch and all the rest of the
push, but it keeps raining after il has got them
all beaten a block. That is the part that jars
There were days when IL seemed 10 the casual
observer who Just floated in at headquarters by
the banCa route or in q casco that the cam
pagn was being delayed by undue depth of
water in the ncighborhood OF the campaigncrs.
There were supply ships in the bay that no casco
went near for almost three weeks. The wind
howled the rain roared. the waves arose. and if
Washington did its duty by Manila there went
forth from the national capital the information
that the instruction in the Philippines would
not be suppressed until the rainy season over
The veterans of last year sat around and said:
"Oh, you ought to have been at Camp Dewey.
There was where it rained bit on its own hook.
Why have walked up time and again Just in time
to catch my gripsack with everything | had in
the world with me floating out under the tent
flap Why this is only gentle dew 10 what
got down there"
n Manila thc vendors Of VI for the Donies
delivered it in bancns sklfully nnvigated along
the streams at the sides Of the streets Along the
lines the on outpost duty stood their tours
in trees or in boats and sometimes had to swim
to their posts
According TO the records at the observatory
the month Of July was peculiar in several par
tculars. Its rainfall was almost unprecedented
and nearly all ef II occurred In the three weeks
between the Cd and 22d. In that period the city
was under the influence Of various cyclonic cen
tres that traversed either the Pacific or the
China sea There were three distinct typhoons
The first on the Pacific side of Luzon and
drftcd up around the north end Of the island,
passing on to Formosa and the westernmost Of
the japanese islands. Curiously II was the in
nuence Of this disappearing storm that on the
9th and 10th gave Manila taste OF real ability
to rain the precipitation for those two days being
fourteen and half inches.
The signals were hardly down after this storm
when they went up again for a new one that had
formed in the China sea to the west Of Luzon and
marched slap bang onto the continent Of Asia
Then came the star of the whole aggregation
OF this one the atory bulletin for July says
This storm. perhaps the most remarkable of
the month, affected the weather of Manila more
especially the 18th, 10Th and goth. On the
18th the storm was n. L and far distant from
Luzon. and its cyclonc influence reached out at
the same time to Japan and the Philippines the
centre seemed to move then with marked ten
dency to westward toward the island Of Formosa
but on and after the 10th IL inclined northward
and on the 21st the centre was off Shanghai
where the storm ragged with great intensity. doing
considerable damage. The barometer fell To 20
inches"
In the three days thus specified Manila caught
a terrific downpour Nearly two feet Of water
fell and the town that had been travelling in row
boats during the first typhoon began to contem-
plate the advisabity of getting in n few arks Of
modern design and approved accommodation
for a long stay Then the real Joy OF life in Ma
Mia began TO show itself in the blue mold that
grew to phenomenal dimensions on ones clothing.
II you watched your boots for little while you
could see il start and over night It would attain
a length that would enitle ii to enter waving
match with North Dakota wheat field just rcady
for the self binder With four pounds Of pure
camphor in every compartment OF your wardrobe
the mold attacked undaunted, II advanced on
| both tanks, front and rear at the same time
| Nothing could Withstand IL. Oiled paper was
| laughing stock II pervaded even the sacred
precincts of 7inc-lined trunks and Mn boxes built
| especially to keep il out. Alcohol lamps kept
| burning in the wardrobes at the imminent risk
| of the total destruction Of tho contents by fire
made faint impressions on the persistent mold
| There " nothing n do hut whit hp n