Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-10-08
MANILA BIG RAINS.
More Than Three Feet Of Water Fell
in Five Days

in Five Days
IN THE MONTH OF JULY-NEAR-
LY BROKE THE RECORD
EQUALED ONLY ONCE IN 80
YEARS-HoW THE RECRUITS
WE'RE SURPRISED WHEN THEY
ENCOUNTERED THE TYPHOoN
SEASON-RAPID SPREAD OF
BLUE MOLD.
The Chicago Inter Ocean publishes
the following letter, dated August 5,
from its correspondent at Manila:
There were days last month when it
was indicated to you by cable that some
rain had fallen, or was falling, or was
about to fall. in this neighborhood.
Some OF the troops now here came
down in the first or second expeditions
last year, and so reached this lovely
spot in time to form some sort of ac-
quaintance with Mr.. r. Season. when
he was doing business in one of his
favorite fields When there was lit
tie damp spell in the early part of June
last year, and the late corners, who did
not know anything about rain-storms,
talked wisely of the rainy season, and
said it would interfere materially with
vigorous prosecution of the campaign,
there was gentle but perceptible CUR
gle in the Threats Of the weather-wise
of last summer.
Then there came along mail, which
brought some papers from the States
with a dispatch from Washington say
ing that Manila telegraphed that the
campaign would be kept up without
cessation during the rains. Thereupon
all that had had experience in the rains
last year were relieved and ordered
home, and the entire administration,
with the exception of the chief signal
officer, was composed of men who had
heard that 1t could rain in these parts,
but who knew nothing about it from
actual experience. The veterans grin
ned and prepared to have what fun they
could when the rains finally came in
earnest.
That happened very early in July.
Just about the beginning of the month
the typhoon signals went up in front
of the Office of the captain of the port.
The clouds gathered, sullen and angry
looking, and set about the natural bus
mess of clouds in the Philippines when
the southwestern monsoon is blowing.
Somebody ventured to remark at head
quarters that it was wet. He was
jeered at and informed that it was
nothing. That was correct informa-
ton. The rain had not yet begun to
rain. There is rain and rain. 1t never
rains in the United States except in
Utica, in the State of New York, and
sometimes in the State of Oregon. 1t
has been known to sprinkle in Chicago
and the borough Of Manhattan, and
there is, on occasion, heavy mist in
Brooklyn. But in Manila, when the
Tain-makers take off their coats and
tation that makes the rain gauges at
the observatory get busy with them
selves, and stay busy for sometimes a
week at a spell. There is no language
of hyperbole in speaking of rain here.
A sublimated superaltive is feeble. Not
only does it rain to beat the band and
the cars and the Dutch, and all the rest
of the push, but it keeps on raining
after it has got them all beaten a
block. That is the part that jars.
There were days when it seemed to
the casual observer who had just float
ed in at headquarters by the banca
route or in a caseo, that the campaign
was being delayed by undue depth OF
water in the neighborhood of the cam
paigners. 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 insur-
rection in the Philippines would not
be suppressed until the rainy season
was 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, l have walked up time and
again just in time to catch my grip
sack with everything / had in the
world with me, floating out under the
tent flip. Why, this is only a gentle
dew to what we got down there
In Manila the vendors of grass for