The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-25
A MANILA OBSERVATORY
Its Great Usefulness in Forecast
ing Oriental Hurricanes.
Primarily Designed for Educational
Work But Gave Practical Work I'm
Preparing Seamen and Lnndsmen
Alike to Guard Against TyphoOn
Rnvngcs-WOrk of Jesuit Fathers.

J The Rev Father jose Alqua. S. j.. Di-
. rector Of the Manila Observatory, while
in Washington recently took great interes,
in the astronomical institutions of this
city With Father Hogan. head OF the
Georgetown College Observatory, Father
Allua had many interesting conversations
In describing the history Of the Manila
institution, of which he has charge, he
said:
1.-The Manila Observatory was primarily
designed for educational purposes under
the direction of the Jesuit fathers. in 1865.
Soon, however. the work became OF con-
siderable Importance the study of ty-
phoons upon the coast forming the main
feature The following September one OF
these typhoons did great damage to the
city and harbor of Manila, which caused
the Jesuits to become more interested
than ever in the discovery Of the laws OF
the typhoons, so frequently destructive OF
life and property in those regions. The
first father who acted as director of the
new observatory was the Rev. Father
Faura, and the first endeavor of the OBJ
servatory was, of course. to discover, IL
possible, some way of forecasting any
typhoon dangerous to Manila and to an
nounce within sufficient time 10 avoid dis
aster the track the storm would probably
follow.
Father Faura was assisted in his task
by two other Jesuits, Fathers Mcneil and
Ricart, and the college provided them with
| few meteorological instruments abso-
lutely necessary for their researches.
With these simple means they began
series OF observations which were dill
gently recorded from September. 1865, un-
til the end of 1859. A paper containing
| these records was sent monthly to the
principal observatories of the world fol-
! lowed at the end OF the year by a SUM
mary OF the meteorological results of each
! month and brief account of the princi-
| pal atmospheric perturbationS noticed
| during the year. In 1868 the institution
acquired the universal meteorograph,
! which had gained for its inventor. Father
| Secchi (of Romeo great fame at the Paris
Exposition of 1862. With the aid OF some
wealthy residents. of Manila several other
| instruments for direct observations were
purchased, all of them corrected and COM
pared with the standard instruments of
the French Observatory of Montsoures. AS
with this new set of instruments observa-
tions could be recorded on larger scale.
the functions of the observatory were en-
iarged to corresponding degree.
Seven years later, when the city of
Manila and the Philippine Islands in gen.
eral were beginning to appreciate the
utility of the observatory. a subscription
amounting to 7.542 Mexican dollars was
raised for the purpose Of charging the OBJ
seryatory and endowing 1t with more and
better instruments. This token Of public
favor greatly stimulated the Jesuit faith
ers and more particularly Father Faura,
to carry out their ambition to make the
Manila Observatory. il not the very best,
one of the best in the Far East. For this
purpose Father Faura visited the principal
observatories Of Europe At Rome he had
conferences with the famous Italian as
tronomer, Father Secchi; in England, at
Stoneyhurst Observatory, he acquainted
himself with the method of main tanning a
complete magnetic observatory. From
then he proceeded to Paris. where he col
lected all possible information regarding
meteorology. magnetism, and seismoiogy.
ION his return to Manila. Father Faura
brought new interest to the work Of the
observatory. Perceiving that there was
some connection between barometric osoil-
Iations and the proximity of a typtoon, he
this to be fact. Thus 10 Father Faura
belongs the honor of being the first in the
Far East to predict the existence and to
determine the probable path of these
storms The first typhoon warning was
published July Z. 1879. stating that storm
was crossing the northern provinces Of
Luzon. Later advices confirmed the predic-
ton On November is of the same year the
observatory announced the approach of an
other typhoon. and predicted its course as
dangerous 10 the city of Manila. The FORE
cast caused intense excitement throughout
the city, but especially In the naval de-
partment. The captain of the port. d. Ale
jandro Churruca. prohibited communication
with ships in the bay, and suspended all
traffic The Governor General of the ISL
and came in person TO the observatory to
ascertain the truth of the prediction. The
answer was that typhoon threatened the
city ard that 1t was imperative to prepare
for emergencies. Precautions were then ef-
fectively taken in accordance with the in
structions of Father Faura. The typhoon
came, and owing exclusively TO the WARN
ing of Father Faura. the city was prepared.
and little damage was done by the storm,
but in all the other parts of the island
where notice could not be transmitted for
lack OF telegraphic communication, the
havoc was terrible. Forty-two shtpwrecks.
with great loss of life. were recorded"
Ever since this event recorded by Father
Alqua. the storm warnings of the Manila
Observatory have been carefully Needed
throughout the Philippine Archipelago In
the year 1850 telegraphic communication by
cable was established between Manila and
Hongkong. and this gave an even greater
imnortauce to the already very useful ty-
phoon warnings of Manila. In the same
wear the announcements OF various typnoonS
were sent from Manila to Hongkolg. where
their importance was fully appreciated and
favorably commented upon in the papers
of that colony especially in the ''Hongkong
Daily Press" Soon afterwarG the British
Government. informed of the great value
of these storm warnings. established in
Hongkong 4 Government observatory. the
principal object of which is TO give timely
notice whenever any typhoon threatens
the colony.
Father Alcua himself invented the re-
aecting zenith Photographic telescope for
the study of the variation of latitude in
use at the observatory. novel instTu-
ment of elegant construction.
One of the two ma gnihcent micrometers
possessed by the Manila Observatory vas
made in this city few years ago. These
micromsters are for the measurement OF
Photographic plates. and with then one
ten-thousauith of the rlillimetre can be
read.
Some idea of the Importance attributed
to the work of the observatory may be
gathered from the fact that after the cut
ting of the cable between Honskong and
Manila Admiral Dewey was entreated by
a distinguished British naval officer to re-
store communication as otherwise great
danger would ensue to life aud property
rom the interruption of the Geographic
storm warnings The Philippine Commits
sion were indebted to the officials OF the