The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-02
THE TYPHOON In MANILA.
some Idea ofthe Unhappiness 1t Bring
to the Fiiipinos
(From the Chicago Rscord.)


The red lamp that hangs beneath the
white light In front of the office Of the
Captain of the port is signal to marin
srs that typhoon Ii on tbs way. Tue
warning has been out for several days,
and the storm Is predicted Is here.
The typhoon Is no wiling about the
streets Of Manila and over the hills OF
Luzou. For two days the rain has bean
coming down In torrents but 1t was not
until this morning that the storm took
ON the character, sites Of typhoon. The
whitecaps are plunaing about In the bsy
and VESSELS that are anoh orsd In the har-
Dor swing heavily on their chains and
rock with the waves that swell across
this landlocked haven.
Ships out In the ocean are watched fer
anxiously. The sea possesses most OF the
terror during these storms, but on lend
there Q trouble too. Trees are blown
down and the trail native houses are
wrecked. Inhabitants are drencbed and
bu sinsss IL early at q stsndstill. Streets
run full Of water, which creeps into che
little stores, ana the proprietors spend
their time In bailing out tie water that
is ankle deep inside the doorsills.
The str ct car rumblss on during the
storm. The driver drones on his whistle
a. the curtains flap wildly In the wind
cart. while the more patient animal plodi
slowly along the wet street. The water
buffalo cares very little II the rain II
coming down. 1t Is different with tie
driver, usually q Chinaman. or. as he ID
known here, "Chino," but fomstimss o
Filipino. These people wear great
variety OF rain coats. 1t only has been
this last rainy season tbaf some Of them
have appeared in great blue oSercoati
with brass buttons. The buttons bsaI
the eagle Of the United States and there
Ia reason to believe that Government
clothing 10 being worn by those who
never carried gun.
m ACE OF the musk Of the oocoanut. Th'
fibre Ia wo ven into sleeveless coat. and
over this here Is a cape OF the SAINT
| the weaver looks like the cannibals Ii
the picture boks. The legs are bsrs, thu
thin, white trousers being rolled up q
| the thighs. The wearer tops ont bill
costume with broad.rlmmed hat. gen
orally OF straw. Another protection
made Of clossly woven nipa, which hsi
over the shoulders and slAnts down 81 NJ
to turn the food that falls to the ground
This IL q good protection II there IL NO
wind to drive the rain beneath the rcoi-
| for It Ia little else than that. The weareI
looks like oaricature Of a ballet girl.
With the exoep tion Of umbrellas, which
few Of them possess, the women are with
| out protection from the storm. They 60
| to and from the market M they do on the
brightest days. seeming satisfied II they
can only keep their heads dry. When
their wares are sold they turn the bas
ket upside down on their heads and plod
along smoking their cigarettes.
When person has 20 60 out during th'
rainy season he uses q carometta or
quiles. They are built so the storm can
| not gst In to the passenger. The drivers
generally wear little helmets that are no,
seen in any other part OF the world
They are like a sun helmet, only insteas
| Of pipe clay there IL q coating OF whit
lead, which the sailors use In painting
ships. Some OF the drivers have risen Il
the position In life where they can auor,
. white raincoat, with hood, but sucf
an outfit II considered very aristooratic
and few outside the liveried servants cal
afford such q luxury. When passenger
are not in the conveyance the driver sii
back out of the wet either behind the cur
tain of the oerometta or under the roof o
the quilez
The native does not enjoy this we
season any more than . Southerner en-
Joys a winter In Canada. Around thu
Quartermsster's Department. a number 0
Bi'ipinos are working. They certaipl,
are the chillisst lot that ever saluted ,
foreman. They make no effort to tsTppe
the elements by heavier clothing. blu
20 about In the same white olothss the.
wear In May. The foreman. q heart.
sergeant, who gcss about In q poncho an
pair Of rubber boots, greeted them q
they left the building tonight; "Mhoh
aqua, much frrar' Isl, senior, the
replied, Is they shivsrsd ON into tn
streets and fled away to their homes
"Say, you mean to say them fellera wan
to fght us In this kind Of weatherS Nc
Stree. There's no more fight In then