New-York tribune., 1900-11-25
rrE OUTLOOK FOR MANILA.
.,,r IT'S STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE
BE CHANGED:
PRESENT METHOD OF HOUsEBULDING
SUITED TO CLIMATE. BUT LEAVES
MUCH TO BE DESIRED.
Manila, Philippine Islands, October Il


Manila. Philippine Islands. October 10.
In looking forward to the future Of Manila !
the question comes up, VIII the style Of archi-
,scture be changed? The present method of
buiding houses, while we'll suited to the climate
IN many respects, leaves much TO be desired.
/, There two important things that the archi-
,ect must ohviate much as possible, the ef-
Sects of earthquakes and heat. Out of Difference
10 the former, there are almost no houses In
Manila that than two stories high.
me churches, though they cannot be reckoned
h stories, are very large, and most Of them have
huge vaulted roofs. 1t is we'll known that the
cathedral suffered severely from an earthquake
not long ago, and that large building in its
vicinity was completely shattered The churches
are built massively medieval castles the
walls being In from four to five feet
thick. This is all of solid masonry-cement and
stones. There stood the Gale Palacio
a large church which has been completely de-
stroyed by an earthquake. 1t built in 17O0
and the ruins. which are still standing would
indicate that the style of architecture differed
from the other huge churches with which Manila
is filled. and which have withstood earthquake
after earthquake for two hundred three hun
dred years. The greatest curiosity in church
buildings in Manila is that of San Sebastian in
Santa Cruz. 1t literally made in Ger
many" and brought to this country in pieces of
galvanized iron. Such is the firmness with
which these are bolted together and the careful
relation which each bears the other, that II is
considered strong enough to withstand a very
heavy shock 1t is claimed that the building
could not be broken apart, but could be only
swayed or bent-or tipped over altogether. The
very massive form of architecture in which
most of the churches are built and which seems
10 have survived the shocks WELL is being aban-
dcned for that of the new buildings which
going up. In former times it probably
adopted much for defence as anything else
for the "convento" or priests house connected
with it, and which had at the most two stories
always built in the way. both in Ma
Mia and in the provinces, where attacks from
the natives in the early days more TO be
feared 1 have been in churches and CON
ventos" in the provinces and in the southern
islands. which could be- and doubtless often
were. fortified against the attacks of bows and
arrows-whch used to be the principal weapons
and even against the rifle at long range
HOUSES ANTIQUE AND GLOOMY
There is something fascinating about these
buildings, probably because most of them have
such of antiquity and present such a
contrast in every way any of the buildings
o. America. But as they gloomy, too and
unsuted for the present times. it would be fool
ish TO build any more in similar way. The
most common sort Of house of the present day
is the two story wooden one; that is in speaking
Of the houses Of the better class. These are all
built in one general way, the architecture being
decidedly Spanish. The largest ones are entered
by a driveway which runs underneath the house
into a courtyard in which are the stables. In
cases the stables are on the first floor Of
the house. Except when house is built in the |
bungalow style with only story. the family |
live eat and sleep on the second floor, and there |
is rarely SO much as a loft above 1t. In the old !
days the red tiles of Spain were used in all |
cases for the roof. For some time these have
been entirely abandoned for the new houses
and are only TO be found on the old ones. The
reason of this is easily understood; during the
shock Of earthquake the earthen tiles flew
about in such manner as to endanger the lives
of those with whom they came in contact. There
also this danger curing a typhoon when
the tiles were blown off instead of being shaken
They have been replaced by large sheets of gall
vanized ron which are bolted down. overlapping
each other. This sort Of roof is not without It's
menace to life well as the tiles Not
long ago, when Manila swept by typhoon
several of these roofs We're wrenched off and
began whirling round in the air like pasteboard
cards. greedy Chino" who lived in Binon-
Go, where the accident occurred, thought that
z
nothing. an idea which would appeal strongly
In the Chino imagination: so he mounted his
own roof and braved the peril of being blown
away himself in order to catch the wandering
roofirec- Unfortunately. the "Chino's'' greed
was greater than his knowledge of physical
phenomenon. and his life was the penalty. The
roof beheaded him. and this is a true story
IN dispensing with the red tiles, We dispense
With the most picturesque feature of the Spanish
architecture Manila from the water is but
low lying mass Of white rooted houses. The
town Of Cavite, the bay, is far
beautiful thing TO look upon-though very dis
agreeable place TO live in. for the houses all
olu-and the red roofs among the green foliage
make a marvellously picturesque scene on a
clear day One of the greatest precautions
against earthquakes in the building of a house
is 10 have the upright beams, pillars, of
solid piece. This is not difficult in a land
rich in magnificent hard woods and trees Of
enormous size the Philippines. In the new
portion Of the Jesuit college in the Walled City
this has been done. The advantage is that
while the shock sways the building It cannot
break it.
ESCAPE FROM THE HEAT
In meeting the question Of heat the houses are
built. most Of them. that they can be entirely
thrown open entirely closed up 1t is not
uncommon late in the afternoon when the
breeze begins to come in from the sea. fer
mouse to be so opened that any one passing in
the street see the entire interior of each
room, just a house at home when
one OF its walls is pulled down. This cannot be
done when a house is built with the corridor"
which runs along the second story outside Of
each room. and oVerhangs the sidewalk below,
iolding doors, and sometimes the doors the
only means OF admitting the light and air to the
interior more often there apertures in the
wah besides. The corridor has moving case