Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-12-19
,UGuEGARAo, CAGAYAN. P. l.
October, 1st, 1906.

EDITOR OF HERALD The lainy sea-
son after some six months of almost
incessant rain and strong north
westers with an occasional sweep
of the proverbial ''baguio" or typ
hoon as it is called in English, is
drawing to close; now for a siege
of dust. AS the Spaniards say six
months rain, six months dust and
the rest fair weather" more fiction
than truth for we certainly are
favored ot times with perfect wealth
er ard again we have typhoons that
reach the enormous velocity Of 90
miles per hour carrying away about
everything movable and leaving the
country as barren as a desert; crops
completely destroyed, banana and
cocoanut trees blown down, houses
unroofed but fortunately through
centuries of experience these people
have finally been able to construct
a dwelling Of which at least the
walls and floor are capable of resist
Ing the worst of these storms, being
tied TO huge posts set deeply into
the ground, the rattan thongs are
strong and flexible consequently
little damage is done to them. One
would think while housed in one OF
these structures during storm that
she were going to fly to pieces at
any moment, something like riding
a high sea in small boat.
A ''bagriio" although a very
formidable foe to deal with is not
treacherous nOr does he strike you
an unexpected blow during yonr
dreams. but he approaches steadily
and slowly with 1uany lines Of
pickets far in advance to announce
his coming; thus one by knowing the
direction and action of the wind
and the movement OF the barometer
can tell when one of these monsters
is to be expected. Besides this, our
we'll equipped and organized Wealth
er Bureau at Manila with tele-
graphic communication to its nun
erous stations scattered throughout
the archipelago, generally announces
by wire the location, intensity and
onward movement of these storms;
it sometimes happens that two or
three are simulta neously playing
havoc in different parts of Uncle
Sans orient, but the people lying
within their paths are always warn
ed about "a hours before hand so
that they may be prepared when
the calamity arrives. Every native
invariably keeps on hand an ample
supply of rattan "bejuco" in P. l.
vernacular; when a baguiO is ex-
pected you will find him closing all
his windows and with this 'bejuco"
securely tying them; glass being
practically an unknown quantity
here they are made of wood and
are openedsand closed by sliding
them in grooves cut into the window
sills;if the roof shows signs of weak
ness it is strengthened by long ropes
made of this same material stretch
cd over the house and firmly fasten-
ed to stakes driven in the ground.
The doors are supplied with strong
bars and when once inside with the
doors barred and the windows tied,
you are, as far as wind is concern
ed, encased in one of the most dur
able structures imaginable; very in
frequently is nail used In their
construction, everything is tied, so
the wind may blow and the rain
fall, but your rocking, squeaking,
flexible hut will stand. You can
imagine that the first experience Of
this kind is interesting.
These storms as a rule originate
III the Pacific Ocean southeast and
east of the archipelago: some how
ever have their origin in the China
sea, but all have the same general
onward movement which is north
west; being sometimes slightly de
fected in their forward movement
by mountain ranges The onward
movement is comparatively slow,
but the whirling rather circular
motion is what does the damage.
This motion has the same direction
as that of our American tornadOes,
to the right that is IN the direction
Of the hands Of a clock. They vary
il diameter from so to $50 miles,
the destructive portion hardly ever
extending over a strip Of country
more than so miles wide. The wind
il the outer part OF the circle blows
with low velocity but as the cen
ter is approached it increases rapid
" attaining very high speed as
the center or vortex is reached, but
within this vortex which I.imagine