Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-20

usual phenomena ever recorded in the
Philippine islands. A complete under
standing of what took place on that night,
and a satisfactory explanation of the
same will in all probability remain one
of the mysteries of nature.
About midnight on that night, amid
binding flashes of lightning and torrents
of rain, there came to the ears OF the
natives south of the mountain, between
the mountain and the sea, sounds
of an awful rumbling, roaring and
crashing. These sounds gradually
grew louder and louder and more
terrifying. To the natives it sounded as
IL the whole earth were crashing, crack
ing and crumbling. They were thrown in
to spasms of fear and, falling on their
faces, began praying to their favorlte
saints with all the ardor inspired by the
| awful sounds without. Some even salo
that they believed what was taking. place
was beyond the jurisdiction OF the SAINTS
and, casting aside their religious teacn-
ings, they prayed direct to God. They
fully believed that the end of the world
was at hand and that a few minutes more
would wind up all things mortal. This
awful noise continued for an hour or
more. Finally 1t ceased, but the natives
were afraid to stir out Of their tracks I'M
til morning came.
The morning showed that what had
taken place was tremendous HOOD that
had extended from the mountain TO the
sea-a distance of eighteen miles-and had
completely devastated all the country IL
I had touched. Branches of II extended
along the road near the town of Sarlaya
for a distance of two miles. Huge boud-
ers weighing ten TO twenty tons or more,
were scattered along the whole length OF
the flood like pebbles washed by branch.
The bed of creek had been moved zeo
Yards southwest of its original position
A large steel bridge had been torn away
and bent into all shapes, as II II mao
been of tin. Giant trees had been
torn ND by the roots and deposited
in splinters miles away. Dense, tropical
thickets had been transformed into desert
plains. At a point six miles from the
town of Sariaya, where the MOOD mao
emerged from the mountain gorge, II had
spread out a mile wide. A distinct shoch
had been registered on the seismosrapn
at Manila. All this with but one loss OF
life That was a little baby. Inc rather
and mother had heard the approach OF
the flood and in endeavoring to escape
the father had grabbed his favorite hghE
ing rooster, and the mother the BABY
In some way the mother lost hold OF the
baby, and 1t was swept on TO the sea
Had the foods course been one ana a
half miles farther east, 1t Wouln nave
completely wiped the town OF Sarlaya''
with its 1900 inhabitants, on the map
In fact, 50 years ago there was similar
occurrence. and it completely destroyed
the town. 49,
II was reported in Manila at the time
that Mt. Bonanza had been In eruption
Later. explorers advanced the theory thaI
there had been a great landslide up the
gorge which had formed DAM ana una
this dam had cased sufficient water IorCe
TO accumulate to cause the MOOD VAR
Gus other theories had also been ao-
vanced
! ,. -. az oath of this flood and It's
source that we-two missionaries, another
maestro (teacher) and myself deternlllle '
| n visit in an endeavor TO satisfy our own
minds as to what mad happened
THE start was made from the town OF
Tucban. Tayabas province, rwhere we
were spending our vacation rms TOWN. Is
located Just at the foot OF Mt Bona1ao'
but on the side opposite that Oh the 49, -
| so we had to make a winding CIRCUIT VI
the mountain. passing through the town
| ~ Tavabas and Sariaya before reaching
the path of the food.
We engaged two cargadores to carry
our blankets and chow and got an early
start on the appointed morning.
The first part of the trip was OF ltseii
quite interesting. Aside from the general
| beauty of Philippine foliage and views
along the road, there were many places
| Of historic interest. A few miles before
reaching the town Of Tayabas, we came
| TO a fine specimen of Spanish architecture
"a bridge, known as the Princessa
| bridge. This was one-arched Drloge
| built of hewn stone with stone steps lead
ing down to the river, 80 feet below
| Here during the instruction, there had
! been some sharp lighting. We took time
here to descend the steps and admire the
bridge and surrounding scenery. Let me
divert here long enough to renak that 1t
! is really wonderful what was accomplish
! ed in the building line during Spanish rule
| in these islands. There is not town, no
| matter how small, or how poor, or how
| remote or stuck away in the mountains,
! but has it's massive stone church and con-
vent. and usually other buildings as well.
True, there was forced labor and heavy
taxes but even with these it was no little
| task to accomplish what they did in this
line. What a pity they could not have
| accomplished as much in other and more
useful lines! But. to return. The town of
! Tayabas we found a rather dead one, but
| nevertheless interesting. Until the Amer
| lean occupation this town was the capital
| of the province of Tayabas. After the oc-
| cupation the capital was removed to it's
| logical Northumberland NiliStA - SAhhot-
| ed near Tayabas bay. The people or
| Tayabas are said to be rather anti-Amerl-
can in feeling, that is, some more so than
other towns. Whether this is due to the
removal of the capital, 1 do not know.
| One side of the big stone church here is
! decorated with bullet holes. These were
made by the insurrectos in fight on the
Spaniards who had taken refuge in the
| church.
Once or twice on the road from Tayabas
| to Sariaya we stopped to get green CO.
! coanuts. The water in these is cool and
| refreshing and, then, one knows when
| drinking II that he is not imbibing germs
| of cholera, dysentery or other diseases.
| We carried some boiled water with US,
| but not enough to last through the trip.
| After getting in the mountains we drank
water fresh from the streams. On this
trip one of our party, for the first time in
a year and half spent in the islands,
| drank unboied water.
| SCENE OF WRECKAGE.
| We reached Sariaya at 2 p. M, and
after a short delay there proceeded to
| the edge Of the flood plain, arriving
| there at o'clock.
We were expecting to see something
out OF the ordinary, but were not pre-
/ pared for such a sight as greeted our
eyes. AS far as the eye could see in
| both directions there was this wide
path of desert plain overstrewn with
splintered limbs and trunks of trees