The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-12-20
Father Jose AIgue Well Known in
Philippine Islands.
Director Of Weather Bureau at Manila
Who Han Made Extraordinary In
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 De-
voted to humanity,

London.-Quietly and un~ostenta.
tiously, without being in any way her.
aided by the press, a certain priest
paid a visit to London recently who
deserves to be ranked among the
worlds greatest benefactors. His
name. Father Joe Algue, Is scarcely
known, perhaps in this country. but
every man and woman in the far east
knows Father Algue, director Of the
Philippine weather bureau at Manila.
for did he not, after many years la
Dor, invent an instrument which Is
called the barocyclonometer, by which
1t Is possible to guard against the most
dreaded of far eastern calamities-
the typhoon?
This instrument Is nov In use on
upwards of 1000 ships that sail the
waters of the far east, while the
American government proposes to ut
Its ships with a modified form OF the
instrument in order that captains may
be warned of the approach OF hurri-
canes or storms, and thus make 1t pos
sible for them to slip out OF harms
way. And it was in order to have
this modified barocyclonometer made
under his personal supervision that
Father Algue recently came to Lon
don.
The instrument Is really a combina-
ton Of the ordinary barometer ana a
cyclone detecting apparatus. the lat
ter being Father Algue's W inVen-
tlon. The barometer used alone Will
tell of the approach of the storm, Il
will give no hint as to the direction IN
which the center or vortex or the
storm is moving. 1t is this additional
information which the cyclonometer
supplies, and its use has u~ndoubted-
ly led to the saving of millions oil
lives In eastern waters.
Not only, however, has Father Al
que invented the barocyclonometer,
but in connection with the Philippine
weather bureau. he has also organ
ICED a system Of cyclone danger sig
nails, which II il no exaggeration to
say save thousands OF lives every
year. Father Algus has a corps OF
10 native assistants who are scattered
the Philippine archipelago.
Some are observers, others telegraph
operators. others messengers, while
1t Manila Father aAlgue 10 In direct
communication with q score of other
weather stations in the islands. and
iiso with points far away from the
Philippines--Hong Kong for instance. ,
The approach Of a typhoon 10 at ,
nee telegraphed to Father Algue at 4
and he then sends the news
0 all quarters by means of his asso- :
iates and messengers. At times he .
las been able to give notice OF the =
pproach of a typhocn three days be- :.
ore 1t appears, and ANGST always y
nanages to give news of It one day .
efore. c
We, in this country. have little idea Il
the enormous loss of life and dam. .
&c caused by an eastern typhoon. c
'hen 1t Is mentioned. however, that .
10 average number Of typhoons In the q
.hiiippines Is II a year, and 1t Ia not IL
nusual for the fall Of rain in two u
ays to equal the total rainfall CT m
.ner countries for a year. while the II
INC has been known TO uproot ID
iurches. some idea of the value of IL
e work which is being done by this ca
lest' who has practically devoted his al
e to typhoon fighting. may be gath hi
ed. a
apart from ne baroeyclonometer, al
I'her Algue has invented several 9th. to
weather Instruments Of great value in
mariners. but he cares little for m
.Olicity or fame. and 1t is interest su
3 10 mott that one of his treatises hn
typhoon fighting was translated tn
o German and circulated in Eu. sp
pe' yet his name did not appear on til