Evening star., 1947-12-26
Typhoon
Continued From First Page

months, was caught directly in the
center of this one.
A report to the Chinese Com
mercial News from isolated Tao
loban on Leyte Island said 10 per
cent of the business district Of that
city had been wiped out by fire
which whipped through the town
on the wings of the typhoon. Taclo-
ban was the scene of some of the
wars fiercest fighting on Leyte.
Preliminary reports of the Manila
police listed three killed here and
II injured. The city's transporta-
tion system was completely dis
rupted and the power, light and
telephone services operated on a
limited emergency basis.
Damage Erratic in Manila.
A survey by the Associated Press
showed that damage in Manila was
errstic and spotted, although the
eye of the storm passed directly
over the metropolitan district.
The city's south harbor was a
scene of wreckage and destruction
while the north harbor. across the
Pasig River, was relatively un-
touched
The air terminal at Nichols
Field. used by Pan American World
Airways and Northwest Airlines,
was badly battered and radio COM
nunications we're knocked out. The
two lines probably will not fly into
Manila again until the radio is
restored, since they are not au-
thorized to land elsewhere.
Several planes at the Makati In
ternational Airport were demolished.
The eye of the storm, which was
a calm, clear. oval space 20 to 80
miles across and surrounded by
mountainous black clouds 3 to
miles high, passed over the metro
politan district and the harbor
about 6:55 am. today. moving west
ward at about Is miles an hour. 1t
was preceded and followed by rain
squalls and severe gales, with gusts
mounting to 80 miles an hour.
Four Other Vessels Damaged.
Besides the Kina and the Bake.
four other vessels were damaged fby
the storm.
In Manila harbor, where storm
lashed waves damaged four piers,
the United States Lines freighter
Spitfre broke her moWings and
crashed into wharf Then her
stern was pounded by the japanese
Liberty ship Jacques Laramie. which
swung wildly at anchor before the
wind.
A Norwegian freighter, the Tigre
was swept ashore while loading at
Tobacco, in Southern Luzon; the
l.870-ton Philippine freighter Will
liam Mott broke loose from her
moorings at Legaspi, and the small
interisland ship Venus, of 262 tons,
ran aground on Tablas Island, be-
tween Manila and Cebu.
The typhoon center passed about
20 miles from Manila on path
from the Pacific to the China Sea
and appeared to be moderating
later in the morning.
Largest Hotel Unroofed.
Striking at sunrise. the big blow
ripped the roof off the city's largest
hostelry. the Manila Hotel, broke
stained glass windows and caused
other damage at the presidential
Malacanan Palace. disrupted COM
munications. f1attened or blew away
countless lightly constructed houses
and left Manila streets looking as
If war had just departed. Wreck
age Of roofs and house siding lay
everywhere.
At least two airplanes were over
turned and wrecked.
Early reports said one aged wom-
an was killed by a falling tree and
three other persons were injured
when a stable collapsed. The cas-
ualty list was expected to grow
however, when reports come in from
other sections of Luzon.