GREAT STORM AT THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2, 2 January 1903, Page 4

GREAT STORM AT THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

LUZON ISLAND DEVASTATED

A PICTURE OF DESTRUCTION AND

DESOLATION.

INHABITANTS DRIVEN TO THE

HIGHLANDS.

SHIPPING CASUALTIES,

The United States supply steamer Glacier arrived at Sydney, from Manila on December 26 oh one of her usual periodica*!' visits'to , obtain supplies for the American troops at the Philippine Islands. The Glacier brought news that a disastrous hurricane has swept over Luzon, one of the Philippine Islands. It struck Lingayen Gulf and swept the coast to the" south. The path* of the jstorm was not confined to the coast/ but reached inland for many miles, and covered all of the territory from the China waters as far east as Dagupan and Tar lac, the southern extremity of the hurricane.

The wind played havoc to property and • crops, and several Filipinos are reported to have lost their lives. The whole country is one vast picture of destruction and desolation, and even in Dagupan and other towns along the line of the railroad to Tarlac, where only the outer line of the wind was felt, several houses were destroyed. The extent of the damage in the interior between the railroad and the coast cannot be estimated at present, but judging from the destruction done along the coast, it is thought that the inland towns swept by the wind must have suffered very severe-

ly. In the river above; Dagupan a vsmall schooner parted her.moorings during the. height,of the gale, and came tearing down stream. It was unmanageable, and soon was in collision

with the steamer Omaha, which was lying at ihe • commissary wharf at Dagupan discharging cargo. The Omaha was practically "skinned" from stem to stern, all of her upper works, lifeboats, railings, stanchions, etcij. on the port side being destroyed. ly wiped out. At plsces along the coast the waves ran so high that the Eeople were compelled to leave their onies to the mercy of wind and water.and flee, to the highlands for safety and shelter- .. :. ...■;

Two launches, the S. de la Eama and her slater, J. de la Eama, left Hongkong for Manila, in charge of Chinese crews. All went well until typhoon weather, was. encountered, when heavy seas -ran high, and it looked for a while : as- if all would be lost, bu«t the seamanship of Captain, Moua, a Chinese navigator,, not only saved one of the boats, but saved, the lives of those pn board the J. de la Eama, which was unable to weather the storm. -The captain was in command of the S. tie. la Eama when the fury of the storm broke, which seemed to wreak its whole vengeance on the other .boat. He stood by and took off the crew of the fast sinking launch, and took all safely, to Manila.

Describing the encounter, Captain Moui told the whole story as follows: "Two piecy launch, start HongkongManila way, three days out Hongkong side, catchy very blad wether, one piecy launchy he no cam. stand, he go bottom side." . ■. \> ■'