HURRICANES. 43 
Directions of the wind, 1902. 
South- | 
7 | North- ba ; / south. | yo | North: yan 
Month. North east past eas routh | west vet | west Variable 
ays. days. ays. days. cays. | days. ws. | days. | uYS. 
| | 
January .......--- 16.5 11.0 2.5 | een 
February .....---- 12.0 9.5 Fe eee 
March.......----- i 16.5 12.5 5 5 O.5 joc eee eee ce eee ee eee eee eee eee 
April ....---.----- 20.0 8.0 1.5 | ceeeeeee ee eer |. eneeeeee | wee eeeeeee 
May ....------++- 13.0) 14.5 1.5 |.....--: loess cease Je eeeeeee | Lecce eeees 2.0 
June ....-.------ 6.5 17.0 4.5 | 1.0 .....-.--- es eee 1.0 
July ....-...-.--- 13.0 5.5 6.5 | 1.0 10 .....-.-).----4---- | 1.0 
August .....--..-- a 1.5 2.5 5.0 | 6.5 3.0 3.5 | 1.0 | 6.5 
September. .....--|.----- 02/2222 -re ne |eee gee se[ertt ergs: 6.0 16.5 5.0 | 2.5 .....----- 
October .....----+ 4.0 | 10.0 3.0 6.0 | 1.0 1.0 |.....----- 6.0 
November 4. 6.0 14.0 25 | 3.00 ...e eee eee D Leese eeeee 2.0 
December 2.0 | 8.0 | 91,0 |...-.----- er errr es 
Sum (days).| 8.0) 117.0 | 125.0 32.0 | 28.0 | ».0 | 10.0 | 3.5 | 18.5 
| 
Srorms.—Hurricanes may visit the island at almost any season. 
According to available records they appear to have been most frequent 
during the months of April and November. The first one recorded 
occurred on the 8th of September, 1671, in the midst of a war between 
the Spaniards and the natives. It is described as ‘a typhoon, called 
‘baguio’ by the natives, the most furious which had been seen on the 
island, veering in a short time all round the compass, and causing 
injuries which it would take years to remedy, ruining nearly all the 
houses of Agafia and the other towns of the island, especially those 
of the chief conspirators, as they have since confessed; tearing up 
breadfruit trees, together with palms and other plants with which they 
nourish themselves, leaving them in a condition without farms, without 
houses, and without food.” Not even the church of the missionaries 
was spared, and one of the wizards of the natives declared that he was 
more powerful than the god of the Spaniards, since the hurricane had 
swept away their church and had not been able to injure his house. 
A violent hurricane laid waste the island on the night of August 10, 
1848. A description of the damages wrought by it may be found in 
a report of the Spanish governor, Don Pablo Perez, to the captain- 
general of the Philippines. Since the American occupation there have 
been several hard storms. The first occurred on May 26-27, 1900, the 
wind being accompanied by very heavy rainfall. Breadfruit, coco- 
nuts, coffee, and cacao were stripped from the trees and bushes; plan- 
tains and banana plants were torn to shreds, and many trees were 
snapped off or uprooted. In the southern part of the island fowls died 
from exposure. At the village of Sumai, on Orote Peninsula, the 
infirmary and wharf shed were demolished and several private houses 
were blown down. At Agat several dwellings were destroyed, 
together with the schoolhouse. At Merizo the rice fields were 
destroyed, and at Umata the corn was killed, the chapel unroofed, and 
several dwellings demolished. At Inalahan three bridges were car- 
ried away by swollen streams and the tribunal, rectory, and school- 
. 
