HURRICANES. 



43 



Directions of the wind, 1902. 



Storms. — Hurricanes may visit the island at almost any season. 

 According to available records the}' appear to have been most frequent 

 during the months of April and November. The first one recorded 

 occurred on the Sth of September, 1071, in the midst of a war between 

 the Spaniards and the natives. It is described as "a typhoon, called 

 ' ))ag'uio ' by the natives, the most furious which had lieen 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 Agaiia 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 ])anana plants were torn to shreds, and many trees were 

 snapped oft' 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- 



