The Philippine Weather Service 



77 



FINANCE COMMITTEE 



John Joy Edsoti, Chairman, President 

 Washington Loan and Trust Company. 



Charles J. Bell, President American 

 Security and Trust Company. 



David T. Day, United States Geolog- 

 ical Survey. 



COMMITTEE ON SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM 



William M. Davis, Chairman, and 

 Angelo Heilprin, George B. Shattuck, 

 G. K. Gilbert, Henry Gannett, Wil- 

 liam Libbey, Cyrus C. Adams, and 

 Henry G. Bryant. 



COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION 



David T. Day, Chairman, and L. W. 

 Busbey, H. L. Bridgman, and Miss 

 Zonia Baber. 



COMMITTEE ON BADGES 



R. E. Dodge, Chairman, and H. G. 

 Bryant. 



COMMITTEE ON PRESS 

 H. L. Bridgman, Chairman. 



COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS 

 Henry Gannett, Chairman. 



THE PHILIPPINE WEATHER SERVICE 



THE Philippine Weather Service 

 is one of the most important, 

 if not the most important, of 

 the scientific bureaus of the insular gov- 

 ernment, not only because of the high 

 character of its scientific work, but also 

 for its practical value to human life and 

 to the industries. 



It may be said to have originated in 

 1865, with the establishment of the 

 Manila Observatory, which was origi- 

 nated and carried on for many years by 

 the Society of Jesus. At the beginning 

 the observatory was equipped with the 

 essential meteorological instruments, and 

 as means were afforded from time to 

 time others were added, until by 1870 

 it was thoroughly well equipped with 

 instruments. 



From the beginning systematic ob- 

 servations were made, and published 

 monthly. It was not, however, until 

 14 years later, in 1S79, that the first 

 practical result was reached in the form 

 of storm warnings. Meanwhile, how- 

 ever, studies had been made of the 

 general meteorologic conditions of the 

 neighborhood of Manila, in the light of 

 the observations made at the observa- 

 tory, and special study of the typhoon, 

 or bagnio, as the concentrated cyclone 



common in this neighborhood is locally 

 known. 



The Philippine Islands are swept by 

 the easterly trade winds from November 

 to May, and from June to October by 

 the southwest monsoon. Ea^t of these 

 islands the southwest monsoon of the 

 summer meets the steady easterly trade 

 wind, and here whirls of different ve- 

 locity and intensity are often set up, 

 which, moving at first westerly with the 

 trades, swing around to the north and 

 northeast as they get well within the 

 region of the south west monsoon . These 

 are the typhoons so similar to our West 

 Indian hurricanes. The Philippine Isl- 

 ands are directly in their track, and the 

 monsoon season is the typhoon season. 

 It is the prevalence of these storms, so 

 destructive to life and property, that 

 makes a weather service of such exceed- 

 ing importance. 



The course and character of the ty- 

 phoon of July 7 of the year 1879 were 

 predicted, and much suffering was 

 thereby avoided. The typhoon of No- 

 vember 18 was also predicted, and in 

 consequence of the warning all shipping 

 was held in Manila Bay, resulting in 

 trifling loss, although the typhoon was 

 very severe. 



