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The National Geographic Magazine 



In the three following years fifty- 

 three typhoons were predicted, and in 

 nearly every case the predictions were 

 verified. Upon the completion of the 

 Hongkong- Manila cable, storm warnings 

 were transmitted from Manila to Hong- 

 kong, and, as the storms usually occupy 

 two days in transit, ample warning 

 was given to the people of that colony. 



In 1884 the meteorological service of 

 the Observatory of Manila was adopted 

 by the Spanish Government by royal 

 order, and was greatly extended by the 

 establishment within the three following 

 years of thirteen secondary stations, all 

 upon the Island of Luzon. All these 

 stations were fully equipped with instru- 

 ments and connected by telegraph with 

 the central observatory at Manila, to 

 which were wired full meteorological 

 data each day. Besides these second-class 

 stations, fourteen other stations, which 

 may be denominated third-class, were 

 established, principally in the Visayan 

 Islands and in Mindanao, which were not 

 connected by telegraph, and which trans- 

 mitted their records monthly by mail. 



On May 22, 1901, the Philippine 

 Weather Bureau was established by act 

 of the Philippine Commission. It was, 

 in effect, simply the adoption of the 

 former organization, but many exten- 

 sions and improvements immediately 

 followed. The act provides for a di- 

 rector and three assistant directors for a 

 central observatory ; 9 first-class, 25 

 second-class, 17 third-class, and 20 rain 

 stations, and for observers and instru- 

 ments to man and equip them. 



The rapid extension of the telegraph 

 to all parts of the archipelago made it 

 possible to extend greatly the area 

 covered by stations reporting daily by 

 telegraph, and the usefulness of the 

 service was thus much increased. 



The Philippine Weather Service pub- 

 lishes no daily map, but in place thereof 

 furnishes records of the principal meteor 

 data daily to the press and to the officers 

 of the chief ports. Also, when any 

 serious atmospheric disturbance is im- 

 pending, such as a typhoon, frequent 

 observations are made at all stations 

 even remotely involved, and the port 

 authorities and other local officers of 

 the region concerned are kept closely in- 

 formed of its movements and character. 



It publishes a monthly summary of 

 the weather, much on the plan of our 

 Monthly Weather Review, besides nu- 

 merous miscellaneous publications. It 

 has close relations with the U.S. Weather 

 Bureau and with similar organizations 

 in Europe. Its storm warnings are 

 furnished the principal Chinese and 

 Japanese ports, where they have proved 

 of infinite service to commerce. 



The originator of the observatory was 

 Reverend Padre Faura. To him is 

 due its growth and equipment, its es- 

 tablishment as a government institution, 

 and its system of storm warnings. The 

 present director, Reverend Father 

 Algue, needs no introduction, since he is 

 the leading geographer and meteorolo- 

 gist of the Philippine Islands. What 

 his predecessor built he has ably carried 

 out and improved. H. G. 



BY order of the Governor of the 

 Philippines, a special committee has 

 been appointed to pass on the spelling of 

 Philippine names. The committee con- 

 sists of Dr T. H. Parde de Tavera, Phil- 

 ippine Commissioner ; the Chief of the 

 Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Sur- 

 vey, the Chief of the Bureau of Eth- 

 nological Survey, the Chief of the Bu- 

 reau of Public Lands, the Director of 

 Posts, and Manuel X. Burgos, and is 



called the ' ' Philippine Committee of 

 Geographical Names. ' ' The committee 

 is to discharge the same duty in respect to 

 Philippine names as has heretofore been 

 discharged by the Board on Geographic 

 Names appointed by President Harrison 

 in 1890. The committee was appointed 

 in accordance with a suggestion of Mr 

 Henry Gannett that the Filipinos would 

 be better able to decide on their own 

 names than the United States Board. 



