GENERAL

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 1, 3 January 1907, Page 31

GENERAL

The Jesuits as Astronomers

-,T, T The' following, appeared -in a recent issue of the - ' Manila American ' : — ' A high compliment was paid to the Manila observatory by- Captain. A. W. - Outerbridge, ''of the steamship "' Taming, in the following letter, which he to the South China* " Morning ,Post," of Hong Kong : " Sir,— The notice (?) we had ' Mif tlie approach of typhoon of this morning is typical "of the kind of service we get from Hhe observatory here ( J ln Hong Koiig)^ and as a China coaster of twenty-five -years' service, eighteen master in one of the -most prominent firms, 1 would suggest- that -the : Jesuit Fathers in either Shanghai" or- Manila be petitioned- to' take over :the meteorological . service here that they may all work in harmony and that we

may expect some reasonable -security in the way of no- - tice, and some really definite idea of the whereabouts

and action of these devastating storms. In this lam sure I do tut voice the opinion of all the shipping " community, lor we place the most implicit faith in the forecasts of tlie worthy "Fathers, and swear *by them ; these ? experts '_ here we usually swear at.". The re- ' :uarJkable m mner in which- the local (Manila) obser<yatory has warned the shipping 1 interests ■ of- approaching storms has saved- millions of dollars during " recent years, and with the extension of the wireless tplcgraph system no part of the islands can be affected without prompt" warning.- The wonderful service rendered is only appreciated here when an opportunity is offered to; compare' it with that of other ports. The recent disaster at Hong Kong, that destroyed millions of dollars', worth of shipping and thousands, of lives, without *-a note of warning being sounded of - its -approach, gives us reason for ' gratification- in the knowledge that we have an" institution that is even aggressive, in its operations,, and we owe a huge debt to the modest members of the JesvAt Society, who have so faithfully preserved us from sudden and' fearful disaster.' , . _ •