I: may be doubted if the people of Shanghai know or appreciate how much they owe to the typhoons that visit them every summer. Indeed, most people would probably express surprise at the idea that these devastating storms could be of any benefit whatsoever, arguing that they are extremely unpleasant while they last and leave nothing but destruction in their wake'as they pass on.
There is, of course, no disputing the fact that typhoons do a vas: amount of damage to both life and property, Records of some of the more severe storms of this nature reveal an appalling toll of human life and enormous damage to property, particularly to shipping, running into staggering figures in currency value. An example of this was the typhoon that struck Hongkong late in the season of 1906. and played havoc in the harbour there tearing steamers and ocean liners loose from their moorings, piling them up ashore along with countless smaller craft, uprooting great trees on the land and causing much destruction to buildings.
The loss of life on, this occasion went into thousands, while it is doubtful if the total value of the shipping and other property destroyed by that storm ever was or could be ascertained. japan nearly always gets a severe hammering from the typhoons that come north, while the Philippines get it badly when they continue westward instead of turning north. Much damage is also ofen done along the China coast.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.