[HAL9000]

The story about "Thomas Cavanaugh" on Wake Island is apparently bogus.

It may have all started by "LeeJet" on this page -

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=88798&start=280&sid=7f44a47047f89fd16f532f7a8a8cfae2

On another page, a "senorpepr" points out some obvious problems with the purported article -

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=88798&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=380

[ratt]

in case you are curious, the "decade" that they keep mentioning in the articles since there has been a pacific typhoon this large is most likely referring to super typhoon Paka which we took a pretty direct hit from on Guam in '97. there were unnoficial reports of 286 mph winds, but again all the instrumentation ended up in the ocean before any official readings could be obtained.

[Dog Gone]

Looks like it was an intentional internet lie. It didn't seem likely in the first place.