The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-22 00:00:00

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN THE SOUTH
SEAS.

We have received the particulars appended respecting this
singular phenomenon from Mr. Consul Layard, Noumea.
The accuracy of the account is vouched for by a Swede
named Petersen, resident on Tanna, who was an eye-witness
to the events narrated, says the Colonies and India :

The eruption occurred on the 10th of January last,
about 10 a.m. The bottom of the harbour at the west
side rose above water for about 50 fathoms length at
the first earthquake shock. A new volcano burst out
close to "Sulphur Bay," between it and the old
volcano. The west side of Port Resolution is all burst-
ing up with steam at this moment. A second great erup-
tion and earthquake happened on the 11th of February,
and the bottom of the harbour was again upheaved for
about another 50 fathoms, making the entrance
of the harbour very narrow. Three rocks rose up
about a cable's length from the west point to seaward
out of 11 fathoms water. There is now a bar with
only 151 t. of water where there used to be five or five
and a half fathoms, right across the mouth of the
harbour, a little inside. A tidal-wave about 50ft. high
swept the east point of the harbour, destroying all the
native plantations. My copra house was swept away.
The wave occurred on both occasions, but the first was
the biggest. Every one, including myself, lives on the
hill tops, so no lives were lost. My vessel, the Suen-
gone, was driven right up among the tr es, but carried
out agaim. I lost both my anchors and all my boats.
I have come here without either. It is wonderful how
she was saved. As we came out I saw a patch of
discoloured water about two miles due north from the
port. I did not examine it, but am sure it is a new
shoal.. It extends, perhaps, a cable's length. I left
Tanna on the 27th of March. We had strong winds
and variable, very hot, with rain, at times before the
eruption. The old mountain was very active also,
roaring and throwing up huge rocks. The tidal-wave
was very local ; so was the shock. The missionary on
the other side of the island hardly felt it, and there was
no wave there. A high hill behind the rock called
"Cook's Pyramid," on the west of the harbour, fell
into the sea, and has made a new point of land; and
"Cook's Pyramid" is some 40ft higher out of the
water than it was. We had several small shocks al
the time between the two big ones also after the last
big one. The natives say they never knew any-
thing like it before. On the west side the earth has
cracked and sunk very considerably; on the east
side the land was swept by the tidal-wave ; the
plantations on both sides are destroyed. It will
not affect the natives much ; they began to plant again
immediately. The wave did not destroy the trees. The
whole harbour is so contracted by the upheavel that I
doubt if a large ship could find room to swing in it. The
bottom in the place I have named has been raised 15ft.
or 20ft., or more, above the water in some places along
the shore. Two days before the first shock the old
mountain was very active, roaring loudly. The fish
were violently affected; seemed paralyzed, and unable
to swim. Numbers were left on the beach—so many
that the natives and the pigs could not consume them,
and they rotted as they lay.