The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-05-06
in the Indian Archipelago.

:
in the Indian Archipelago.
The "singapore Free Press" of the 4th Of
February quotes from the "Java Bode" the
following account of terrible commotion Of
Nature, which commenced on the 10Th, or
probably the 96th, Of December last:
On the 10th of November, about twenty
minutes to eight in the morning, heavy
vertical oscillation of the ground was felt at
Banda Neira, which soon changed into a
rapidly increasing undulation from the north
east to the southeast, which lasted for more
than five minutes. Every one left his house;
to remain standing was Impossible; people
were obliged to take firm hold of something,
or throw themselves on the ground. In the
morning slight shower of rain fell, but
otherwise the weather was not favorable.
At the first shock nearly all the houses
were thrown down, or very much shattered.
The Government buildings, the church, the
officers houses in the encampment, and the
warehouses suffered the greatest injury; the
Chinese quarter was heap of ruins; the
native village on the Zonnegat was laid
waste. The Papenberg fell partly in, and
two bamboo houses upon it disappeared, and
on Great Bunda the houses of the park-keep-
ers, their out houses and smoking houses for
the nutmegs' nderwent the same fate; every
thing there was also thrown down, or greatly
injured; nothing is visible Of the village Of
4 Lonthoir but heap of ruins. Saru was ter
ribiy shattered, while detached pieces of rock
lay every where scattered around. There
No oath he h<Su. g., Ia and I,
some persons were slightly bruised or wound
ed.
But the misfortune did not stop here. Abou
eight o'clock disturbance of the sea Gee
beving) occurred which filled every hear
with fear and dismay, and caused every on
to fly to the highest ground. In quick sue
= cession the bay filled and emptied, and o
times it appeared to be only little river.
Il The ship Atiat al-Rachman, laden twit
q rice, lying in the roads, twice touched tn
:. ground, after-like her Majestys brig d
O Haai, which had anchored the day previous
o having been driven backwards and forwards
v number of times; but this seaquake ncrcc Sc
= in irlghtful manner, and thrice overwhelH
IL ed Great Banna and Neira with the large
1t rollers; on the last place they reached seve
a. al feet high in the houses, and burst the doo
o open.
g These huge waves. formed in the Zonneg
G. and in the chaIsnel Of Lontheir, and ran 1
- high they beat over Fort Oassau, and reache
,e the foot of the hill on which Fort Belgca
te built, carrying every thing with them in the
10 reflux, but at the same time leaving behind
n quantity of fishes. The prahus in the roat
IN were driven amongst and against each othe
p. and carried to and from the shore. The
ID foundered, or drove in the Zonnegut, whe
I'd they struck on the shore; only few cou
10 save themselves by flight These prahus b
at longed to the Saru and Key Islands al
10 Ceram, and a part of their crews, indir
of themselves on shore, sought shelter in one
,e the sheds on the old pier, but they could NJ
N withstand the force of the rollers, and in
N moment were torn out of their place of shelf,
j. and driven seawards, there miserably to peris
N 1t is estimated that sixty men lost their liv,
n in this way.
v Miserable was the condition of the il
IN habitants, who saw the waves, twenty-s
10 feet high, rolling so irresistibly towards ther
Il threatening TO engulf them, the ground CO.
tinualy rocking under their feet, the atmo
;" phere echoing with loud reports like cannt
n shots, filling thoir hearts with fear; and tn
If all-destructve, indescribable state of thin,
m lasted, not merely for five minutes, an hour,
= day. but for successive days; for these frigh
II ful natural phenomena only ceased on II
22d of December, while all that time scarce
O an hour passed that the ground did not hea,
v and shake, now in the heaviest manner, al
e then lighter, but always SO that distrust or
n fear renamed imprinted in the hearts of ii
n Inhabitants, who, partly or wholly ruine
J without habitations, shelterng in light bambt
n huts, look toward to the gloomiest future, ar
q will perhaps never be able to recover fro
the blow which they have received.
During these earth and seaquakes, whc
last, however, did not extend beyond tn
g north side of the Neira and to the south sid
u OF Great Bandas, Gunong Api was quiescen
n and no alteration Was observed in the smok
| proceeding from it.
u The accounts from the islands Rosengei
and Api were even more tragical, and tn
}. destruction there not less. The spice bark
u kalie and Noorwegen on great Banda, tn
last which remain standing, also at lengt
: fell in, and at present there are not more tha
two habitabe houses In Neira. The residenc
> house has suffered much. Rock and cart
slips from the Papenberg occurred there fo
a length of time. ..
The same disastrous accounts had been re
ceived from Ceram. An earth and seaquak
had also occurred there on the 26th November
and caused great damage. The heavy roller
of the sea had swept away the houses on III
beach, and thrown more than hundre
: prahus on shore, of which a number had bee