The true Democrat., 1856-09-02
From the London Times
T01hK UIo Great Earthquake in MoIuccas--Three Thousand Lives Lost!

| Thousand Lives Lost!
 The Indian mail brings advices of another of those dreadful earthquakes fer which Ternat and the adjoining localities in the Moluccas are proverbia
 An eruption of the active volcano on the island of Great Sangir in longitude 125 degrees 50 min east, and lat. deg. 50 minutes north, has occurred. The northwestern part of the island of Great Sangir is formed by the noun tain Avn, which has several peaks, the high est being about 4,OOO feet above the sea. On the west side the mountain runs very steep in- to the sea, at the height of the large village Kandhar however, falling away to low pro- montory.
 Between seven and eight o'clock, on the evening of the 2d of March, sudden and al- together indescribable crashing noise was heard, which, indicating to the Sangrees an eruption of the volcano, filled them with consternation. Simultaneously with this, the growing lava streamed downwards with irresistible force in different directions, bearing with 1t whatever | It encountered on its destructive course: and causing the sea to boil whenever they come in contact
 The hot springs opened up and cast out d flood of boiling water, which destroyed and carried away what the fire had spared. The sea, obedient to an unusual impulse, ashed the rocks with lrightfu violence, dashed upon the shore and heaved itself with wild haste against the land as If It strove to overmaster the fire stream.
 This frightful picture of destruction, the hor- TOT of which was increased by the shreks of men and beasts, the wild roaring of the tempest, and the crashing of thousands of trees torn up and carried away, was followed, about an hour later, by peals of thunder which shook the ground and deafened the ear
 A black column of stone and ashes then shot up from the mountain to an immense height, and fell, illuminated by the glare of the lava, like shower of fire upon the surrounding country below, producing a dark kness that, only now and then momentarily broken by the flashes of lightning, was so intense, that people could not discern objects close at hand, and which completed their confusion and despair
 Large stones were hurled through the air, crushing whatever they fell upon. Houses and crops which had not been destroyed by fife, sunk and disappeared beneath the ashes and stones, and the hill streams, stoppel by these barrlers formed lakes, which, breaking over thelr banks, soon proved new source of de- struction. This lasted some hours.
 About midnight the raging elements sank to rest but on the following day, about noon. they again resumed their work of destruction with renewed violence In the meantime. the fall of ashes continued without intermission. and was So thick on this day that the rays of the sun could not penetrate through it. and all appalling darkness prevailed.
 Scarcely recovered in some degree from their fright, the inhabitants of this desolated part of SanSir were again disturbed by an eruption on the 10th March, which destroyed many fields, and great number of trees on the Tabukan side.
 Since then the volcano has remained quiet, and the only symptom of its working has been the smoke liSing up iii all directions from cracks and Assures ill the ground. The streams of lava on the slopes still 50 slightly cooled that people dare not venture to any great dis tauce from the shore According to the ac- counts of the natives the top of the mountain does not appear to have undergone any notice able alteratcn
 On the other sile of kandhar on the ex- tremo north point of the island, the appearance ot the devastation which has been caused, is, II possible, even more trighttul than what has taken place in Taruna. For here where for Inery there were to be seen extensive fields | bearing all kinds of crops, and thickly planted | and endless groves of cocoa nuts, We now find nothing but lava, stones, and ashes
 The liquid fire seems at this point to have flowed from the mountain with irresistible force | and in prodigious quantity Not only has this l. fearful flood, Is U were buried the wh ole dis i tnct and all that was upon 1t, but after having caused this destruction over an extent of seye- rai miles, 1t was still powerful enough, on reaching the Shore to form two long taniongs (capea) at places where the depth of water for mery consisted of many athoms
 X number of other districts and places have { been, some wholly destroyed, others greatly injured by the fire
 The loss of life has been great. It is esti- mated as follows, in the aforementioned dis [ trcts: Taruna, men, women and children, 722; { handhar, men, women ard children, 45; Tabu- | kan, men, women and children, 2,O39; total, | 28O6
 The greater number met their death in the . gardens. They fled in all directions, but were oreltaken and swallowed up by the fatal fire stream. Some tried to save themselves in the ' trees, but were either carried away with them, ' Or Killed by the scorching heat
 At haIangan and Tarlang the houses were hlIed with people, who were stopped in their flight by the lava streaming down on all sides | and the streams of boiling water and who met their death under the burning ashes and the ! tumblng houses Many who had reached the | shore and thought themselves safe became a prey to the furious waves and many died | through sheer despair and agony