Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-08-22

ERUPTIoE OF VOLCANO.
Three Thousand Lives Lost.
From the London Times1

Il Three Thousand Lives Lost.
4 fFrom the London Tmes.l
Tie Indian mail brings advices of another
ofsthese dreadful earthquakes for which Ter
natti and the adjoining localities in the Moluc-
cas- are proyerbisl. Ftl
An eruption of the active yolcano on the
island of great Sangir, in longitude 126 deg.
| 90 minutes East, and latitude 3 deg, 90 min
ates North, has occurred. The Northwestern
! part of the island of Great Sangir is formed
By the mountain AVN, which has several
peaks. the highest, being 1000 feet above the
sea. On the west side the mountain runs
very steep into the sea, at the height of the
large village Kandnsr, however, falling away
| TO a low promonotory. asa
Between seven and eight O'Clock on the
evening of the Cd of March, a sudden and al
together Undesirable crashing noise was
heard, which, indicating to the Sangirese an
|. eruption of the volcano, filled them with con-
sternation. simultaneously with this, the
| glowing lava streamed downward with ire
sistible force in different directions, bearing
| with it whatever it encountered on its des-
tructive course, and causing the sea to boil
I whenever they came in contact
The hot springs opened up and cast ont
| flood of boiling water, which destroyed and
carried away what the fire had spared. The
| rocks with frghtful violence, dashed upon the
shore and heaved itself with a wild haste
against the land as if it strove to overmaster
| the fire stream.
This frightful picture of destruction, the
horror of which was increased by the shrieks
| 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 mouOtain to an immense
height, and fell, illumined by the glare of the
lava, like a shower of fire upon the surround
ing country below, producing darkness 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 mpleted their confusion and des-
pair.
Large stones were hurled through the air,
crushing whatever they fell upon. Houses and
crops, which bad not been destroyed by fire,
sunk and disappeared beneath the ashes and
stones, and the hill streams, stopped by these
BARRIERS formed lakes, which, breaking over
their banks soon proved new source Of des-
truction. 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 intermis-
!, sion, and was so thick on this day that the
rays of the sun could not penetrate through it,
and an appalling darkness prevailed.
Scarcely recovered in some degree from their
fright, the inhabitants of this desolated part of
Sangir were again disturbed by an eruption on
the 18th of March, which destroyed many
fields and great number of trees on the Ia
bucan side.
Since then the volcano has remained quiet,
and the only symptom gifts working has been
the smoke rising up in all directions from
cracks and assures in the ground. The streams
of lava on the slopes are still so slightly cool
ed that people dare not venture to any great
distance from the shore. According to the
accounts of the natives, the top of the noun
tain does appear to have undergone any no.
ticeable alteration.
On the other side of Kandhar, on the ex
IRENE north point of the island the appear
ance of the devastation which has been Gauss
ed, is, if possible, even more frighttul than
what has taken place in Taruna. For here,
where formerly there were to be seen extern
sive fields bearing all kinds of crops, and thick
ly planted and endless groves of cocoanuts,
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 prodigious in quantity. Not Only
has this fearful flood, as il were, burned the
whole district and all that was upon it, but
after having caused this destruction over an
extent of several miles, it was still powerful
enough, on reaching the shore, to form too
long taDjoDgs (capes) at places where the
depth of water formerly consisted of many
fathoms.
A number Of other districts and plsceshave
been, some wholly destroyed, others greatly
injured by the fire.
The loss of life has been great. 1t is esti
mated as follows, in the aforementioned dis
tricts-Taruna, men, women, and children,
722; Kandhar, men, women, and children, 40;
Tabukan, men, women, and children, 2,039;
total, 2,706.
The greater number met their death in the
gardens. They fled in all directions, but were
overtaken 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 scorclling heat.
Al Kaangn and Tariang the houses were
file with people, who were stopped in their
flight by the lava streaming down on all sides
and the streams of boiling water, and who net
their death under the burning ashes and tum-
bling houses. Many who had reached the
shore and thought themselves safe, became q
prey to the furious waves, and many died
through sheer despair and agony.