The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-08-27
lFrom the London Times.1
GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN MO
LUCC A S.sss $50 9tfegia ]
THREE THOUSAND LIVES LOST

other of those dreadful earthquakes TO
(which Ternati, and the adjoining localitie
in the Moluccas are proverbial
I An eruption of The active volcano OF
the Island of Great Sangir, in longitni,
4 25 degree, 50 minutes East and latitud
3 degrees SO inmates Nerth has occurred
4 The northwestern part of the Island O
Great Sangir formed BY the mountain A wn
which has several peaks, the highest being
about four hundred feet above the sea
On the west side the mountaia runs yer,
fsteep Into the sea, at the hight of til,
large village Kandhar, however, falling
away for low promontory.
Between seven and eight O'Clock on thu
Eesening of the 2d'of March, a sudden ant
altogether indescribable crashing nois,
was heard, which,, indicating to the San
girese an eruption of the volcano, fillec
them with CONSERVATION, Simultaneously
with this, the glowing lava streamed down
ward with irresistible force Indifferent di
Erections, bearing with it whatever it en-
[eomtered on; its destructive course, and
causing the sea to boil whenever they
came in contact.
The hot springs opened up and cas-,
out food of boiling water, which des-
ltroyed and carried away what the fire had
spared. The sea. obedient to an unusual
impulse, lashed the rocks with frightful
violence, dashed upon the shore and heav.
ed itself with a wild haste against the
land as if it stroye to eyermaster the fire
stream. i. sts .S.a..ssg
II This frightful picture of. destruction,
the horror of which was increased by the
ishrieks of the beasts, the wild roaring o.
/ the tempest, and the crashing oftheusapds
/ of trees torn up and carried away, wa,
/ followed, about. an hour later, by .peals
of thunder which shook the ground and
Ideafenea the ear. 7.'s = : g
black column of stone and ashes thcr
shot up from the mountain to an immense
hight, and fell illuminated blythe glare O
lhe lava, like y shower of fire, upon the
surrounding country below, producing Z
/ darkness that, only now and then momen'
EEtarilyhroken by the flashes Of lightning
was SO ointense. that people could'not dis
Germ 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 fire, sunk and disappeared
beneath IKE ashes and stones, and the hill
streams, stepped by these. barriers, formed
lakes, which, breaking over their banks,
soon proved new source of destruction
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 withrenewed violence.
In the mean time the fall Of ashes contin-
ued without intermission, and was SO thick
on this day that the rays ofthe sun could
not penetrate through it, and an appalling
darkness prevailed. .s.,
Scarcely recovered in some degrt from
their fright, the Inhabitants OF this desc
lated part of SiDgir we're again disturbed
by an eruption on the 18th of.M arch, which
destroyed many feds and a great number
of trees on the Tahukan side. -.
Since then the volcano has remained
quiet, and the only symptom Gifts working
has been the smoke rising up in all direc-
tions from. cracks and assures in The
ground. Tie. streams, of lava on the
slopes are still SO slightly cooled that peo-
pie dare not venture to any great
distance from the shore. According to
the accounts of the natises, the top of the
mountain doesnot appearto have UNDER
gone, any noticeable, alteration. er,,,,e 81
On the other side Of Kandhar,. on the
extreme north point Of the island, tue ap-
pearance of the devastation which has
been caused, is, if possible, even more
| Ifnghtful than what has taken place in Tar
una. For here, where formerly there
were to be seen extensive fields bearing all
kinds of crops, and thickly planted and
endless groves of a-nuts, We now find
nothing but lava stones and ashes
The liquid fire seems at this point to
have flowed from the mountain with ire
sstible force. and in rrodigious quantity.
Not only has this fearful food, as it were,
buried the whole district and all that was
upon it, but after having carsed this desl
truetion over an cSteHt of several miles.
lit was sill powerful enough, on reaching
1.-THE shore, to form two long tanjongs
(capesl at'placcs where the depth OF water
formerly consisted ofnianv fathons.
A l.;ssnhef of othefaistricts and places
have been, some wholly destroyed, others
greatly injured by the fire.
The loss has beel. great II is estina-
tad IS fellows in the aforementioned dis
tricts: TarHua, Ineg, women andchildren.
722;: nanslhar, men. women and children,
3,GS9, Total, 2,Io6. ~ -
The greater number met their death in
the gardens. They fed in all directions,
but were osertaken aud 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
Iseorching. heat.
At Kalangan and Tariang the houses
were filled with people, who were storped
in their flight by the lava streaming ,Ia~n