Smyrna times., 1856-08-20
A Scene of Horror.

Nearly Three Thousand Lives LOSt.-One |
of the items of news by the Canada is an awful
earthquake in the Moluccas, involving loss of
nearly three thousand lives. Aspectator writes
to an English Journal:
"The glowing lava streamed downwards
with irresistible force in different directions,
bearing with it whatever it encountered on its
destructive course, and causing the sea to boil
wherever they came in contact. The hot
springs opened up, and cast out flood of boil
ing water, which destroyed and carried away
what the fire had spared. The sea obedent to
an unusual impulse, lashed the rocks with
| frightfu violence, dashed upon the shore and
heaved itself with wild haste against the land
as ifit strove to OVernaster the fire stream
This frghtful picture of destruction, the hor-
ror of which was increased by the shrieks Of
men and beasts, the wild roaring of the tenn
pest, and the crashing ofthousands 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. black column
of stone and ashes then shot up from the noun
tain to an immense height and fell, illumined
by the glare of the lava, like shower of fire
upon the surrounding country below, producing
a darkness that only now and then momentarily
broken by the flashes of lightning, was so
intense, that people could not discern objects
lCloSS at uduuS anu WHICH competed Inelr con-
fusion 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
the ashes and stones, and the hill streams, stop.
ped by these barriers, formed lakes, which
: breaking over their banks, soon proved a new
source of destruction.
This lasted some hours. About midnigh,
the raging elements sank to rest; but on the
; following day, about noon, they again resumed
their work of destruction, with renewed VIC
} lence. In the meantime, the fall of ashes con
tlnued without intermission, and was so thicl
on this day that the rays of the sun could no
penetrate through it, and an appalling dark
ness prevailed.
Scarcely recovered in some degree from
their fright, the inhabitants of this desolate par
OF Sanglr were again disturbed by an eruption
4 on the 18th March, which destroyed NAM
fields and great number of trees on the Tabu
kan side.
S Since then the volcano had remained quiet
J, the only symptoms of its WORKING has been tn
f smoke rising up in all directions from crack
and assures in the ground.
= On the other side of Kandhar, on the extrem,
north point of the island, the appearance of th
d devastation which has been caused, is if pos
4 sl0le, even more frightful than what has takeI
o place at Taruna. For here, where forlnerl,
there were seen extensive fields bearing al
Kinds OF crops, and thickly planted and end
> less groves of cocoa nuts, we now find nothin,
o but lava, stones, and ashes. The liquid fir
seems at this point to have flowed from tn
mountain with irresistible force and in prodi
glous quantity. Not only has this fearful food
as 1t were, buried the whole district and al
d that was upon it, but after having caused thi
10 oft = .
: was still powerful enough, on reaching tn
. shore to form two long tanjongs (capes at pla
ces were the depth of water formerly consiste,
S of many fathoms.
y The loss of life has been great. It is esti
mated as follows in the aforementioned dis
trlcts :-Taruna, men, woman and children
a22; Kandhar woman and children, $685.
Total, 2SO6.
The greater number met their death in tn
gardens. They fled in all directions, but wer,
oVertaken and swallowed up by the fatal fir
stream. Some tried to save themselves in tn
trees, but were either carried away with then
or killed by the scorching heat At Kelangar
and Tariang the houses were filled with peo
pie who were stopped in their flight by tn
: lava streaming down on all sides, aud tn,
: streams of boiling water, and who met thei
! death under the burning ashes and the tumb
l ling houses. Many who had reached the shore
. and thought themselves safe, became prey L
the furious waves, and many died through
0 sheer despair and agony.