Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1856-09-03
Ffsg atsua f-afthgua.e a. ,ac hoi.eea. -
Eruption at yCiesno-ThIee Th0u-
sand III. - Lost

=
TIE Indian mail brings adsiees Of ano.
ther Of those dreadful earthquakes for
which Trinan and the adjoining 10
ca ties In the Moluccas are pfovcrbisi. An
er plion Of The active yosran0on the Island
OF Great Saneir. IN long. les : So +.
an lat. 90 ". has occurred. The
no. tLwesi,rn part OF the island Of Great
Singir j. formed By the mountain Avn
which has several peaks. The mountain
rurs very steep into the sea. At the Height
oflhe large village ksndhar. however
falling anay 10 a low promoniory.
Between : and 9 O'Clock on the evening
of the sd u March a sudden and alto
griher i'd, s~ribable crashing NOISE was
heard. Itch indicating 10 the Sangisese
en- eruption Of tie volcano. filed them
with consft rnsion simultaneously with
this. the glowing lava streamed down
wards with Irresistible force in Different
directions. hearing wl.h Il Whatever IL
encountered on It's destructive course. and
causing the sea TO boil wherever they
came IN contract. Theshot springs open.
Cd up and cast out a Hood Of boiling wa
Ter. which destroyed and carried away
hat the FIRE had spared. The sea obedi-
ont 10 an unusual impulse. lsshed tie
rocks with frishtfa. violence. dashed upon
the shore aud heased itself sil Wild
haste against the land :. II Il elrove ~
crn a.ier the Ere trcam.
This lilhlfll picture # destruction. the
horror Of which was Increased BY the
shrisks cf men and beasts. the Wild roar.
ing OIL G tempest, and the crashing Of
thousands Of trees torn up AMI carried a.
way. was followed. about an hour later.
o. peals oflhunder which shook the ground
and deafened the ear. 4 black column
Of stone and ashes then shot up from Tue
mountain 10 m immense height. and fell /.
i.lgmined Nv the glare Of the lava. like a
shower Of fire upon the surrounding coun-
try below, producing darkness that. only
row and then momenlaflly broken BY the
flashes Of lightning. Was 50 intense, that
people could not discern objects close Al
hand. and which completed their confus-
ion and despair. Large stones were hurl'
ed thrcught the ali. 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 bill streams, stopped By these
barriers. formed lakes. which breaking
over their banks, soon proved new
source Of destruction.
This lasted some hours. About mid.
nigh the raging elements sank to rest;
but on the following day, about noon, they
again resumed their work OF destruction
with renewed violence La the meantime
the fall Of ashes continued without inter
mission, and was so thick on this day
that tie rays Of The sun could not penetrate
through il, and an appalling darkness pre-
vailed.
Scarcely recovered in some degree from
Their 4 - inhabitants OF this desc
late p hgir were again disturbed
by 49, on the l7.h March which
destroyed may fields and a great number
OF trees on the Tabukan side.
Since then the volcano has remained
quiet. and the only symptom Of is work
ing 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 cooled that
people dare not venture to any great dis
lance from the shore. According to the
accounts Of the natives, the top Of the
mountain does not appear 10 have under
gone any noticeable alteration.
On the other side OF kandbar. on the
extreme north point Of the island. the ap
rearance ofthe devastation which has
been caused is ifpossible. even more fright
ful than what has taken place at raruna.
For here, were formerly there were to be
seen extensive fields bearing all kinds Of
cocanuis. we now find nothing but lava.
stones. AMI ashes The liquid FIRE seems
nj this Toinl TO have flowed from the
mountain with irresistible force and in pro-
dIgIous quantity. Not only has this fear
ful flood a. !, were. buried the whole dis
triet and all that was upon il. but after
having cause this destruction over an ex-
tent OF severnl miles, il was still powerful
enough, on reaching the shore. 10 form
two long tanjongs capes at places where
the depths OF wafer formerly consisted Of
many lalhoms.
4 number Of other districts and places
have been. some wholly destroyed. others
greatly injured by the ere.
The loss Of life has been great. Il is
estimated as follows. in the undermcnlion.
ed districts: Taruna, women, and chill
drcn. 45 Tabakan. men women. and shll.
dren. $3.50; total; ? sec.
TIE greater number met their death in
the gardens hey fed in all directions.
but were ovcrtakcn and swallowed up by
the fatal FIRE stream. Some tried 10 save
themselves IN the trees. but were either
carried away with them or killed by q c
scorching heat. a, kalangan ani Tart
an the houses were filled with people.
who were stopped IN their fight by the
lava streaming down on all sides and the
streams OF boiling water. and v no met their
death under the burning a,hes and The
sumbling houses. Many who bad reach.
ed The shore and thought themselves safe
became prey to the furious waves. and
many died through sheer despair and ago