Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1856-08-22
Fl two or Three Thousand Lives.

los. of two or Three Thousand Lives.
Lo indian mail brings advices of another OF those
1lSfnI EARTHQUAKES for which Ternati and the ad-
ar;ng localities in the Moluccas are proverbial.
nTnption of the active volcano on the island Of
Hot Sangr in lon. 125 so E., and lat. 5O M has
uahonrred The northwestern part OF Great SaDgir
~ formed by the mountain Awu, which has several
ID Is the highest being about 4 900 feet above the
Ps"A On the west side the mountain very steep
H tho sea- at the hight OF the large village Khan
ln, however, falling away to low promontory.
N"i Rotweeu 7 and o'clock the evening of the I'd
e March a sudden and altogether indescribaby
u .bino noise was heard which, indicating TO the
S.mn;rese an eruption of the volcano, filled them
",5 CONSERVATION simultaneously with this, glow
W.. Iovo st7eamed downward with irresistible force
:uo FfaTont directions, bearing with it whatever it
l - on it's destructive course and causing the
.oo N boil wherever they came in contact. The
bot springs opened up and cast out food of boiling
later which destroyed and carried away what the
srp had spared. The frightful volence-dashed
non the shore and heaVed itself with haste against
the land, if it strove 10 oVermaster the hre
stream.
which was increased by the sbrieks of men and
bosts the wild roaring of the tempest and the crush
;r Of thousands of trees torn up and carried away
vas followed, about an hour later, by peas of thun.
der which shook the ground and deafend the ear.
a black column OF stone and ashes then shot up
froo the mountain to an immense hight, and fell,
DAMNED nv the glare of the lava, like shower of
fro mon the surrounding country below, producing
a darkness that only now and then momentarily
broken by the flashes OF lightning, was so intense
that neope could not discern objects close al hand
and which completed their confusion and despair
large stones were hurled through the air, crushing
yUhatever they fell upon Houses and crops which had
not bpen DESTROYED by fire, sunk and disappeared be-
eah the ashes and stones, and the hill streams step
ned bv these barriers. formed lakes, which, breaking
over their banks, soon proved new source of des.
.ruction.
This lasted some hours. About midnight, the
ranging elements sunk to rest but on the following
Gay, about noon, they again resumed their work of
destruction, with renewed violence In the mean.
time the fall of ashes continued without intermis
son and thick on this day that therays of the
sun could not penetrate through 1t, and appalling
darkness prevailed.
Scarcely recovered in some degree from their
fright the inhabitants of this desolae part of Sangr
were again disturbed by an eruption on the 18th of
March, which destroyed many fields and a great
number of trees on the Tarbukan side.
Since then the volcano has remained quiet and
the only symptom of it's working has been the smoke
rising up in all directions from the cracks and fs-
sures in the ground The streams of lava on the
slopes are still slightly COOLED that people dare
moi venture to any great distance from the shore Ac-
codng the accounts of the natives the top of the
mountain does not appear TO have undergone any no.
tceable alteration.
On the other side of Kndhar, on the extreme north
point of the island, the appearance of the devastation
which has been caused, is, If possible, even more
ightful than what has taken place at Taruna-
For here, where formerly there were TO be ex-
tensive fields bearing all kinds of crops and thick
" planted and endless groves of cocOa-nuts 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 prodgious
quantity Not only has this fearful food, as it were
buried the whole district and all that was upon it
but after having caused this destruction over an ex-
tent of several miles, ii still powerful enough on
reaching the shore to form two long tanongs (capes)
at places where the depth of water formerly consis
ted of many fatboms
Anumber of Other districts and places have been
some wholly destroyed, others greatly injured by
the fire.
The loss of life has been great. II is estimated as
men women and children, 1872 Kindhar, men women
and children, 45 Iabukan, men, women and children
2,O39 total 2705
The greater number met their death in the gardens
They fled III all directions, but overaken anC
swallowed up by the fatal fre-stream. Some trieC
to save themselves in the trees, but either car
ried away with them or killed by the Scorchng heat
At Kalongan and Tariang the houses were fllet
with people, who were stopped in their flight by thu
lava streaming down all sides and the streams o
boiling water, and who met their death under th
burning ashes and the tumbling houses Many wh
had reached the shore and thought themselves safe
became prey TO the furious waves, and many dieC
throuSh sheer despair and agony.