East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-12-09

A SUBMARINE VoLcANo.-Letters
from Malta mention an extraordinary
convulsion of nature not far from that
city. Between the Island Of Pantilla-
ria and the town Of Sciacca, on the
coast of Sicily, submarine volcano
has lately broken out, about twenty
five miles from the shore. 1t is said
that volcano existed there in the
year 1701, and on an old chart there
is an old reef laid down precisely on
the spot where the volcano now is. 1t
was first seen by smoke rising from
the sea, about the 18th of August last,
which gradually increased in volume
for several days till fire was seen, and
eventually sort of small island was
thrown up above the surface about
eighty or ninety yards long and TWEEN
ty or thirty high, composed of cinders,
in the centre of which is the crater,
which is continually throwing up
steam and smoke; and during tho
eruptions, which occur, on On average
every hour and half, large stones are
thrown to the height of one thousand
feet. 1t is mentioned, as q singular
circumstance, that about the sametime
this volcano first showed itself strong
earthquake took place in the island of
Samos, which divided a.hill into two
parts, leaving q valley, with stream
of water flowing through it. Recently
a party of curious persons visited this
wonderful island, and one of them
thus reports the result of their observ-
atoms: pa am .at
The beach, which appeared to be q
mixture of ashes and sand reduced to
powder, was as hard as the firmest
sand, but very few yards from the
water side the surface was extremely
rough, composed of loose cinders of all
sizes, heaped lightly together, SO that
at every step we sank over shoes in
cinders very hot to the touch. Our
first object, Of course, was to get up to
the flagstaff, planted by the crew ola
British vessel on the sumit, which we
accomplished after a steep climb up
the sliding ashes. When on the top
we were nearly to leeward of the era
ter, and the consequence was that the
volume of steam that rosa from it
drove full in our faces so strong sui
phurous vapor as to make several Of
the party, including myself, very near
ly sick. The part on which we were
was the highest, and seemed, on a
rough computation, about two hun
dred feet above the sea- The crater
was some distance below us, round,
and perhaps thirty or forty yards
across. The level of the water in it
was from twelve TO twenty feet below
the lip or highest edge Of the actual
crater. 1t was much discolored and
boiling strongly, throwing up quanti-
ties Of white steam, with this sulphur
Gus vapor, which annoyed us so much
There was apparently an underground
rush of boiling water from the south
east side into the sea, which might be
traced n long way by its dark color,
and at the same place thick volume
Of steam rose from the outside of the
original crater, as if new one was
forming. After staying some time
upon the top, We went down again to
the crater, and having examined it
adjourned TO our boats and pulled
round the south side, so as to COM
mand view of the rush Of water be-
fore mentioned, which came from the
island, boiling and foaming, and throw
ing up n quantity of white vapor and
steam. Nothing can be more singular
than the appearance of this mass of
ashes in the middle of the sea. You
may form some idea Of tho force Of tho
fire that must have been required to
form it by considering that it is, as
near as could be guessed, three quar-
tiers of mile round, and that, where
it now stands, former charts give
soundings in one hundred and thirty
fathoms, and from the soundings lately
made IL seems to stand on n larpe base