The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-11-20
\ Submarine Nolcano--A Burnirg Is.
land in the Mediterranean.

Letters from Malta mention an OK
traordinary convulsion of nature not
for from that city, between the Island
of Pantillaria and the town of STAGES,
on the coast Of Sicily, submarine vol
cano existed there in the year 1901,
and on an old chart there is an old
reef laid down precisely on the spot
where the volcanoe now is. 1t was
first seen by smoke rising from the
sea about the 10Th Of August last,
which gradually increased in volume
for several days till fire was scen.and
eventually q sort Of small island was
thrown up above the surface about
eighty or ninety yards long and TWEEN
ty or thirty high, composed of Gin
dcrs, III the center of which is the era
ter, which is continually throwing up
steam and smoke, and during the
cruptions, which occur on an average
every hour and Il half, large stones
and cindcrS are thrown to the height
Of 1000 feet. 1t is mentioned rs n
singular circumstance that about the
same time this volcanoe first showed
itsclca a strong earthquake took place
in the island of Sumos, which divided
Il hill into two parts, leaving q valley
with stream ofwatcr flowing through
it. Recently q party Of curious per-
sons visited this wonderful island, and
one Of them thus reports the result of
their observations:
The beach. which appeared to bc n
mixture OF ashes and sand reduced TO
a powder, was rs hard as the frmcst
sand, but very few yards from the
water side, was extremely rough, COM
posed of loose cinders Of all sizes,
ecaped tightly together, so thaC every
step we sank over shoes in cinders
very hot to the touch. Our first OBJ
ject, OF course, was to get up the flag
staff, planted by the crew ofa British
vessel on the summit, which we ac-
complishcd after steep climp up the
sliding ashes. When on top we were
nearly to lceward of the crater. and
the consequence wCs that the volume
Of steam that rose from it drove full
yapor as tomake several of the party,
including myself, very nearly sick
The part on which we were was then
the highest. and seemed on rough
computation about two hundred feet
above the sea. The crater was some
distance below MS, round, and per-
haps thirty or forty yards across
The level of the water in it was from
twelve to twenty feet below the lip, or
the highest edge of the actual crater
It was much discolorcd and boiling
strongly, throwing up quantities of
white steam, with this sulphurous va
por, which annoyed us 90 much
There was apparently an underground
rush Of boiling water from the South
east sid0 into the sea, which might he
traced a long way by its dark color,
and ut 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.acain to
the crater, and having examined it
adjourned to our boats, and pulled
round TO the south side, so as to COM
mand n view Of the rush of water be-
fore mentioned, which came from the
islandhoiling and foamine, and throw
ing up quantity Of white yapor and
steam. Nothing can he more sinGu-
lar than the appearance Of this mass
Of ashes in the middle of the sN.-
You may form some idea Of the force
Of the fire that must have been re-
quired to form it by considering that
il is, as near as could be guessed,
thrcc-quartcrs Of a mile round, and
that where it now stands, former
charts give soundipgs in one hundred
and thirty fathoms, and from the
s soundings lately made, it seems to
stand on a large base.