Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-20
TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE.
Forty Thousand Lives Lost In the
Molucoas.
From the German Reylew das AusIand.l

- t' A.If"Aa .aHl..
From the German Review das Auslandl Z CD
The 28th of November, 1861, will long
be remembered by the inhabitants OF
Ternate Atthree clock there followed,
in rapid succession, such violent shocks
that their noise can be compared only
with the laundering of heavy battery
on board a man-ofwsr. Frightened to
the utmost degree, / jumped from my
couch sultry and oppressive atmos-
phere filled the room, which had become
almost as dark as in the night l
When ! looked through the window i
perceived that the grass before the house
had disappeared under heap of ashes
and stones, which silwer coming down
in great masses. | quickly dressed my.
self, and under the cover of the corridor
! repaired to the neighboring barracks,
where | ordered the soldiers-fortunately
most of them were Javanese, who are not
as easily frightened by such occurrences
as Europeans-to take their ranks and
to march off to the subterranean case
mates, which afforded safer shelter
against the rain of ashes and stones than
the light roof of the palm tree leaves
wherewith the barracks were covered.
But here the heat soon became suffoca.
ting on account of the sulphurous exha-
lations, and within less than half an hour
the ground was covered with ashes to the
depth of two and and half feet, so that
| already resigned myself to be buried
alive under them, like the unfortunate
inhabitants of Pompeii and Hercula-
neum. My Javanese soldiers kept their
countenances, squattng on the ground,
their arms in their hands, and constantly
murmuring: "Allah il Allah Mahom-
med rasal Allah !"
twas no longer possible to distinguish
whether it was daytime or night; it was
really fearful situation. Besides the
anxiety natural TO such circumstances,
we were all of us tormented by the most
violent thirst. At last, about half past
IL am, we again perceived the stars in
the sky, which had cleared up, and leav-
ing our sheltered placewe again breathed
the fresh air. l-Lh t ~ ..'t
Although it was still night, we could
observe that the ground was covered with
ashes about FIVE to five and half feet,
the roof of the barracks had given
away, and all the branches of the trees
we're torn of. But it was only with the
rising sun that the complete Spectacle of
death and destruction presented itself
before our eyes. In the farms men and
animals had perished, and the houses
crumbled down. In an eastern direction
came flowing down out of the crater Of
the volcano a stream of burning lava,
destroying whatever it met in its way.
Eighty lives had fallen victims Of this
fearful earthquake and eruption. On
the 29th, in a southwestern direction,
another shock took place, which lasted
four seconds. From the bastioR of the
fortress we saw, between the island
Tidor, Ternate and Badjan, the sea in a
most fearful commotion at six O'clock
pm. it rose to such q hight that our
fort, which is twenty feet above the
highest elevation of the water, was en-
tirely inundated
On the next day schooner brought
the news that, on the 2Sth, in the island |
of Makian, belonging also to the group
of the Moluccas, not far from Ternate,
the volcano had completely burst asun-
der ana DuTTleu tue WHOle lSlauu Win all !
its inhabitants. Immediately our com.
together with the President and |
myself, determined to take on board of |
the steamer Bethee, which was at our
disposition, some of the soldiers, aud sail |
here in order, if possible, to bring them
some suecor, and to carry back small
post stationed there. But all in vain. |
Such complete destruction of all vege-
able and animal life, without any ex-
,eption, as on that doomed island, was
never known, even in these zones, where
by earthquake and other
Tolcanic eruptions is a common occur
'euce. The ever active volcano on
dakian had completely burst, as if sew
red by a mine, and covered the whole
sland with its fiery mass, so that not
wen trace Of vegetation, of any build
ng, or Of any living creature was to be
o1nd there 10000 men had been buried
lnder the ruins OF this fiery eolossusl