Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-21
EVENING STAR.
" Ep<ESOAf....... July FL, ls.A
The Iccsaudic Eruu,teu
GrAPHIC ACCOUNT or THE RECENT car



GPAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE RECENT cATAS-
TRDPuE.
The following account OF the recent vol
cailc eruption IN Iceland is furnished il a
report nv the Rev. Dean Sizcri GuunarSs1.,.
dated Ha.iOTmSstad, in Malaysia, April > i:
ION Easter Monday, early in the mCruiug.
loud rumbiiug noises were head . The wss:-
ware, am apparently Travelled toward the
northeast. in tie direct ION q. the mountain
I&n7es b0u5dins the valley Of r ijotslalSherad
10 the north. Presently the sounds tur,aI
backward along tae southern mountains as
we'll The ar was heavy ard jet black
towards the north ana northeast. .Ab5u.
biac O'Clock whiush gray scOriaCes-s
sand began 10 faii from the sky tho rsrst.
c!eS averaging the size OF "A Grain, but IA shape
longer. The dark columns moved nearer AMI
nearer. ard the darkness rapid y increased.
while the SCOriaCeOGS hail tile zeuel az tn
same rate. \ iul hour before gaau can
dles h1d 10 D. lighted la the houses. and a
noon the dark was as dense as that OF
wlndowleSS house; even abroad the fingers
Of the hand could hot De distinguished al
the distance of I. y lGches from the eve.
The pitCh darkness lasted for about an hG.;r
during the hight al glass windows appeared
like TairroTs n those inside. reflsttlug tue
CO. ectS on which the light fell aS IL they hal
been covered outside with a coat OF quick
silver. For foCrsconsecutive hours IL was ne
ceSSsryto have i'ChfAi candles IA the houses.
During ali The time the ashes and sand were
railing Thick and fast. Lightning and clSps OF
thunder were at the same time seen AMI
heard In rapid succession. and the earth ani
everything seemed IL tremhie again. The
ri WIS CildrStA W u electricity - such
extent mat plnnacleS, and stan, pixies II iron.
when turned into tie air, and even ones
hands when held M. seemed ali aNlayA
But the Thunder differed from OF iinary claps
In This, that IL Travelled IL rsTisiv-rspeatsi
echoes across the skies. When thedarlSreSs
wore of the fall OF the ashes aoatci. The
dark column now moved inland toward the
upper valleys, but being here met by 4 com
ter current OF air, 70 remained az -drSt sta-
tionary for while, and afJerwarI moved
slowly down tie country again along
81
light was change into dusk. which was a..-
companied by the fall OF fine ashes. After
the 1al! the earth was covered with ashes and
scoFlH from one and half to eight inches
deep. coarsest where il lay thickest, in many
eases exhibiting pumice boCliers tw:ce a.
large as the hSt. In these places the ashes
Tell hot as emberS on the ground. At first
the fall OF the ashes was accompanied by
iouI suIphuTous stink. which. however, very
soon vanished. When the ashes hal any
perceptible taste, il was that OF salt and iron
for three days after the fall still weather
prevailed and the ashes lay undisturb III on
the earth. Before the fall OF ashes the land
was snowless, and pasture plentiful, but al
Ter ~ DO creature could be let out OF doors
ana The sheep, IL they Were let out, would
run as " mad In all directions. On the fourth
day pretty stiff southwest gale blew tie
ashes away from the hilIocks ana mounds
except the finest part, which remained on
the sWard, presenting the appearance of
compact scurf. But what little good this
gale might have done was undOne the next
day by wind blowing from the northwest
This fearful visitation has brought with il
an immense destruction OF pasturage and
fodder for cattle about these districts. Bat
IL is great mercy that our Heavenly Father
has, as yet, spared some OF the northern and
southern districts OF MulaSysla. Into these
districts, therefore. people have fiei with the
greater part of their herds, and shortly tue
flight viii have 20 be performed with every
remaining beast, cows included, which m ay
escape the slaughterer's knife, when the
country not affected 10y the scorise shall have
developed sufficient venture The jewellers
In the unaffected districts have every where
shown the greatest readiness to assist us
WHO dwell in this aSh-covered country,
with all help in their power. \ most praise
worthy zeal i'm this respect has been shown
by The Inhabitants OF NopnaljOrI, Hid,
Tunga, Observation-Disclosures, Rreiddal. and
elsewhere. Into these districts enormous
multitudes of sheep have been driven from
The ash covered lands, and are watched there
by numbers of herdsmen. The more souther-
ly country sides have also vindica ted their
honor when their charity has been called IN
Iequlsition. From this fearful visitation all
huSbandry in the east country must come to
utter ruin, and famine and distress are immi-
EeDt. All the country sides here which used
10 be considered among the most prosperous
IN The country are now the worst OF. and the
nelghooring districts, which are free from
ashes, cannot possibly bear up against the
heavy strain which this distress mus; bring
upon them"
A letter to the London Times SAYS: I'm
private letters which ! have Just received
from the distressed parts, ii is calculated
tidJ pastures 10 the extent OF from 800 to
5000 square miles have been destroyed, which
supplied the necessary food for 20 900 sheep,
1900 cattle, and 5000 horses. The spreal OF
the distress into those very districts whose
charity is supporting the first sufferers IS il
self increasing the evil TO an alarming ex-
tent, so that any aid, to be effectual, must
make provision, not only for the instant
wants OF the people, but also for the ensuing
winter, as all prospect of a hay harvest lthe
Only harvest known in Iceiand) is gone for
this year in the Immediately affected dis
IL llr rrf1N- ina,
Vaded ones"