The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-07-08
DISASTERS In ICELAND.
VOLCANOES in NIOtiOn-YiIlages Destroyed
Many Lives LOst-Ten Thousand People
Homeless.

VOLCANOES in Motion-yiIlages Destroyed
Many Lives LOst-Ten Thousand People
Homeless.
About six weeks ago there was a
heovy rain of ashes and cinders along
the Northern coast of Norway, covering
the ground several inches deep. In
vestigation revealed the fact that these
strange materials, coming from anorth-
westerly direction like immense clouds
through the air, We're of volcanic origin.
1t was at once thought that there must
have been an eruption of Mount Hecla,
in Iceland. A steamer was despatched
from Copenhagen, and that vessel has
returned from Reikjavik, with news of
an unparalleled disaster. 1t seems
that the outbreak began on Christmas,
and has continued ever since with
scarce any interruption.
VOLCANIC ACTION.
For seven weeks before Christmas
the inhabitants were terrified by sub
terranean noises like thunder, which
extended through nearly two-thirds OF
the island. Early in January followed
earthquakes in all directions, and at last
an old extinct volcano near Vatrayskud
opened, and for four weeks continued
to eject immense quantities of liquid
fire, lava, ashes, and muddy fluid mass
at boiling heat The village and some
smaller hamlets and farms within ra
dius of twenty miles were destroyed,
and over thousand people had to flee
for their lives.
DEVASTATION FROM LAVA.
After four weeks this volcano ceased,
but at that moment another extinct vol
cano, nearly hundred miles away,
near Myvatu, sent its burning mass
upon the peaceful habitations around.
This eruption lasted for several weeks,
the village Of Myvatu became prey to
the fiery elements, and the whole coun-
try for more than fifty miles around
was devastated. More than eight hun
dred Of the people are reported as hay
ing been rendered homeless. Early in
March there seemed to be general up
heaval of the earth in the whole cen
trail portion of the island; new mounds,
as 1t were, rose to the surface, some to
the height of several hundred feet and
over thousand Ieet in diameter at the
base, amid tremendous shocks of thup-
dcring beneath. They split open at the
top and vomited forth their burning
contents upon the surface around them,
covering a distance of two hundred
miles.
TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE HOMELESS.
Ten thousand people are said to have
lost nearl y all their possessions, and the
remainder, who live nearer to and along
the coasts, some 40, 900 in number are
themselves too poor to support such a
vast number of needy people. Several
hundred persons are also reported to
have persisted. The world renowned
Geysers have dried up since the erup-
ton began, and instead of water, these
mysterious tunnels emit immense guam
titles of hot smoke and ashes, which,
during the night, rising several thou
sand feet into the air, appear like gigan-
tic columns of fameless fire, visible for
hundreds of miles. It is said that no
historic record of any volcanic eruption
anywhere in the world compares with
this, either III territory over which it
extends, the number of newly opened
craters, or the time of its duration.
The Copenhagen Government has is
sued an appeal for aid to the sufferers.