Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-06-25

LuNp1N. june II About Xix week ago
there wa. d heavy rain Of volcanic ashes
and einier- along the northern coast Of
Norway. covering the ground several
inches deep. I, was at once thought that
. taere must have been an eruption Of Mount
Hecla in Iceland \ steamer was despatch
F ei from Copenhagen, and that vessel has
returned from Bejkjayik, with news Of an
unparalleled disaster. For seven weeks be
fore Christmas the inhabitants were terrified
by the subterraucln noises like thunder,
whi,h extended through nearly two-thirds
OF the island Early in January followed
earthquakes in all directions, and at last,
an old. extinct volcano near Natray skUd,
opened, and Tor four weeks continued 70
eject immense quantities of liquid fire, lava.
ashes, and a muddy fluid mass at boiling
heat. The village. and some smaller ham
lets and farms within radius of twenty
miles. were DESTROYED. and over a thousand
people had TO flee tor their lives.
After four weeks this volcano ceased, bat
at that moment another extinc. volcano,
nearly hundred miles away. near Myvatu,
sent it. burning mass over the peaceful in
hab;tants around. This eruption lasted
for several weeks, and the village of Myvatu
became q prey to the fiery elements, and the
whole country for more than fifty miles
around was devastated More than eight
hundred of the people are reported a. hav-
ing been rendered homeless Early IN
March there seemed to be general upheav
al Of the earth in the whole central portion
of the island new mounds, as it were, rose
10 the surface. some 10 the height of several
hundred feet and over Il thousand feet in
diameter at the base, amid tremendous
shocks of laundering beneath. They split
omen at the top and vomited forth their
burning contents upon the surface around
them, covering a distance of 200 miles. Ten
thousand people are said to have lost nearly
all their possessions. and the remainder,
who live nearer TO and along the coasts.
some 40. coo in number, are themselves too
poor to support such a vast number oil needy
people Several hundred persons are re
ported TO have persisted. The world-re-
nowned Geysers have dried up since the ter
rible eruption began, and instead OF water,
these mysteriouss tunnels emit immense
quantity of hot smoke and ashes. which.
during the night, rising several thousand
feet into the air, appearing ike gigantic
column OF hameless fire Wis bic Tor hundreds
enormous quantities that the sunny day
was transformed to one OF absolute dark
ness. that might be felt, d" most assured
ly, for, when the wind shifted. the ashes lay
SIX inches deep all over the countryside. |
The fountains and streams were damned
with them and every mountain stream ran
dark and thick between banks covered with |
drifts of ashes. All the pasturage, which |
i, the reliance of the Icelandic farmers. is |
OF course destroyed, and the farmers have |
fled with their cattle in search of other
pasture. After this, the prospect of Alaska |
will assume yet brighter allurement for |
the brave people, thus warred upon by ma
ture 1t is said that no historic record of |
any volcanic eruption anywhere in the |
world compares with this, either in the ter
ritory over which it extends, the number OF |
newly opened craters, or the time of its |
duration. The Copenhagen Government |
has issued an appeal for aid to the suffer
ers.