Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-10-16
SOUTHERN PoLYnxsIA.
Volcanoes, EARTHQUAKES and Tida
Waves-.R RemarkAble kerturbAttons o
Nature.

CEOm Apl&, OImUAu xSlSUVS, uuUek
date of July II, correspondent writes
to the san Franciseo Chronicle:
The most extraordinary convulsions of
nature are taking place throughout the
island groups of southern Polynesia, and
never in the history of man have these
convulsions been 20 frequent ~ during
the present year. There can b no
doubt that raging fires of great vastnes
are now constantly active In the bowels
of the earth all through these tropital
ATTITUDES, for daily new islands have lit
orally been formed before our eyes, or
old ones blotted out of sight, absorbed
into the unknown by tremendous earth
quakes. Scarcely . vessel arrives at this
port that does not bring the news Of
some such gigantic action Of nature.
Capt. Hassenberg, master Of the brig
antine Matutu, arrived here on the Sd
inst. from the Ellis group, and reports
that the earth has been acting in very
strange and mysterious manner. The
sea encircling the group il constantly
agitated, and vast quantities of pumice-
stone are being thrown to the surface.
At the Island Of Viatupa it lies two feet
heaved it IL hot, and is occasionally
mixed with lava. This phenomenon ID
believed to be the advance guard of .
mighty eruption, and the natives are
looking for such an occurrence daily.
The group is of volcanic origin, but
whether the next earthquake will add to
the number of islands or diminish them
is a question beyond human conjecture.
Reports OF q remarkable convulsion of
nature come from Tanns Island, and arc
vouched for by Capt. Kilgour, master of
the schooner Stanley. The phenomenon
occurred on the 10th of January last. At
that date very severe shock of earth
quake was experienced, and immediately
afterward body of land, estimated ct
40 acres, situated at the north entrance
of the harbor, slid into the SEA, and was
absorbed out of sight, - if it were .
pebble. At the same moment . tidal
wave 20 feet high swept over . portion
of the island, but for sOme unknown
cause its force was spent very suddenly.
A few days after these events Capt. Kill
gour entered the harbor, but did not
deem it wise to anchor, he having OBJ
served the strange look of the shore since
he last visited Tanno. Taking ships
boat, he went ashore and learned the
facts already stated, and also that con-
siderable damage had been done to prop
erty by the tidal wave. Several native
houses were swept away, and . large
cobra store aud all its contents dashed to
pieces in an instant. Fortunately, only
q few lives were lost. The harbor suffer-
ed seriously, the depth of water having
been lessened by six feet all over, and
rocks previously hidden out Of sight are
now plain to view. The entrance to the
harbor remains unchanged. During the
earthquake and tidal wave the greatest
terror seized the natives, who believed
that themselves and their island were
about to be swallowed up. At the time
of the departure of the Stanley expedi.
tion fears were entertained that another
eruption would follow, but up to latest
dates we have no news of such being the
act.
A New-Zealand captain who reached
here a few days ago brings the intelli-
gence that disastrous volcano eruption
occurred at Blanche bay, New Britain,
in the early part of last February. An
old crater that had been inactive during
many years broke out with awful and
alarming fury, destroying two villages,
the natives of which fortunately escaped
with their lives. The eruption wa
preceded with frequent shocks of earth.
quake, which alarmed the inhabitants,
and taking 9 warning therefrom they
hed just in time to save themselves.
The shocks were very severe in New.
Britain, but were not felt on the Duke
of York island, only 200 miles distant
After the eruption it was discovered
that great quantities of pumice- STONE
had been thrown up from the -, the
extent being several miles in length
and averaging half . mile in breadth
The pumice was spread in crust of from
three to FIVE feet in depth. The old
crater is still active and throwing ~
immense clouds of thick black smoke
accompanied BY red-hot stones and aahes
A loud roaring 10 distinctly audible TO,
q distance of 20 miles from the crater
On the Sd of February . terrific shocl
rent portions of the coast Of New-Britain
and ON the 4th two tidal waves swep,
with irresistible power along the shore
carrying with them fabulous bodies ol
earth. The whole face of nature ha
been changed by these convulsionA
The British war vessel Sapphire touch
ed at the island of Tongatabu, ono of th,
Tonga group. in April, and leaving ther,
on the 18th of the month steamed for tn
island of Vavau. volcanic island which
first made its appearance above the Va
ter in 1854 and has been constantly grow
ing ever since, but ~ imperceptibly - I
human being growa The object Of th'
officers of the war-shiF vas to note th
changes Of this growth in the years pas,
The captain of the ship John Weale,
touched ut the island in 1862, when !
had reached height of about II fee
above the level Of the sea. A few year
later Dutch captain estimated it, elt
walton at 80 feet, and now it hes attain
ed an elevation Of Ill feet a. correctl
| measured BY the Sapphire. IT. SUNNI
il covered with sulphur, and large iet
of steam and smoke issue slowly frol
the counties creviceA Except that n
volcano is in sight, the ground h pr
cisely like that adjacent to the grel
crater of Kilanea, on the Sandwich Il
, ands, from which myriads Of jets I
, steam are constantly elected.
On the llth Of May, 1877, The watel
of this harbor rose and fell with surpEi
ing rapidity. After little while v
|, had news Of earthquakes and tidal wayl
|. ON the American continent on May 10 4
.. the same year. Our time bsing late
these waves must have Travelled at
tremendous rate Of speed. Since u
, llth Of May last the tides OF this hafbt
have been remarkably low. Oppod,
Matafele the hank, Or shoal he's grow
! considerably; in fact Ill round the bsae
the land seems to have risen. Bat du
ing the past nix monthA or since 4
! great tidal waves and earthquakes ,
. 1877, there il no record of aay vi
I from threatening coatetay AltheuSh ~
! may have been convul1ioaa % p1one1s
|. the upper ethsr and un1o1 hnn1
knowledge know nothlnf ont 1
4 ~ ~ n N -