Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-09-06
,JAVA'S BATH OF FIRE.
rTOIENT VOLC1NIO ERUPTIONs
AND SIfOCRS.
A Ters iBIe Tale of Desfructi0n-yH.
Iages EnguIpbed by Molten Lava
10000 Lives Lost.

10000 Lives Lost
From Thursdays Every Evcnlng.
Further particulars oftbe great volcanic
eruption In Java tell terrible tale of
destruction. Violent eruptions and shocks
occurred dining Sunday, eliminating at
midnight, when su enormous luminous
cloud formed over, the Ksndang
mountains, which skirt the southeast
coast of the ialand. The cloud grew
until it formed canopy of lurid red and
whitish gray over a wide extent of
territory.
At the same time streams of molten
lava poured down the sides of the noun
tsins, sweeping everything before them.
Here aid there stream of lava would
enter an arm OF the sea or the waters OF
river, producing AZ first rapid vapori-
cation OF the water, but almost imme-
diately forming thin crust over which
other lava would flow extending the crust
as it reached the water beyond. Fissures
opening in this ernst would emit torrents
of vapOr, extending high into the air,
and making tremendous kissing
aud seethiug sound, as il Thousand
locomotives were simultaneously letting
oil steam. singular sight was an
immense block of ice, probably upheaved
from some subtsrannean lake, borne
along by one of these fiery streams, the
les being surrounded by thick border
of sand and scoria, which are such nom
conductors of heat that red hot stream
of lava running over them would not
melt snow beneath.
About 2 o'clock on Monday morning
the great cloud suddenly broke into small
sections and quickly vaniehed. At the
same time the most frightful rumblings
were heard and the columns OF fire and
smoke on the southeast corner of the
island ceased to ascend, while the craters
in the other parts of Java seemed to open
their fiery throats still wider to let out
the greatest quantities of lava, rocks,
pumice and ashes yet vomited out. The
kissing OF the sea became 80 loud as to
be almost deafening, and the waves
rushed up on the shores to an unpreoe-
dented hight.
When daylight came it was seen tbat
an enormous tract of land had disappeared
extending from Point Capuoin on the
south to Negery Pafsoering on the north,
and west to Low Point, covering an ex-
tent Of territory about so miles square.
Ia this were situated the villages of
Negery and Negery Babawang. OF the
people inhabiting these places and the
natives scattered sparsely through the
forests aud on the plains none escaped a
frighttul death. This section of the
island was not SO densely populated as
the other portions aud the loss of lifs was
comparatively small, although it must
have aggregated rully $1,000 souls. The
entire Kandapg range of mountains, ex-
tending along the coast in semi.eircle for
about 65 miles, had gone out of sight. The
waters of Welcome bay, the Sunda
straits and Pepper bay on the cas-. and
OF the Indian ocean on the south had
rushed in aud formed a great sea of
turbulent waters. H.re and there the
peak of high crater was exposed for a
moment by the recsding Of a great wave,
and occasionally pun Of brownish gray
smoke or slight shower of rocks showed
that the volcanoes still continued in
active subRqueo Is eruption. The debris
OF the submerged aud destroyed buildings
was tossed hither and thither over the
tumultucus waters, the only sign left
that there had once been Inhabited land
where all was now waste of water.
Tue aggregate loss of life from the
various elements of the terrible disturb.
anoes must be fully $4,000, but the num-
Der OF those who persisted can never, Of
course, bo accurately approximated. A
violent shock occurred in the island OF
Sumatra on Monday forenoon and it was
feared ottsr viole4t disturbances might
follOw. Middle Island, 10 miles off the
Javanese coast aud half way between the
extretae points Of Java and Sumatra
was almost wholly epgulfed in the sea
The small island of Singkel, probably
originally only cone blown up by au
eruptive paroxysm, entirely disappeared
1t was uninhabited.
The towns of Tsneraug, Spelwyk
Fljslsnking, Anjier, Tjiringine, Telol
and Faggal were almost entirely swep
away. Caataye, Claps and Tronwer
islands have disappeared; not vestig
of them ID left. Baby and Cheiybt
islands lost the few honses and inhsbi
tants upon them. The roof of the Gov
ernor's house, in Batavia, was crushed i,
by a mass of heavy mud and three of tn
retainers were killed. Great damsg
was done to other buildings and tn
bridges and forts OF that city. The )os
Of life among both Europeans and native
a. North Bantam was enormous.
An Associated Press dispatch frN
Batavia, dated yesterday, says: "Sinc
noon yesterday everything has peeI
quiet. The sky is clear and communica
ton with Serang has been restored. tn
temperature fell 100 on Monday, but it
now at it's normal height. The town
covered with thin layer of ashes, whic
was SO hot when falling that it kille
birds. Telegraph linemen report tina
while they were at work repairing lin
near Angler, early Monday morning
they saw high column OF the sea al
preaching with roaring noise. The
tsd Immediately, without learning th
iate of the inhabitants. The quarries 6
Merak have disappeared and all th
people of the place persisted. The iloa
lug dock at the Island of 0nrust, mes
Batavia, is adriit aud is badly damaged.
dispatch from Batavia, Java, say
the condition of the Strait OF Sunda
dangerous to navigation. NV islanG
have arisen therein, aud the coast line
altered. The Government is preparing
obtain new soundings of the strait. si'
teen volcanoes have appeared betwee
the site where tine island of Krakatoa TO
merty stood and Sibisic island. pa
of the Bantam is an ashy desert. III
cattle are starving, and the populate
are in despair. The Soengepan voloal
has split in five parts. Seven hundr,
and four hodies OF victims of the disast
have been buried in the district
Tanara, and 800 bodies in the coast v
lage of Kramat.
New York Sun cablegram says th
the eruptions seemed, during Monday,
be subsiding, but broke out with renew
force during Monday night, aeoompani
by detonstions said to have been hea
many miles away in Sumatra. Thr
distinct columns of flame were seen
rise from the mountain to vast higl
and it's whole surface soon appeared as
covered with fiery lava streams, whi
spread to great distances on all sid
Stones fell for miles around and the blat
irsgmentary matter carried into the
caused total darkness.
A whiriwind accompanied the erupti
by which house roofs, trees and men a
horses were carried into this sir.
Suddenly the scene was changed. I
mountain was split into seven pa
without moments warming, and VIII
Papandayarg had stood alone there W
nov seven peaks looming up to a gr
hight. In the seams opened could
seen great balls OF molten matter. FIR
the assures poured clouds of steam, a
the black elected lapillo flowed in stes
streams and ran slowly down the MOI
tain sides, forming beds 200 or 300
IN extent. EXhAiattpns of oarbOnio q