The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-30
DEADLY RAIN OF LAVA
MANY THOUSAND PEOPLE KILLED.
The Volcanic Eruptions in Java Far More
! Serious Than at First Supposed
Whole Villages Overwhelmed
Thousands of Lives Lost.
TIE HEIGHT OF HORRORS.

LONDON, Aug. 30.
The latest adyices from Batavia. the cap
ital OF Java, show that the volcanic erup-
tons in that island are much more serious
than at first indicated. The disturbances
began on the island OF krakatoa in the
Strait OF Sunda, about fifteen miles off the
coast of Java.
The eruptions began Saturday night The
next morning the disturbances had extend
ed beneath the strait, the waters of which
were soon boiling and kissing. Even as far
away as Madura furious waves were dashed
INTO mountains OF foam. The rumblings
became more distinct and by noon Maha
MHruX and Cunning Gunter, the largest vol
canoes in the world were belching forth
flames Soon more than a third of the vol
canoes ON the island were IN active eruption
About dusk Cunning Gunter began belchlng
forth enormous streams of white acid sui
phurous mud and lava Enormous frag-
ments OF clnders We're hurled high in sthe
ar, ana carried death and destruction upOn
the villages below. Fifteen huge water
Sp0utS were formed in the sea. and have
been causing great damage ever since.
Men, women and children rushed from
their dwellings, but hundreds were unable to
get out before their houses fell and were
buried beneath great masses of rocks and
mud, which were soon piled upon the build
lngS. In the meantime huge bOulders at
red or white heat were hurled from Gunung'S
crater with terrific force and after going
hundreds OF feet would fall with Whirr,
| crushing matched roofs, and killing the ma
tiVes. FisStTe after assure soon appeared
IN the mountain, while soon in the valleys
huge chasms yaWned.
The forests IN the northern part Of the
| island were soon fired by the red-hot yOmit-
| ings from the craters and the giants of the
| woods fell like Sh2aVeS of wheat. As the
| eruptiOns increased the waters of the sea
were driven with awful force up the steep,
rocky incltnes, reaching the lava flow, cool
| ing II, and forming masses of black bright
red, purple, and brown, The waves also
came over the marshy plain, engulhng the
! hamlets of the fishermen and sweeping
| away every yestige Of humanity.
All the plantations OF rice, coffee, sugar
and indigo were soon changed into ruins and
| covered with mud, stone and lava. The de
| StructiOn was complete and terrible. Not a
| crop in the island will be- saved
! AT the entrance to Batavia there was a
| large group of houses extending along the
shore occupied by Cinnamon. This portion
Of the city was entirely swept away. There
were %, 900 Cinnamon living in this
| section, and it is estimated that moi
more than 5000 escaped with their lives.
Of =, 500 Europeans and Americans in Ba-
| tayia, perhaps 800 persisted. At AMIR the
European and American quarter was first
overwhelmed by rocks, mud and lava from
the crater, and then water came up amd
swallowed the rivers, leaving nothing L
mark the site, and causing a loss somewhere
| in the neighborhood OF two hundred lives
At least 800 people were drowned in An
jw.
The island Of Sermg, just Off the coast
was completely inundated aud not a sou
remains on it 10 tell the tale Of the disaster
At Cherribon the loss of life and propert,
by the falling of the rocks and the How o
lava must have been enormous. Othe
island, suffered seriously.
No estimate can he formed Of the loss 0
life, but the death-liSt will foot up anon
the tens OF thousands. 1t is now teare
that the end of the disaster will show it I
have been the most frightful ever known i
the history OF these terrible occurrences.