Delta chief., 1883-09-05
A Tract of Land Fifty Miles
Square Licked Zip by
the Sen.
And at Least Seventy.Five Thousand
Souls Swept Into the
Hereafter.
The Horrors of Pompeii Repro.
Sluced In the Islands
of .DnVn.
The Most Dire Calamity for Centuries.

LONDON, Aug. 81, l a. m..-Further
particulars of the great volcanic erup-
ton in Java, which have just reached
London from Batavia. show that the
disaster was even more widespread and
more disastrous than reported in yes
terday's advices. At noon Sunday the
eruption shocks were supposed to have
reached their height, but late in the af
ternoon and evening the volcanic dis
turbances suddenly increased and the
island seemed about TO be completely
buried in fire and sulphurous ashes.
At the time enormous waves began TO
dash with greater force upon the shores,
coming in some places far up into the
interior, and great chasms in the earth
threatened to engulf a large proportion
of the population and buildings. About
midnight the most frightful scene of all
took place. suddenly AN enormous lu-
was seen on the preceding day, but
much greater in extent, formed over
the Kandang range Of mountains. which
skirt the southeast OF the island. The
cloud gradually increased in size until
it formed canopy OF lurid red and
whitish gray over wide extent OF
territory. During this time the erup-
tions increased and streams OF lava
poured incess..ntly down the sides of
the mountains into the valleys, sweep
ing everything before them. Here and
there streams OF lava would enter an
arm Of the sea or come in contact with
the wafer of river.s Then the incandes-
cent lava would suddenly produce n
boiling heat and rapid evaporation, but
the superficial consolidation that al
most Instantly ensued would prevent
any further contact with the water.
The assures that opened in this thin
cruz as IL soldiied on the stream
Of lava emitted torrents Of Ia
va extending high into the
air. making = tremendous seeihing
sound. IS II a thousand locomotives were
simultaneously letting of steam. Here
and there In the streams were inHmerA-
BILE shin plates Of crystal Of feldspar Ar
ranged In trains. one behind the other.
in the direction Of the flow Of the cur
rent, and felsphaltic spherolites were
rapidly formed in the vitreous matter
resembling those which form in the first
stage Of glass blowing. One Of the
most singular freaks Of the eruption
wAs the carrying. In the midst Of mol
ten lava, Of . bed Of solid ice of enor-
nous size, which had been emitted from
one Of the crAtcrs and WAS carried along
by the current and landed on the eI-
trcmity Of Point ST. Nicholas. at the
northeast corner Of the island This
bed Of ice WAS surrounded by . thick
envelope of sand and scorin. which
were non conductors Of heat. II Is sup
posed this ice had formed the crust Of
some subtcrrancAn lake. About two
o'clock Monday morning the great
cloud suddenly broke into small sec
tions and quickly vanished. At the
same time frightful rumbings were
heard and the column Of fire and
smoke over the southeast corner OF the
island ceased TO ascend. while the era
tiers in other portions of Java seemed to
open their fiery throats still wider to
let out great quantities of lava. rocks.
pumicc and ashes. The kissing Of these
volcanoes was so loud as TO be deafen-
ing. The waves rushed on shore 10 an
unprecedented height. When daylight
came it was seen that an enormous
piece Of land had disappeared. extend
ing from Point Capucia on the south to
Negrayhafco range on the north, and
west to n low point, covering an cN-
tent of territory fifty miles square In
this were situated the villages of Negrey
and Negrcybnbarrang. None of the
people inhnbiting these places, or of tho
natives scattered through the forest and
on the plains, escaped death. This
section Of the island was not SO densely
populated rs other portions, and the
loss Of life was comparatively small al
though il must have aggregated fully
1900 souls. The entire knndang
range Of mountains, extending along
the coast In semi-circle for sixty-fve
miles, had gone out Of sight. The wat
ers Of Welcome bay. and Sunday straits
and Pepper bay. on the east and of the
Indian ocean on the south. had rushed
in and formed n sea of turbulent water,
Here and there peak of crater was
exposed for n moment, by the reccding
of great wave. Occasionally puff
of browDish-gray smoke or slight show
er of rocks showed that the volcano
still continued in active subagucous
eruption. The debris of submerged and
destroyed buildings was tossed hither
and thither on the water-thc only
signs left that there had once been in
habited land there. The town of lone
rang, within twenty-five miles of the
city OF Batavia, v2as
SWEET AWAY BY A LAVA STREAM
and fully half Of the population, mostly
Japanese. numbering 1909, perishcd
Al Speedwyck, near Point Sailcis. the
red-hot rocks set fire to houses and
swept all the thickiy- settled portions of
xl,., ex.y,, Av.r.,t tc,, hu ha1 ri u