The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-09-04
10000 LIVES LOST.
Wonderful Volcanic Eruptions.

| ioldti't utC tuuOu 6CttOuS wan
first indicated The disturbances hega
on the island of Krakatoa, on the Slra
of Sunda, about fifteen miles off IN
coast of Java The deep rumbling
were distinctly audible at Surakerla an
Batavia about fortv-fve and tweEty.tw
miles off RESPECTIVE w. Little alarm wa
Ifelt at first. hut within few hours show
ers of stones began to fallat JokjokeI
ia, Surahaya and Zerarg All ,hrore
the night showers of red hot rocks an
ashes fell, msking complete darkness i
all these towns In Batavia there wa
an occasional fall and it was difficult t
keep the street lights burning in the E
ropean quarter. Bv the next mornin
all communication with AMER was Gu
off. all the bridges having been destroy
ed bv the descending rocks and ashe
and the road rende, ed impossible. TIL
first pruptions we're on SATURDAY. nigh
On Sunday morning the disturbance
had extended beneath the waters Of tn
strait and they were soon. boiling an
Kissing violently, while great wave
FLASHED upon the Javenesse shores an
the temperature Of the sea went uI
nea'lv twenty degrees. Even as ia
away from the original point OF distuf
bance "a Maiura the furious waves wer,
lasted INTO mountains oil. foam as the,
we're rolling in.
SPREAD OF the ERUPTION. - y.
! The threatening rumbIin9 gradual,
became more and more distinct and b,
noon the Maha Meru. the largest Of tn,
volcanoes of Jaws. was pouring rforit
flames at a very alarming rate. This
eruption soon spread to, the Cunning
Teugger, the crster of which Is the lar
! gest in the world, heing nearly -four
miles in diameter, the GuDung Guntul
and MANY other minor mountains, unit
more than third of the 45 craters ol
Java we're either 10 active eruption OF
seriously threatening It Just before
dusk great luminous cloud formed
over the Cunning Guutur, and the crate,
of that volcnno began to snmit up enor.
nous streams OF white acid sulphurOus
mud. besides smaller quantiti's OF lava.
There were rapidly successive explo.
sions, followed hy tremendous showers
of cinders and enormous fragments
which were buried high into the air and
scattered iu oil directions to fall after
the force was spent upon the valleys be-
low, carving death and destruction -
With these terrible erup'ions came sym.
pathetic demonstrations from the sea.
the overhanging clouds we're 50 charged
with electricity that at one time over
fifteen huge water spouts were seen.-
These have continued at somewhat long
intervals ever since.
NATIVES TERROR STRICKEN.
Men. women aud children fushe'l in
terror from their toitering dwelling
places, filling the air with theif shrieks
of horror. Hundreds we're unable to
get out before the houses fell and were
buried beneath the grest masses OF
rocks and mud which we're piled up
where few hours before all had bsen
peace happiness aud farcied security =
The Glhung Tengger has not had an
eruption bafore since the year 1900,
when An exteat OF fsad II mites long
and . brotfi yas completely covered
With the white and suIphurnds mud so
peculiar to the ernptions Of Java The
peak Of Gunung Tengger is 5000 feet
high, and the monument OF hame on top
of this made scene of very impressive
grandeur Every moment huge bpul-
der at red or white hest wouldb be huri.
ed from Tengger's crater with terrific
force, and after going hundreisof teet
into the air, would fall back with whir,
perhaps crashing through the tha.ched
roof of some Chinese .fisherman's hut.
or crush haneath its huge mass the form
of some native peasant Fissure after
fssure appeared on the sides efethe
mountains, and here aud there in the
valleys there came a great yawning
chasm. On the elevated plains sof Ke
diri and Bsndong the showersof stones,
mud and lava were notso frequent as 10
the lower portion Of the island, hat were
still quite destructive. Much Of the
northern portion OF the island, which
was covered with tracts Of forest, was
aoon in one great blaze of fame. ~
THE FORESTS IN FLAMES, s
The red-hot vomitings from the era.
ters had set the trees on fire, and ss this
giants of the woods fell one after anoth
er like so many sheaves of wheat before
a gale, the scene was of awful grandeur
AS tue eruptions increased in frequency
and violence the disturbance OF the wa.
ters surrounding the barren coast be.
came more and more violent. Here the
waves rushed in terrific force up the
steep, rocky incline. breaking upon the
overhanging crags and receding rapidly
leaving lava Cow cooled just ct ths
moment when it was about 20 fall ovel
a precipice. and there remaining, quick
" hardened bv contact with the waters
and forming distinct strata Of black anc
bright red purple and brown lavs. al
thrown about in the ssmost eccentri,
masses, while huge peaks OF basalt ros,
at frequent intervals. There the waves
came whelming over q marshy plaiI
along the shore, suddenly engulfing
hamlet of fishermen's rude houses, an'
turning suddenly back, swept away al
most every yestige Of whst had q mo
ment before been q scene of bustlin!
activity, where family after family hat
been rushing tround In the vain en'lesv
or to save their effects and get aawa'
with their lives from the awful c,mbi
nation Of elements threatening them
What few hours. before were fertil
valleys, covered with fonriatlipg, planta
iions Of coffee, rice. sugar, indigo. or to
bacco. the staples OF the. island, wer
soon but mud, stone and laya--c,veret
fields Of destruction and rnin, Proba
bly, not single crop Of Java will b
:, saved.
PROBABLY $4,000 LIVES LOST.
| At the entrance to Batavia was Q lsrg
group of houses extending along th
shore and occupied by Cinnamon. Thi
portion Of the city was entirely swep
away and of the $4,000 Chinese VIII
lived on this swampy plan.i it is hardl
probable that more than 5000 manage
to save their lives. They stuck to thei
homes until the waves that washed thel
away came, fearing the torrents OF th
fame aud lava of the interior more tha