The Dickinson press., 1883-09-08
DEAD.

The latest advices fro m Batavia, the cap
ital Of Java, show that the volcanic eRap-
tions in that island are much more serious
than at first indicated. The disturbances
began on the Island of Krakatoa, in the
strait of 6unda, about fifteen miles of the
coast of Java.
The first eruptions were on Saturday
night. On Sunday morning the disturb
ances had extended beneath the waters Of
the strait, and these were soo boiling and
kissing violently, while great waves dashed
upon the Javanese shores, and the temper
allure of the sea went up nearly 20 deg,
even as far away from the original point of
disturbance as Madura. The furious q
were dashed into mountains OF foam o. they
came rolling in. The threatening rumb-
lings gradually became more and more dis
tinct, and soon the Malta Meru, the
largest of the volcanoes of Java, was
belching forth flames ut q very alarming
rate. Men, women and children rushed in
terror from their tottering dwelling places,
filling the air with their shrieks Of orror.
Hundreds were unable to get out before the
houses fell and we're buried beneath great
mass g ofrocks and mud which were piled
w W"SAO A0W AOA46 VCAOI0 01 uhU DG6u
peace. happiness and fancied security.
With these terrible eruptions came SYM
pathetic demonstrations from the sea. The
overhanging clouds were so sur
charged with electricity that at one time
over fifteen huge waterspouts were seen. As
the eruptions increased in frequency and
violence, the disturbance of the waters sur
rounding the barren coast beca; ne more and
more violent. Here the waves rushed in
with terrific force up the steep, rocky in
cline. breaking upon the oyerhang11ng crsgs,
cooled just ut the moment when it was about
to fall over the precipice, and there remain
ing quickly hardened by contact with the
waters. The European and American
quarter was first overwhelmed by rocks,
mud and lava fro n the craters, and then
the waters came up and swallowed the
ruins, leaving nothing to mark the site, and
causing the loss of somewhere in the neigh
borhood of 10000 inhabitants and those
who had tried to find q refuge there. Ban
taun, once a prosperous and dourishing ma
years ago, was entirely covered several
times by the waters, and there must have
been from 1,2)0 to /, 500 people drowned.
At the last advices the eruptions were still
continuing, although their violence had
abated somewhat, and it is feared that the
end of the disaster will show ito have
been n of the most frightiul ever known
in the history OF volcanic eruptions.
Java is an island in the Malayan archi-
pelago, the principal seat ofDutch power in
the East, and after Sumatra and Borneo, the
largest in the sunds group: 1t lis between
the Java sea and the Indian ocean. The
island is $50 miles long by 30 to IS miles
broad, and has an area of 40. $50 SQUARE
miles. The island is traversed throughout it's
whole length by two chains of mountains,
thickly set with volcanoes, active and ex.
tinct, varying from 5000 to 1000 feet in
height.
MORE DISASTROUS THAN At FIRST REPORTED.
LONDON, Special Gablsgram, Aug: 2e.-Fur-
thor particulars of the great volcanic eruption
in Java. which have just reached London from
Batavia show the disaster to have been even
more widespread and more disastrous than re-
ported in yesterdays advices. At noon Sunday
the eruptions and shocks were supposed to
have reached their greatest height. Bnt late
in the afternoon and evening the violence
of the disturbances suddenly increased, and
the island seemed to be about to be completely
buried in a mass Of fire and sulphurous ashes.
At the same time enormous waves began to
dash with great force upon the shores, COM
ing in some places far up into the interior, and
great chasms opened into the earth and threat
ened to engulf a large portion of the islands,
people and buildings. About midnight the
most frightful scene of the whole disturbance
took place. Suddenly an enormous luminous
cloud, similar to that which was seen on the
Cunning Guutur, but much greater in extent,
formed over the Kandang range Of mountains,
which skirt the southeast coast of the island.
The cloud gradually increased in size
until it formed q canopy Of lurid red and
whitish gray over . wide extent Of territory.
During this time the eruptlons increased and
streams of lava poured necessarily down the
sides Of the mountains into the valleys, sweep
ing everything before them. Here and there
astream of lava would enter an arm of the
sea or come in contact with the waters of q
river, then the nearest incandescent lava IS it
protruded from the great stream would sud-
denly produce
BOILING HEAT AND s1cKENNa vAPoRs.
stantly ensued would prevent any further con-
TACT Th assures That opened in this thin
crust as it solidihnd would emit torrents of
vapor, extending high into the air and making
q tremendous Missing and seething sound as il
q thousand locomotives were simultane-
ously letting off steam. Here and
there in the lava streams were
innumerable thin plate-like crystals OF
feldspar, arranged in trains one behind the
other in the direction of the flow of the cur
rent, and feldspathic sphoricles were rapidly
formed in the vitreous, matter, resembling
those which form in the Stag of a glass
furnace. One of the most singular freaks
midst Of the molten lava Of q bed
Of solid ice of enormous size, which
had been emitted from one of the ~craters, car
ried along by the current, and landed on the
extremity on Point ST. Nicholas on the north
east corner of the island. This bod of ice was
surrounded by q thick envelope of sand and
scoria, which are such -noncouductors of heat
that a red hot stream of lava running over it
will not melt snow. 1t is supposed this ice
had formed the crust of some vast subter-
ranean lake. About 2 O'clock Monday morn
ing the great cloud suddenly broke into small
sections and quickly vanished. At the same
time the most frightful rumblings we're 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 guam
titles of lava, rocks, pumice and ashes yet
vomited out The kissing Of these became 80
loud as to be almost deafening, and the waves
washed up on the shores to an unprecedented
height When daylight came it was seen
that an
ENORMOUS TRACT OF LAND HAD DISAPPEARED,
extending from Point Capreccin, on the south,
to Nesery Pafsoreang, on the North, aud wcst
to . low point covering al extent of territory
about fifty miles square,. In this were situated
the villages of Negery and Negery Babawang.
OF the people inhabiting these places and the
natives scattered sparsely through the forests
and IN the plains none escaped a frightful
death. This section of the island was not 80
densely populated as the other portions, and
the loss of life wac comparatively small, al
though it must have aggregated fully Is, 600
souls. The entire Candang range of mount
aims, extending along the coast in a semi-circle
for about sixty-ive miles. had gone out OF
sight The waters OF welcome nasy sznas
straits and Pensor DAY on the east,
and re the Indian ocean on the south
mad rushed IN and formed a great sea of tur-
h~l.,I ,.okon. un,, nj tbara thu -aol, - .