The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-09-08
FORTY THOUSAND DEAD.
Victims o. she Terrible Volcanic
Eruption and Tidal Waves OF the
Island OF Java.


Victims o. she Terrible Volcanic
Eruption and Tidal Waves OF the
Island OF Java.
The latest adv!ces fro m Batavia, the cap.
ital Of Java, show that the volcanic srup.
tions in that island are much more serious
than at first indicated. The disturbances
began on the Island Of Krakatos. In the
strait of eunds, about fifteen miles Of the
coast of Java.
The first eruptious were ON Saturday
night. On Sunday morning the disturb.
ances had extended beneath the waters sl
the strait, and these were soon boiling and
kissing violently, while great waves dashed
| upon the Javsnese shores, and the temper
ature of the sea went up nearly 20 deg,
even as far away from the original point OF
disturbance rs Madurs. The furious waves
were lsshed into mountains o foam a. they
came rolling in. The threatening rumb-
lings gradually became more and more dis
tinet and soon the Malta Meru, the
largest OF the volcanoes uf Java, was
belcb ng forth flames at very alarming
rate. Men, women and children rushed la
terror from their tottering dwelling places,
filling the air with their shrieks Of orror
Hundreds were unable TO get ont before the
houses fell and we're buried beneath great
mass ,s of rocks and mud which were piled
up where few hours before oil had been
With these terrible eruptiors came sym.
pathetic demonstrations from the sea. The
overhAnging clouds were 90 sur
charged with electricity that st 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 became more and
more violent. Here the waves rushed in
with terrific force up the steep, rocky In.
cline, breaking upon the overhanging crags,
and receding rapidly, leaving . lava Aow
cooled just at the moment when IL was about
to fall over the precipice, and there remain
ing quickly hardened by contact with the
waters. The European and American
quarter was hrst overwhelmed by rocks,
mud and lava fro the cratsn, and then
the waters came up and swallowed the
ruins, leaving nothing TO mark the site, and
causing the loss Of somewh here In the neigh
borhood Of 10000 inhabitants and those
who had tried to find . refuge there. Ban
tam, opce prosperous and dourishing m.
tive city, but practically abandoned many
times by the waters and there must have
been from 1900 to 800 people drowned.
At the last advices the eruptions we're still
continuing, although their violence had
abated somewhat and 1t is feared that the
end of the disaster will SHOW Il TO have
been one Of the most frightful ever known
In the history OF volcanic eruptions.
Java is an island in the Malayan archi.
pelsgo, the principal seat OF Dutch power in
the East, and after SumSlra and Borneo, the
largest in the Supda group. 1t 10 between
the Java sea and the Indian ocean. The
island is $50 miles long by 50 to IS miles
broad, and has an area of 40, 73O square
miles. The island Is traversed througho ito
whole length by two chains Of mountains,
thickly set with volcanoes, active and ex.
tinct. varying from 900 to l2,0O0 feet in
height.
MORE DISASTROUS rHAN At YrnsT 1EPoRTHD
LONDON, Special Cablsgram, Aug 29-Fur
ther particulars Of the great volcanic eruption
in Java, winch have just reached London from
Batavia show the disaster to have been even
m re widespread and moro disastrous than re-
ported in Yesterdays advices At noon sunday
the erup,ions 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 abont to be completely
buried in mass Of IRE and sulphnrous ashcs.
At tue 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 snd threat
ened 70 engulf large portion OF the islands,
people and buildings About midnight the
most frightful scene Of the whole disturbance
took place Suddenly an enormous luminous
Cunning Guntur, but much greater Ia extent
formed over the Kandang range Of mountains,
which skirt the southeast coast of the island.
The cloud gradually increased in size
until IL formed . canopy OF lurid red and
whtish gray over wide extent OF territory.
streams Of lava poured necessarily down the
sides Of the mountains into the valleys, sweep
ing every thing before them Here aud there
antream OF lava would enter an arm OF the
sea or come In contact with the waters OF q
river, then tho nearest inoandesccnt lava - II
proruded from the great stream would sud-
denly produce
BOILING HEAT AND sIcKENINo vAPoRs,
but the superficial consolidation tina, almost in
stsntly ensued would prevent any further con-
tact The assures mat opened in this thin
crust as it soliliiied would emit torrents OF
vapor, extending high into the air aud making
a tremendous kissing and seething sound as II
ously letting OF steam. Here and
there in the lava streams were
innumerable thin plate-like crystals OF
fe'dspar, arranged In trains one behind the
other in the direction OF the dow Of the cur
rent, and feldspathic sphericles were rapidly
formed in the vitreous matter, resembling
those which form in tho Stag Of glass
furnace. One Of tho most singular freaks
OF the eruption was the carrying IN the
mids, Of the molten lava OF bed
OF solid ice Of enormous size, which
had been emitted from one OF the craters, car
L.. 4. aaI land AA1 Pa
extremity on Point ST. Nicholas On the north
east corner of the island. This bed Of ice wa,
surrounded BY thick envelope OF sand and
scoria, which are such -nonconductors OF hea
that red. bot stream OF lava running over i
| will not melt snow. II is supposed this ict
had formed the crust OF some vast subter
| ranesn lake. About 2 o'clock Monday morn
| ing the great cloud suddenly broke into sinai
| sections and quickly vanished AT the same
| time tho most frightful rumblings were heard
aud the columns Of fire and smoke on the
| southeast corner OF the island ceased
| 10 ascend, while the Orators In the
other parts OF Java seemed TO open their fiery
throats still wider to let out the greatest quan
| titles of lava, rocks, pumice and ashes ye'
vomited out The Kissing OF these became st
| loud ss 10 be almost deafening. and the wavel
| washed up on the shores to an unprecedented
| height When daylight came 1t was seeI
that an
extending from Point Caprsccin. on the south
| 10 Nsgeiy Pafsoreang, ON the north. and wes
| TO low point covering IN extent Of territor!
about fifty miles square. In this were sltustst
the villages Of Ncgery and Negery Babawang
| or the people inbsbiting these places and th,
| natives scattered spArsely through the forest
and on the plains none escaped . frightfu
death. This section Of the island was not .,
: densely populated - the other portions, snt
| the loss OF life wac comparatively small, si
| though II must have aggregated fully Is. .OOt
souls. The entire Candang range OF mount
aims, extending along the coast in . semi circle
| for about sixty-hv miles, had gone out o.
eight The waters Of Welcome boy, the 6undi
straits and Pepper bay ON the east
and Of the Indian ocean on the soutl
had rushed IN and formed great see Of tur
| bulent waterA Here and there the peak of Z
high crater WAS expos ed for moment by th'
| receding Of . great wave. and occaslonall.
Q pun Of brownish-grAy smoke or . sligh
shower Of rocks showed that tho volcanoes sti
continued in active sub aqueous eruption Tn,
debris Of the submerged and destroyed build
Il AZ s.A- 49,