The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-09-06
YESUVIUS' RIVAL.

scription of the Awful Calamity.
NEW YORK, Aug. 20.
A special cablegram from London gives
ahe details of the volcanic eruptions in
Java. The first eruptions were on Satur-
day night on the island of Kraokateo. AT
noon on Sunday the Maha Meru Mountain
began to belch forth fire and lava, and the
eruption soon spread to the Cunning Teng-
ger, the crater of which is the largest in
The world, being nearly four miles in diam
ster, the Cunning Guntun and other minor
mountains, until by Monday morning near
ly third ,:f the forty-five craters of Java
were in state of activity.
While tAese terrible elementary forces
we're at work on the land the sea became
alphabetically boisterous. The air was
so surcharged with electricity that at one
time fifteen water-spouts were seen. Hun
1reds of the unfortunate people, unable to
escape from their dwellings before they
were crushed beneath the mass of falling
stones and lava persisted. On the top of
The Cunning Tengger, mountain of flame
made a scene of terrific grandeur. Fissure
after assure appeared on the mountains
side, and here and there in the valley a
yawning chasm opened. The tracts of for
ests in the northern portion of Kraokateo
we're soon in blaze of flame, and immense
trees, some of them centuries old, toppled
over before the advancing sea of fire like
wheat before a gale. As the eruption in
creased in violence and frequency the dis
turbance of the waters surrounding the
coast became more and more violent. The
waves rushed with terrific force up the
steep, rocky incline, and meeting the burn
Ing lava cooled and fashioned it into the
most eccentric shapes. The receding wa
ters carried away many fisherman's hut.
Along the shore ar3 mostly plains which
he sea overwhelmed, running growing crops
Of coffee, rice, sugar, indigo or tobacco, and
1T is probable that lot a,Sing lie crop will be
saved.
Late Sunday afternoon and in the evening
The volume of the disturbances suddenly
increased and the island seemed 10 be about
to be completely buried n a mass Of fire
and sulphurOus ashes. At the same time
the enormous waves began to burst with
greater force upon the shores, coming in
some places far up into the interior. Great
chaSmS opened in the earUiI anu threatened
to engulf large proportion of the islands
people ana buildings. About midnight the
most frightful scene of the whole distur-
Dances took place. Suddenly an enormous
luminous cloud, similar to that which was
seen over the Cunning Guntur, but much
greater in extent, formed over the Kanda-
ga range of mountains, which skirt the
south coast of the island. This cloud grad
ually increased in size until it formed a
of lurid red and whitish gray over
a wide extent of territory. During this
time the eruptions increased, and streams
Il
Of the mountain into the valleys, sweep
ing everything before them. Here and
there stream of lava would enter an arm
Of the sea or come in contact with the waters
Of a river. Then the nearest mean
descent lava as it prOtruded from the great
stream would suddenly produce boiling
heat and rapid vapOrization. But the SUI
Derfine consolidation that almost instantly
snsued would prevent any further contact.
The assures that opened in this thin crust
rs it solidified would emit torrents of vapOr
high into the air and making
kissing and seething sound,
is if a thousand locomotives were simulta-
leOusly letting off steam. Here and there
n the lava streams were innumerable thin,
crystals of feldspar, arranged in
rains, one behind the other, in the direc-
ion OF the flow of the current, and field
paric spherOlites were rapidly formed in
he vitreOuS matter, resembling those which
Orm in the Stag of glass furnace. One of
he most singular freaks of the eruption
vas the carrying in the midst of molten lava
If bed of solid ice of enormous size which
lad been emitted from one of the craterS,
arried along by the current and landed on
he extremity of Point st. Nicholas on the
northeast corner of the island. This bed of
&c was surrounded by thick envelope of
and and scorie, which are such non-cOn-
uctOrS of heat that red-hOt stream of
ava running over it will not melt the snow.
t is supposed this ice had formed the crust
f some vast subterranean lake.
About two O'Clock Monday morning the
reat cloud suddenly broke into small Sec
ions and quickly vanished. At the same
ime the most frightful rumblings were
card and the columns of fire and smoke |
n the southeast corner of the island ceased |
o ascend, while the craters in the other |
arts of Java seemed to open Cheir fiery !
hroats still wider to let out the greatest |
uantity of rocks, lava, pumice and ashes |
ct vomited out.
The kissing of the sea became so loud as !
D be almost deafening, and the waves |
ushed upon the shores TO an unprecedent- |
d height. When daylight came it was /
cen that an enormous tract of land had |
disappeared, extending from Point Capucin |
n the south, to Negery Pafsoerrang on the |
orth, and west to a low point, covering an /
xtent of territory fifty miles square. In
his were situated the villages of Negery
nd Negery Babawang. Of the people in
ahiting these places and the natives scat
cred sparsely through the forests and on
he plains, none escaped frightful death.
his section of the island was not so Dense
Y populated as the other portions, and the
)sS of life was comparatively small,
Though it must have aggregated fully
SOC souls. The entire Kandang range of
extending along the coast in a
emi-circle for about sixty five miles, had
one out of sight. The waters of Welcome
lay, the Sunda Straits and Pepper Bay on
ne east and of the Indian Ocean on the
Outh had rushed in and formed a great
ga of turbulent waters. Here and there
ne peak of high crater was exposed for
moment by the receding of a great wave
nd occasionally puff of brownish gray
moke or a slight shower of rocks
bowed that the volcanoes still con-
nued in active Subterraneous erup-
on. The debris of the submerged and
buildings was tossed hither and
lither over the inhabitated land where all
-as now a waste of water.
The aggregate loss of life from the vari-
US elements of the eriple disturbances
lust be fully 5000, but the number of
nose who persisted can of course never be
pproXimated.
A violent shock occurred in the Island of
umatra Monday forenoon, and it was
cared other violent disturbances might fol-
wv. Middle Island, ten miles off the Jaw
nese coast, and half way between the ex-
'eme points of Java and Sumatra, was al
lost wholly engulfed in these. The small
,land of Singkel, probably only originally
l.