Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-09-07
VOL. l. NO. 81.


. several Clilss, Destroyed By foioaHie
Erupilon Ia Java tldal Waves ADD 60
the Work of Destruction.
Nnw YoRg. Aur. -
: A special eablegram from London gives
Tho details of the volcanic eruptiona IN
lava. The lrut eruptlons were on hatur'
dAy night on .ho island Of kraokaieo. AZ
3 ooon on Sunday tho MahA Meru Mountain
began b beloh forth fro and lava, and the
; eruption soon spread 10 the Cunning IenE'
, ger. the crater Of which Is The largest in
the world, being nearly four miles Ia diam
ster, tho Cunning Guntun and other minor
mountains, until By Monday morning near
ly third Of the forty.hve craters Of Java
we're In a state Of activity.
While these terrible elementary foruss
we're AZ work on tho land the sen became
sympathetlcally bolsierous. Tha air was
70 surcharged with electricity that at ons
time fifteen water.spouts werc seen. Hun
dreds Of the unfortunate people, unable "a
escape from their dwelling leffrs thfy
were crushed beneath the mass Of falling
stones and lava perished. On lhe top Of
the Cunning Tengger, mountain Of flame
mado scene OF terrific grandeur. fissure
after iissure appeared ON the riountainf
side, and hero and there In the valley
yawning chasm opened. The tracts OF for
ssts in the northern portion Of Kraokatco
were soon IN blaze OF flame, and immense
trees, some Of them centuries old, toppled
over before the advancing sea OF dro Ike
wheat before a gale. As the eruption In
creased In violence and frequency the dis
trbance OF the waters surrounding the
coast becamo more and more violent. The
waves rushed with terrific force up the
steep, rocky incline, and meeting the burn
Ing lava cooled and fashioned Il into the
most eccentric shapes. The recedng wa.
tcrs carried away many fsherman's hut.
| Along the shore are mostly plains which
the sea overwhelmed, running growing crops
Of coffee, rice, sugar, indigo or tobacco, and
it Is probable that not single crop will be
saved.
Late Sunday afternoon and In the evening
the volume Of the disturbances suddenly
! Increased and the island seemed to be about
| 10 be completely buried in mass OF fire
and sulphurous ashes. AT the same time
the enormous waves began 10 burst with
greater force upon the shores, coming I'M
some places far up into the interior. Great
chasms opened in the earth and threatened
to engulf large proportion OF the islands
people and 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
nally increased In size until IL formed
canopy OF lurid red and whitish gray over
a wide extent Of territory During this
time the eruptions increased, and streams
OF lava poured incessantly down tho sides
Of the mountain into the valleys, sweep.
ing everything before them. Here and
there a 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 1t protruded from the gredS
stream would suddenly produce boiling
heat and rapid vaporization. But the su.
periine consolidation that almost instantly
ensued would prevent any further contact
The assures that opened In this thin crust
as It solidihed would emit torrents Of vapor
extending high into the air and making
tremendous Kissing and seething sound,
as if thousand locomotives were simulta'
aeously letting Off steam. Here and there
IN the lava streams were innumerable thin,
plate-ike crystals of feldspar, arranged in
rains, one behind the other, in the direc.
lion of the flow of the current, and field
sparic spherolites were rapidly formed ~
she yitreous matter, resembling those which
form In the Stag Of glass furnace. One Of
The most singular freaks Of the eruption
was the carrying in the midst OF molten lavs
Of bed of solid ice OF enormous e,whicb
had been emitted from one OF the craters,
carried along by the current and landed on
the extremity OF Point st. Nicholas on the
northeast corner of the island. This bed oi
ice was surrounded by thick envelope OF
sand and scorie, which are such non-con'
ductors of heat that red-hot stream OF
lava running over ii will not melt the snow
1t is supposed this ice had formed the crust
Of some vast subterraneau lake.
About two o'clock Monday morning the
great cloud suddenly broke into small sec
tions and quickly vanished. At the same
time the most frightful rumblings were
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
quantity Of rocks, lava, pumiee and ashes
yet vomted out
lie Kissing OF the sea tecame SO loud az
to be almost deafening, and the waves
rushed upon the shores to an unprecedent,
cd height. When daylight came it was
seen that an enormous tract Of land had
extending from Point Capucfn
on the south, to Negery Pafsoerrang on the
north, and west to a low point, covering an
extent OF territory fifty miles square. In
this were situated the villages OF Negery
and Negery Babawang. OF the people in
hahiting these places and the natives scat
tered sparsely through the forests and on
the plains, none escaped frightful death
This section Of the island was not so dense
" populated as the other portions, and tho
oss Of life was comparatively small,
although it must have aggregated fully
800 souls. The entire kandang range OF
extending along the coast H.
iemi-circle for about sixty five miles, had
zone out OF sight. The waters Of Welcome
8ay, the Sunda Straits and Pepper Bay on
he east and Of the Indian Ocean on the
.outh had rushed in and formed a great
ea Of turbulent waters. Here and there
he peak Of a high crater was exposed Tor
moment hv the recediug OF great wave
md occasionally puff OF brownish gray
moke or slight shower OF rocks
howed that the volcanoes still con.
inued in active subterraneous erup'
ion. The debris Of the submerged and
destroyed buildings was tossed hither and
hither over the inhabitated land where all
vas now a waste Of water.
The aggregate loss OF lie from tne Naif
ns elements Of the terrible disturbances
must be fully 1900, but the number Of
hose who persisted can 81 course never hs
4 violent shock occurred in the Island 4
umatra Monday forenoon. and It was
cared other violent disturbances might FOL
lw Middle Island. ten miles on the jav.
nese coast, and half way between the eN
RENE points OF Java and Sumatra, was Al
iost wholly engulfed in these. The small
siand of Sinrkel. probably only originally
cave blown up hY an er1ptive naroKysm
ntirely disappeared. Il was uninhah
ed
The town Of Tancrang, within twenty.
We miles ~ the city 0f Batavia, was
reuf away hy the lava streams and fully
al the people, mostly Javanese, number
Ir about So. persisted.
Al Speeiwvke, near Point Salcis. the
a bot rocks set fire % the houses and
veut away an the thickiy settled portion
the town. About ten bafaars belonging
Europeans were destroyed. The loss ui
-n1frty is very large. but no lives are
l0un to have been lost TIE river Jacatra.
the hanks q which Batavia is situated.
wed d1un through TyCers sires and
inei the waters Of the river EIlerades,
selling that stream On such an extent as
rise high on TIRE Castor haffleneuts.
uielsnking vas almost totally destroyed.
ld large number n lives were lost
The Island If Oneus. Eve miles a the
ruft TIE Iaureranr River. End twenty
iies cot of Batavia. was completely inan-