The Dawson journal., 1883-09-13
$4,000 People Perish
1he Greatest Disaster Ever
Recorded.

Ihe Greatest Disaster Ever
Recorded.
Details of the Catastrophe Which
I Visited Java and the Neighbor-
ing Islands-An Almost Incred-
liable Story Of Horror and De-
vastation Among the Inhabi-
tants.
LONDON, August 31.-Furtber
particulars Of the great volcanic
eruption in Java, which have lust
reached here from Batavia show
that the disaster was even more
widespread and more disastrous
than reported in yesterdays adj
vices. At noon Sunday the erup-
tons and shocks were supposed to
have reached their height, but late
IN the afternoon and evening the
violence of the disturbances sud-
denly increased, and the island
seemed to be about completely
buried in fire and sulphurous ash
es. At the same time the enor-
nous waves began to dash with
great force upon the shores, com
ing in some places far up into the
interior, and great chasms opened
IN the earth and threatened to en-
gulf a large proportion Of the peo-
pie and buildings.
About midnight the most fright
ful scene of all took place. Sud
denly an enormous luminous
cloud similar to that which was
over the Cunning Guntur, but
much greater in extent, formed
over the Kangdang range of
mountains, which skirt the south
est coast of the island. This
cloud gradually increased in size
until it formed a canopy of lurid
red and whitish grey over a wide
extent Of territory. During this
time the eruption increased, and
streams of lava poured incessantIy
down the side Of the mountains
into the valleys, sweeping every
thing before them. Here and
there a stream Of lava would enter
an arm OF the sea. or come in con-
tact with the water Of the river
Then the incandescent lava would
suddenly produce boiling heat and
rapid vapOriz8tion, but the super
fetal consolidation that almost
instantly ensued would prevent
any further contact with the water.
The assures that opened in this
thin crust as it soIidded on the
streams Of lava emitted torrent of
vapor extending high into the air,
and making a tremendous seething
sound, as if a thousand locomO-
tives were simultaneous lettiug off
steam. Here and there in the Ia
va streams were innumerable thin
plate like crystals Of feldspar ar
ranged in trains, one behind the
other, in the direction Of the flow
Of the current, and felsphatic
spherolities were rapidly formed
in the vitreous matter, resembling
those which form in the Stag Of
glass furnaces.
One Of the most singular freaks
of the eruption was the carrying in
the midst of the motion lava Of a
bed of solid ice OF enormous size,
which had been emitted from one
of the craters. It was carried
along the current and landed on
the extremity Of Point st. Nicho-
las, at the northeast corner Of the
island. This bed of ice was sur
rounded by thick envelop of
sand and scorie, which are nom
conductors Of heat. It is suppos-
ed this ice had formed the crust of
some subtelranean lake. About
two o'clock on Monday morning
the great cloud suddenly broke in
to small sections and quickly van
ished. At the same time frightful
rumblings were heard, and the
columns of fire and smoke over
the southern 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 lava, 7 cks, pumice
and ashes yet vomited forth. The
Kissing of the sea became so loud
as to be almost deafening. The
waves rushed up on the shore to
an unprecedented height.
When daylight came it was seen
that an enormous tract OF land
had disappeared, extending from
Point Capucin on the south to
Neqery Pafoerang on the north
and west to Low Point, covering an
extent OF territory about fifty
miles square. In this were stu
ated the villages of Negery and
Neeery Bobawung None of the
people inhabiting these places,
nor Of the natives scattered sparce-
" through the forest on the plains
escaped death. This section of
the island was not so densely pop
uloted as The other portions and