The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-09-06
APPALLING CALAMITY!
The Island Of Java Laid Waste
Whole Towns Destroyed
Thousands of People
nonsaah

Whole Towns D0SCrOyoUs
Thousands of People
Perish.
LONDON, August 29.-News Of the
most appalling disaster of modern
times comes from the island Of Java. |
Volcanic disturbances of the most ter
rife character and appalling earth
quakes have laid almost half of the
island in ruins, swallowed up many
small islands and destroyed thousands
upon thousands Of human lives.
Whole cities have been depopulated
and the whole island of Java has been
laid waste, all its crops destroyed, and
the wretched Inhabitants who have
escaped the earthquakes and the vol
canos are in danger of perishing from
starvation.
The disturbances begun on the is
land Of Kfakatsa, in the Strait of Sun
da, about fifteen miles off the coast of
Java. The deep rumblings were dis
tinctly audible at Surakerta aud Bata-
via, about forty five and twenty-five
miles off respectively. Little alarm
was felt ut first, but within few hours
showers of stones began to fall at Jonk-
jokerta, Surabaga and Zerang. Ali
through the night showers of red hot
rocks and ashes fell, making complete
darkness III these towns. In Batavia
there was an occasional fall, and it was
difficult to keep the street lights burn,
ing in the European quarter. By the
next morning all communication with
AMER was cut off, all the bridges hav-
ing been destroyed by the descending
rocks and ashes, and the road rendered
impassable. The first eruptiOns were
on Saturday night. On Sunday morn
ing the disturbances had extended be-
meath the waters of the Strait, and
they were soon boiling and kissing
violently, while great waves dashed
upon the Javanese shores, and the
temperature of the sea went up nearly
twenty degrees. Even as far away
from the original point of disturbance
as Madura the furious waves were lash
ed into mountains of foam as they
came rolling in. The threatening rum
blings gradually became more and
more distinct, and by noon the Maha
Meru, the largest of the VOLCANOES OF
Java, was belching forth flames at a
very alarming rate This eruption
soon spread to the Junung Tengger,
(the crater Of which is the largest in
the world, being nearly four miles in
diameter,) the Cunning Guntur, and
many other minor mountains, until
more than a third of the forty-five
craters of Java were either in active
eruption or seriously threatening.
One after another the volcanos burst
into flames, and great frey clouds fill.
ed the air. Stones were hurled through
the air, and fell red hot and kissing on
the unfortunate people. The air was
charged with electricity, and streams
of fire cast lurid glare over every
thing. The sea was thrown into agi.
tation, and tidal waves swept in upon
the coast. Men, women and children,
unable to escape, were burned beneath
the falling stones, suffocated by the
poisonous vapors, or crushed beneath
the ruins of their houses. The great
mountain of Genuag Tengger was q
mass of flame, vomiting out the most
dreadful showers of smoke, ashes and
red hot stones.
An immense overflow of lava ran
down the sides of the mountain, and
making its way to the sea, leaped in
producing the most dreadful commo
tiOns. Great waves rushed In over the
land, engulfing villages, and sweeping
Thousands OF people out to sea. 1t ii
believed that fully 25, 900 people, most
ly Chinese, have perished. The city
of Batavia, the capital of Java, ans
Malegan Archipelago, suffered severe
ly. 1t has population Of about 1870,
900, of which 35 600 are Europeans
Many houses were demolished, an.
| Tile SGiSoUS LllIoN Will AsLicS anu nuU
1t is believed that about 2,e0O peopl
perished in the city. The city of Ban
tam was completely wiped out of ex
istence and it's site covered with water
) Most of the inhabitants escaped, bu
j.. it is believed that between three an,
. four Thousand perished. A number G
I, small islands were swallowed up b
the sea. Not one inhabitant escaped
= The eruptions still continue.