The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-09-06
Volcanic Horrors.

The volcanic eruptions in the Island of
Java, during the last two weeks, surpaSs
anything of the kind recorded in history.
A dispatch to Lloyd's, from Batavia esti-
mates the loss of life by the eruptiOns at
10000. The disaster is the most terrible
and devastating of modern times. For
forty eight hours the shocks of earthquake
increased in violence. Streams of
burning lava poured down into the valleys,
inundating villages and carrying death and
flames to the most populous places. In
the Straits of Sunda, the most important
channel of navigation between the Sea of
Java and the Indian Ocean. islands have
been swallowed up. the coast line changed
or entirely obliterated, and every light
house has been swept away, This impor-
tant strait, sixty miles in width, is now
dangerous to navigation. New islands have
arisen. and landmarks on the coast are SO
altered as to make tile country unrecogniZ-
able. The Government is preparing to OBJ
tain new soundings of the strait.
Sixteen volcanoes have appeared between
the site where the island of Krakatoa for
merly stood and Sibisic Island. A part of
the Bantam is an ashy desert. The cattle
are starving, and the population are in de-
spair. The SOengepan volcano was for
many hours envelOped in an enormous lu-
ICtsoCu
in size until it formed a canopy OF lurid
red and whitish gray over wide extent of
territory. During this time the eruptions
increased, and streams of lava poured in
ceSSantly down the sides of the mountains,
sweeping everything before them. Where
stream Of lava entered an arm of the sea
OF came in contact with the water of Il
river, the incandescent lava produced boil
ing heat and rapid vaporization. The fiS-
sures that opened in this thin crust as it
soliditied on the stream of lava emitted
torrents of yap0r, extending high into the
air, and making tremendous Seething
sound.
The air was filled with dense black smoke
and rolling clouds of flame, which seemed
to envelope and agitate the earth with tor
rents of burning lava rushing into the sea.
The roar of the flames and kissing of the
water became almost deafening. The re-
turning waves rushed upon the shore to an
unprecedented height.
Between the Southwestern point of the
island and Gunnugg Gunter several villages
disappeared from sight during the second
night of the eruption. The number of
dead can scarcely be estimated. Seven
hundred and four bodies of victims OF the
disaster have been buried in the district of
Tamara, and three hundred bodies in the
coast village of Kramat, alone, and in other
and more populOus districts torrents of
lava have buried whole settlements.
Java, it should be promised, supports a
population as dense as that of the most
populous European countries, containing
upon it's As, 176 square miles of territory as
many as 1907 ,S29 souls. The island has
twenty-five volcanoes constantly in a state
of activity, and as many more that are Oc-
casionally active. In 1922 Mt. Gulung
gung laid waste ia villages and destroyed
4, 900 lives, and eruptions destroying each
as many as 1000 lives have not been I'M
common in recent years. The present
eruptiOnS were introduced last week by a
disturbance on the Island of Krakatoa, in
the Strait of Sunda, about fifteen miles off
the coast of Java. Deep rumblings were
heard at points forty-tive miles distant,
and were followed within a few hours by
showers of stones at JOgjakerta, SOurabaya
and Samarang. All through the night red
hot stones and ashes fell. In Batavia the
same thing happened to less extent, but by
morning the city'S communications were
interrupted by showers OF stones and
ashes. which destroyed bridges and render
ed the roads impossible. BySunday MORN
ing the disturbances were extending rapid
ly beneath the boiling and Kissing waters
of the strait toward the Island OF Java.
Great waves were dashed ashore, their
temperature raised twenty degrees higher
than usual. One after another the various
craters began to belch forth steam. acid
vapors, mud and stones until some fifteen
were in play, destroying thousands of per-
sons who had escaped from the furious
waves that from time to time rolled inland.
Fissnres opened in the sides Of the noun
tains and extended in wide chasms through
the valleys. Much of the northern portion