Morris tribune., 1883-09-01
FORTY THOUSAND DEAD.

FORTY VHOUSAND DEAD
Victims OF the Terrible Volcanic
Eruption and Tidal Waves of the
Island OF Java.
The latest advices fro m Batavia, the cap
ital Of Java, show that the volcanic erup-
tions in that island are much more serious
than at first indicated. The disturbances
began on the Island of Krakatoa, in the
strait of Sunda, about fifteen miles off the
coast of Java.
The first eruptions were on Saturday
night. On Sunday morning the disturb
ances had extended beneath the waters of
the strait and these were soon boiling and
kissing violently, while great waves dashed
upon the Javanese shores, and the temper
ATTIRE of the sea went up nearly 20 deg,
even as far away from the original point of
disturbance as Madura. The furious waves
were dashed into mountains oil foam as they
came rolling in. The threatening rumb.
lings gradually became more and more dis
tinct, and soon the Malta Meru, the
largest of the volcanoes of Java, was
belching forth flames at very alarming
rate. Men, women and children rushed in
terror from their tottering dwelling places,
filling the air with their shrieks Of horror.
Hundreds were unable to get out before the
houses fell and we're buried beneath great
mass IS of rocks and mud which were piled
mp where few hours before all had been
peace, happiness and fancied security.
With these terrible eruptions came SYM
pathetic demonstrations from the sea- The
oyerhanging clouds were so sur
charged with electricity that at one time
over fifteen huge waterspouts were seen. As
the eruptions increased in frequency and
the disturbance of the waters sur
the barren coast became more and
more violent. Here the waves rushed in
with terrific force up the steep, rocky in
cline, breaking upon the oVerhanging ,crags
and receding rapidly, leaving lava flow
cooled Just at the moment when ii was about
to fall over the precipiee, and there remain
ing quickly hardened by contact with the
waters. The European and American
quarter was first overwhelmed by rocks,
mud and lava fro the craters, and then
the waters came up and swallowed the
ruins, leaving nothing to mark the site, and
the loss of somewhere in the neigh
borhood of 10000 inhabitants and those
who had tried to find refuge there. Ban
tam, once prosperous and hourishing ma
tive city, but practically abandoned many
years ago, was entirely covered several
times by the waters, and there must have
been from 1920 to l 500 people drowned.
At the last advices the eruptions were still
although their violence had
abated somewhat, and it is feared that the
end of the disaster will show it to have
been one of the most frightful ever known
in the history of volcanic eruptions.
Java is an island in the Malayan archi-
pelago, the principal seat OF Dutch power in
the East, and after Snmatra and Borneo, the
largest in the Sunda group. 1t is between
the Java sea and the Indian ocean. The
island is $50 miles long by 80 to IS miles
broad, and has an area OF 40, 730 square |
miles. The island is traversed throughout its |
whole length by two chains of mountains,
thickly set with volcanoes, active and ex-
tinct, varying from 5000 to $4,000 feet in
height.
MORE DISASTROUS THAN AT FIRST REPORTED |
LONDON, Special Cablsgram, Aug 29.-Fur |
her particulars of the great volcanic eruption
n Java, which have just reached London from
Batavia show the disaster to have been even
more widespread and more disastrous than re- |
ported in yesterdays advlces AT noon sunday |
he eruptions and shocks were supposed to |
nave reached their greatest height Bnt late |
n the afternoon and evening the violence
If the disturbances suddenly increased, and |
he island seemed to be about to be completely |
buried in mass of fire and sulphurous ashes.
1t the same time enormous waves began to |
lash with great force upon the shores, COM |
ng in some places far up into the interior, and |
treat chasms opened into the earth and threat |
sned to engulf large portion of the islands, |
people and buildings About midnight the |
most frightful scene of the whole disturbance
ook place. Suddenly an enormous luminous |
cloud, similar to that which was seen on the |
1unung Guntur but much greater IN extent, |
ormed over the Kaudang range of mountains, |
which skirt the southeast coast OF the island. |
The cloud gradually increased in size
Until it formed a canopy of lurid red and
yhitish gray over wide extent of territory.
During this time the eruptlons increased and
treams of lava poured necessarily down the
ides of the mountains into the valleys, sweep
ng every thing before them. Here and there
stream of lava would enter an arm of the |
ca or come in contact with the waters of
liver, then the nearest incandesoent lava as it
,rotruded from the great stream would sud
emily produce
BOILING HEAT AND s1CKENING vAPoRs,
'ut the superficial consolidation that almost in
family ens1ed would prevent any further con-
act The assures that opened in this thin
rust it solidihed would emit torrents of
apor, extending high into the air and making
tremendous kissing and seething sound as If
thousand locomotives were simutane-
usly letting off steam. Here and
here in the lava streams were
e dspar, arranged in trains one behind the
Their in the direction of the flow of the chr
ent, and feldspathic sphericles were rapidly
ormed in the vitreous matter, resembling
hose which form in the alag of glass
urnace. One of the most singular freaks
f the eruption was the carrying in the
1idst Of the molten lava Of a bed
+ solid ice of enormous size, which
ad been emitted from one of the craters, car
led along by the current, and landed on the
Extremity on Point st. Nicholas on the north
asst corner of the island. This bed of ice was
urrounded by thick envelope OF sand and
CORA, which are such -nonconductors Of heat
nat red hot stream of lava running over ii
ill not melt snow. 1t is supposed this ice
ad formed the crust of some vast subter-
anean lake. About 2 o'clock Monday morn
lg the great clond suddenly broke into small
actions and quickly vanished. At the same
me the most frightful rumblings were heard,
nd the columns of fire and smoke on the
outheast corner of the island ceased
ascend, while the craters in the
Their parts of Java seemed to open their fiery
lroats still wider to let out the greatest guam
ties of lava, rocks, pumice and ashes yet
omitted out The kissing of these became 80
,ud as to be almost deafening, and the waves
ashed up on the shores to an unprecedented
eight When daylight came it was seen
lat an
TRACT OF LAND had DISAPPEARED,
ztending from Point Capreccin, on the south,
Nesery Pafsoreang, on the north, and west
a low point covering an extent of territory
bout fifty miles square. Ia this were situated
le villages of Negery and Negery Babawang.
f the people inhabiting these places and the
atives scattered sparsely through the forests
i'd on the plains none escaped frightful
saith. This section f'the island was not so {
snsely populated as the other portions, and
e loss of life wac comparatively small, al
Iough il must have aggregated fully 10 900
,uls. The entire Candang range of mount
MS, extending along the coast in semi circle
II about sixty-ive miles, had gone out of
ght. The waters of Welcome bay, the Sunda
rats and Pepper bay on the east, {
Id of the Indian ocean on the south
I'd rushed in and formed great sea of tur-
llent waters Here and there the peak of a |
gh crater was exposed for moment by the !
ceding of great wave, and occasionally
puff of brownish-gray smoke or a slight
lower of rocks showed that the volcanoes still ,
'ntinued in active sub aqueous eruption. The {
,bris of the submerged and destroyed bnild-
ga was tossed hither and thither over the tu-
nltuous waters-the only sign left that there
ID once been inhabited land where all was !