Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-09-22
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/ Javanese. Sumatran volcanic eruption, earth.
quake and tidal wave The loss Of life has
been appalling. The maximum estimate is
10000 and the minimum is 1900. The
accounts at hand are meagre and unsatsfac-
tory. The FIRST eruption took place during
the last Of last month. The following is taken
from telcgraphic accounts to the San Francisco
papers,
| Much Of the northern portion Of the Island
was covered with trees Of the forests, which
were soon in one great blaze. The redhot
vomitings from the craters had set the trees on
| FIRE As the eruption increased in frequency
and violence, the disturbance OF the waters
surrounding the barren coast became more and
more violent. Three waves came whebnng
over a marshy plain along the shore, suddenly
engulfng a hamlet Of hshermen's rude houses,
and turning swiftly back, swept away almost
every vestage Of the whole hamlet. A second
before IT had been q busting village. The
surrounding country which but a few hours be.
fore was covered with nourishi-g plantations
Of coffee, rice, sugar, indigo or tobacco, the
staples Of the land, were now but mud,
stones and lava, field OF destruction and
ruin. Not a single crop in lava will be saved.
At the entrance of Batavia was a large
group Of houses, extending along the shore
and occupied by Cinnamon. This portion of
the city was entirely swept away, and Of the
twenty-five thousand Chinese who lived in
this swampy plain, it is hardly probable that
more than i've thousand managed TO save their
lives, OF thirty-iiye hundred Europeans and
Americans in Batavia, perhaps eight hundred
have persisted. II is impossible TO make any
estimate OF the great pecuniary loss. AMER,
the European and American quarter was FIRST
overwhelmed by rocks, mud, and lava from
the crater, and then the waters came up and
swallowed the ruins, leaving nothing to mark
the site and causing the loss of somewhere in
the neigh yourhood Of two hundred lives OF the
inhabitants and those who had tried to fRd a
refuge there. Bantam, once a prosperous
native city, but practically abandoned by
Europeans many years ago, was entirely
covered by water, and there must have been
from twelve hundred to fifteen hundred people
drowned there.
The island Of Zerand, just off the coast was
completely inundated, and not a soul remains
on il to tell the tale OF disaster and death. At
Chcrebin there was no great food of waters
but the loss of life and property by the falling
Of rocks and the flow Of lava must have been
considerable Buetenzorg suffered very
seriously, as did Samarang, Cog, Lakerta,
Sourakerta, and Sourabaya, while the mcagre
reports from the lesser towns indicate that
their loss was as great in proportion. The
" thousand temples al Brambana were very
much damaged, and some Of them destroyed.
Some Of the domes OF the noted Temple Of
Borobodo were crushed in by the huge falling
rocks. All the lighthouses in the strait OF
Sunda have disappeared, and where the
mountain kramatar formerly stood the sea
now flows The aspect of Sunda straits is
much changed, and navigation is dangerous.
The Suns London cabegram says Later
reports from Batavia are Of more encourage
ing nature, although details of the horrors OF
the eruptions continue to come in. After the
Sudden subsistence Of disturbances in the king
dom of Batavia on Monday the eruptions
seemed to lose their force for time and the
people of Batavia experienced a feeling Of
relief in the hope that the worst was passed.
The quicter condition continued until about
10 O'Clock, when the craters once more began
to send up great masses OF destructive matter,
although without the force OF the former
action. The eruptions seemed to be more
violent at night than during the day. BY IL
o'clock Sapandayang, which is 1884 feet high
was in very active state of paraXysmal erup-
tions. II was ACCOMPANIED by detonaiohs,
said to have been heard many miles away in
Sumatra. Three distinct columns of flame were
seen to rise from the mountain toa vast height,
and its whole surface appeared as if covered
with fiery streams which spread to great dis
tances. on all sides. Stones Tell for miles
around, and the black iragmcntary matter that
was carried into the air caused total darkness
A whirlwind accompanied this eruption- by
which houseroofs, trees and men and horses
were carried into the air. The quantity of
ashes elected was such as to cover the ground
and roofs OF houses al Denam to the depth of
several inches. on Point Coay the floating
pumice on the formed layer two feet
thick, through which vessels crossed the bay
with great difficulty.
The rise OF vapor produced the appearance
Of column several thousand feet high, based
on the edge of the crater. 1t appeared from a
distance to consist OF mass of innumerablc
globular clouds of extreme Wilderness, resem-
bling vast balls of cotton rolling one over the
other as they assembled, impellcd by the pres
sure Of fresh supplies necessarily urged upward
by the continued explosions. AT great
height the column diiated horizontally and
spread into dark and turbid circles. The
cloud was shaped like an immense umbrella.
forked lightning OF great vividness and beauty
was continually darling from different parts OF
the clouds.
Suddenly the scene was changed. The
mountain was split into seven parts without
moments warning and where Sapandayang
stood alone there were now seven distinct
peaks drawn up to great height. In the
seams which were opened could be seen great
masses OF molten matter. From the assures
poured clouds OF steam and the black elected
lapillo flowed in steady stream and ran
down the mountain side from bed 200 or 900
feet in extent. The exhalations of carbonic
acid gas We're SO abundant that fowls and
animals in large numbers were killed by il and |
n few human beings lost their lives in the same |
way. This proved 10 be the turning point OF
the eruption, for the great assures opened |
seemed to act as saiety-valves, through which |
the streams of lava gently flowed down into
the valleys. The volcanic fires, though still |
burning at last advces, had lost most Of their
lierceness, and the streams created afforded |
vent wiihou, being forced through the compare.
lively narrow mouths OF the old craters.
One OF the queer incidents was the sudden |
rising Of fourteen new volcanic mountains in the |
straits OF Sunda, forming complete chain in
almost stiaght line between Point ST |
Nicholas, on the Javancse coast, and Haga |
point, ON the coast OF Sumatra, almost ON the |
tops OF what had been the Mersk and Middle |
Islands, which sank into the sea on Monday |
So serious are the changes in the coast and en-. |
tire formation of the straits Of Sunda that the |
British Government and Lloyd's this evening |
telegraphed from London TO all foreign points |
warning vessels that navigation Of these waters |
had become exceedingly dangerous. In the
city OF Beniam, where 1900 persons were at
FIRST supposed to have persisted, the bodies OF |
$500 have already been recovered. Some 500 |
inhabitants at the interior town OF Waring are |
now known to be killed, and at Tala,ra, ON the |
coast, 200 bodies have been found. From all |
over the island come reports OF loss OF life and |
property. Ii is thought at Batavia that the |
estimate OF 5000 killed will mol prove exccs. |
siye
On the lowlands OF Batavia, where the |
waters have reeeded and quoted down, hun.
dreds Of bruised and manged bodies are lying |
exposed and are being buried as fast as pos.
sible, in order 10 prevent the breeding and |
spread Of contagion. While there is some
cause OF anxiety on this score, il is thought the
gteater number Of bodies in the interior were
SO dried and scoIched by the hoI lava and