The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-05-07
PIows
DILLINGHAM;
IN. volcanic Eruption of Krulatau,

-
most stupeudous Of our times. and that the |
attendant phenomena have given rise to many |
questions OF the highest scientific, and we may |
add geographical interest, resume OF the facts
compiled from all the latest available sources
NAV lie interesting to our readers.
The island Of Krakatau (such, and not kra-
kat0a. is the native nancy is situated in lati-
iude 90 5, longitude l05o 26 E, in the
fair-way OF the Sunda Straits, about equally
distant from Java and SuDatra, close on 26
miles W.SW. from the village and lighthouse
Of AMER, the call-port or signal station, prior
to the present eruption, for all vessels passing
through that frequented channel. Il was a
small uninhabited island about I'VE miles
in length and three in breadth, eliminating.
in two elevations, the taller Of which, known
as the Peak Of krakaiau, rises Cor did rlse)
some 1850 feet above the sea. Surround
ing it on all sides are numerous volcanic cones
The Tengamoes Tor Kaiser 3 Peak toits north
west is situated at the head Of the Semangka
BAY. and the duescent Rajlbasa to its north
east in the southern promontory of Sumatra;
in the east by south the Karang shoulders in
Bantam, aud southeast rise the active cones of
the BuiteuzorS Mountains. Standing in the
Straits and very little to the north Of kraka-
tau are the two dormant or dead cones Of Sc
besie and Sebooko. A line drawn from Raja-
hasa, passing along the western side Of kra-
ka.au aud continued thence TO Princes Island,
which lies of Java Head. would mark the
boundary on the eastward side Of the shallow
Java Sea, which rarely exceeds fifty fathOms,
and on the west side Of the deep Indian Ocean.
On looking at q map Of the locality before the
eruption il will be seen that close TO the east
and northwest sides Of Krzkatau, there are two
small fragments Of land, Lang and Nerlaten
Islands respectively. Il is Mr.. Norman Lock
yer's opinion that these are two higher edges
Of the old rim Of a subsided crater, overhswed
IN part by the sea through inequalities in the
margin between them; that the heights on Kra-
katau itself, the remaining portion Of the old
volcano summit are cones elevated on this old
crater floor; and that the ancient funnel is
practically co-extensive with the area iuclosed
by these three islets, though, till the goth Of
Nay last, blocked up by Volcanic debris.
On tie goth Of May, 1853, at half past ten
in the forenoon, tie inhabitants Of Batavia
were astounded by hearing a dull booming
noise, whether proceeding FROM the air or be-
low was doubtful, soon followed by tue forci-
be drumming and rattling Of all the doors and
windows in the phase.
Not tall the evening of the 2lst was smoke
observed TO be issuing from Krakatau; On the
22nd the volcanic vent there seems TO have
been fully established, and the vibrations and
other phenomena experienced in Batavia
quickly subsidized
On the 2lsl OF August the volcano appears
70 have been in increased activity; for the ship
Bay # AlpisS reports being unable to venture
into the Straits on account Of the great fall Of
pumiCe and ashes.
The first. however, Of the more disasterous
effects were experienced on the evening Of the
26th, commencing about o'clock in the after
noon. They were inaugurated by violent ex-
pIosioas, heard in AMER, .Telokbetong, and az
far as Batavia, accompanied by high waves
which after first retreatng rolled upon boil
sides OF the Straits, causing much damage to
the villages there, and were followed by a
night OF unusually pitcby darkness Thes,
horrors continued all night with increasing
violence, till midnight, when. they we're aug.
mented 10y electrical phenomenon a terrify.
ing scale, which euveloped not only the ships
in the vicinity but embraced those at a dis.
lance Of even ten to a dozen miles As tn,
lurid CLEANS that played on the gigantic col.
umu Of smoke and ashes were seen IN Batavia
so miles of in a straight line, we can form
some idea Of the great height to which the de.
bris, some Of which fell as fue as ashes il
Cheribon, 500 miles to the cast, was being e.
Jected during the night.
Between and o'clock, (for the hour is uu.
certain In the morning Of the 27th, there was
a still more gigantic explosion, heard in The
Andaman Islands and in India. which pro.
duced along both shores of the Strait an i'm
mense tidal movement, first Of recession anc
then Of unwCnted rise, occasioning that cal.
amit0us loss of life Of which we have al
heard
The material thrown out rose TO an elevation
which We have no means Of estimating, but 81
tremendous was II that on spreading itselt
out it covered the whole western end Of Java
and the south of Sumatra for hundreds Of
square miles with pail Of impenetrable dark
ness. During this period abnormal atmos-
pheric and magnetic displays were observed
compass needles rotated violently, and the
barometer rose and fell many teuths Of an inch
IN minute. Following at no great interval
and somewhere between ten and twelve O'Clock
IN the forenoon Of the same day, either by sue
cessiye rapid outbursts or by Que single su-
preme conyulsIon, the subterranean powers
burst their prison walls with defamation Sc
terrific as to have been, as it seems, inaudible
from its very immensely 10 human ears in lis
close vicinity, but which spread CONSERVATION
and alarm to the dwellers within a circle
whose diameter lay across nearly 5000 miles,
or SO degrees Of longitude.
With sunrise OF. the 2sth the immense cur
tain which had developed SO wide an area in
darkness gradually began to clear of, and the
light broke on a scene Of devastation of the
saddest kind, but on one Of comparative pla-
cidity, as if nature lay exhausted after her
frantic paroxysm. krakatau was seen re-
duced TO fraction Of its original size: the
whole Of the northern portion, and half of the
peak itself had vanished To the northward,
however, two new pieces Of land, which have
received the names Of Steers aud Calmeyer
islands, raised their tops above the surface Of
the sea, where the morning previous 80 to 40
iaihoms Of water had existed. OF the two
islets on each side Of hrakatau, Lang Island
is left practically unaltered, while Verlateu
Island seems elevated somewhat, and is re-
ported to be in eruption But where the vol
cano had been SO active a few hours before. a
sea fathomless with a line Of a thousand feet,
is how 10 be found
The first great waves on the evening of the
26th aud the early part OF the 9th were prob
ably caused by portion Of Krakatau being
shot out noTthwards for eight miles and drop
ped where we have now Steers Island; while
the appalling defamation in that forenoon and
the greater wave that accompanied il resulted
perhaps from that still more titanic effort
which lifted the greater portion of Krakatau-
several thousand million cubic yards of mater
ial-out by it's l7O faihom root, hurled it
fhrnue-lt ,sr 4