The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-16
The Java Horror.

report of their resident partner. Mr.
McColl, of his recent journey to Merak
and AMER: Il left Batavia, on Monday,
October s, for Serang( Tor Portuguese 'Ce-
ram, the termination I'M being nasal,
and much the same as Serang) the cap
ital of the residency of Bantam. There,
as arranged, | was met by Mr.. Schmit,
Lloyd's sub-agent for AMER. We pro-
ceeded at once to Bantam bay, seven
miles distant, and saw on the way tn at
considerable damage had been done by
the volcanic wave, though, of course, its
force had been greatly spent in passing
up the shadows of the great bay, and
the destruction generally was mere
nothing to what we saw in 9th er places.
Even here, however, two hun bred PEG
pie lost their lives. Returning to Sc
rang, we left next morning at five for
TitlegOn, now the last government port
on this station. This place was still,
after six weeks, completely covered
with volcanic ash, plants and gardens
destroyed, and cocoanut trees borne
down by the weight of ash and mud
discharged by Krakatoa, forty miles
away. Leaving our post carriage, we
got into kahars (native spring carts,
and went on to Merak, as far as tie
road would take us. Proceeding a short
distance, the effects of the volcanic
wave were seen, the road beng carried
away and great lagoons formed inland.
We had to leave our kahars and pro-
coed on foot, and after this it was a hot
scramble of two hours along the beach
over fallen trees and rocks, before we
arrived at what was formerly the inn
portant station of Merak, attached to
the Tanjong priok-work. The entire
district trayersed by us, about six
miles, was one scene of desolation,.
which cannot be described or under
stood unless seen. For miles there was
not a tree standing, and where former
ly were numerous campongs (natiye
villages surrounded by paddy fields and
cOcoanut groves), there was nothing
but q wilderness more resembling the
bottom of the sea than anything else;
rocks of coral stones and sea shells
strewn everywhere. Some of these
solid masses of coral, lying miles in
ward, could not be less than one hum
dred tons weight. Arriving at Merak,
the path was strewn with pieces of iron,
while here and there were portions Of
the bedding and furniture of the houses
of the Europeans. We were informed
officially that the number of bodies
buried in the district we came through
was 200. The volcanic wave must, in
my opinion, have been even higher than
the general estimate of 100 feet, and
base my opinion on the fact that the Of
fetal height of the small hill of Merak
is thirty-tive meters 1l5 feet, while the
wave that swept away the houses must Of
course have been still higher than the
top of the hill, and this additional
height estimate to be twenty feet. This
fact l ascertained pretty accurately by
careful estimate of the height from
the ground of wreckage attached to
the stems of couple of cOcoanut trees
still standing. This would give here,
at all events, total height OF 1876 feet,
and | confirmed this by further obser-
walton at another place. On the top of
the hill at Merak the whole community
of workmen took refuge when the first
wave came at six a. m, and, fancying
themselves safe there, they returned
again, when the second and much high
er wave, at nine a. m, came and swept
them all away. =
Proceeding further on the road from
Tjilegon to AMER, we came to the old
post station of Tiiadieng, and not one
stone of it remaining, building, men
and horses having been carried away.
Pushing on, we found the road had
been very well repaired till within three
miles of AMER, and altogether the en-
ergy displayed everywhere by the Gov
eminent is beyond all praise. Hun
dreds of people were at work in all di-
rections rcmaking roads, clearing away
trees, burning rubbish and strewing the
ashes of the sea-swept soil, in the hope
of future Improvement. Everywhere,
in fact, there was activity and energy,
and where our road ended and we had
to walk, there were rows of rice-carts
and the grain was given out by native
officials to the various head men for
distribution in their villages. The APP
pearance of the country was even more
wretched than before, and from the
hill on the AMER shore, looking north
east to Merak, eleven miles distant, and
inland to the foot of the hills, four to
five miles, this wedge-like plain of an
area of about forty square miles is one
vast scene of desolation, being COM
pletely swept from end to end, and not
one house or tree to be seen. Many
| thousands were lost here. Getting
round this hill, we came at once into
the valley of AMER, semicircle of four
miles from point to point, extending
two miles inland, with fine range OF
hills closing all in. In the center of
this plateau and fronting the sea, was
originally situated the town of AMER,
| but from where we stood, on first turn
ing the corner of the path, there was
nothing to be seen but lagoons, with
here and there great powders cast
about, and not vestige of house.
proceeded, however, and at lenoth
came upon the site of the town and
fort. Of the fort there is almost nothing
left, great blocks of masonry being
cast inland; of the town still less, for
not one stone is to be seen above an
other Mr.. Schmit, who lost seven OF
| his relations, went to look for his house,
| but could not find atrace of it, and aft
or time he concluded that the river,
which formerly formed the creek, had
| changed its course and was flowing over
the spot where his house and that OF
the assistant resident once stood. There
was not even a ruin, everything having