Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-02-26

sarets,r Phessaena and Volcanic
Wuses


Ou.e.
Ats recent meeting Of the California
Ac.dapy of Science, reports the AHs,
GharIes Wolcott Brooks. having been
called on to answer questions regaroinR
the electric phenomena observed during
the eruption Of krakxtOa, August ~ 2S.
replied by reading some Interesting Sx-
s,scts seIscted from the published logs
NJ merchant ships aud steamers Of ma
ne nationalitics. also Dutch war and
s1,vsvinp vessels, all within radius of
- than ono hundred miles, at the time
N the eruption. ALI mention most un-
usnaI electric and atmospheric disturb
snoea. They speak Of the fearful 40
compauimen,s Of thunder, lightning.
cornnsants. sheets Of blazing fire, pink
isb fame coming from the clouds, mast
head and yard-arms crowned With nre
Rails. MANY of which fell on deck and
we're scattered about, fearful rearing,
hslmsuan, captain and several sailors
struck by electric discharges; copper at
the helm got hot, chains Of tirs appear
inc 10 descend and ascend, while CON-
timed balls OF white fire were rolling
around in all directions. The needle OF
the compass was violently aRitated, and
freousntIy did spin continuously round
and round. Breathing Was very DIM
oult, and the barometer, which ranged
exceedinply high, huctuatsd at times
very rapidly, in quick pulsntions. touch
inc alternately 70 and 30 inches. The
hight Of the tidal wave, measured on
the Java shore, reached 135 feet, though
yaryipp from q 70 Al meters. The
Dutch Government spent over E6OOO IN
burying 32,635 corpses Of persons killed
by the eruption. The pumice-st0ne that
fell ON deck Was feet deep.
Mr.. Brooks read from Nature the
opinions of leading European scientists,
going TO show that electricity - the
buOyant power Of vapOr in the at,nos-
phere, and expressed belief, founded
on solid and well-proven premises, that
volcanic pomice dust. positively elected
At the highest conceivable temperature,
in charged with coating OF electricity
capable Of conveying the particles
through a non-coIduct'ng medina, to
enormous elevations, and therc holding
them in suspension at point OF electric
equilibrium.
Tho London Times gives an account
of fall Of snow at Madrid, caught on
zinc plates for analysis. After evapora
tiOn a dry powder WAS fOuud, which
was tested and found to be extremely
magnetic. Ii Wis incinerated on pla-
tinurs foil to red heat and submitted
10 Omicrosooplcal examination. when vol
Oanic hypersthenc were found, quite
similar to the respective analyses Of the
ashes coll cted in the vicinity OF kraka-
toa and examined by MN. Daubie and
Repaed.
Similar dust was found on window
panes in England aud taken from the
rigging of vessels recently arrived at
our own Atlantic seaports. October 13
large volumes of Volcanic dust fell on
the island Of Ye,o, in Japan. and at
HappOr, which douhtleas came from the
great eruption Of Bogosolv in Alaska,
about that time.
All the leading scientific men seem
BOW 70 asoribs the red glow in our skies,
an hour or more before and after sun
rise and sunset, 70 the natural effect Of
minute atoms of volcanic dust, held in
suspension above the earth's surface. at
4 distance varying from 20 to l5O miles.
Mr.. H. NJ. Paul Of Washington says:
"lf Mr.. Preeces theory Of electric re-
pulsion sf the dust particles proves IN
assailable, then the finest of these, II
highly electrified may rise TO great
nights, independent Of the force OF
ejectmsnt from the Volcano"
The extracts from the logs Of vessels
read by Mr.. Brooks clearly established
the coincidence of extreme electric 40
tivity at the time Of the eruption His
remarks. which were unusually interest
ING, were received with applause.