Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-19
KRAKAToA.
An Elaborate OhiciaI Account Of the
Great Eruption In 1888.

GREAT Eruption In 1900
Thanks TO the liberality of the Dutch
Post Indian Government. the world
hoo an olohoroto aud ,horo,ob ocoornt
900 ~ 81 o"..'"'o 80, -. ~ y. wstts.oo 1.
Oh the great erupVioh a' hIaAA'oa III
May, 1885, an account so tull, ana py
hands so competent, moreover, that the
full significance of the phenomena 10
mado ennorapt Mr. Verheek was dis
noto, al hu ,ho covo,nmort in ,rostion
p"'0n,u " 'nS uo,oio,.' ,l'". -, ~ t"oD. =.
immedia'eiy ai'er 1he great oueours'' ="
investigate its causes and effects, ana
with the assistance OF Mr' >. Schnur.
man has now published the second OF
two volumes covering the ground COM
plctcly. A resume OF the second vol
ume, which deals with the Phenomena
(the first volume treating the history Oh
the ernptlonl, has appeared IN Ndte1re'
The inquiry has resulted IN the conclu-
sion that the disturbance was volcanic
and not seismic, though 1t IS ascertalneu
that seismic movement OF the sea DOT
tom occurred In the whole region Oh tne
Molnccas. AT the same time earth"
quakes were felt IN Australia ana these
movements are supposed 10 result from
connection between the suDterranean
recesses which lic between hrakatoa
and Australia. Inc theory OF the ernp-
ton put forward Is that OF the sudden
influx OF large bodies OF WATERPROOF
ably the occan-to masses OF incandes-
cent matter IN tue nelghoorhoodoi tile
OLD volcano.
The whole theory requires a revision
OF some OF the suPposltlons concerning
the thlcGness OF the earth 8 crust Mr..
Verbeek holds to the doctrine oil cen
tral ilrc' IL Is certainly necessary to
state, ana ms iacts go 10 snow mat we
are really less removed from 1t than
may seem eomiortaple' What TENDS
strongly TO demonstrate the instability
OF inc crusts IS the extent OF the dls-
tnrDance caused oy the outbreak Of
hrakatoa' IN some ways It was ielt
over the wnole eartn, the explosions
were actually heard over an area
amounting 10 ohe-iourth OF the earth s
surface; while t'ie ar-WaVe caused trav-
elcd al rounu inc gloDe ana BACK TO
krakatoa. Ihe great tidal wave which
followed the prlhcipal explosions was
not caused II IS now heid' oy earth
quake shocks' Dut SIMPLY py tpe pro-
)ection into the sea OF enormous masses
ol matter ihcluolng one SIDE OF the
crater itselI' ana he proiIse dis-
chargeS from IL. Mr. FerDeek mas oai-
cmlated thst at least eighteen cubic
kiiomeVers OF matVer must nave peen
electcd, ana Nas"re gives TINS lllustra-
hon: imagine oox OF ashes as large
as llyde Fark ana as nigh MS the dome
OF St r"ui s. hundred such boxes VIII
give an luea Oh tne mass Oh matter
thrown out'Dy hrakatoa IN 1883.
The elevation reached by the elected
ashes Is estimated at hity kilometers,
or nearly SIX times the height of Mount
Everest the highest mountain in the
world. MR. Verbeek attributes the red
sunsets to the presence in the air OF the
finer particles OF the dust, together with
aqueous Vapor. These particles he be-
heves made the circuit OF the earth
twice being carried westward by
strong east winds. lnasmuch as the
same klhd oil RED sunsets have been op,
served as recently as the fall of 1885, II
Is, however, diillcult to accept the ex'
planation as sufficient The theory
L n NJ WNaA INn1 saN IL.