The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-03-30

The most remarkable fact evidenced by this
table is that the earliest appearances of these
phenomena are thereby traced along a line of
points, successive from East to West, lying
very near the Equator, beginning at the Sey-
chelles Is. in the Indian Ocean, and running
thence on successive days through Cape Coast
Castle, Trinidad, Panama, and Fannng's Is
arriving at Strong's Is. on Sept. 9TH, having
traversed great circle for 1880 miles in
about 23O hours.
1t thus appears that the original haze cloud
which first produced the Red CLOVIS, swept
west from the Indian Ocean in an Equatorial
stream or belt, which traversed more than
two-thirds of the circumference of the globe
at an average velocity of nearly eighty miles
an hour. A precise estimate of its velocity
between successive points is prevented by the
imperfection of the observations made. The
time at Cape Coast Castle is uncertain by one
day. The dates at Seychelles and Mauritius
are probaly initiated by the copious diffusion of
volcanic smoke prior 10 the regular movement
of the upper stream. = FEE
1t seems quite clear however, that an aver
age velocity of about 80 miles an hour, during
the first half Of the course of this haze-stream,
became reduced TO about 60 miles in its later
stages. These data appear to favor the con-
clusion of Mr. S. E.Bishop G) that stream of
vapors was discharged over and upon the up
per surface of the atmosphere of the Indian
Ocean by powerful initial impulse, which
drove it straight in great circle independent
" of atmospheric currents, and that this
stream gradually suffered retardation as it
descended into the atmosphere, fiuaily ceasing
over the Caroline Islands.
Without necessarily accepting this writer's
theory showing how such an impulse would
be generated by the rotation of the Earth, it
seems clear at least that the inception of the
Equatorial haze-stream and its attendant
glows has been traced with positive certainty
as far as the western side of the Indian Ocean,
and back to the 2sth day of August. East
ward Of this our search is arrested by vast
pail of volcanic smoke proceeding from the
greatest eruption described in history. But
if we stretch our line back through this OBJ
structing veil 80 hours in time, and $500 miles
in distance, we find ourselves confronted by
the great final explosions of Krakatoa, on the
morning of August 9th. Projected aoft
from this crater by a succession of colossal
explosions, a vast dome or cone Of volcanic
smoke on that day covered region Of not less
than 400 miles in diameter with absolute
darkness for many hours, and spread deep
gloom for not less than 1000 miles in every
direction. From the summit Of this immense
height, the great Equatorial haze-stream APP
pears to have issued and sped westward
around the globe. We have unquestionably
traced it to it's source, in the vapor-mass that
overhung tue Indian Ocean, less poetic than a
cosnic nebula, but possessing reality, and with
it have found the one sole and indisputable
origin Of the Red CLOVIS which attended its
course.
This does not imply that the swift Equat-
orial smoke-stream embodied the whole of
the glow-producing medium 1t seems more
probable that the larger portion of the vapors
which became slowly and irregularly diffused
over the globe during the ensuing seventy
days, were drifted from the broad vapur-mass
after the special stream had ceased.
Thus we find the Indian peninsula untouched
by the narrow stream which must have passed
south of the Equator. But II days afterwa rds
the haze arrived in full force, and prod uced
the Green Suns and Red CLOVIS throughout
Ceylon and Southern India, shortly after
ward appearing in Alden and the Soudan. We
also find the CLOVIS at New ireland 5000 miles
due east from Krakatoa in four days after the
last explosions. In all these cases the trans
portation was comparatively slow and proba-
bly, due TO atmospheric currents.
We need to consider the adequacy of the
eruption of Krakatoa to have produced at
mospheric effects of such magnitude aud ex-
tent, not only bsaiag the globe with flaming
skies as in September, but by November en-
veloping the entire sphere in these fiery
glares. Can Krakatoa be shown to have pro-
baby elected quantity of tenuous matter
sufficient for this result? and can it be beliey-
ed to have delivered such matter at such |
height that in its descent it would form haze |
canopy from 80 TO 40 miles above the sur
face?
We have absolutely and precisely traced |
the glows to their source, and so have the |
right to affirm that Krakatoa proved its colos |
sal capacity TO emit these vapors in such
quantity and to such height by having actual |
~ done SO. 1t is the directors part to prove |
that it could not have done so, and did not |
But waiyiDg this advantage however, we cite i
preliminary official report on the nature aud /
effects of the eruption of Krakatoa, made by |
Mr.. r. D. NJ. Yerbeck. ID He makes an esr-
O. Nature, ~ 4Ol, John lie Conte.
Isl.
1. Hawaiian Monthly, April 1881.
ir. Nature, -. p. 49,
To these Maranham might be added. OF which
lack the needed reference.