New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
UNDER VOLCANIC ASHES.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES sNUFFED OUT by AN
ERUPTION.
Toltio. Japan. July 81.

has inst boon received. III 'hO
shlma. near the city of wakama'tu, about 100 nios
,, y, ro,,o a., terrible and most calamitous erupuoh
10 tho anoarcntly extinct Bandalsan VOLCANO has "o
nace resulting in the burial under volcanic "'u anu
rocks and ashes OF q region OF about seVe''s
miles. and causing more or less uamaso anu 60 ,,ro
within an ana extending over more '""n ''o '4 |
miles IL was on July 10. The morning was "n
=. -, IT,, Al this season of the Scar |
noosants from the adjacent regions frequent LOT tue
nurpose OF health and recreation the h''ie nou'H''
hamlet of Iwase and It's three hot springs WIN" "''
besides a few weather beaten anu par'S "f
scorlacoous rocks cropping out on 'hc '".'""o' "o
only Indications OF the volcanic character Oh mum
tain that has been qucscent Tor aoou' ,"o"1l.
years and the crater of which had been filed up long
.co nv tho slow processes of nature. There was no
oround for spprehenson of any kind, and lew earth
quake shocks, felt or three days previous W "o
eruption, presented also nothing UNUSUAL vi "'"o'a
Earthunake shocks and seismic tremors are oo"in'o"
throughout Japan Some of the people wcic qli'"'
cnioyIng the hot baths on the slope OF the mountains
Others conversed with the visitors that haa enc run
distance while a majority were lying On 'nc'r man,
talking smoking dreaming, DOING sleeping oIu
Vandalism presented his usual appearance ana nature
herself dreamy and drowsy, seemed ABOUT W ian
into slumber. -. ,,,
suddenly, n few minutes past eight O'CLOCK
a low rumbling was heard nho n'
sound OF distant thunder actually DC
for an Interchange OF words tho earth was heaVed
ND and began to trcmble violently, the grouha un-
dulating like water shaken in bowl FROM inc peaA
of Banda san there then shot up mo 'no ar a.
though discharged from the lannon's mouth anu
accompaned by noise as of a hundred thunderstorms
combined a huge mass Of red volcanic Ihuu' HliAcu
with fire and rocks and sulphur and SMOKE CARVING
with II the very peak of the mountain, ana hIa'ng
for a time the broad and brilliant canopy oi heaNo''
and then I'm its fall, covering the green ea''u Oo'
with blush gray winding sheet OF Voicanc Hu',
heavy rocks hot water burning sulphur reoho' sanu
and glowing ashes of a blush tint Under this mass,
varying in thickness from seven 10 twenty cc'' "o'o
h ddcn GOO men, women, and children. dead at once
or writing I'm the last aeoncs. Among these there
were no less that $50 visitors to the not springs VINO
thus found horrible death N place oil inc cApec'cu
cure from sickness and disease. Within la'a oncie'
described by radius of five miles around the mount
ain few people were able to escape unhur Dut even
hovond that dstance persons killed or injured
Dense black smoke continued TO issue from the apcr
ure through which the subterrancan forces hao ouhu
vent and black clouds soon covered the SKY lar anu
Wide while constantly recurring earthquake SHOCKS
increased the fright OF the trembling fugtlves VINO
ever could fed at once in every direction, away from
| ha smoking crater Some, stark naked and ashy
male ran at the top of their speed over the glowing
G ndcrs women tainted and fell from sheer exhaustion
| and terror few, crazcd by fright or injured by
| falling beams and stones hoped or crcpt away Ike
so many animals set at large To Increase the horrors
of the scene pine trees tall and stately and centuries
| old were torn from the ground and thrown upward,
while suphurous flames blazcd forth between the r
| cracIlinc roots presenting to tho Wild and eXccd
| Imagination of the people tho spectacle OF werd-
looking snakes Kissing ard writing in the unearthly
glare Of the abysmal fire.
At 10 O'Clock the scene had reached its climax, bat
erlptons and earthquake shocks did not cease until
O'Clock in the afternoon. The landscape then pre-
| a NIT a
around the mountain trees and shrubs as we'll as
| all the tea and rice plans-the entire crop OF The
vear-had been destroyed. Forty -four houses were
found buried to depth of twenty feet, and many
more wero covered to a less depth Strange TO say,
few or no small stones were found among the debris
| heavy rocks seem TO have been numerous; one OF
thcm Is said to measure seventy-eght feet In length
The Village of Iwase seems have suffered most ther
| Yozan and Hibaa. Three hamlets near the latter
place were covered completely. Not soul was
saved At Hbara ITSELF the river Nagasc was blocked
up by falling debris and by the sudden rise OF na'ura
bank 400 feet high and several miles long, across
The rivers course obstructng tho now OF lis waters
Unless the imprisoned river IS promptly liberated
the entire region Will be flooded, and lake formed
where once fine rcc-fcds stood At Inawashir'
and IN its neigbborhood the people, though not II
danger escaped, at the time OF the eruption, VIII
all their furniture, though military Invasion ha(
taken place. The people state that the noise a
there
discharge Of thousands Of cannon AS matter o
fact. the lesser peak Of Bandasan has been Blow
of by the terrific explosion OF the subteancan case
and vapors On the 10Th Of Juy-ths IS the lates
news-anothcr eruption took place without, however
doing any damage BY II two new cfatcrs wer
formed Black smoke continues to ascend from tn
. mountain
Tho survivors OF the catastrophe werc so daze
and bewIdered BY the sudden disaster that had fale
| ~ Them q
any coherent account Of their escape. Ono ma
was by the first shock pitched hc1dlong out OF hi
, house and. terrified by this sudden eviction. h
, ran at once for his ME- and never knew what ha
Others had similar experiences: IN fact nobody wa
likely under such ian 10 a mnre ino T
, recovered. The dismal records speak OF fracture
beyond recognition bodies literally cut into havC
or quarters, into still smaller pieces, OF bodit
srtnnIIv uarboilcd by tho seethlng water thai f.
no no ,nsusuect,nr victims of the eruption Son
bodies were found suspended from the trees int
which they had fallen when descending rom The al
a iIod r. her back stumbled onward in hot hast
y under a storm of glowing ashes, burning cnders al
falling rocks. a large red-hot stone struck Il
child ard despatched the mother with blood, wit
C ont however, harmlng her. Holding fast vii
desperate grasp, the red burden on her back, Il
c mother succeeded in reaching wakamatsu' but ON
| find that Ter child dead.
The damage done to life and properly is not y
exactly known but is aPpang ven t ,ne hmP PER
| Of the suffering people, and dispatched a specl
| Commissioner TO the afflicted region Through Il
, prompt Initiative Of Captain Brnkley, OF The Jap;
Mails money TO be forwarded to the distressed disli
: is now being rapidly collected among the foreil
> residents here and in Yokohama The vernacui
+ press is also doing IT'S duty in this direction. II
I, rolce and local authorities NJ Wakamasu have alrca'
IS iaken steps 10 provide for the destitute. some
;, whom have in very truth saved nothing but the
=, naked life.
1t AN EARLY LOVE FOB SLAUGHTER
y soYIsH FRANKS. INSPIRED BY AMBITION TO r.