Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-11
KRAKATOA's PHENOMENA.
Strange and Startling Facts a Repor,
Shows.

Shows.
SOUNDS COVERING TWICE THE AREA OF EUROPE
WAVES THAT REACHED FRAycE-A GREAT
THE GLOBE.
From the New York Times.
The publication of report of committee
appointed by the British royal society to inves-
gate the eruption of Krakatoa and the subse-
quent phenomena has again made this topic an
extremely interesting one writer in the
current number of the Edinburg Rerie,o has
taken the report and some French, Ger
man and Italian works on the same subject as
the theme for an extended article from which
the following extracts have been made:
1.-The great eruption of Krakatoa in 1893 en-
tered the violent stage on August 26, producing
effects in the neighborhood which must have
been quite appalling. The sky presented the
most terrible appearance, fierce flashes of
lightning penetrating the dense masses of
cloud over the island clouds of black matter
were rushing across the sky rapidly recurring
detonations like discharges of artillery, with
cracking noise in the atmosphere, were heard
continuously. and large pieces of pumice, quite
warm, rained down distance of 10 miles. At
point rs miles from Krakatoa, the height
OF the black cloud projected from the volcano
was estimated at II miles. At 40 miles dis
lance this cloud looked like an immense wall
with bursts of forked lightning at times like
large serpents rushing through the air. Balls
OF fire (corposants) rested on the mastheads
and on the extremities of the yard arms.
During the night the intense darkness
relieved by peculiar pinky fame which
seemed to come from clouds and touched the
ship, chains of fire seemed to be ascending
from the volcano to the sky, while
BALLS OF FIRE ROLLED ON ITS SIDES,
and lightning flashed SO far and frequently
that the mainmast conductor of the G. G. Lou
doun, 40 or so miles northwest of the Volcano
was struck five or six times. The natives on
board were busily engaged in putting out the
corposants with their hands, for fear the EVIL
spirits would scuttle the ship. At AMER on
the 26th it was pitch dark early in the afternoon
and as far $50 miles south of Krakatoa ashes
were already falling on the evening of that day
from densely overcast sky. The noise of the
explosions during the afternoon was heard all
over the island of Java, in Borneo, Celebes
New Guinea, Burmab, the Andaman islands and
Ceylon. Westward as far as 400 miles from
Java the sky was all of fare at sunset.
THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSIONS
accumulated during the night, and they were
actually heard at Rodriguez, 1865 miles dis
tant, and on board ship about 1880 miles
eastward. This is equal to an explosion on the
north coast of Africa being heard far north of
the Shetland Islands. At Batavia "a miles dis
tant. on the night of the 26th-27th many of the
inhabitants did not dare to go to bed, and
walked on the promenade. In the early morn
ing of the 9th the noise was simply deafen-
ing and about 2 a. m, and again at a. M.
many OF the gas lamps were extinguished and
panes of glass were broken. About S:25 a. M
there was most violent defamation, which
| cracked the walls of houses. After this almost
| nothing was heard till after 8 p. M. when the
noise recommended and continued to late
hour. This interval of stiffness is very re-
markable, for at 958 a. m. took place that
great eliminating explosion which wrote its
mark on all the chief barOmetric recorders of
the world. At Serang loud decoration &C.
CURED at 10 a. m, and the noise only ceased
after the air was filed with ashes. When they
cleared off the noise began again. The sound
of this explosion does not appear to have been
generally noted at distant places as exceeding
the reports which had puzzled the inhabitants
for many hours previously. Conjectures as to
the cause of
THE STRANGE THUNDERINGs
were various. At Carimola, Java, $50 miles dis
tant native boats were dispatched to assist an
imaginary vessel in distress; at Acheen 1913
miles distant, il was supposed that fort was
being attacked, and the troops were put under
arms; at Singapore. SD miles, two steamers
we're sent to look out for vessel in distress: at
Penang, S6S miles, the sounds were supposed to
be salute from an American corvette: in
South Australia at places over 1000 miles dis
tant, sounds like the blasting of a rock were
heard; at many places in Ceylon. nearly 2, 900
miles, and at the Andaman Islands sounds as
of a vessel in distress of blasting were fire.
quent; also at Diego Garcia, 2.267 miles, and
Rodriguez, 296S miles. Never before have
sounds been known to reach any distance ap-
preaching 5000 or even 1000 miles, and the
area covered by audible vibrations probably
fairy represents the measure of intensity of
the explosions. That area exceeded twice the
surface of Europe. THE quantity of
FOREIGN MATTER IN THE AIR
on the 9th may be realized when we hear of
the mud, which succeeded a heavy fall of
pumice, accommodating on the deck of the G. G.
Loudoun at the rate of inches in 10 minutes,
of dust reaching depth of inches on board
a vessel $40 miles distant and of a vast area
of the ocean being thickly covered with
pumlce, sufficient III some parts to impede
navigation. On board the Sir r. Sale pumice
stones are reported to have fallen of the size of
a pumpkin. and the crews of several vessels
were employed for hours in shoveling the sand
from their decks. The sounds which thus
called forth wondering inquiries over one
fourteenth of the entire surface of the globe
within four hours of their emission were in
fact announcing, not the salute of the cor
vette,' but the blowing to pieces of a mountain
by the hidden artillery of nature. The expul-
sion of two-thirds of the Krakatoa mountain
has left magnificent section of the volcano
by which to study its internal structure. Two
drawings, reproduced from Verbeek's Atlas
accompany Prof. Judd's article in the volume
issued by the Royal society. An examination
OF the remaining solid portion of Krakatoa,
and of the ejecta which have been collected from
various places, has led this author to
THEoRY.oF VOLCANIC ACTION
| differing considerably from the views formerly
held by biologists. Both the older and more
recent layas have been subjected to careful
mic roscopic study, and the results have thrown
much light on the history of this mountain and
OF volcanic action in general. The ultimate
chemical composition of recent lavas and the
nature of certain crystals in them indicate the
refusion OF earlier lavas before election But
in the eruption of 1888. from May 20 to the
final paroxysm, it is calculated by Verbeek that
at least 80 per cent of the materials thrown
out consisted of pumice and dust, and not
more than per cent of compact lava and of
fragments torn from the side of the vent
This opinion is qualified by the English theory
OF refusion.
The process by which this great eruption
was brought about is considered to be typical
OF the physical action of volcanoes all over the
world. Sea and surface water obtain access to
the vent or to the heated rocks below it, and if
brought suddenly into contact may give RISE
by the development of steam, to earthquakes