St. Landry democrat., 1890-06-07
The Birth Of an Island.
HOW 4 RECENT ADDITION WAS MADE TO
THE TONGA GROUP.

THE TONGA GROUP.
During the year 1885 the people on an
island in the southern part OF the Tonga
group in the Pacific observed a terrible
commotion far out at sea. 1t seemed to
them that the waters were boiling, and
that smoke was rising from the surface OF
the ocean. A little while before the
waters near their shores had been agltated
in an unaccountable manner, and big
waves rolled in, although there was not
much wind stirring. A few of the bravest
among the people launched one of their
sail boats and started toward the scene of
disturbance. They halted at consider
able distance from the center of the COM
motion. but they were near enough to
determine accurately the nature OF the
phenomenon before them.
A new island was coming into view. One
of the volcanic vents at the bottom OF the
sea had spread its molten rock and ashes
over the ocean bed until the glowing mass
reached the surface No longer lmpeoeo
by the ponderous weight of water the vol
canic debris shot high into the air with
roar that was heard for many miles, and
was sifted over the growing mass. BY Tar
the larger part of it fell to one side OF Inc
crater through which the matter was find
ing vent. A very large pant OF the debrls
was nothing but ashes, and the prevailing
wind carried nearly all of it to one side of
the orifce. The eruption lasted for several
DAYS, and when it finally ceased new
island had been added to the Tonga group
and it now bears the name of Falcon
Island.
1t was the old story, but one that has
seldom had eye witnesses to record it. In
similar manner the whole of Iceland was
reared above the sea within a recent geo.
logical age by matter brought from the
bowels Of the earth. Hundreds of Islands
along the line of volcanic action, stretching
far across the Pacific came to light in ex-
| actly the same way as Falcon Island. Tins
latest of the volcanic islands was the pro-
duct of very moderate eruption, and we
can imagine what gigantic commissions OF
nature attended the birth of many an is
land that is hundredfold larger than the
| new little speck in the Tonga group.
Those islands, which were reared above
the sea only by prodigious and probably
long extended eruptions, are likely, even
| in these latter days, to be the scene OF the
most stupendous volcanic activity The
| great cru ption of Skaptar century ago IS
believed to have covered part of Iceland
and the adjoining seas with larger mass
of lava than has poured from Vesuvlus and
Etna combined since the burial of Pom
peii. 1t killed one-ffth of the population
DESTROYED the arabic lands and frightened
the fish from the adjacent waters, SO that
for long time the people were in danger
of starvation. The volcanic vent that gave
birth to little Falcon Island is right IN line
| with the great chain of volcanic islands In
the Malay archipelago, where most OF the
stupendous eruptions of modern times
have occurred 1t was on Simbowa, little
east of Java, that an explosion occurred
sixty eight years ago, audible for nearly
1000 miles. and so completely burying a
whole province that only twenty six per-
sons escaped in a popu alton of IL, 900.
WHAT MR. LISTER OBSERVED.
In October, 1889, J. J. Lister visited Fal-
con island, then four years old, and he has
reported the results of his observations to
the Royal Geographical Society of London.
The fine grained dust or ashes, greenish
gray in color, of which the island is COM
posed, is very friable, and the waves,
dashing against the new obstruction in
their way, have torn off the edges and con
siderably reduced the islands area. The
largest amount of material is gathered on
one side of the crater through which the
tide Of debris poured; and there Cliff,
$50 feet high, fronts the sea- Inland the
cliff slopes gently down until it reaches
the level of the tongue of land, about q
mile in length and only ten or twelve feet
above high tide, which forms the rest OF
the island 1t is bare, dark heap OF
ashes, which the ocean rollers are doing
their best to bury out of sight beneath the
sea. AS Mr.. Lister walked over the hill
side there was a distinct odor of sulphur
in the air, and the distant parts of the
island were seen through thin, blue haze
The explorer found that beneath The
surface the mass was still very hot. A,
the surface the temperature was TT; two
feet below the surface the Thermometer
registered So and six feet six inches be-
low it reached 1867. Notwithstanding
these discouraging conditions, nature was
beginning to put forth efforts to cover the
unsightly heap with the luxuriant verdur'
of the South sea islands. Two cocoanu
tees were struggling upward, but they
did not look prosperous. Specimens O.
grass and two other plants were found
and stranded fruits were found here ane
there, all ready to terminate if they hat
any encouragement. The only living
things the visitor saw were bird and
small moth, but he found the burrows O.
some creature.
Unless the sea destroys Falcon islant
before it has q chance it is not difficult t.
foresee what will be its future. On thl
volcanic debris host of marine animal
and plants will find a resting place; cora
reefs will spring from the shallow water
, around it and form breakwater agains
, the waves the seeds of cocoanuts and
many shore loving plants will drift Their
. | IN the tide. decayinp vegetation will mi.
with the volcanic ashes to form alluvium
and another verdant island fit for the abod
of man will exist in the Southern seas