The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-15
THE OF AN ISLAND
HOW A RECENT ADDITION WAS MADE
TO THE TONGA GROUP.

There Was n Volcanic Eruption at the
Ocean Bottom, and Falccn Island Was
the Result Thereof-A Visitors Impress
sions of 1t Four-Year-OId.
During the year 1885 the people on an ISL
and In the southern part of the Tonga
group in the Pacific observed a terrible
commotlon tar 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 agitated 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 sailboats
and started toward the scene of disturb
| ance. They halted at a considerable dis
tance from the center OF the commotion,
| but they were near enough TO determine
accurately the nature of the phenomenon
before them.
NOT A COMMON sIGHT.
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 growing mass
reached the surface No longer impeded
]
canic debris shot high into the air with a
roar that was heard for many miles and
was sifted over the growing mass. By far
the larger part of it fell TO one side Of rhe
crater through which the matter was find
ing vent. A very large part of the debris
was nothing but ashes, and the prevailing
wind carried nearly all of it to one side OF
the orlfce. The eruption lasted for several |
days, and when it finally ceased new
island had been added to the Tonga group
and 1t now bears thensme of Falcon Island. |
1t was the old story, but one that has sell
dom had eye witnesses to record it. In a |
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-
Rctly the same way as Falcon Island. This |
latest OF the volcanic islands was the prod
uct OF very moderate eruption, and we !
can imagine what gigantic conEulsions of
nature attended the birth of many an ISL
and 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
III ChCoo 16IcT OdgS, OO nc OuSSC0nC Oh JN6
most stupendous volcanic activity The
great eruption of Skaptar a century ago
is believed to have covered part of Ice
land and the adjoining seas with larger
mass of lava than has poured from Vesu-
vius and Atna combined since the burial
of Pompeii. 1t killed one-ftth of the popu-
lation, destroyed the arabic lands and
frightened the fish from the adjacent
waters, so that for a 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 ex-
plosion occurred sixty-eight years ago, au-
dible for nearly 1000 miles, and so COM
pletely burying whole province that only
twenty-siX persons escaped IN a population
of II, coo.
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, dash
way, have torn off the edges and consider
ably 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 a cliff, $50 feet
high, fronts the sea. Inland the cliff
slopes gently down until it reaches the
level of the tongue of land, about a mile
in length and only ten TO 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 hillside there /
was 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 sur I {
face the mass was still very hot. At the /
surface the temperature was Il degs.; two /
feet below the surface the thermometer
registered So degs., and SIX feet Sly inches
below it reached 1oS degs. Notwithstand-
ing these discouraging conditions nature
was beginning to put forth efforts to cover
the unsightly heap with the luxuriant
yerdure of the South Sea Islands. Two .
trees were struggling upward,
but they did not look prosperous. Speci-
mems of grass and two other plants were Z
and there, all ready to germinate if they
had any encouragement. The only living
things the visitor saw were a bird and
small moth, but he found the burrows Of ,
some creature.
Unless the sea destroys Falcon -sland be- .
fore it has a chance it is not difficult to fore
see what viii be its future. On this vol
canic debris q host of marine animals and
plants will find a resting place; coral reefs
viii spring from the shallow waters around
il and form breakwater against the waves; ]
the seeds of cocoanuts and OF many shore
loving plants viii drift there on the tide;
decaying vegetation will mix with the vol
canic ashes TO form alluvium, and another ]
verdent island fit for the abode of man will I
exist in the southern seas.-Sew York Sun
Mr.. WeIch's Experience.
James Welch, of Middletown, Conn,
\ ay-irlcy baen told that fba force OF a dVua- 7 8