Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-03-26
The Birth of al Island

Abcu: four and half years ego tho pso-
Pile ou an Island in the southern part Of The
Tonga group, in the Pacific, observed ter
ribe comUolion far out at sea. 1t seemed
to them that the waters were boiling, and
that smoke was rising from tie surface OF
the ocean. One Of the volcanic vents at the
bottom of the sea had spread its molten rock
and ashes over the ocean bed until the grow
ing mass reached the surface. The eruption
lasted for several days, and when 1t tioally
ceased now island had been added to the
Tonga group, and 1t now bears the name OF
Falcon Island.
Il was the old story, but one that has sell
dom had eye WITNESSES to record 1t. In
similar manner the whole OF Iceland was
reared above the sea within recent geolog-
ical age by matter brought from the bowels
of the earth. Hundreds cf islands, along
the lines of volcanic action, stretching Tar
across the Pacific, came to the light in ex
actly the same way as Falcon Island. Ihie
latest OF the volcanic islaods was the pro-
duct Of q very moderate eruption. and We
eau imagine what gigantic conVutalo0s oi
nature attended the birth OF many an laiaud
tbat is hundrgdfolG larger than the new
little speck in the Tonga group.
Those Islands, which we're reared above
the sea only by prodigious and probably
long extended eruptions, are likely, even In
these later days, TO bs the scene OF the most
sjupendou5 volcanic activity. The great
ERUPTION of Skaptar century ago ls be-
ieved to have covered part OF Iceland
an, the adjoining seas with larger mass
of lava than has poured from Vesuvius
and Hsna combined since the burial of
Pompeti. Il killed one fifth CT the popu-
lslion, destroyed the arabic lands
and frightened The fish from the
adjacent waters, so that for q long time the
people were in danger of starvation. The
volcanic vent that gave birth to little Fal-
con Island is right in line with the great
chain of volcanic islands in the Malay Ar
chipelago, where most OF the stupendous
eruptious of modern times have occurred
II was On Simbowa, little east of Java,
that an explosion occurred sixty -eight years
ago, audible for nearly 1000 miles, and so
completely burying whole province that
only tWenty-siX persons escaped in popu'
la,ion of 1000.
In October OF last year Mr. ]. j. Lister
visited Falcon Island, then four years old,
and he has lust reported the results Of his
observations to the Royal Geographical So
ciety of London. The fns.grained dust
or ashes, greenish gray in color, of which
the island is composed, is very ffiahle, and
the waves, dashing against the new obstruc-
ton in their way. have torn eff the edges
aud considerably reduced the islands ares.
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, fron:s the sea. Inland the cliff
slopes gently down until treaches the level
of the tongue Of land, about mile In length
and only ter to twelve feet above high tide,
which forms the rest of the Island. It's
bare, dark heap of ashes which the ocean
rollers are doing their best to bury out OF
sight beneath the seq. AS Mr.. Lister walk
ed ever the hillside there wes distinct odor
OF sulphur in the air, and the distant parts
of the. island were seen through thin, blue
haze,-Ne,C York Sun