Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-08-04
DIED IN MOLTEN LAVA.
Story of the Destruction of the lsiand OF
SnnEier.


SANGER.
VICTORIA, 3. c., Aug. 1.-The steamer
Empress of India, just arrived from
Japan, brings details of the disastrous
volcanic eruption on Great Srangler
Island. Without any warning Of I'M
pending disturbance, the Goonong Aroo
volcano blazed forth on June Z, and
within twenty -four hours the whole
of the prosperous surrounding country
WAS devastated. The loss of life Is
something frightful, but no accurate es-
innate of it can be made. Some place
it as high as 10000. The captain OF
ship which took assistance to the suffer-
ers says that 10000 is not too high 1lg-
ure. A thousand bodies have been
picked up on the shore and many were
found floating in the sea. The whole
island is completely deyasted, and al
though the violent eruption has ceased.
volumes of smoke are rising, accom-
panied by steam and ashes.
Inhabitants of SANGER Island, living
within the shadows of dormant crater,
had titled the soil and prospered, their
chief industry being the growing of
nutmegs, cocoanuts and grapes. The
villages and towns were we'll built, and
had schools and churches. The awful
devastation began at s o'clock on the
morning of June 7. There was terri
BILE rumble, column of ruddy flame
shot up from the crater as high
in the heavens as the eye
could reach, and Immediately after
ward hot ashes were falling like snow
flakes over the whole country. Dust
was flying in all directions, and from
the first explosion until 8 o'clock that
Of flo nd
smoke and showers OF large stones were
belched forth, followed by rain, which
fell in torrents, bringing down with it
the clouda of ashes flying through the
air This continued all night and the
whole of the next day. Earthquakes
began July 8. Village after village was
engulfed, hundreds Of people dropping
into the cracks in the earth.
The whole country is under layer of
mud, ashes and stones. All vegetation
is either burned up by the awful heat
of the volcanic fires or has been de-
st1oyed by dense showers of ashes and
dust. The country around Goonong
Aroo and the sides of the hills were
still steaming and smoking on
June Is, numerous volcanic jets
throwing up columns of mud and
stones, which fell in showers over the
district, forming in hot streams which,
in their downward course, carried
everything before them. The district
on the north side of the island is utter
ly destroyed, nutmeg and cocoa planta-
tons being laid in ruins, and in many
cases completely buried under the
ashes, mud and lava from the crater.
Among others who saw the island
after the outbreak was Capt. j. Gray, of
the steamer Norway, which had been
Mt !, n Of NJ, VA Eon
to relieve the sufferers. He says the
whole island, viewed from the west
ward, presented most forlorn appear
ance. There was no sign of life any
| where. Volumes of smoke were issuing
| from the volcano, accompanied by fine
ashes, which spread like cloud over
the island and fell thckly everywhere.
| Small jets Of steam, smoke and stones
were pouring out from the mountain
sides, completely covering the lower
valleys and lands. The topography of
| the island was changed.
On the night of the outbreak, two
| Norwegian banks, the Primera and the
Fashion, were in Toroana Bay, but got
to sea without damage. In Il pretty
| harbor on the northeast side of the
| island the Dutch ships Terbeckla and
Grippa were loading nutmegs. They,
too, sustained little injury fortunately,
| because there was no tidal wave.
The report of the first explosion was
| heard at Ternate, Gorontalo, and Man
| danao, respectively 2lO, 24O and PIG
| miles distant. The lava streams were
| confined to the northern slopes of the
| mountain. In the Toboekan district
not a single village remains, while thou
| sands of the inhabitants were killed
IN the overflow. The village of Lorena,
on the south side of the mountain,
protected by ridge of hills, some of
them 1,S00 feet high, is covered with
ashes. Many oft houses were crushed
by the accumulated weight of ashes,
dust and stones. Cocoanut plantations
on both sides of Lorena Bay are de-
stroyed, but in the town itself
there will be comparatively lit
tie loss of life. To the westward
of the town, after passing the foot of
the ridge the scene is one Of complete
desolation. The suffering among those
who escaped has been most acute. All
the food on the island was destroyed,
and but for the prompt assistance of the
nelghboring islands, many would have
starved.
1.-THE whole of the island" says one
writer, sis mass of smouldering ruins.
The people who lived and prospered
there have lost all they ever had, and
now the only thing for them to do is to
leave for another and more favorable
SPOT. or STAY there and die"
PAYING SPRAGUE CREDITORS.
| vrN No.,