The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-02

Another Story ofth Terrible Eruption of II
Gunong AroO Volcano.

Another Story of the Terrible Eruption of the
Gunong Aroo Volcano.
VICTORIA, b. c., Aug. 1.-The steamer
Empress of India just arrived from Japan,
brings additional details of the disastrous
volcanic eruption on the Great Sanger
island In the Malay archipelago. Without
any warning signal, without any sign
whatever of impending distur bance, the
GunonR Aroo volcano blazed forth on June
q, and within twenty -four hours the whole
of the prosperous surrounding country was
devastated. The loss of life IS something
frightful but no estimate can be made.
Some place it as high as ten thousand.
The captain of ship which took
assistance to the sufferers says that ten
thousand is not too high figure as an esti-
mate of the number of dead. A thousand
bodies have been picked ND on the shore
and many were found floating in the sea.
The whole island is completely devas-
eruption has ceased volumes of
smoke are rising accompanied by
steam and ashes. Inhabitants of Sanger
island, living within the shadows or dor
mant crater, had titled the soil and pros
pered their chief industry being the grow
ing of nutmegs, cocoanuts and grapes, the
product being regularly shipped abroad.
The villages and towns were well built,
and had schools and churches.
The awful devastation began at 8 O'clock
In the morning of June7. There was ter
rible rumble. A column of ruddy flame
shot MP from the crater as high in the
heavens as the eye could reach. and lmme-
diately afterwards hot ashes were telling
ike snow-fiakes over the whole country.
Dust was flying IN all directions, and
from the time of the first explosion until .
o'clock that evening fierce volumes of
flame and smoke. and showers of large
stones were belched forth, followed by
rain, which fell in torrents. bringing down
with it the clouds of ashes that were flying
through the air. This continued all
night aud the whole of the next
day. Earthquakes began June 9. Viii
lage after village was engulfed; hundreds
the earth. The whole country is under a
layer of mud ashes and stones. All veRe-
tation is either burned mp by the awful
heat of the volcanic fires or has been de-
strcyed by dense showers of asEes and dust.
The country around GuDonR Aroo and the
hills were still steaming and smoking on
June % numerous volcanic Jets throw in Y
columns of mud and stones, which fell over
the district. forming into hot streams,
which, in their downward course, carried
everything before them. The district on
the north side of the island is utterly de-
strOyed nutmegs and cocoa plantations be-
ing laid in ruins and in many cases Com-
pletely buried under the ashes, mud and
lava from the crater.
Amone others who saw the island after
the outbreak was Capt. J. Gray. of the
steamship Norway, which had been sent
with a cargo of rice from Mendane to re-
lieve the sufferers. He says the whole
island. viewed from the westward presen ted
n most forlorn appearance. There was no
sign of life any here. Volumes of smoke
could be seen issuing from the Volcano ac-
companied by ashes and fire, which spread
like cloud over the island and fell tbickly
every where. Small jets of steam. smoke
and stones were pouring out from the
mountain sides, completely covering the
lower valley and lands.
On the night of the outbreak two Nor
wegian barks, the Primera and Fashion,
were in Torona bay, but got to sea with
ont damage. In a pretty harbor on the
northeast side of the island the Dutch
ships Terbkle aud Gripa were loading nut
megs They, too, sustained little injury,
fortunately. because there was no tidal
wave. The report OF the first explosion
was heard at Ternate, GorotalO and Man
dauo. which are, respectively. 2lO. 3a0 and
PIC miles distant. The lava STREAMS were
confined 10 the northern slopes of the
mountain. In the ToboeaKan district not
a single village remains, while thousands
of the inhabitants were killed In the over.
flow.