The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1892-08-06
TEN THOUSAND PERIsHED|
Story Of the Destruction Of Great
Sanger Island.
Tho Frondcd Palm Tree and tho rall
Cocoanut Lie Buried Under Ashes-.
Streams Of Molten Lava Flow.
ing From the Mountains.

New YORK, Aug. IA Victoria, b
c., special to the World says: The
steamer Empress of India, arrived
from Japan. brings additional details
OF the disastrous volcanic eruption on
Great Sangir island. Without any
wariing. without assign Of impending
disturbance, the Gunong Aroo volcano
blazed forth on June z, and within
twenty-four hours the whole OF the
prosperous surrounding country was
devastated. Tho loss of life is some
thing frightful, but no accurate esti-
mate of it can be made. Some place
1t as high as 10000. The captain of a
ship which took assistance to the suf.
ferers snys that 10000 is not too high a
figure A thousand bodies have boen
picked up on the shore. and many
were found floating in the sea. The
whole island is completely devastated,
and although the violent eruption has
ceased, volumes OF smoke arc rising,
accompanied by steam and ashes.
The inhabitants OF Sangir island,
living within the shadows OF dor.
ttiant crnter, had titled the soil and
prosperei, their chief industry being
the growing of nutmegs. cocoanuts and
grapes the product being regularly
shipped abroad. Tho villages and
towns were we'll built. and had schools
and churches. The awful devastation
began at o'clock on the morning of
June Z. There was terrible rumble,
column of ruddy flame shot up from
the crater as high in the heavens ns
the eye could reach, and ira cdiately
afterwards hot ashes were falling lilse
knowflakes over the whole country
Dust was flying in oil directions. and
from the first explosion until o'clock
that evening fierce volumes of flame
and smoke and showers of large stones
were belched forth like rain, filling
the streets, bringing with it the clouds
OF ashes flying through the nir. This
continued NIL night and the whole of
the next day.
Earthquakes began June 8. Village
after village was cngulfcd, hundreds
of people dropping into the great
cracks in the earth The whole coun4
try is under layer of mud ashes and
stones. All vegetation is either burned
up by the awful heat OF the volcano
fires or has been destroyed by dense
showers of ashes and dust The couu-
try around Gunong Aroo and the sides
Of the hills were still steaminp and
smoking on June %; numerous vol
cnnic jets throwing up columns Of mud
and stones which fell in showers over
the district. forming into hot streams
which in their downward course car
ried everything before them. The dis
trict on the north sido of the island ia
utterly destroyed. nutmeg and cocoa
plants being laid in ruins and In many
eases completely buried under the
ashes, mud and iaSa from the crater.
Among others Who saw the island
after the outbreak was Captain j. Gray,
OF the steamer Norway, which had
been sent with q cargo of rico from
Mendanoe to relieve the sufferers lie
Says the whole island, viewed from tho
westward, presented most forlorn
appearance. There was no sign Of life
anywhere Volumes OF smoke were
issuing from the volcano. accompanied
by fine ashes, which spread like d
cloud over the islnnd and fell thiclslv
everywhere. Small jets of steam,
smoke and stones were pouring out
from the mountain sides, completely
covering the lower valleys and lands
Tho topography of the island was
changed.
On the night OF the outbreak, two
Norwegian barls, the Primera and the
Cushion, were in Toroana bny, but
put to sea without damage. In a
pretty harbor on the northeast side of
the island the Dutch ships. Terbceltln
md Grippa, were loading nutmegs
They, too, sustained little injury for.
tunntely, because there was no tidal
wave.
The report of the first explosion was
heard ut Teernatc, Gorontalo and
Mandnnao, respectively 21o, 24O and
PIG miles distant. Tho lava streams
were confined to the naythern slopes
Of tho mountain. In the Toboekan
district single village remains, while
thousands OF the Inhabitants were
killed in the overflow.
The village of Lorena, on tho south
side OF the mountain, protected by q
ridge OF hills, some OF them 1890
feet high, is covered with ashes
Many of the houses were crushed by
the accumulated weight OF ashes, dust
and stones. Cocoanut plantations on
both sides of Lorena bay are destroyed
but in the town itself there was com
paratively littly loss OF life.
To the westward of the town, after
passing tho foot of the ridge, tho scene
is one of complete desolation and dov.
astation. The suffering among those
who escaped with their lives has been
most acute. All the food on the island
was destroyed, and but fo1 the prompt
assistance OF the neighboring islands
many would have starved.
The whole Of the island" says one
writer. lis mass of s,noldering ruins.
The people who lived and prospcred
there have lost all they ever had, and
now the only thing for them to do is
to leave for another and and more fav-
orable spot or stay there and die
Going Strong for Jones.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Aug. s.-Com-
plete and incomplete returns received
from forty-nine out of tho sixty-six
counties in the state indicate ma
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