The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-30
THE RUIN OF SANGIR.
Ten Thousand Persons Killed
by the Eruption.
VOLCANOES STILL SCOUTING.
All the Nutmeg and Cocoanut Planta-
lions Destroyed, and Fertile Lands
Rendered Utterly Worthless.

VICTORIA, July 29-[special. The Can.
adam Pacific steamship Empress oil
Japan brings details of the terrible vol
canic eruption of the Gunong Aroo vol.
cano on Sangir, which lies on a chain OF
islands connecting the northern arm OF
Celebes with Minando. in the PHILIPPINES
The western coast of Sangir is washed by
the Celebes sea, the Molucca passage being
on the east. The crater Of Gunong Aroo
is situated in latitude 8 deg. 80 min. north,
longitude 125 deg. % min. east, distan,
from Ternat 30 miles, from Menado
IA miles and from Gorontalo DAG
miles. At 6:10 p. M, June Z, Gunong
Aroo without the slightest warning broke
out with several loud reports, and from
this time until p. m. fierce volumes OF
flame and smoke and showers of large
stones were beIched forth, followed by a
heavy rain of dust and ashes. This con.
tinued all night and the whole of the next
day, there being, however, no earthquake.
On the night of the 9th heavy rumblings
were heard in the mountain, and heavy
eruption of mud and ashes took
place. followed again by terrific
rains. The town of Torroena situated on
the south side of the mountain, protected
by ridge of hills some 800 feet high,
was covered with ashes. many houses
having been crushed by the accumulative
weight of ashes and dust. The whole of
the enormous plantations of cocoanuts,
covering the hills on each side of Tor
roena bay, We're entirely destroyed, but
not very many lives. so far as is known,
were lost in Torroena itself.
III of
passing the foot of the ridge, a scene of
desolation presents itself. The whole
country is under thick layer of mud and
ashes. All vegetation is either burnt from
volcanic fires or destroyed bv enormous
showers of dust and ashes, while the
country and much of Gunong Aroo are
smoking and steaming with numerous
small volcanic jets. which are still throwing
up showers of mud and stones that form
into hot mud streams some feet in depth,
rendering travelling unsafe. The north
side Of the island is utterly DESTROYED,
the nutmeg and cocoanut plantations,
and, In some cases, whole villages having
been buried by mud, ashes and stones
The lava streams are confined to the north
ern slopes of the mountains, and at
Tobeakan these have destroyed nearly the
whole village.
The loss Of life cannot yet be estimated
but one captain, who was there with his
ship, says it cannot be less than 10000.
Many bodies have been picked up on the
shore and the outskirts of towns not quite
destroyed.
On the night Of the outbreak, the Nor
wegian barks Primra and Fason were in
Torreona. but managed to get to sea with
out damage. In Petta harbor, on the
northeast side of the island, the Dutch
barks Torbekka and Gappa were loading,
but happily received no damage. Fortu-
nately there has been no tidal wave. Re-
ports of the explosion were heard at Ternat,
Gorontalo and Menado, and from the
first mentioned place. the Netherlands
government steamer Zemeiuw was dis
patched, and from Menado the British
steamer Hercuba, to render assistance and
save life if possible. Captain Gray, of the
British steamship Normandy, which was
sent from Menado with cargo of rice for
the sufferers, says the island from the
westward presents a most desolate
appearance, no sign of life being
visible, and volumes of smoke are
still rising from the crater with small
jets of steam, smoke and stones from the
sides of the mountain, flooded the lower
valleys and lands. The value of the
property destroyed cannot be estimated.
but it must ne enormous, for the whole
wealth-producing property is destroyed.
One. captain, writing of the disaster, says
the people must either starve or leave the
island, for it will take years for the land
to become productive again, if ever it does