Washington sentinel., 1898-07-16
,,l SENTINEL
volcanoes and Earthquakes in the
PhIlipp
Professor /. b. Steeys, in the "SeteNflnc
.fWegfcGH.'

= l
Philippines.
Professor i b. Stsere, IN the "Se'eNft0e
.fDieStraH.'
The Philippine Islands lie along
the great belt OF volcanic activity |
which extends from Japan to the
Moluccas, the cham OF living
volcanoes enters the Philippine
archipelago fromFormosa,t through |
the Bashees group. and, running |
the entire length Of the great island
Of Iuzon, bends to the west and
enters the island Of NegrOs at ITS
northern end and, passing down
this island, crosses to Mindanao
appare ntly through Siqviior or
Fire Island. With several active
volcanoes in the Bashees Islands
and that OF Caqua at the northeast
ern extremity Of Luzon, the vol
canic force seems to be exhausted
until the vicinity of M lnila is
reached. One OF the chief land
marks OF the capital is the great
cloud capped cone OF Mahayhay,
standing Oft to the southeast, 1t
appears TO be now extinct, the last
eruption occurring in 1880, 1t is
over ?, 900 ieet h gh, but the crater
has fallen in, and the whole noun
tain IS overgrown with lUxuriant
vegetation. Toward the top this
consists, in great part, Of tree ferns,
with their trunks draped in MOSES,
and overgrown with many species
OF smaller ferns In the province
oi BatanpaS and almost due south
Of Manila, at a distance OF some
twenty FIVE miles is the active vol
cano OF Taal. 1t stands in the
middle Of the lake OF the same
name. 1t is less than a thousand
feet IN height, and looks like the
summit OF great volcano which
has sunk 10 the lake, and there are
native traditions 10 this effect. At
present its only sign OF life is the
column Of white smoke which con-
tinually rises from its summit, but
It vas in active eruption IN 1916
and again in 1854, when it thre "
out stones and hot ashes which
destroyed the little villages on the
shore ot the lake. The clouds Of
ashes reached Manila, and the
water OF the lake is said Ia have
boiled with the great heat.
At the southern end OF Luzon
are a number OF volcanoes, but the
most celebrated OF these, bo Tor
its size and beauty and for the des.
tructiveneSs Of its eruptions, is FL
Mayon. 1t rises from the fertile
plains of AlbaY TO height Of over
5000 feet an almost perfect cone,
the lower third Of the mountain is
densely covered with vegetation,
which dwndles to bushes and
coarse grasses above. The upper
half of the cone is Of bare sand
and lava and other volcanic rocks.
Mayon is constantly throwing out
smoke and flames, and often
streams Of lava are seen flowing
down the narrow ravines about the
summit. In 1906 there was a ter
rlble eruption destroying many
villages on the plains below, and
in 800 it was again in eruption,
but with less destruction OF life.
In 1874 the most memorable Of It's
eruptions occurred. perhaps ap.
pearing more destructive than the
others, because there were eye
witnesses to write its histor,'. 1t
was preceded and announced the
night before by frequent earth
quakes, concluding the next morn
ing with a most terrible shock.
After this the volcano was seen to
Immediately throw out an immense
pYramidal cloud of smoke, black
at its base, but of many colors in
the middle, where the rays OF the
morning sun fell upon it, and ashy
grey in its upper part. After an
other terrible earthquake shock
and loud thundeungs, the volcano
began pouring out immense
streams OF lava. The atmosphere
became suddenly dark, the flashes
OF lightning were incessant. Then
IN the darkness great red hot
stones and hot ashes began falling.
These reached for many miles
about the base Of the mountain.
and horses and cattle were killed
in the fields. The villages we're
fired by the rel hot stones falling,
and the people were crushed or
suHocated as they attempted to
escape, The rain Of hot stones and
ashes lasted tor three hours, and
the darkness for hve hours. Twelve
thousand people were killed, and
many hourishing villages des-
trOyed, and their sites buried and
lost beneath the ashes. This was
so deep IN some places at the base
of the mountain that trees were
buried out Of sight. The Spanish
curate Of one Of the villages, FIR.
Juan de la Tore, survived as # by
mira Gle, and wrote the following
account.-"I was able to save nv
life by crawling under the trunk of
a cocoanut tree which was bent
over, forming a little shelter.
There lay without my hat, and
passing through a thousand dan
gers. | was accompanied under
the tree by two wild boars, which
had fed from the forest, two swine
from the village, a crow with its
wing stretched out and a poor rat
trying to protect its young ones"
The eruptions OF Mayon are said
by the natives to be preceded by
underground noises and mutter-
ing like distant thunder. These
are accompanied by trembling of
the earth, while the birds and other
animals flee from the mountain.
One Of the landmarks of the cen