The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-11-03

LOSS Oh SosVUV Lives. was Heard n
Distance of 5000 Miles.
On Aug. 81, 1888 at 10 a. m occurred
the most stupendous and appalling Of all
the commissions of nature which have oc
Cured in the history of the world. By il
the greater portion of the island of Kra-
katoa, in the strait of Sunda, was de
stroyed, while two new islands We're ere
ated by volcanic action. We remember
the fact mainly ON account of the mag
nificent sunsets which followed the event
and were witnessed all over the world
These sunsets, it is now hardly necessary
to state, were caused by the impalpable
dust and vapor particles which had been
elected from Krakatoa to a height of 20
miles or more from the surface of the
earth and were still floating in the upper
air.
The eruption caused great seismic
wave of the sea, which overwhelmed the
villages on the neighboring shores and
drowned upward OF 10000 persons. The
height of the crest of this wave has been
variously estimated, but at Telok Betong,
in Sumatra, the water reached within six
feet of the residcncy, which stands on a
hill IS feet above the sea. and the Dutch
man-ofwar BerouW anchored off the
coast, was carried by the wave up the
valley nearly two miles inland and was
left, high and dry, more than 80 feet
above the sea level
Ii man were to tell us that he had
heard an explosion which had taken
place at any town situated some 80 miles
away, we should probably think that he
was under a misapprehension. But if he
told us that he had heard one that oc-
cured at a distance of 300 miles we
should have no doubt as to the condition
of his mind. 1t is nevertheless fact
that the explosion of Krakatoa was heard
not only 30 and 300 miles away, but also
at Il distance of 5000 niles 1t was
heard in India, and it was heard in Aus
tralia and also in the island of Rodri-
guez, which is about 2,96S miles from
krakatoa in a direct line. Moreover, the
seismic wave of the sea referred to was
noticed not only in South Africa, but
also at Cape Horn, which is 1900 miles
distant from the strait of Sunda. But
perhaps the most extraordinary of all the
phenomena connected with this cata-
clysm of nature was the atmospheric dis
turbance, or air wave, produced by the
explosion. This air wave, it is stated,
went three times around the earth, and
it has been remarked that "the charac-
ter of this disturbance would seem al
most incredible were it not for the fact
that it is attested 10y the barograms of
every great meteorological station on the
worlds surface.
1t may be mentioned that, although the
great explosion did not take place until
10 a. m, during the whole of the preced-
ing night a continuous roar, like the dis
charge of heavy cannon or thunder, had
been heard, SO that the people in the
towns and villages of Java and Sumatra
were terrified and did not dare to 20 to
bed Even on the previous day, the 26th,
the sky, we are told, presented the most
terrible appearance, fierce flashes of
lightning penetrated the dense masses of
cloud over the island, clouds of black
matter were rushing across the sky rap
idly recurring detonations were heard
continuously, and large pieces of pumice,
quite warm, rained down at a distance of
ten miles.
1t is hardly matter to be wondered
at when we are told that at Carimon,
Java, 800 miles distant, native boats
were dispatched to assist an imaginary
vessel in distress, and at Achern, lob
miles distant. it was supposed that fort
was being attacked, and the troops were
put under arms. The result of the erup-
ton was that the whole of the northern
part of the island, seven square miles
in extent, was completely blown away,
and where there was formerly dry land
there are now soundngs of 80 fathoms,
and in some parts 160 fathoms or more
Moreover, the bed of the sea some FIVE or
Six miles to the north appears to have
been raised many fathoms. 1t is UNI
necessary to point out how stupendous
must have been the force generated I'M
der Krakatoa at the time of this erup-
ton, seeing that it was able TO lift mil
lions of tons and sent up a stream Of
pumice and vapory particles to height
of 90 miles above the surface of the
earth. We are naturally led to inquire
what was this force and how was it
generated.
The primary source from which pro-
ceeds the energy which produces volcanic
action is unquestionably the internal
heat of the earth. AT the base of the
crater of volcano is the top or COM
mencement of the channel or passage
whereby communication is maintained
with the heated interior and when water
from the sea or from the underground
springs percoates through the ground
and finds its way down to this channel
and to the hot molten rocks below it at
once generates steam, and those of us
who have been unfortunate enough to
have had a kitchen boiler burst know
something of the explosive power of
steam, even in small quantities. But the
following observations with reference to
this subject will give our readers a clear
perception of the subsequent stages of
an eruption when sea or other water
reaches the heated rocks below a vol
cano:
The water combines with the material
of the rock, and by this combination the
melting point of the rock is reduced. 1t
only requires the subsection of the by
drafted compound to such heat as would
be oupplied by the anhydrous lavas in
a fluid condition to disengage steam and
other gases in enormous quantities and
to produce outbursts proportionate to the
pressure and the strength of the inclos-
ing walls. IT, while this process is GO
ing on, water in large quantities gains
access to the surface of the heated mass,
qualification might take place, and the
escape of gases through the crater would
be temporarily checked. When at last
the accumulated force bursts the newly
formed crust, this and other obstacles
would be speedily removed by the tre-
mendous violence of the blast, and the
sides of the crater might either be blown
away or fall into the seething lava. Such