The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-26
OUR NEW BIG VOLCANO.
The Great Eruption in 1897 of Mayor
I'm the PHILIPPINES.


New York Sun.
The most famous volcano in the Philip
pines is Mayor and one OF its most tremen-
douS and destructive outbursts occurred in
1897. Father Jose Coronas, desiring to pre-
connected with the eruption, secured air the
accounts of eyewitnesses that he was able
to collect and has recently brought them
together In a pamphlet published by the
Manila Observatory.
This volcano is in the southeast part of
Luzon. 200 miles from Manila 1t is one of
the most symmetrical mountains in the
world, rising in regular, conical form to a
height of S,274 feet above the sea. The view
OF the immense mass Is very imposing, for
Its surroundings are comparatively low and
fiat. There are no secondary cones on its
TANKS and all the lavas that form ii seem
to have been poured from the solitary Chin
ney at its top. The fluid ejecta that built it
up was spread quite evenly over its sides,
and its base now has circuit Of about
eighty miles.
difficulty. reached the summit in 1876 they
could find no trace of a crater properly So
called. For many years before 1897 the vol
Quent eruptions, but had covered the sur
rounding districts. far and wide. with guam
titles of ashes.
Father Coronas briefly reviews all the erup-
lions previously recorded, giving special at
tention to those that have occurred since
1884, when the office for the observation of
meteorological and seismic phenomena was
established at Manila. The first record of an
eruption is that Of 1916, which Spilbergen
mentioned, but few details are known of IT..
The most memorable eruption, both on ac-
count of its magnitude and its destructive
effects, is that Of 1914, when the town of
the str Streets and buildings of Manila were
covered with elected matter waited thither
by the wind. The outburst Of 1SS1-s2 was
remarkable for it's duration, but since 1914
no single eruption has equaled in magni-
tude that which forms the subject of Father
Coronas's pamphlet.
Several OF the outbursts Of Mayor have
been preceded by earth tremors. and this
was the case In 1897. There were rather
severe shocks with oscillating movements
throughout the province OF Albay, In which
the volcano is situated. and the center of
action was in the Island of Masbate. south
of that province. This was on the night OF
May IL. but no signs Of unusual activity
in the volcano were observed until June p,
and then the phenomena gradually increased
in violence until June %.
mountain presented terrible aspect. 1t was
increasingly sending into the air dense col
umns of smoke and ashes. and a large part
of the sky was turned TO inky blackness
The most violent period of the eruption
lasted seventeen hours, and during this time
an enormous quantity Of lava and volcanic
bombs were poured out OF the summit II
was during this period that the greatest de-
struction was wrought Lava streams
poured down the steep slopes OF the noun.
tain. particularly on the east and southeast
sides, and 1t was in these directions thai
the largest damage was done. With great
swiftness they overfiowed the whole OF
parts OF seven villages. and hundreds OF
people lost their lives in the red-hot cur
rents. The large town Of Libog was only
partly destroyed.
While most OF the lava spread to the cas-
and southeast, the lapilli, or small stones
and the ashes and dust fell principally {,
the northwest OF the volcano. The Quantit,
| OF them discharged was remarkable. Tn
ashes oyerspread an area Of southeast Luxor
measuring about 200 by over 100 miles.