Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-15
DESTRUCTION OF KRAKAToA.
The Appalling Volcanic Convulsfon
( of Nature That Happened Six
teen Years Ago.

M, the greater portion Of the island Of
hrakatoa, in the straits of Sunda, was
destroyed, while two new islands were
created by volcanic action. We in Eng
land remember the fact mainly on ac-
count OF the magnificent 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 i1npalpablc dust and va
por 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 a 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 Betoug. in Sumattra, the water
reached within six feet Of the residency.
which stands on hill IS feet above the
sea, and the Dutch man-of-war Berou,y.
anchored Off the coast, was carried by
the wave up a valley nearly two miles
inland and was left high and dry more
than 80 feet above the sea level
If gentleman were to tell us that
while walking down Piccadilly he had
heard an explosion which had taken
place at Guildford or any town stu
nted 80 miles away we should probably
think that he was under a misappre-
hension. But if he told us that he had
heard one that occurred at Newcastle
on-Tyne, at a distance Of 300 miles, we
should have no doubt as to the condi-
ton Of his mind. II is, nevertheless, Il
fact that the explosion of Krakatoa was
heard not only 30 and 300 miles away,
out also at a distance of 5000 miles. 1t
was heard in India and it was. heard in
Australia and also in the island of Rod
1iguez which is about 2,9GS miles from
krakatoa in a direct line. Moreover.
the seismic wave of the sea above re-
ferred to was noticed not only in South
Africa, bus also at Cape Horn, which is
$500 miles distant from the straits OF
Sunda.
But perhaps the most extraordinary
of all the phenomena connected with
this cataclysm of nature was the at
mospheric disturbance, or air wave.
produced by the explosion. This air
wave. 1T is stated, went three times
around the earth, and it has been re-
marked that "the character of this dis
turbance would seem almost incredible
We're itnot for the fact that it is attest
ed by the barograms Of every great
meteorological station on the worlds
surface. From this the time of its gene
sis could easily be calculated with toll
cradle eSactitude. tits given by Lieut..
Gen. Strachey as two hours Sc minutes.
Greenwich mean time, which in local
time would correspond with o:5S o'clock
on the morning of August o."
1t may be mentioned that, although
the explosion did not take place until
o:5s a. M, yet during the whole of the
preceding night continuous roar like
the discharge of heavy cannon, or thun
der, had been heard, so that the people
in the towns and villages of Java and
Sumatra We're terrified, and did not
dare to go to bed. Even on the previous
day, the goth, the sky, we are told, "pre-
scented the most terrible appearance,
fierce flashes of lightning penetrating
the dense masses of cloud over the is
land, clouds of black matter were rush
ing across the sky, rapidly recurring
detonations were heard continuously
and large pieces of pumice, quite warm
ralned down distance of ten miles
At point 76 miles from Krakatoa tic
height of the black cloud projected
from the volcano was estimated at ~
miles,"
1t is hardly a matter to be wondered
at when we are told that at Carimon.
1ava, 355 miles distant, native boats
10
vessel in distress, and at Achern, ora
miles distant, it was supposed that a
fort was being attacked, and the troops
were put under arms. The result of the
eruption was that the whole of the
northern part of the island. seven
square miles in extent, was completely
blown away, and where there was for
merly dry land there are now sound
lngs of 90 fathoms, and in some parts
100 fathoms or more. Moreover, the bed
or the sea some five or SIX miles to the
north appears to have been raised many
lannon's. Its unnecessary to point ont
now stupendous must have been the
force generated under Krakatoa at the
time OF this eruption, seeing that it was
able to lift millions of tons and send m
stream OF pumice and vaporY particles
70 height Of 20 miles above the surface
OF the earth. We are naturally led to
Inquire what was this force. and how
was It generated?-pallM Mall Gazette.
Endurance No Longer yirtue.
a Janitor in neighboring school
threw up his job the other day. When
asked what was the trouble he an
swcred:
In honest and I won't stand being
slurred. If find d pencil or handllcr-
chief about the school when I'm sweep
ing hang it up. Every little while the