The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
OUR NEW BIG VOLCiNO.
A Priest Describes tho Great Eruption in
1907 of Mayon In tho PhiIippines.

A Priest Describes tho Great Eruption In
1907 of Mayor In tho Philippines.
The most famous volcano in the Philippines
Is Mayor and one of Its most tremendous
and destructive outbursts occurred In 1897.
Father Jose Coronas. desiring to preserve a
record Of the princpa phenomena connected
with this eruption. secured all the accounts Of
eyewtnesses that he was able to collect and
has recently brought them together ia
pamphlet published by the Manila Observatory.
This volcano is In Che southeast part OF
Luzon, POO miles from Manila. Ii is one OF the
most symmetrical mountains In the world, ris-
Ing In regular. conieal form to a height Of SPA
feet above the sea. The,view OF the immense
mass is very imposing, for Its SURF oundings
are comparatively low and fiat. There are no
secondary cones on its TANKS and all the lavas
that form it seem to have been poured from
the solitary chimney at its tor. The fluid
ee.ta that built 1t up was spread quite evenly
over its,sides. and It's base now has circuit OF
When Jagor and Von Drasche. with great
difficulty. reached the summit In 1875 they
called. For IN many years before 1897 the VOL
,ano had elected very little lava IN Its frequent
sFupt9ns but hqd eSyered che snrr G
Father Coronas briefly reviews all the srup'
tention to those that have occurred since 1884
when the office Tor the observation OF meteoro-
i listed at Manila The first record Of an orup-
ton is that Of 1916 which Spilbergen mem
toned. but few details are known OF It. Tho
most memorable ERUPTION. both on account OF
its magnitude and its destructive effects. Is
that OF 1914. when the town OF Daraga was
buried deep under ashes AMI the streets and
buildings OF Manila were covered with eJected
matter waited thther by the wind The out
ton. but since 1914 no single eruption has
euualled in magnitude that which forms the
subject OF Father Coronas's pamphlet.
Spyarnl pf bursts OF MuyDn have bean
sase in 1897. There wore rather severe shocks
with oscillating movements throughout the
province OF Albuy, In which the volcano is stu
atel, and the centre OF action Vas In the island
of Masbats. south Of that province. This was
ON the night OF MAY l3. but no sigma OF unusual
activity In the volcano were observed until
June D., and then the nhenomena gradually
increased in violence until June %.
On that day. and especially after noon. the
mountain presented a terrible aspect. IL was
INCREASINGLY sending into the air dense col.
umns OF smoke ana ashes, and large part OF
tho sky was turned to inKy blackness. The
NEST violent period OF the ERUPTION lasted sew
enteen hours. and during this. time an, eaor-
nous quantity OF lava and volcanic bombs
were poured ont OF the summit 1t was dur
ing this period that the greatest destruction
was wrought. Laya streams poured down the
steep slopes OF tho mountain. particularly on
the east and southeast sides and 1t was in
done. With great swiftness, they overlooked
the whole or parts Of seven villages. and hun
dreds Of peonle lost their lives in the red.hot
currents. The large town OF Llbog was only
While most OF the lava spread to the east
and southeast the lapilli. or small stones. an
tho ashes and dust fell principaliy to the noith-
ives: Of the volcano. The quantity OF them
spread an area OF southeast Luzon measuring
about 200 by over 100 miles.