Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-01-09
SAW THE BIRTH OF AN ISLAND,
Graded in the Indian Ocean and Rocked
Like the Giants Causeway.

Rocked
Like the Giants Causeway.
The British steamer Breconshire
which has just arrived at Philadelphia
from Java with cargo of sugar, brings
remarkable tale of O phenomenon
witnessed while the vessel was but
two weeks out of port and in the
southern part of the Indian Ocean.
According to the story, which is told
IN manner so graphic and so free
from exaSgeration as to leave little
doubt regarding its genuineness, the
the Captain and crew saw thrown up
by a mighty upheaval of the sub
terranean strata of the oceans bed n
curious island Of basaltic formation
and which came into existence almost
in the twinkling of an eye.
In the part of the Indian Ocean in
which the phenomenon was seen there
have for years been manifested
phenomena suggestive of enormous
internal disturbances beyond the
solution of the average navigator.
There is portion of this enormous
body of water which continually
steams with baleful sulphur-impreg.
mated vapor of such intensity aud
volume as to cause this part of the
ocean to be studiously avoided by all
mariners. The Breconshire, how
ever, was caught by the fringe of a
monsoon and hurried thereby far to
the southeast of the usual beaten track
pursued by the homoward-b bound
fleet.
On September 10 there was noticed
by the man on the lookout, just after
eight bells, o'clock, cloud looming
up directly ahead and presenting u
most menacing front in the pathway
of the advancing creft. AS far as the
eye could see to the westward the en-
tire horizon was encompassed by this
wall of steam, into which the Captain
did not care to venture until the sun
should rise in the morning and he
could count on at least fourteen hours
of daylight. The steamer, accordingly,
hove to during the few remaining hours
of the waning afternoon.
The scene at this time was inde-
scribably weird. The sea. in its super
natural calm, showed surface so I'M
movable and CLASSY that the shalowy
outline OF the vessel was clearly traced
on its bosom by the declining sun,
which cleaned like the mouth of a
furnace directly ahead, while extend
ing around to all points of the COM
pass, except to the south, was the
mysterious wall OF vapor rising per-
pendicularly from the sea-
Shortly after 10 O'Clock, when the
moon had risen and shed an erratic
lustre over the deep, a tremendous
booming sound, apparently about
three miles to the southward, ap-
prised the frightened crew that more
marvels were about to occur. At the
same moment, borne upon the bosom
of IN immense wave, the Breconshire
mounted vertically to point at least
twenty feet above her former posi-
ton on the ocean bed and, to the
accompaniment of an immense up
heayal of water, an island appeared to
leeward where all previously had been
but the sea and sky.
The suddeness of the event almost
deprived the crew of their senses, but
they had little time to comment on the
phenomenon, being obliged to look to
the safety OF the vessel. 1t was many
anxious moments before that safety
was assured, but apparently, as though
nature had exhausted herself, the sea
in few moments returned to its
wonted tranquility, the erstwhile loom
ing clouds of vGpor disappeared like
magic, and the full moon shed bright
paths of silvery radiance across the
quiet bosom ofthe deep.
When day dawned clear view was
afforded of the island, and its volcanic
origin was clearly established. It
consisted of vertical columns of hard
mineral arranged with wonderful
geometrical eXactitude, resembling
very strongly the pictures of the
famous Giants Causoway. 1t was
found to be only small island, pos
sibly not more than one-quarter of a
mile in circumference, and at it's high
est point did not have Il greatep alti-
tude than 100 feet. In all probability
the new island had been in formation
for many years below the surface, and
only by an upbeaval of extraordinary
intensity did it emerge above the sur