The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-15
WHERE NOWIS MORRELL ISLAND?
Unexplained Disappearance Of One of Americas Pacific Possessions
Instances of Land Sinking Beneath the Surface OF the Sea-

moved hafstones ard Goals OF fire. Inc
Lord also Numbered out Of heaven ana
the Highest gave His thunder. hailstones
and Goals OF fire The springs of water
were seen and the foundations OF the
round world were discovered.
Thrown to Top of Mountain.
There are legends and folk tales Of dis
appearing islands which romanc.ng sailors
tell that, though not to be implicitly
trusted. have perhaps some slight basis
OF fact. one OF these relates that ship
in that part of the ocean was becalmed
on a perfectly cloudless day. Suddenly
low. deep murmur was heard, appearing
to come from the hold OF the vessel. The
crew had hardly time to be frightened
when they felt themselves, ship ana ALL
rising in the air Up, up they went
thousand feet, and then rested. The snip
was stranded on the peak Of mountain
that had been shot up from beneath the
sea They were more than a quarter OF a
mile from tide water. When the noun
tain was sufficiently cooled the crew
tramped down, dragging their boats ana
provisions with them and leaving their
chip astride of the pinnacle like weather
vane on a steeple. They launched their
boats and escaped from the island. reach
ing in due time a Batavian port. Their
story was not believed and they were
suspected OF having wrecked the ship,
either carelessly or for some criminal
purpose For months other vessels were
on the lookout for this wonderful peak,
with its naval apex. But 1t was in vain.
The seamen responsible for the story
could explain its disappearance only by
the superstition that another CONFUSION
had swallowed up the new-made land and
had destroyed the natural tower of Babel
as suddenly as Il had been erected.
Another yarn" declares that a ships
crew were approaching one Of these ISL
ands covered with palms and other tropi-
cal vegetation, in which clustered hum
dreds OF native huts They could see
scores Of the inhabitants lying about In
tho shade or running about on the beach,
where their crews were drawn up In
tho twinkling of an eye the whole van
ished from the sight as though II had been
planted on a trap door. II was over so
quickly that the natives did not have time
even to get into their canoes and save
themselves. As II was some OF their
boats were sucked under by the whirl and
rush Of the waters.
Sometimes the islands of inland lakes
will appear and disappear. One Of them
Is to be found in Derwentwater, in the
English lake country. II is about an acre
In size and Is eccentric in it's movements
Some seasons 1t will rise and sink once
month. Then II will vanish and not rise
again for ten years There In no satisfac-
tory explanation of Its bobbins up and
down The most plausible IL that II rests
on cushion of marsh gas generated at
the bottom OF the lake When this swells
1t raises the island with It. Then the gas
escapes and evapoutes, putting the island
back In It's little bed again
The Philippine islands themselves are of
volcanic origin and arc In the sphere OF
disappearing influence. There IL probably
llttle danger of any such catastrophe but
me event would relieve the country OF
ths political embarrassment thrust upon
" thaf May morning when Dewey entered
Manila harbor. and leave little to show
for the 100000 we paid besides for our
new colony"