The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-09-05
THE TORISHIMA WAS
COVERED WITH
ASHES
ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY JAPA-
NEsE LOSE THEIR LIVES IN THE
VOLCANIC DIsAsTER-No SUR
VIVORS FOUND.

YOKOHAMA, August 23.-The news
of the disastrous eruption at Torishima
has been received with much concern,
coming at is did after the appalling ca
astrophe Of Martinique which is still
fresh in the memory. The news of the
eruption was brought by the N. Y. K.
.teamer Hiogo Maru which arrived in
Yokohama from the Bonin islands in
Monday. The steamer, which sailed
from Yokohama on the 5th inst arriv-
ed at Torishima on the 9TH inst, and
landed cargo and some 30 passengers.
At the time nothing extraordinary was
observed in the neighborhood of the
island. When the the Hiogo Maru was
staying at Chichiiima, one of the Bonin
group, the sailing vessel Aizuka Maru
arrived there and reported having seen
on the 10th inst, at about 10 o'clock,
while passing in the neighborhood of
Torishma a column of dense black
smoke rise at the rear of the island
and also heard a report as if of the
firing of cannon at intervals OF three
TO five minutes. The Hiogo Maru, on
receiving this report, at once decided to
proceed to the scene of the eruption.
Accordingly she left Chichiima on the
10Th inst, taking the chief of the islands
on board the steamer. BY 8 o'clock
the following day the steamer reached
within about 25 miles of Torishma and
from that distance the spectacle of the
submarine volcano in full eruption was
distinctly visible The spot where the
eruption was taking place is situated at
about mile southwest from Torishima.
A mountain of what looked like black
70 IN oh
rise on the surface of the water but
presently it would change into torren-
tial cascades of water and fall into the
sea. This was repeated at intervals of
about five minutes and the wave-mo-
tlon caused by the eruption was notice
able at a distance of 1000 feet. The
spectacle was indescribably grand and
awe-inspiring. Slowly the Hiogo Maru
approached the island to a distance of
ftom one to three miles and made
signal by the sounding of whistles hut
no vestige of human beings or dwellings
was visible on the island The bay of
Chitosegaura, where the Hiogo used to
anchor, was filled with lava and other
debris and a complete TRANSFORMED ton
had taken place. The whole island
seemed to have been buried in the
heated ashes falling thicklv on the isl-
and. Only on a small portion of the
lSidlll W DIS lTe existence OF Verdure dis
cernible. 1t is believed that no man or
animals on the island escared destruc-
tion, unless they escaped from the ISL
and in boats before they were over
taken by the eruption, or unless they
had taken refuge in caves under the
cliffs. The inhabitants of the island
are estimated at about 100 They are
all emigrants from Hachijo- TINA and
engage in the capture of albatrosses
and other birds which abound in the
island. The location of Torishima is
3O' 28 26" N. latitude and 14Oo IA 2O'
E longitude and the location of the
volcano is about a mile Southwest from
the island. The sea-water within 25
miles of the island is dyed a bright yell
low color. 1t is supposed that the erup-
ton commenced on the afternoon of the
10th inst