The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-06-10
Volcanoes iH the Philippines.

OF interest in conneC ton with the re-
cent volcanic eruptioni in the West In
dies, is the repor OF George +. Becker
which has just appea rcd In Part III OF
the Twenty-frst Ann ual Report OF the
United States Geolo GlcaI Survey, and
which coptains a rev Jew OF everything
bearing upon the ge olugy of these ISL
ands
The report deals in general with the
geologic and econon nc feature s OF the
islands, from extant reports on the sub
ject. and from studio S IN the field, so far
as they could be ca rrIrd or during the
disturbed period of 1855 go. though ge-
~ologiZing under arms and with a mill
tary escort was found TO BE- more excit-
ing than profitable
In many respects the Philippine ISL
and so closely resemble the West In
dies, especially in being The scene OF
violent past and present volcanic en-
erSy, that the chapter OF the report on
the active and extinct volcanoes of the
archipelago Is at this time particularly
interesting. While it was possible to u,
visit but few of these mountains owing
to the hostility Of the natives, much
valuable information from local and
other sources was collected Forty-nine
OF the eruptive mountains were Iocated
among the islands. and their attitudes
and the dates Of their eli uotions obtain
ed. Conspicuous amoug them is Mt.
p the highest mou ain in the Phil
ippines. which rises 10, 6l feet above the
level of the sea. At CamiguIn de Min
danao, one of the most interesting vol
canoes Of the group, d Cone nearly 2,00e
feet in height has risen since 1871 over
what was formerly a lake. the basin Of
which was presumably an ancient era
ter. Mayor. or the volcano of Abay. liz
said to be the most syInmetIically beau
tiful zone I'm the world: and the famous
Taal volcano, situated On a small VOL
canic island in the lake of Bonbon, is
readily accessible from Manila. The ac-
counts of the eruptions OF these and
other volcanoes OF the group bear a
striking resemblance to those OF the
recent outburst of Mt. Pelee in Harti-
nique.. OF an eruption which occurred
in the year 1641 near Jolo the por
quotes: THE darkness and atmospheric
disturbance were so g1tat that the peo-
pie of Jolo could not perceiye whence
came the stuff which fell from heaven
upon them" And In one Of the num-
erous eruptions at Taal. loud detona-
tions like discharges Of artillery were
heard, incandescent stones were thrown
out. and q great fire ran like 4 river
across the island. The fire then shifted
into lake Bonbon throwing up water
n ashes In immense masses. The
water grew hot and black. fish were
strewn On the beaches as II they had
been looked, and the air was SO full Of
sulphurous smells and the oior OF dead
fishes that the inhabitants sicxened."
At one Of the sruptions of Aibay, that
in 1914, 100 lives are said 20 have been
lost.
In drawing comparisons between the
| volcanoes Of the Philippines and those
| OF the Dutch East Indies. Dir. Becker
notes that "Papandayang. in West
Java, had a great eruption In 1T7z. de-
stroying 10 villages. Galung Gung In
1922 destroyed ia villages and IL II
| GONE measure Of the violence o. the
Krakatoa explosion o. 1883. that oYer
&c. 600 people persisted