Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-06-05

ana the rush Of the people 70 the
surrounding country.
Eruption on Island Of
Knukufoa IN 1883.
The eruption on the Island of Kra-
katoa in 1883 was fully observed q,
the time by the students Of volcanic
action, and the phenomena attending
Il carefully noted.
The island for two centuries had
been uninhabited. It was about Eve
miles long and three wide. There
were two volcanic peaks, or cones,
of-xhieh the highest rose up to Z, ,z5a
feet. Surrounding the island were
other and smaller cones, protruding
above the surface of the ocean. Ex.
perts unite in the opinion that none
of the cones were craters, but that
all were lava spurs upon the edge
of one vastcrater, the greater part 10
which was submerged. q
In 1850, 200 years before the re-
cent outbreak, the island was fertile
and inhabited. AT that time came a
terrific eruption, which changed the
appearance of all ground above wa
ter and annihilated the natives.
When this was ended, the volcano
rested and was thought to be extinct.
In the month Of May, 1888. came
the first warnings that Krakatoa was
to once again open up with subter-
ranean and submarine artillery. The
spurs above the water, In size. were
as nothing to the hundreds Of other
towering mountains OF the Indian
Ocean, but the crater yielded to
none in the respect to its hidden
power. In May were heard explos-
ions, causing noises which were
heard in Batavia, eighty miles away.
These continued with unabated Wig
or for eight or nine weeks. Masses
of pumice stone and ashes were vom-
tied into the air, which were carried
by the wind as far as the Island OF
Timor, 1900 miles away.
In August came the elimination.
1t is supposed that the continued
minor explosions had opened q wide
vent in the crater and that the
waters had rushed in only to be
converted into steam, which. ex-
panding, demanded an exit. Kra-
katoa was in paroxysms, aud now
its voice was heard 1000 miles away
in Australia and 2,267 miles away,
at the Chagos Islands. The nights
were pitch dark, save for the elec-
trio flames at the VOLCANOES mouth,
which shed a lurid, fitful terrifying
light.
Fall Of LaUd ARd Ashes
Continued Three Days.
About noon of August % came
Krakatoa's last mighty effort, and
the detonations, the discharges of
molten stone, steam and ashes con-
tinued for three days. The explos-
ions augmented in intensity, and by
10 o clock on the night of the 18th
the entire Strait Of Sunda, between
the islands of Sumatra and Java, in
the center OF which lay the mighty
crater, was rendered inky dark by
the ascending masses of smoke. The
sounds were deafening in Java as
far as Batavia, and over a large por-
tion OF Sumatra.
In the morning the explosions
ceased for a short period. The in
habitants OF neighboring towns i'm
Java, Buitenzorg, Serang, AMER
and Merak, sought TO get q little
sleep. But at 2 O'Clock came q
crash so formidable that ali were
startled from their beds. Normally
it should now be daylight, but the
suns rays could not pierce the
dense overhanging canopy. Lamps
were used in the houses.
There was no interruption of the
seismic artillery during that day,
nor during thenextday. Krakatoa's
bottled up energy seemed inexhaus-
tiblc. The terror OF the simple-mind-
ed natives of Java and Sumatra was
indescribable. They covered in
their huts or sought the Businesses
of the jungle, praying hysterically
to their multifarious gods.
The reports Of sea captains who
ventured near the Strait Of Sunda
and escaped 20 tell she tale-few did
are graphic in the extreme. Cap
tain Watson Of the English ship
Charles Bal was ten miles south Of
the volcano on the 18th. He edescrib-
ed the island as shrouded in a dense,
black cloud, which slowly spread
out until. IL obscured the blue vault
of the heavens. Aside from the
thunderous explosions, he speaks Of
cracking noises, which are ascribed
TO the contact of great rocks ascend
ing and descending in the atmos-
phere. He tells of q rain Of pumice
in large pieces, quite warm, which
fell foot deep upon the ship. He
remained near the scene until B