The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-14


noted that this coast has visited August 20 by
sounds like the firing of guns inland" The chief Of
police on the island Of Rodriguez almost across the IN
dian Ocean and 2s6S miles Krakatoa Sew
eral times during the night of 2eth27th of august
1881 reports were heard coming from the like the
distant roar Of heavy artillery.
The witness referred TO above Mr. Jean Theodore
Geste then an engineer in the employ OF the Dutch
colonial government of Java was sent from Batavia
AMER city of 10000 inhabitants situated on sunda
Strait opposite island volcano in order to take scen
thc observations OF the reported eruption On round
ing St Nicholas ONT those board the expeditionary
vessel saw ascending from Mount Krakatoa fifty miles
off, immense column whose apex could not be seen,
high did rear up in the clear atmosphere It was
APPARENTLY mile and half in diameter and alternately
looked like fame and pillar Of fire inside
a column Of white heecy wool All the while could be
heard the sulen thuuderous roar ever growing in
ensitly The adventure of the party in sailing
tently into sea molten sulphur trying to as
cend the burning crater need not be recound The yes
sci after awhile returned TO Batavia Mr. Van Gestel
remaining AMER and taking up mis- residence in villa
mile back Of the town on the mountain slope. The
and glare Of the continued without ceas
ing everybody had become used it, and nobody spoke
OF it any more. Says our norrator:
ct was Sunday and sitting on the veranda Of my
house smoking cigar and taking my morning cup Of
tea. The scene was perfect Across the roofs Of the
native houses could fishing smacks lying in the
bay The birds we're singing in the grove
at my back and a before had heard servant
moving about AS my gaze rested the masts Of the
little boats which there were several score in sight
of tha
moving in direction. In instant they all disap
peared. l back to higher ground for better view
and looked out far into the All the
way the bay strait the island of
itself the bottom Of the appeared to have cracked
open that the subterranean fires beching
forth On either side Of this wall OF flames the
waters of the strait porting with
ing sound like twin cataracts; and it was
abyss that the fishing boats were disappearing
even as I locked
The sight such a extraordinary one that it
took away the power of reason Then in
moment while my eyes were turned. came an immense
deafenng explosion greater any yet heard
1t stunned and it minute two before real
lied that when turned my eyes toward the
bay could see nothing Darkness instantly shrouded
the world Through this darkness made horrible by
distant cries of agony, the falling of heavy bodies the
creaking disruption of of brick and timber and
omnous Of ALL the crashing breakers of the ocean
could be heard The city of AMER with al its sixty
sand people, had been bloed out any living be-
ing myself remained I did not find it out then
: = The awful surge terrified me- Mechan-
icaly I back up the mountain side.
waded inland in a dazed condition The high road to
Serang white and smooth and easy to follow as
felt my way along in the darkness. resi-
dence doomed up the roadside apparently offering
welcome refuge. rushed in to find relief from the
tense heat under shelter of roof through the
tiles of the floor little blue we're pickering The
house seemed like a furnace The subterranean fires
were at work then the mountain side. Under
a mass OF tumbed masonry saw the body OF a woman
in native garments. I rushed out Mortified from this
burning tomb. staggered blindy on my way,
reached Serang and taken into the garrison hos
pitaL started up in my sleep dozen times night
muttering cries of terror was supposed to be a
unatc."
Such wre the experiences of one who lived through
that horror in which the of Java and sumatra
either side the Strait sunda fifteen or twenty
miles were wrenched loose and tumbed into the sea-
the large island Of Dwersin-den-weg split in two and
he site Of AMER by 100 feet water Kraatoa
blew of its head and shoulders and sunk beneath the
sea.