Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-06-13
The Volcanoes Of The Philippines.

Of interest in connection with the
recent volcanic eruptions in the West
Indies. is the report of George F. Beck
er on the geology of the Philippine
Islands which has just appeared in
Part III of the Twenty-first Annual
Report of the United States Geological
Survey, and which contains review
of everything bearing upon the geology
Of these islands.
The report deals in general with the
geologic and economic features of the
Islands, from extant reports on the
subject. and from studies in the field,
so far as they could be carried on dur
ing the disturbed period of 1898 '99,
though geologizing under arms and
with military escort was found to be
more exciting than profitable.
In many respects the Philippine
Islands 80 closely resemble the West
Indies, especially in being the scene
OF violent past and present volcanic
energy, that the chapter of the report
on the active and extinct volcanoes Of
the archipelago is at this time particus
larly interesting. While 1t was posi-
BILE to 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 located among the.islands, and
their attitudes and the dates of their
eruptions obtained. Conspicuous
among them is Mt. Apo, the highest
mountain in the PHILIPPINES, which rises
10.761 feet above the level of the sea.
At Camiguin de Mindanao, one of the
most interesting volcanoes of the group,
cone nearly 1000 feet in height has
risen since 1871 over what was former
ly lake, the basin of which was pre-
sumably an ancient crater. Mayor, or
the volcano of albay, is said to be the
most sYmmetrically beautiful cone in
the world; and the famous Taal vol
cano, situated on small volcanic island
in the lake of Bonbon, is readily Access
sible from Manila. The accounts of
the eruptions of these and other vol
canoes of the group bear a striking re-
semblance to those of the recent out
burst of Mt. Pelee In Martinique. Of
an eruption which occurred in the year
164l near Jolo the report quotes: ''the
darkness and atmospheric disturbance
were SO great that the people of Jolo
could not perceive whence came the
stuff which fell from heaven upon
them" And in one of the numerous
eruptions at. Taal, loud detOnations
like discharges of artillery were heard ,
incandescent stones were thrown out,
and great fire ran like river across
the island. The fire then shifted into
lake Bonbon throwing up water and
ashes in immense masses. 1.-THE water
grew hot and black, fish were strewn
on the beaches as if they had been
cooked, and the air was so full of
sulphurous smells and the odor of dead
| fishes that the inhabitants sickened.n
At one of the eruptions of Albay, that
in 1914, 1900 lives are said to have been
lost.
In drawing comparisons between the
volcanoes of the Philippines and those
Of the Dutch East Indies, Mr.. Becker
notes that "Papandayang, in West
Java, had great eruption in 1772,
destroying 40 villages. Calling Gung
in 1922 destroyed ia villages and it is
some measure Of the violence of the
Krakatoa explosion of 1888, that over
So, 900 people persisted.