Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-05-21

which they were discharged. That oc-
CURED when vesavius broke loose In 1872.
On anot her occasion, when the Cose-
auisn volcano in Nicaragua became
sraptive in 1885, utter darkness prevailed
within circle of thirty-Bve miles, and
chg BIT miles away ashes covered the ground
10 a depth OF ten feet. -Four days later
-ome OF the ashes, which bad been caught
in an apper-air current, fell at Kingston,
Jsmsica, 100 miles away. Huge stones
have been sent hurling through space for
great distances by volcanoes in violent
activity. Many were found in the ashes
which buried Pompeii. A volcano at
Antuco, Chill, is said to have sent stone
thirty-six miles, and Cotopsxi is said to
have hurled 200 ton boulder nine miles.
Molten lava can rush down a mountain
ide at faster rate than q mile an hour.
After 1t stops flowing crust viii form
over the top OF the bed. which becomes
hard and cool, while the body Of 1t will
retain fiery beat for years.
When Msuns Los, the terror-eresting
volcano OF Hawaii, had its awful eruption
in 1852, 1t belched forth solid fountain
of Java which was 1000 feet wide and
spouted 200 feet into the air. Other fiery
fountains Of the same country have been
know to perform similar feats and have
con- inued to do 50 uninterruptedly for
several weeks. The output from one OF
them Travelled fifteen miles In two hours,
and continued ia. creep along for months,
destroy ing everything In Its path.
Lava Is as variable In It's moods after
settling down on top OF the earth as IT Is
In getting there. Sometimes 1t quickly
becomes good soil, while on other occa-
sions ii always remains barren. As .
rule, volcanoes are located on mountain
ranges In the neigh borhood OF the sea.
Most of the oceanic islands are volcanic.
Very seldom is volcano found far in
land, and when II Is so situated 1t is gen.
orally In the vicinity OF lake or where
body OF water has at some time existed.
The largest ones are on the Hawaiian
islands. In ages past their terrible up
beaysls must have convuised the world.
Beside them vesuvius, which has base
circumference Of thirty miles, is pigmy.
The largest volcano in America is
Popocatapeti In Mexico. 1t rises to
height of 1868 Spanish feet above the sea
leves, and the circumference OF the crater
Is 1000 feet. For many years 1t wss
dormant. but In I7s4, It spit a little fire
and created q great deal Of fear. Since
that time 1t has been quiet. In the
United States the most immense volcano
Is Mt. Rainier, near Tacoma, WISH. II Is
more than 5000 feet high and is sup
posed to be extinct.
Volcanoes on the American continent
aud contiguous islands have never
caused any enormous sacrifice of life
through ernptions since white men set
tied the country until the st. Pierre oe-
curence. There are q large number that
ness, however. through their tendency to
break out, and not a few In Mexico,
Central and South America have caused
the deaths of considerable numbers of
people.
On islands In the Pacific, China, Japan
and many Asiatie and European coun-
tries, the loss from this cause has reached
al thOAthOon NC iES1k VIZ
lent disturbance ever known to have
resulted from an eruption was that W hieh
destroyed krokatoa, an island In the
Straits OF Sunds, ON Aug. q, 1883 II was
also the most disastrous In the destruc-
tion OF life since Pompeii was buried
until st. Pierre was destroyed
The explosion buried the island and
ftb nj 81 4 he ~
the sea in the course OF a few minutes.
The vibratory effects were felt around the
world. II caused a tidal wave which
reached San francisco and wiped out
many villages on the island Of Sumatra
while Ii was ON the way. The noise OF
the explosion was heard In India. Ii was
heard in Australia and 1t was heard in
tant. The seismic wave of sea was seen
at Cape Horn, z. 500 miles from the scene
OF the calamity, and at a point in Suma-
ira IL carried the Dutch man-of-war
" Benow" two miles inland and left the
vessel high and dry thirty feet above the
level OF the sea. An air wave was created
by the explosion which Travelled three
dissipated.
While ernptions of volcanoes always
cause most dread, earthquakes cause the
greater loss of life and property by an
amount. 1t is estimated
that the destruction OF human beings
through this medium is greater than any
oil her agency but disease. From first to
last during human occupancy of this
planet II has been figured tbas 1900 600
have been killed by earthquake disasters.
On this continent they have been most
disastrous on the Pacific coast, in Mexico,
and the countries south of il.
EpIgrams Of David Starr Jordan.