The National tribune., 1902-08-14

Those who 60 by the most direct route
from San Francisco to the Philippines are
| likely to pass an active volcano in mid
ocean but little known and yet of start
ling appearance, especially at night. 1t
is the FarallOn de Pajaros, the most
mol thern of the Ladrone Islands, to which
Guam belongs. Being uninhabited by
man, its erupiions can injurc no living
thing but rthe birds which breed in great
numbers Oh its slopes, and after which 1t
is named.
IT was nv. fortune to approach the
Philippines Jan. /, 1900. by way of the
Straits of San Bernardino. and although
there was Il liazy outline visible from the
stateroom window on the port side about
IL. m.. which proved to be the Islands
of Niri and Samar, the first land which
l saw definitely from the deck was vol
cano, that of Bulnsan. located in Sorso-
gon, formerly the southcrnmost province
in Luzon. 1t presents an appearance not
unlike that of Vesuvius, and after the
strait is passed, as viewed from the south
west, it is seen to have. like its proto-
type. two separate SUBMITS. The smoke,
which rises in light curves above its
crest and spreads over the valleys, IS SAID
to be largely impregnated with the fumes
of sulphur.
Prior to 1852 this volcano was believed
for long period TO be extinct, but III
that year it erupted, changing the out
line of its summit, but without serious
damage to the country. 1t was again es-
pecially active in 1880. when a dcstruc-
tive earthquake shook up the island, ar
fccting Manila and some towns farther
north At present the western cone has
the eruptive crater, which occupies the
central part of an extinct one; though Il
much larger concavity is apparent III the
more mutiiated eastern apex.
BuIusan is some five miles from the
east coast, where the town of Bulusan
is located, and about IL miles from the
southern coast and Strait of San Ber-
nardno As it can be seen by vessels
60 miles away, it forms an excellent
guide mark for sailors entering this pas
sage. s.. .s-
Some 20 miles north of Bulusan is an
other volcano which is more or less ac-
tive-that of Bacon. or POcdol-which
rises nearly 5000 feet above sea level.
1t was especially lively in 1910, when an
earthquake destroyed the town of Sorso-
gon, on the west coast, some five miles
from its summit
Besides Bulusan and Bacon there arc
FIVE other volcanoes, Mayon, Masaraya,
lIeinao. Iriga and Isarog. following in
that order within the first so miles of the
Strait of San Bernardino. All but the
first are extinct though it appears that
for some reason-possibly the activity of
the mountain4iifr; the descriptive work Of
the wilkes ,'sExploring Expedition
Mount Isards, Which rises 6.443 feet
above sea leeei, Twas c0nfounded with the
volcano of Mayssl The last recorded
eruption of Fsa;eg occurred in 112O.
MAYoN's ,fEcSED OF DESTRUCTION.
The justly-celchrated mountain, Mayon,
whose top rises S,2S3 feet above sea level,
is located acrossD the Bay of Albay to
the northwest. "a miles distant as the
bird flies from Bacon. There is no vol
canic cone in, the world, probably, which
presents 4 more, ,lerfect form. Though II
has not the magnificent hight of Fuji-
yama, the awe7iTspiring crater of Etna
or Kilauea, nor the broadsprending, fiery
cloud-plumes of Vesuvius in action, yet
for symmetry and picturesque majesty,
especially when in eruption, it is not sur
passed. L
Nor can many volcanoes present rec
ords for greater activity than Mayon. Its
earliest historic eruption occurred in 1916,
when the Dutch and Spanish We're fight
ing along the shores of these islands for
their possession.
In 1866, two years after the eyacua-
ton of the English, a violent eruption is
noted, when Cagsaua, MalinaO and other
towns were destroyed. The lava descend
ed in streams 1OO feet wide, pouring
down the mountain toward the east; this
continued for two days. Oct. %, n
deluging fountain of hot water is said
to have been elected from the crater,
forming river from so to 200 feet wide,
which struck the sea with n fury suffi-
cient to repel the rising tide. That Mayon
actually elected this water is disputed by
scientists as highly improbable.
In 1850, year famous for a decree
prohibiting all foreigners from living in
the Philippines, Mayon destroyed several
native villages. In 1914, in which year,
according to the Spanish records. the
English attempted to take possession of
.jolo and Mindanao, on Feb. I, Mayon
burst out. filling the sky with such n vol
ume of black ashes as to lay all southern
LuzOn in absolute darkness for five hours.
The only light was the electric flashes
playing about the mountains crest.
Ashes fell in China and the laundering
was heard in all parts Of the archipelago
The towns Of Camalig, Cagsaua and Bu-