Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-05-19
AFRlCA'S BUSY VOLCANOES
Eruption Near Lake Kivu
Last Spring.

A few facts have at last reached thu
outer world concerning the great vol.
canic eruption that began on May IL las,
in the lake region Of Central Africa, re.
ports the New York Sun of late date.
The eruption was very severe for
three days. The wide, lava covered
plain in which the active volcanoes are
found seemed to be covered with flame
that poured forth from many assure;
in the rock, What seemed to be a col
m of fire was maintained to a height
of several hundred feet for several
hours.
Near these volcanoes on the south il
Lake kiyu, in one OF whose northern
bays occurred a terrific ~subaqueous
eruption. The water for a mile around
was turned yellow by the '%outpourins
vapor heavily charged with sulphur.
Many thousands of fish were killed anG
their bodies tloated on the surface.
This region, north of Lakes kivu and
Tanganyika. is the greatest center OF
volcanic activity in Africa. and one oi
the largest in the world; and it was
never heard of till ten years ago. The
discovery of these volcanoes by Count
Won Goetzen did considerable damage
to the theory that volcanoes are devel,
oped only in proximity to the sea.
These volcanoes are about 700 miles
from the Indian ocean, almost in the
heart of the continent. The other great
center of present volcanic phenomena
in Africa is also hundreds of miles in
land. near Lake Rudolf.
Students of volcanoes now think it is
better to say that they are found both
on the margins Of the sea and in the
~neigbborhood of great depressions in
the land surface caused by violent move
ments of the rocks, which have produced
lines of weakness, through which vt,'
canic energy is able to find vent.
There are eight volcanoes within sight
of one another just a little north OF Lake
Kivu. They are in three groups. The
two western groups are composed each
of three extinct volcanoes, while the
eastern group contains two towering
mountains that are at times exceeding
ly active.
In addition to the lively ebullitions
from these c%raters, the region is richer
than most other volcanic districts H.
mineral and hot springs and other mani.
festations of vulcanism.
The TWO active cones are among the
very largest in the old world and are
almost unique in their great distanc.
from the sea, The larger of the two
Kirungu-cha-gungo, is a single huge
cone, rising to a circular and unbrokeu
rim, Il $50 feet in height.
This rim i~ncloses a vast crater over a
mile in diameter that has always beeG
full of steam and smoke when visitors
have peered over the edge, so that they
have been unable to learn the nature OF
the crater ioor or of its interior walls,
1t is inferred that the crater is OF
enormous depth, for stone rolled over
the edge of the chasm have merely
bounded from rock to rock, their con-
cussions becoming fainter and fainter.
with nothing to indicate that they final.
ly found a resting place.
Kirungu-ndogo, the other active coOn
is at least II 900 feet in height. IL 10
likely at any time to be active; and re.
cent lava streams around its summit
have been giving out dazzling white jets
of steam.
1t is a wonderful region. Besides Toe
great volcanoes, active or extinct, are
large numbers of isolated ~lifeless craters
still perfect in form; and those that are
farthest from the smoke mountains
are terraced to their tops and covered
with fields of beans and other native
crops.
Twenty years g no one knew thai
there was a single active volcano In
Africa. Since then a number OF very
lively volcanoes have been discovered IN
;sldition to a number Of the largest
mountains on the continent now life.
less, but which were built by mighty
o%utpourings Of lava.