Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-07-21
MI sHIMA THE NEW ISLAND.
The Mighty Forces of Nature Assisting
the Extension of Japan's Empire.


the Extension of Japan's Empire.
Volcanic forces have added a new
island to the domain of Japan. 1t is
4S0 feet in height and nearly three
miles in circumference, and its appear
ance was witnessed with great amaze
ment by the inhabitants of a neighbor-
ing island. It's advent was announced
TWO months ago without the interest
ing details that have just come to
hand.
Five hundred and fifty miles little
east of south of Toxic a number of
small islands rising above the Pacific
are known as the Volcano Islands, for
they were evidently formed by the out
pourings of subterranean volcanoes
and emerged from the sea at COM
paratively recent period. The islands
lie along a line of weakness in the
earth's crust extending hundreds of
miles from the Fiji to the BONN Is
lands. This line is dotted here and
there with volcanoes. The Volcano
and the neighboring BONN Islands
have an area of only about 40 square
miles, but the fires had lifted Iceland
and the Azores above the sea pale in
comparison with those that created the
scores of volcanic rocks that are
strewn through this part of the Pacific.
Up to Nov. IA last there were four
islands in the Volcano group, but now
there are five. The inhabitants of
Sulphur Island say that on that day
they heard the most awesome rumb-
lings and groanings and saw great
deal of smoke about 20 miles distant.
The clouds, which they called black
and white smoke and which were
doubtless clouds of black ash and
steam, continued for about two weeks
and then they cleared away and the
natives saw what appeared to be three
little islands. While the smoke lasted
the sea appeared to be on fire. Vulcan
was evidently having a fight with the
ocean.
On Dec. II, when everything had
quoted down, the natives decided that
what had appeared to them to be three
islands was one island about half as
large as their own. They did not mus
ter courage, however, to approach
their new neighbor for about six
weeks, for they could see that the still
unconsolidated material of which the
island was formed was changing its
shape a little from day to day and
they were afraid that a new outburst
might catch them if they ventured
near. At last, on Feb. 1, ten men ven
exploring expedition and the next day
they landed On the island. On the
southside a towering precipitious coast
had been formed by the fast consolidate
ed rock, but on the north side was a
gentle slope where they had no diff
Guilty in mooring their boats and clam
bering up on the land. They found a
boiling lake from which steam ascend
ed. All the rest was volcanic dust that
yielded under their feet. They planted
a pole which they had brought in their
boat, raised the Japanese flag and
named the island Mi Shima. Japan
was the first of the powers on the
ground, and probably not even Russia
would dispute her right to the new
possession.
So new islands formed by volcanic
agencies are coming now just as in
the olden days. Some of them soon
leave us to mourn their loss, because
the sea storms was them away before
they have time to get firm footing
above the waters. Three years ago
Falcon island, which had maintained
a precarious existence above the wat
ers of the mid-Pacific until little trees
had rooted in its soil. gave up the
struggle and was seen no more. Two
years ago two little islands rose in
night about ten feet above the waters
of Walfish bay on the coast of Africa,
but they lasted only few days. 1t is
the survival Of the fttest The lusty
young volcano New Bogaslov, which
joined US about Is years ago is still
among our valued Alaskan posses
sions; and Japan's latest addition to
it's large family of islands stands at
the outset so high above the sea that
it has a fair chance of becoming
permanent part of the empire.