The Delta independent., 1906-05-25
ERUPTION OF KRAKATOA.
Volcanic Explosions in East In
dies the Most Terrific in
History.
Vast Volumes of Ashes Blown Twenty
Miles Above Earth - Detonations
Heard Three Thousand Miles Dis
fauf
By Sir Robert Ball.


The foHoroing description BY Sir
Robert Ball OF the eruption Of hrdkd-
tod pii be read icih special interest
at the present time. 1t IS taken from
his book. The Edrfh'S Beginning" re-
Gently published by d. Appleton g. Co.
Until the year 1883 few had ever
heard of Krakatoa 1t was not in
habited. but the natives from the sur
rounding shores OF Sumatra and Java
used occasionally to draw their canoes
up on its beach while they roamed
through the jungle in search of the
wild fruits. The island seemed to owe
its existence to some frightful eruption
OF bygone days, but for couple of
centuries there had been no fresh out
break.
In 1883 Krakatoa suddenly sprang
into notoriety. Insignificant though II
had hitherto seemed. the little island
was soon TO compel by its tones of
thunder the whole world to pay 1t in
stant attention. 1t was to become the
scene of volcanic outbreak so appall-
ing that ii is destined to be remem-
bered throughout the ages.
At first the eruption did not threaten
to be of any serious type. In fact. the
good people of Batavia, SO far from be-
ing terrified at what was in progress
in krakatoa, thought the display was
such an attraction that they chartered
a steamer and went forth for pleas
ant picnic to the island. Many Of us,
am sure, would have been delighted
to have been able to Join the party
who were to witness so interesting a
spectacle With cautious steps the
more venturesome of the excursion
party clam bered up the sides OF the
g.ls I.. fF4h
were issuing from It's summit. There
they beheld vast column of steam
pouring forth with terrific noise from
a profound opening about thirty yards
in width.
As the summer of this dread year
advanced. the vigor of krakatoa stead
lily increased. The noises became more
and more vehement. These We're pres
entity audible on shores ten miles dis
tant. and then twenty miles distant.
until the great thunders OF the vol
canu. now SO rapidly developing. as
touished the inhabitants that dwell
over an area at least as large as Great
Britain. and there were other symp-
toms OF the approaching catastrophe.
With each successive conyulsion a
quantity OF fine dust was projected
aloft into the clouds, The wind could
not carry this dust away as rapidly As
it was hurled upward by Krakatoa. and
accordingly the atmosphere b|Cam"
heavily charged with suspended parii-
Giles. \ pail of darkness thus hung
over the adjoining seas and islands.
Such was the thickness and the density
of these atmospheric volumes OF
krakatoa dust that for hundred
miles around the darkness Of midnight
prevailed at midday. Then the awful
tragedy of kratatoa took place. Many
thousands of the unfortunate inhab-
itants of the adjacent shores OF SU-
matra and Java were destined never to
behold the sun again. They Were pres
emily swept away to destruction in an
invasion of the shore by the tremcn-
dous waves with which the seas sur
rounding krakatoa were aCitatcd
The development of the volcanic on
ergy proceeded. and gradually the ter
ror of the inhabitants OF the surround
ing coasts rose to + climax. July had
ended before the manifestations OF
Krakatoa had attained their full VIC
lence. BY the middle OF August the
panic was widespread. for the supreme
catastrophe was at hand.
On the night of Sunday. August 70
1883, the blackness of the dust clouds
now much thicker than ever in the
Straits OF Sunda and adjacent parts Of
Sumatra and Java, was only occasion
ally illumiped by lurid flashes from
the volcano. The Krakatoa thundors
were on the point of attaining their
complete development. At the town of
Batavia, hundred miles distant, there
was no quiet that night. The houses
trembled with the subterraneau vio-
lence, and the windows ratified as IL
heavy artillery were being discharged
in the streets, and still these efforts
seemed to be only rehearsing for the
supreme display. On the morning OF
Monday. August 81, 1888. the rehears-
ais were over and the performance be
gan. An overture, consisting of two
or three Introductory explosions, was
succeeded by frightful convulsiou
which tore away large part of the
Island of krakatoa and scattered 1t to
the winds OF heaven.
This supreme effort Il was which
produced the mightiest noise that, SO
far rs we can ascertain. has ever been
heard on this globe. 1t must have been
indeed a loud noise which could travel
from krakatoa to Batavia and pre-
serve It's vehemence over so great a
distance; but we should form n very
inadequate conception OF the energy
OF the eruption of Krakatoa II we
thought that Its sounds were heard by
those merely hundred miles on This
would be little indeed compared with
what is recorded. on testimony which
II is impossible to doubt.
Westward from Krakatoa stretches
the wide eApanse of the Indian Ocear.
On the opposite side from the Straits
Of Sunda lies the Island OF Rodriguez,
the distance from Krakatoa being al
most 5000 miles. 1t has been proved
by evidence which cannot be doubted
that tho thunder of the great volcano
attracted the attention OF an intelli-
gent coastguard on Rodriguez. who
carefully noted the char.ctss = the