The La Jara chronicle., 1906-05-25
ERUPTION OF KRAKATOA.
Volcanic Explosions in East IN
dies the Most Terrific Ill
History.
Vast Volumes of Ashes Blown Twenty
Miles Above Earth - Detonatfons
Heard Three Thousand Miles Dis
fauf
By Sir Robert Ball.


The follouing description by Sir
Robert Bali of the eruption of hrdkd-
tod UiIl be read tCih special interest,"
at the present time. 1t is taken from
his book, "1rhe Edrth'S Beginntng,' re-
Gently published by ID. Appleton & 90,
Until the year 1888 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 a couple OF
centuries there had been no fresh out
break.
In 1883 Krakatoa suddenly sprang
into notoriety. insignificant though 1t
had hitherto seemed, the little island
was soon to compel by its tones OF
thunder the whole world to pay it in
slant attention. 1t was to become the
scene of q volcanic outbreak so appall-
ing that it 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 We're to witness SO interesting
spectacle. With cautious steps the
more venturesome of the excursion
party clambereI up the sides of the
volcano, guided by the sounds which
We're issuing from its summit. There
they beheld a 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 were pres
emily audible on shores ten miles dis
tant, and then twenty miles distant,
until the great thunders of the vol
cano, now so rapidly developing, as
tonished the inhabitants that dwclt
over an area at least as large as Great
Britain, and there We're other synp-
toms of the approaching catastrophe.
With each successive CONFUSION n
quantity of fine dust was projected
aloft into the clouds. The wind could
it was hurled upward by Krakatoa, and
accordingly the atmosphere became
heavily charged with suspended parti-
cles. a 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 a hundred
miles around the darkness of midnight
prevailed at midday. Then the awful
tragedy of Krakatoa took place. Many
thousands of the unfortunate inhab-
,tants of the adjacent shores of Su-
uatra and Java were destined never to
behold the sun again. They We're pres
ntly swept away to destruction in an
invasion of the shore by the tremen-
Ious waves with which the seas sur
rounding krakatoa We're agitated.
The development of the volcanic en-
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 vio-
lence. By the middle of August the
panic was widespread, for the supreme
catastrophe was at hand.
On the night of Sunday, August 2G.
1888, 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 illumined by lurid flashes from
the volcano. The Krakatoa thundurs
were on the point of attaining their
complete development. At the town oi
Batavia, a hundred miles distant, there
was no quiet that night. The houses
trembled with the subterranean ylo-
lence, and the windows ratified as II
heavy artillery were being discharged
in the streets, and still these efforts
seemed to be only rehearsing for tine
supreme display. On the morning OF
Monday, August 27, 1888, the rehears-
ais were over and the performance be
gan. An overture, consisting of two
or three introductory explosions, was
succeeded by a frightful convulsion
which tore away a large part of the
Island of Krakatoa and scattered it to
the winds of heaven.
This supreme effort it was which
produced the mightiest noise that, so
far as we can ascertain. has ever been
heard on this globe. 1t must have been
indeed loud noise which could travel
from Krakatoa to Batavia and pre-
serve its vehemence over so great a
distance; but we should form a very
inadequate conception of the energy
of the eruption of Krakatoa If we
thought that its sounds were heard by
those merely hundred miles off. This
would be little indeed compared with
what is recorded, on testimony which
1t is impossible to doubt.
Westward from Krakatoa stretches
the wide eApanse of the Indian Ocean.
On the opposite side from the Straits
of Sunda lies the Island of Rodriguez,
the distance from Krakatoa being al
| a tT4aI
by evidence which cannot be doubted
that the thunder of the great volcano