Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-05-17
ERUPTION OF KRAKATOA.
Volcanic Explosions in East In,
dies the Most Terrific in
History.
Vast Volumes OF Ashes Blown Twenty
Miles Above Earth - Decorations
Heard Three Thousand Miles Dis
tant.
BY Sir Robert Ball.

4 The fOHOSinD description bv s.
Robert Ban " the eruption Of hrdk'
= tOd totH De- read Nth special interei
at the present time. 10 IS taken frOl
his book. ''The EGrth's Beginning" n
Gently published by ID. Appleton d. e.
J Until the year 1888 few had eve
r heard Of Krakatoa. IL was not in
hablted, but the natives from the sur
rounding shores of Sumatra and Jaw
used occasionally TO draw their canoe
up on its beach while they roame,
through the jungle in search of thu
Wild fruits. The island seemed TO owe
It's existence To some frightful eruption
OF bygone days. but for a couple d
centuries there had been no fresh out
break.
In 1883 Krakatoa suddenly sprang
into nOtoriety. Insignificant though il
had hitherto seemed, the little island
was soon to compel by it's tones OF
| thunder the whole world to pay il in
slant attention. IL was to become the
scene Of volcanic outbreak 50 appall-
/ ing that IL Is destined 10 be remem-
| bored throughout the ages.
Al first the eruption did not threaten
To be Of any serious type. In fact, the
/ good people OF Batavia, 50 far from be
ing terrified at what was in progress
in krakatoa. thought the display was
such an attraction that they chartered
steamer and went forth for a pleas
ant picnic To the island. Many OF US.
| am sure, would have been delighted
To have been able 10 join the party
who were TO witness so interesting a
| spectacle. With cautious steps the
more venturesome OF the excursion
party clambered up the sides OF the
volcano. guided by the sounds which
were 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 yigor OF Krakatoa stead
lily Increased. The noises became more
and more vehement These were pres
emily audible on shores ten miles dis
tant. ana then twenty miles distant
urtl the great thunders u the vol
canu, now SO rapidly developing as
tonished the Inhabitants that lwelt
over an area at least As large as Great
Britain. and there were other symp-
toms OF the approaching catastrophe.
Win each successive COnyuls.Ou a
quantity OF fine dust was projected
aloft into the clouds. The wind could
not carry this dust away as rapidly as
% was hurled upward by Krakatoa. and
accordingly the atmosphere became
heavily charged with suspended parti-I
Giles. 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 midu.uhtI
prevailed at midday. Then the awful
tragedy OF Krakatoa took place. Many
thousands OF the unfortunate inhlb-
ltants Of the adjacent shores OF SUI
matra and Java were destined never to
behold the sun again. They were pres
entity swept away 10 destruction iu an
INVASION OF the shore By the tremon-
dous waves with which the seas sur
rounding krakatoa were agitated.
The development Of the volcanic en-
ergy proceeded. and gradually the Ter
ror Of the inhabitants of the surround
ing coasts rose TO a climax. July had
ended before the manifestation OF
krakatoa had attained their full yio-
lence. by the middle OF August the
panic was widespread. for the supreme
catastrophe was at hand.
on the night Of Sunday, August &c.
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 occas on
ally lllumined by lurid flashes from
the volcano. The krakatoa thun lers
were Oh the point OF attaining their
complete development. At the town of
Batavia, n hundred miles distant there
was no quiet that night. The houses
trembled with the subterranean yio-
lence. and the windows ratified as if
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 a frightful CONFUSION
which tore away large part of the
Island of Krakatoa and scattered &c to
the winds of heaven.
This supreme effort IL was which
iIbuuNtu the ulibulitSl lOlAt ludlf ~
far as we can ascertain. has ever been
heard on this globe II must have been
indeed a loud noise which could travel
from Krakatoa TO Batavia and pre-
serve its vehemence over so great a
distance; but We should form very
Inadequate conception of the energy
of the eruption of Krakatoa If we
thought that its sounds were heard by
those merely a 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 Ocean.
On the opposite side from the Straits
Of Sunda lies the Island OF Rodriguez,
the distance from Krakatoa being al
most 1900 miles. IL has been proved
by evidence which cannot be doubted
that the thunder of the great volcano
attracted the attention OF an intelli-
gent coastguard on Rodriguez, who
carefully noted the character of the
sounds and the time Of theiB OCCUR