The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-07-25
VOLCANIC
OUTBURST
BARKENTINE S. N. CASTLE SAVES
PEASANTS WHOSE LANDS WE'RE
COVERED WITH ASHES.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 15-The OUT.
burst of volcano on the peninsula of
Kamtchatka on February 18th last
threw the whole country into utter
darkness for more than forty-eight
hours, and resulted in the starving or
scores of natives, according to the Of
ficers of the barkentine S. N. Castle,
which reached port last evening direct
from the Ollhotsk sea.
The s. N. Castle arrived in the Ok
hotsk early in May, and was imme-
diately set upon by starving natives,
who had been struggling for existence
for weeks previously. Many of these
natives were on the way across coun-
try toward Petropaulovski, when, at
noontime on February 18th the sky be-
came overcast and lava and black ashes
began to fall.
The source of the appalling shower
was not known, but it made night of
day and changed the face of the whole
country. The Russian peasants were
at the time travelling overland through
the desolate country and had only
small supplies of provisions. The
weather had been good, and no unusual
conditions wree expected when the
terrible downpour of lava and ashes
came upon them.
Captain Petersen and the crew Oh
the S. N. Castle fortunately found
these sun ering and almost starved ma
tives en- the bleak shore Of Kamtchatka
when the barkentine stood in for the
coast on the way to the codfishing
groun6s. When the fishermen from
the barkentine went ashore they came
upon scenes that struck a chill into
their hearts. On every hand were
starving natives, living in tents amidst
most desolate surroundings, the ground
being strewn with ashes. There was
no sign of vegetation, and even the
distant foothills were black with
the ashes and lava that had sweep
down from the skies. The natives
so1ce Of whom could speak English
told Captain Peterson and his men tina
they had no knowledge of the sourc
Of the terrible storm that had com
upon them.
They knew only that while the,
were crossing the valleys in the frs
flush OF spring when grass was be
} ginning to appear in the scheltere
canyons, a wave of dust fell upo
them, followed by utter darkness tina
D continued for two days and nights
Lava, almost hot, fell all about then
D and there were such showers of blac
D ashes that their progress was stage
and the women and children had to
hidden in caves of the canyons viii
the men wandered about in search {
water. They were lucky to find Ill
dried creeks and springs. But tn
party of natives was in dire strait
and some of them had succumbed
their hardships. In response to the
request Captain Peterson sent off tw
; bcatloads of provisions. The sufferin
natives said this supply would be su
ficient to keep them from further su
!. fering on the way to Petropaulovski.
The S. N. Castle left that stretch
S coast soon afterward, proceeding
the Okhotsk sea, where she began
3 take in Goldfish. Nothing further We
= heard of the mysterious shower Of Law
= and ashes, nor of the natives, but
5 was presumed that they reached Petrc
= paulovslki in safety. From natives ;
5 the stations in the Okhotsk sea notl
1 ing definite could be learned as to til
= identity of the volcano that had blow
, UP and sent its devastating shove
S n,rnr the Kamtnhatlan neninSnla