The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-11-24
Destruction Wrought by Philip
pine Volcano.
Greatest Eruption Of Taal Recorded
In 1754-Four Towns and Numer-
Gus Small Villages Were
Wiped Out.

The central or main crater OF Iaal
is nearly round, Its diameter on an
afr line north and south is 6233 rect
ana the east-west diameter is 1,54o
feet. The edge of this crater is some
what irregular, but is nowhere broK-
en- through its highest point standing
at only 1850 feet above sea level and
its lowest at 426 feet.
1t is said that Coshlma, In Japan Is
the only other volcano of similarly
low altitude Within the rim are two
hot pools, known respectively as the
yellow and the green lake, and a little
active cone above 80 feet in height,
from which escape steam and sulphur
Gus gas in varying quantities.
In the smaller lake every few min
utes the water in the center Is blown
up like an immense bubble, which, rls-
ing above the surface, finally bursts,
revealing a black orifice and causing
the boiling and very turbulent water
to assume all imaginable colors. The
aqueous vapor escaping is sufficient to
form a broad, smokelike column
which is visible especially during the
night and in the early morning.
At some distance, and before reach
ing the edge of the crater, where a
view of the bottom can be obtained,
the rumbling sound produced by the
escaping vapor, under the influence of
the mysterious subterranean forces,
no hot Of I'M
boiling kettle.
The greatest eruption Of Taal took
place in 1854. 1t consisted Of only
fragmental ejecta, but these were suf-
ficient to destroy four villages lying
about the lake. THE ash" Semper
says, has now indurated and a new
growth of bamboo and palms has
| sprung up around the projecting ru-
ms Father Euencuchillo wrote also
a pathetic description of this eruption,
from which the following is taken:
"The eruption began on May 13 and
did not end till December /. During
this time the intensity and aspect of
the eruption were continually chang
ing. 1t was 200 days of devastation
and ruin for the Inhabitants, to whom
the time must have appeared an eter-
nifty During this terrible time the
four principal towns Of the laguna of
Bombon disappeared, Wis, Sala, Lipa
Tanauan and Taal, with the numer.
GUS villages around them"
II is impossible to describe the
| haotfiftI aef r.,
the different mineral deposits on the
walls and cliffs of the crater.
AS the lake Is fed from underground
springs and no surface water drains
into X, 1t is as clear as crystal and
much cooler than sea water and has
an abundance of fine, hard-heshed fish
which are highly esteemed by the Fill
pinos of the region. They are game
fish and some reach size that makes
their capture with light tackle a mat
ter of some difficulty.
The clear water of the lake has an
other marvel that is we'll worth see
ing. Some comparatively moderr
eruptlons of the volcano covered some
towns, In two of which only the
church roofs are visible. Others ar,
completely submerged and on day.
when the surface of the lake is un
rufied one can look down and SCI
the fish dart through doors and win
dows of once populous barrios. Tn,
water is 25 feet deep, but so clear tha
every detail is visible.