The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-05-19
Especial to the starr

San Francisco. Calf. May -. 1871
a. MA cablegram from Honolulu
tells of the utter annihi1ation of
Ualau, one of the largest islands of
terday morning. There Is no explana-
ton for the catastrophe except that
the island was struck by an immense
meteorite. or more likely fragment
from Halley's comet, which crushed
the island like q blow from hammer
would smash a nut.
Information of the occurrence came
by wireless from the German station
in the Caroline Islands, TO which ii
was transmitted by the German man
of-war Lfchenstein. which was on her
way from the Gilbert Islands TO the
Carolines. Intending to call at talau.
About an hour before daylight yes
terday morning, while the Lichenstein
was about thirty miles east by south
lof Ualau, and steamng at about eight
knots. the lookout on the bridge was
lsurprised by a dazzling light, and
looking up saw what seemed an i'm
mense star right over the ship, and a L
the same time became aware of a
noise like the approach of a railway
train at full speed. 1t wasn't neceS-
sary to give the alarm, for in an in
stant everyone the ship was awak
ened by the noise and light which in
creased in volume and intensity until
the roar and dazzle We're almost un-
bearable. 1t at once occurred to the
crew of the Lichenstein that the comet
was about to strike the earth, and ii
seemed to them that it had chosen that
| particular spot as target for the
blazing mass which rapidly grew until
lit larger than the sun appeared
to be right over the ship. 1t speaks
volumes for the discipline of the Ger
man navy that every man went TO his
post, determined that the death which
appeared inevitable should find him
doing his duty. In few seconds after
the first alarm. the terrible intruder
had blotted out the heavens, and just
as destruction seemed inevitable. ap-
Ipeared to Swerve and poured like a
ten-mile wide cataract of fire into the
ocean. apparently only a few miles
west by north,
| An awful blacknesS at once sue
iceeded the intense light. and in a few
seconds the thunder which had fol-
lowed the rush of the fiery mass
Through the atmosphere was drowned
by a terrific crash, the mere impact of
(which heeled the ship over almost on
iher beam ends, hurled every man to
the deck and drove several overheard.
\ minute or two later. and a mountain
range seemed to rise out of the sea
and resolved itself into a tidal wave
of unheard of size, which rushed right
ldown on the apparently doomed ship
There was barely time to order full
steam ahead and swing the ship bows
on to meet the rush of the waves
Luckily the first swell. though a
mountain itself. was small compared
with those which followed it. Hard
work and peerless discipline enabled
the crew to close the matches and shut
the doors of the water-tight compart-
ments, and then with engines working
to full capacity the ship drove into the
widest rage of waters that man ever
lived through. For several minutes
ishe seemed on her way to the bottom
the tops of the waves We're tiercer than
any storm ever seen, while the mighty
rollers of brine seemed like one Hima =
laya range of water chasing another.
How the ship ever lived through this
worse than ten thousand NiagaraS no
one knows. Everything above the up
per deck-not only the bridge and
boats, but the deck-houses. was swept
away-even the tunnels We're cut off
a few feet above the upper deck
When at last the ocean had calmed
down to the aspect of an ordinary ty-
phoon, the crew OF the Lichensteir
found their vessel though badly
wrecked, yet afioat and able to make
headway. The sun rising behind then
forced a faint light through the clouds
of steam that suddenly boiled up tC
the heavens.
With unparalleled bravery. the com.
mander and crew OF the Lichensteir
forced their ship on through the storm
toward where the dreadful oblec
seemed to have struck AS soon d:
the captain could make any caleula
ton. he feared for the people Of Ualau
and in few hours saw enough to JUS
tify his apprehe hensions. The oceal
SLOWLY Quieted, though at no time die
the waves run lower than the swell
that would have been caused by
strong wind. but in mparison Will
the wild turmoil OF a short time befor
= they seemed almost calm.
AS the light increased a mighty pill
. lar of steam arose ahead and the wate
grew hotter and hotter until il becam
almost unbea rable.
BY eight O'Clock, the Lichenstein ha
reached a point where Ualau shoul
have been plainly visible. but nothing
could be seen but the seething caldro
of water below and a limitless clou
of steam above.
The water was now hot that III
Lichenstein had to sheer off and take
course west of where the island shoul
have been. BY this time. fearful evi
dences of the catastrophe were becon
ing abundant in the debris that almos
hid the sea
Shortly after o'clock, terrific raj
lset in. and in a few minutes beat tn