Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-24
LOOKING TAAL In The FACE
Description Of the Philippine Volcano
Recently in Action.
VIEWED BY AMERICAN OFFICER
URcIe sans Little KnOwn spouter on
island OF Luson ana IT'S Former
Achievements In Erup-


Captain W. G. Gates corps Of engineers.
stationed at Fort Leavenworth one Of a
p, party OF Americans who examined the
volcano Tssl before the recent eruption.
gives an Illuminating description OF the
crater and its surroundings IN the Kansas
City star, The volcano, he writes lies
about thirty miles south OF Manila, on the
smiling island Of Luzon. When Il is spe-
cially active the smoke of the volcano can
be seen from the Luneta Drive at Manila.
The natives say that the volcano was
once much greater than Il is now. The
geological formation OF the country bears
out this theory The volcano Itself Is an
Island from five to eight miles east and
west and ten to fifteen miles north and
south rising out OF the center of a lake,
! which ls about twelve miles east and west
by fifteen miles north and south. The
lake lies in a ring Of mountains as II It
were the floor OF a crater These moun-
tains start up gradually from the sea level
and curve up in graceful sweep until
y they are from 1000 to 1900 feet high and
then drop off almost sheer to the lake
4 which Is almost at the sea level. AS one
Z stands on the rim OF the crater and looks
at the rim OF mountains circling the lake,
they look exactly like the rim Of an
other crater. This rim is a little lower
/ on the cast side OF the lake and is broken
at the south side where a small stream
runs out from the lake to the bay OF
Bslayan. ~
It's Dim BeginninEs.
Evidently before the eve OF man ever
gazed upon IT, Taal was a towering giant
rising 10000 or 1900 feet above the sea
and sending out its fire ana smoke and
ashes. The native tradition Is that the
lake was originally a crater Of fire with
walls many times higher than those that
now surround It. One day there came a
terrible eruption, the walls Of the crater
sank and the sea rushed in and filled the
| crater, forming the present lake. For many
| years there was no other eruption. In place
Of the crater OF fire there was a beautiful
lake that emitted loud rumblings so that
| the natives gave II the name OF Bom-bom
or Boom-boom, which is stin the native
name for both the lake and the volcano
This was the condition in which the Span
ish found It. Where the little stream ran
out the Spanish built the towns Of Taal
and Lemery. Taal was a port Of call for
all Spanish gslleons coming from Mexico
/ A great church was built at Taal for the
virgin Of Caysaysay pronounce It kay-sl-si)
which was the special patron of the sailors
and WIS always saluted by the vessels
| going to or from the islands on their long
voyages across the Pacific. But the giant
! of the volcano was merely sleeping and
gathering strength for a mighty. struggle.
One morning when the priests were at mass
they heard reverberations like thunder, but
fancied II was the salute of a passing ship
until Il was followed by series OF the
most terrific earthquakes. Then came the
great eruption, one OF the most terrible in
the history OF the volcano. The Spanish
records tell that FOR three days the lamps
! had to be lighted all day In Manila. When
! the eruption was over.the present voloano
had thrust It's head a thousand feet above
/ the surface of the lake and a number OF
lesser craters showed their heads above the
/ water line. This time the volcano had
| changed TO water volcano and It was thus
that the Americans found it when they took
I the islands. The natives had built cities
\ around the lake and the luxuriant vegeta-
! ton has wiped out all traces Of the terrible
eruption save here and there a bit Of old
/ stone wall where some large building had
stood told Of the giants struggle. The
4 town OF Talisay was built at the very edge
OF the lake, as il in defiance Of the terrible
I power OF the volcano,
/ The country around the lake was the hot
| bed and one Of the last strongholds OF the
! insurgents. When the writer first saw the
volcano. there was a little gunboat which
/ fired on the insurGent quarters
ON the Road to TaaI.
To reach the volcano one leaves Manila
and goes to the little town of Tansuan, !
about ten miles from the edge Of the lake, |
and drives over a miserable road to the |
waters edge. The country is plateau |
! covered with orange groves and fields OF
sugar cane. To the east can be seen the |
smoke OF the volcano rising above the rim
I OF the lake About half mile from the !
lake the road twists down a hill that drops |
I 400 feet to the surface Of the water. From !
the hills around the lake Is obtained a |
| view unsurpassed anywhere in the world |
/ The hills and mountains from the lakes
rim seem like walls OF living green At
the bottom is a beautiful lake as blue as
the deep sea. Here and there schools OF |
flying fish leap from its surface and rush /
away from some hidden enemy. From the |
very center OF the lake rises the volcano |
Around it's base a few hardy plants exc out |
a struggle for existence and form a border
for the gray and yellow sides OF the vol |
cano Above the volcano a little cloud of
sulphurous steam hangs laEily. over all Is |
a sky bluer than Italy's and filled with /
/ great cloud masses such as one never OBJ
serves save in the islands OF the South |
| seas.
I To reach the volcano, one has to rely /
upon the native DdncAs winch II merely J
a dugout with outrigsers OF bamboo. The
mornings are generally calm and the trip |
! is made over perfectly smooth water. Be /
/ fore the mountain is reached the smell OF
sulphur becomes very evident. AS the
4 bancas run along the sides Of the volcano
] island an occaslonsl herd OF goats and
some natives are seen on the island. There !
| are-or rather were-about 200 OF these !
natives who lived on the island and fished
because II was no mans land and they
/ did not have to be poems like the natives
who lived on the shore These natives
( lived in daily danger OF their lives in order
that they might be free.
The spaniards obtained sulphur from the
volcano and left a very fair trail up It's
side. The trip up the volcano is readily
made An one climbs the odOr OF sulphur
becomes stronger and the smoking cliffs are
( seen. The view from the edge Of the crater
Is most brilliant The photograph shows
the crater from It's eastern edge. To the
south are the smoking cliffs which con-
] a1s ~ ~ sshf fe