Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-03-27
VOLCANIC ERUPTION
Report By an Eye Witness of One
of The Most Terrible Volcanic
Eruptions of Modern Times-Young
Lady Missionary Writes Her Ex
periences to Friend.

The eruption of Sakura-jima at
Kagashima Japan, last January was
one of the most disastrous volcanic
eruptions of modern times. We
print herewith letter which was
published in the Holland City, Mich
igan, News, from Miss Hendrine Hos
per, missionary in Japan, who was
a graduate of Hope College, Holland
City, and who writes to a young lady
friend in that city of her experience
home in Japan was just across the
bay from the volcano. .-~
Kagoshima, Jan. 25, 1914.
Have you read about Sakura- jima's
eruption in the papers? Pm wonder
ing how it was written up. You don't
happen to have an account of it? Do
you want me to tell you little
bit about it? Well snuggle up be-
cause it is going to be a long letter
I'm afraid but l could easily write
once again as much.
While / was living out my three
months of very pleasant language
study in Nagasaki heard incessant-
ly of the beauty of Kagoshima. What
made it SO wondrously beautiful,
was an island lying in the Kagoshi-
ma. This island is Sakura-jima or
cherry blossom" island.
Once upon a time it rose from the
sea. It was like big harmless watch
dog keeping the city from danger.
When January came / knew that
would see it's beauty soon and per-
haps looking at its height and grand
eur, it would broaden my mind and
sometime "clear my spirit" as the
Japanese would say l came to
Kagoshima January 9th in the eve
ming. All day Friday saw it's silent
beauty. During Saturday night I
woke up because of low rumbling
and shaking. 1t was my first earth
quake. l dreaded the first one but
strange to say, wasn't afraid at all
It continued all day Sunday and at
8 p. m. the papers reported 60
shocks. All Sunday night it kept
up never weary. Miss Lansing and
I, (Ill describe her to you some
other time, 1 live, with her in this
great house. III describe that too
some time) had planned a big days
work for Monday but, dear, "Man
proposes and God disposes." Mon
day dawneds bright and quiet, ex-
cept that continuous shaking. At 10
o'clock, Nejuma-S San Zone of the dear
est of Japanese girls, my teacher
called, Look! Look! and there from
peaceful old Sakura-jima column
of smoke was ascending, straight
and steadily. We watched. People
stood on the roofs of their houses.
They were all amazed to think of
that mountain acting that way. It
had been inactive for 134 years, ever
since 1779. :,
Higher and higher the smoke and
flames rose Flashes of lightning
and a loud roaring and faster
mounting Of the column. We could
see showers of stone fall and moul-
ten lava flow. Some of the stones
were as large as houses! Whole vii
lagos were transported to Kagoshi-
ma. We are directly across the bay
about 2 miles from Sakura-jima.
Higher and higher the column rose
it was magnificent and fearful sight
You would have liked it too, know
you wouldn't be scarf either, / wae
quite nervous" all the time for J..
didn't know what might happen. j
thought of Mt. Vesuvius and Mt. Pc
lee. etc. 7 thought I'd better take 8
little walk. I went up town all was
suspense. The streets were crowd