The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02
. DEAD KING" AND HIS
REALM.
The story Of the Royal and Antipodal
ROSES,

Inc S'Ory OF the kOyBI u AutipOuai
ROSES.
The telegraph. sea and land. brings
from New Zealand news that tn
King of the Cocos Islands Is dead"
There IL no knowing at this time when
he died, for the realm he ruled Is a
long distance on the map from New
Zealand and Is much further away by
the shortest line of communication.
Probably he died within the twelve
months Of the year 1915.
The Cocos Islands are so called for
the sufficient reason that almost their
only product that might have COM
mercial value Ia the fruit Of the Cocos
palm, the cocoanut. But there is In
the sea surrounding these islands the
megatharium crab, which lands on the
islands and devours the cocoanuts. An
account OF their method Of getting the
nuts from the lofty palms and crack
ing their shells might be OF interest,
but so far as IL known It has no
been written. Since the megatharium
crabs require most OF the product OF
the Islands the realm does not enjoy
the advantages Of communication with
the rest of the world which the fire.
quent arrivals Of trading ships would
bring. The language OF the CocoS
Islands II English. probably with a
Scotch burr and a mixture OF Malay;
but there is nothing to indicate
that their ruler was not neutral in the
great war now going on. II indeed he
had heard that there Is a war.
These islands are in Malaysia, some
600 miles of the western shore Of
Java. A circle ten miles in diameter
would circumscribe them. They were
discovered in 1909 by Capt. Keeling.
who gave his name to them, and they
are designated by hat name or some
of the maps. In 1925 or ~thereabouts
Captain j. Ross. a Scotchman. skipper
of a brig. tool "A likins to the islands
and settled there. 1t Is recorded that
the captain and his crew took Malay
found them on the islands or vent 10
Java for them is an unwritten part OF
the romance. Many OF the smaller
islands Of Malaysia were adopted by
sailormal from various parts Of the
| world who were similarly romantically
inclined. Informally and not very
strenuously the Dutch laid claim tc
the Cocos Islands in 1929, and the
English in 1856, but the Ross family
has been In undisputed ownership and
! rule since Captain J. took possession
ninety years ago.
There IL some confusion as to the
name of the latest deceased ruler OF
the Islands. The message from New
Zealand gives II az Andrew Ross. II
that a his name perhaps he wal
named for the laird who may have
presented In his transformations way a
library to the Cocos ISLANDERS. Other
accounts say that George Clunies Ross
o ruler of the islands who visited the
United States In 1895 and pronounced
It a growing and promising country
died in 1910 and was succeeded by hi.
son sydney.
Although his realm was rather re
mote from world activities. the rules
Of the Cocos Islands in 1888 was com
paratively near at hand when O. Au'
gust of that yea me of the world:
most strenuous outbreaks occurred
That was the great Krakatoa eruption
when an island in the Sunda strait
between Java and Sumatra, about 10'
miles northeast of the CoCos Islands
was blown to dust, leaving 1000 fee
of water beneath the scene OF tn
blowup. The ~detonation was, 10 far a
IL known. the loudest ever made oI
the earth. 1t was heard 1000 mile
away and must have been fairly dis
tinct in the islands where the the'
Ross potcntate ruled. The eruption
kicked up sea wave hat washed tn,
shores Of Cape Horn. more than 100
miles distant. and were believed 4
have Tapped the docks IN the harbor
Of the English Channel, about II 0o
miles from Krakatoa.
The volcanic dust thrown to a grea
height in the atmosphere hung In sus
peuse for many mouths n was seer
in all parts of the world within 40 o
30 degrees OF the equator. 4 yea
or more after the eruption this dus'
Illuminated nv tho setting sun. wa
seen IN this country. with tho appear
anca hut q the form Of the zodlacT
light. The puinice from tho eruption
added from sixty 10 ono hundred fee
all around to the shores Of the Coo
Islands.
What tho then king Ross though
when ne heard the great noise IN tn
northeast. saw the sky darkcned, no
tiCed that The. sea was washing hic'
against his Islands, and found tina
their shores had been huiit out twent
or thirty yards into tho water. doe nc
appear In any record nj this time &C
ceSsihle. Nor is II told how man
months or yearq he had to wait no
Pore he learned thai his realm Of IN