Evening star., 1928-02-15
VOLCANOES RUMBLE
RECALLS 1S83BLAST
Most Terrific Explosion in
Modern Times Was Heard
5000 Miles Away.
Is KraEatoa lighting the fuse for

Is Krakatoa lighting the fuse for
another explosion?
The tiny island volcano il Sunda
Strait, between Java and Sumatra
already has tossed ont another nttls
land mass into the adjacent waters
The Dutch government. recalling the
terrific eruption OF 1883, has sent out
radio warnings TO both the Sumairans
and Javanese.
That explosion was the most violent
in modern times. according 10 a bulle-
tin OF the National Geographic So
ciety Il has been said that il made
the biggest noise" ever heard by the
ear @: man, Men and women still live
L. the Americas who recall the erup-
tion. for. While they did not hear lis
record detonation, they saw the marvel
Gus sunsets which It's dust. circulating
in tic upper atmosphere, helped create.
Sound Travels Hours.
TIE sound Of the eruption was heard
on Rodrlguen Island, 5000 miles dis
tart, ( hours after the catastrophe
II shot volcanic dust % miles high anC
il was this dust that was caught UP
IN s lofty WIND and whlrlcd around
the earth n Is days. 1t raised 8 tide
ii South America. 10000 miles away,
and. nearer by. II threw lid a wall o.
water more than a hundred feet high
which travelled 400 niles an hour.
Two months before Il exploded n
1883 kraka1oa vas regarded as All eX-
tlTCt Volcano.
No person who saw the eruption hytG
70 tell the story I: sDutstd Oh; 30.00o
lives. A Dutch pilot who nlraculouSlv
escaped death At AMER, 25 miles from
the volcano, supplies vivid account
o. one effect o. the disaster.
About s o'clock II the morning ! was
walking along the beach" the pilot
said. Looking out 10 sea I noticed
cark. black object through the gloom.
travelling toward the shore.
Avail of Water.
AT frst sight ii seemed ike low
range Of hills rising out Of the water.
but ! knew there was nothing Of the
kind n that part Of the Sunda Strait.
a second glance-and a very hurried
one i was-conyinced me that il was
8 lofty ridge Of water many feet high.
ard worse STILL that i would soon
break upon the coast near the town.
There was no time 10 give any warning,
and so I turned and ran for my life.
Ny running days have long gone BIZ.
but you may be sure that I did my
water with a loud roar break upon
the shore. Everything was ellgulfed
Another glance around showed the
houses beng swept away and the trees
thrown down Oh every side. Breath
less and exhausted I still pressed on.
AS / heard the rushing waters be-
hind ne I knew that i was a race
for life Struggling on. few yards
more brought me to some rising ground.
and here the torrent OF water over
took me. I gave up all for lost. as /
saw with Clsrlav how high the wave
sill was ! was soon taken of my feeI
and borne inland by the force Of the
resistleSs mass / remember nothing
more until a violent blow aroused me
Some hard. firm substance seemed
within my reach, and clutcfing It.
found I had gained place Of safety
The waters swept past, and / foGLo
myself clnging TO coconut palm tree.
Most Of the trees near the town were
uprcoted and thrown down for miles
but this one fortunately had escaped
and myself with It.
The huge wave rolled on. gradually
decreasing in height and strength until
the mountain slopes at the back OF
AMER were reached. and then. its fury
spent the water gradually receded and
flowed back into the sea. The sight OF
those recedlng waters hauntS me still.
As ! clung to the palm tree Wet and
exhausted. there fOated past the dead
bodies OF many a friend and neighbor.
Only mere handful Of the popu!a-
ton escaped"