Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-20

investigated this OF territory and nave just
returned report to the Soviet Government
The island as Vet unnamed is 900 feet long and
nearly The scientists found gas escaping from
several creviees and gnted to determine its compost
1t has been constantly burning ever since accorlng
ti---rr0rr- surface the heat was almost
unbearable at depth of two feet.
one of the most perplexing mysteries of the sea is
the island that appears disappears But islands do
appear and disappear they discovered and then lost
again Returning saormen tell stories delightful days
spent in places unrecorded the map and pirates
supposed tucked away part of their treasure
islands that have subsequently vanished from the sea-
The captain of a tramp vessel that put the Pacific
side of Mexico recently told of the strange discovery he
had made when his ship driven far eff it's course
by a tropc storm
sighted island not recorded any charts After
taking boat ashore the returned and said that
lived there although there many bungalows
much evidence that at time the island had been
inhabited The captain himself then went ashore, and
discovered that the Island had undoubtedly been swept by
scourge which had wiped out every living creature
There numerous huts, showing that at one time
the place had been thcy populated but no living person
could be found.
The former inhabitants had died in such numbers that
they buried and their skeletons lying
about wherever the people happened to be when death
struck them down In hut were the remains of II
natives while many others skeletons found in
smaller groups An the bones decomposed indicating
that death had occurred a long time before.
The story dscredit,d there records
any other having visited the place but the mate
had taken along his camera, and the skipper produced
snapshots suhstantiate his story But far
never been redscovered
Many islands have this disappearing habit There is
Expedition Island for example Maps used to show this
delightful bit territory lying the northwest coast
Of Australia, about % miles from the mainland When
it Aourished in all its beauty II has since time out of
memory. it was l3 miles Tong and about miles wide
The Swedish trader. Laemstrom visited it early in
the Spring Of 1892 and the Dutch naralsts of the ship
Thlgnig- GATHERED het1rTca specimens and many
hundred Of birds eggs years later But ship
cruising those parts not long ago, when the
first officer remarked that the island was no more.
he 10 be m
around only hundreds Of fathefS of water found
T-ipaI mon obser,rg thsf thare we're no SIGNS of
breakers the former site Of the island he ordered
they sail directly across where the island had been
Sondngs again taken which showed that the island
sunk only IS feet below the surface II of
the slandson the Australian coast and its sudden
subsistence is still mystery
The classic example Of the island that disappears
however is Torca in The Indian Ocean more than two
q to June 1898 the island was well populated and
in high of civilization. Early that morning
which bad long been regarded the outstanding
menace Of Tofca began rumble ominousy and throw
out more Ere ami lava than usual.
The disturbance increased for several days until at
last the whole mountain ridge which extended across the
western portion Of the island appeared solid sheet
gradually sinking INTO the earth -Four days later
the entire ridge bad disappeared leaving
lake Of boiling lava It's place
This fiery lake cneroached gradually upon the valleys
and cultivated sections rorca and quie4l4-eausumed
the whole western area Hiso the largest town was
destroyed during DAYS eruption when hun
dreas Of people fed in boats 70 Amboy and others to
village o. the east coast.
July IL all that part Of the island Of Caraca
Creek the only stream on Torca had entirely dsap-
peared and restless lake OF bloHy flames rolled
what had but rev weeE before tee fertile nelds On
Bilv Is 1898. when i apparent ne stout
hearted that the doomed remaining
habltants rescued By ships sent from Amhoy M
They too Before the vessels had sailed
sight portion RI land ten leagues extent plunged
into Haming lake Rlfh terrific Ten days later
The entire island Torca had been 4eeourcd by
resstIess element which probably had been undermining
IL slowly Tor years