THE VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES IN JAVA.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1304, 1 October 1883, Page 4

THE VOLCANIC DISTURBANCES IN JAVA.

■ -i -» : •'•ln- no part of the world, perhaps, are volcanic forces more powerful and - active than in that section containing ; the Malay Archipelago. It is traversed by a volcanic belt, running through 'it in 'curve's, and marked by a broken " ittountain ehaiu,. the altitude of the ' " latter in sohle Of the peaks being from ; o,oooft to 12,«;b0ft. Volcanic cones abound in this chain, and the centre of gieate^t" activity seems to he in Java, where iorty-six volcanic coneia have bfceii enumerated, twenty of -them being- in a', greater or less condition of continued ff'<' activity. The eruptions are ' awful ja^ times. ' This is how two are described in that admirable work "Wallace's A us- ralasia " : — "In the year 1772 the volcano Papandayang, in the south-west part of the Island, threw out such an immense quantity of scoriss and ashes that Dr Jaughun thinks a layer nearly 50ft thick was spread over an area bavi*!g

a "radius 'oHeveir pules, all this being thrown .out during a single night. Foity NatiVe-villages were buried /ber' neath it, and about 8,000 pei sons art-, supposed to bave perished between this single 'sunset and: sunrise.! - 1 " Still more terri-le aud destructive was the eruption of Mount Gal ungjong ( a f eY miles noi*th-<JSst{ • . pf ; Pap ndayang) on the Bth OctbKr, IVB2. At noon on tWi'da^^oi^^bud.wu.d be seen iv the! sfc $U3-S?^P^ Bte •rladly sought the friendly shades oi* the- dense . forest- 'and notia , iSoiiudiw6s t8 be beard 'over the -ffi^M^fchitivated declivities ! m6\mtaiii : ,! or oV&r;t|W; rich .ailjojUihg #tiftMuUi cveaki jig, , of sojne nati ve,.cart : dravfiu by ■ the "sluggish" biifialo..i v^he,-, Natives,, uncfer itliei shelter of thfehf- rud**.huts, werb! giving tbeiriselves>up)to'!mid*daA---repose, wben suddehlr' ,, 'i,. >, 'frj%Mful ,i ifflu^et#§ v^':^4 f^ ,l s&^ti and from the top lOf'this'old-VoMarib a <lat'k[ : Heat® nial& ; was'iteeh .risiftS* h lifter and bighdr hlia4ihe l air, •an'd^ rrisidftlg' itself out'dveh tu>clear*s%.imth such an a'ripalliug'-'afapidity > that: #h ia few moments the wholes -landscape was shr6hded> in*'- the •aarkrteSfe .*ffoi|b£ Through the- thrclf dtfrlihißs^ flashes of lighffi'iug.gl^amed'ihc^a^f \f : tejssy directipo,,. .■and- ii man_y . ( N#t3ves (j w6i;e struck' down , to "' tlie ".eai : th.',by j 4tpn<jjjs falling from the:sky.,;» The.n; a.cjeluge of hot -water and flowing, .mud? shot , up frbm the crater like a'Hfr-iterspoutj'atid poured down? ■■* the.' \inWntaiii side, k-Wdepig ' a f way r;l fcrefe'A Jtiuij^ri..,.hp ; diie8 r jn ; 3s s,e^tMng lf m^ss. I .At, fa .s'anae )(( .in(m^i^ M(^o^^;;^vd: ashes , .-and n sand, , wem ■•• pspje^tfid; ,, &> : dn' -enormous'- heightanto -the air,' a-hd, W ; *they f fell^destfoyeH' iiearly every- ! thing; withm a iflai.u«-'of.tWlntt r milfcs,! >M? a '#^^ fejl : beyoud <,th9. rWS&M-W?-**^hich . is.foiiiiy miless, of.^iAffeffi Jß"feis°? at ; we're* situated ion; the! high ihillsf on thej Tower- ". deolivitie^'fof iothe l-monhtaihj escaped the' f,, sifiWftn^ing«- ,; destlttWtion| liotwatei- an'dn^vvjrfg ffiu'dfft %mss*l of the, fls,^? ,-a-Md. fi os&j?£s-i0 $&j?£s-i * " at i • .were,": ;thi-Q>yn. out passed,, couiplejiely j over them, 'aud desfcmyed-yJUagesi thsoti Were -fuitfher! i^aiovedSrVom t>he-<-behtire; 'df r tTife ; gl-eat Eruption; ' Thfc'-thtodeiirfg; ' wkk Mt lieara' / at ,, ha'lf^a i se tffltf WUteK.'i of the .erupijiqh W^^.P a^ t ,iuv#|«^»% c ' .sky- begah/ito 'gi7QVY/:;ttlfiar l ..oflce^.ni9:r?> and- the sarfie-.-sitnl fcha^uafc-iuoput'hard! shed' his > glowingi{gHt : ovepUUe'*Mi; 'unrf^c'eftHan'iisc^^ castiiJg'hisiayßitW'^^fi^S^te,; then ch^pg^a/njipja,;,#ne m ßf utter! ide^^iph^/iAt'r-i^qgia eruption ,oc-j . eu-rredjfo.or flays.p,lat?r,(;n?or§..jter^jhle . than -the -i&ist&k N.©\vi<hilla. .and tivalle^S were formed, and the courts -Pf two fi-ivesi-s tyW&JA6^&& y River Walua;iUdEe faWl'&tf j*!**,) sea ie carcassqs;;) of y deer^ .^rhinoceroses, tigers.v.jiftnd uptfeer --^auirjialsi^ aiid the dead bodies of -men. One hundred .and fourteen village^ and'- 4;000 people