Forty Years On The Pacific/Volcanoes

Weird Phenomena—Birth Of Islands—Krakatoa

HERE is much volcanic activity in various parts of the Pacific, and activity of a more curious character than is ordinarily associated with volcanoes. There is an immense volcano on the northern side of Savaii in Samoa, which has been active without intermission since 1905. At first millions of incandescent rocks were hurled heaven high until a hollow peak was built up out of a valley to an elevation of perhaps fifteen hundred feet above the sealevel. As the opening grew larger, the discharge of the rock stopped and immense streams of molten lava, filled up with the inequalities of the ground, made for itself a smooth course toward the sea-coast some ten miles distant. Five native villages have been covered by the flow, and even their former sites can only be conjectured, for the thickness of the lava is seldom under thirty or forty feet at any place. No lives have so far been lost, for, as a usual thing, the approach of a lava flow is slow. The sight is overpoweringly majestic, and once witnessed is never forgotten. Before the eruption the place where the crater now is was a sort of elevated plain, surrounded by mountains. It was almost level, and in fact -a favorite camping-place for pig-hunters. The volcano is called Matavanu, a name first applied, I understand, by Herr von Biilow, a resident of the island, and a cousin of the former German chancellor. Many years ago a submarine volcano suddenly came into activity near Olosenga, vomiting forth mud and rocks to a height of two thousand feet, killing fish and discoloring the sea for miles around.

There are three active volcanoes in the New Hebrides group—those of Ambrym, Lopevi and Tanna. In 1897 a submarine volcano broke out near the north coast of Tonga. It had great force at first and for a time its eruptions were usually frequent. A submarine volcano also showed itself some twenty years ago near Erromanga. In 1894 and in 1911 violent eruptions took place at Ambrym. They did a vast amount of damage, and even now one can plainly see the track that the burning lava took on its way to the coast; and when it poured into the open sea, an enormous volume of smoke and water, several hundred feet in height, was forced up into the air. Lopevi is a volcanic cone rising to a height of five thousand feet, which erupted with great violence in 1908. The Tanna Volcano is always active and is one of the sights of the islands. It has been spoken of as "the great lighthouse of the Southern Isles, which every three or four minutes bursts forth with brilliance, like a revolving light." It is always grand and awe-inspiring.

As far back as all records serve, the Tongan Islands have been noted for volcanic activity. There is a volcano in the island of Tofua. In 1912 the several volcanoes on the island of Niafoou were all in eruption at once and did a great deal of damage. Some years ago an island arose from the water in the Tongan group. The phenomenon was preceded by extraordinary columns of smoke, and flames were seen. Instances of islands produced in our own time by volcanic action are comparatively rare, but, of course, permanent volcanoes are numerous in the islands of the Pacific.

Cape Gloucester, the extreme west point of the island of New Britain, is a complete nest of volcanoes. Sometimes there are a hundred or more craters, large and small, vomiting fire and smoke and fine ashes, and the light produced by the eruption at night is sufficient to read by. From the western end of New Britain extends a series of islands that are all volcanic.

The thermal activity of New Zealand is world-famed, the regions known as the Hot Lakes district being justly celebrated for unique and wonderful sights. Rotorua is the center of geyser activity much like that of Yellowstone Park. The greatest of the geysers is Waimangu, which a few years ago threw up at irregular intervals immense columns of muddy water and stones, sometimes to a height of fifteen hundred feet. Several parties have been overwhelmed by sudden eruptions and have perished. Close by Waimangu is Rotomahana, a boiling lake. Tarawera, a volcano in this neighborhood, broke into eruption in 1886, causing heavy loss of life.

White Island, off the New Zealand coast, is always more or less in a state of activity. It contains immense deposits of sulphur, but on account of the frequent volcanic disturbances, the greatest difficulty is experienced in getting workmen to remain on the island and work the deposits.

The Malay Archipelago was the scene, in 1883, of one of the greatest calamities the world has ever known—the eruption of Krakatoa—a little island crater in the Straits of Sunda, between Java and Sumatra. The noise of the explosion traveled farther than any previous sound ever known, and the aerial waves traveled around the globe. It is claimed that some of the debris swept all around the world, some of the dust even falling in Europe, and causing very brilliant sunset effects. No reliable figures were ever obtained as to the loss of life.

The population of Java alone is 37,000,000.

A still worse calamity took place in Java, June, 1919, when a volcanic eruption occurred at Mount Kloit, by which 50,000 lives were lost. The eruption only lasted 40 minutes, but one stream of water, sand, mud and lava, that flowed down the mountain (5,000 feet) was three miles wide and seventyeight feet deep. The flow continued for two days, destroying many sugar, rubber and coffee plantations.