In 1883 Krakatau eruption of the Atomic Bomb More Fabulous
An observer at his home in Bogor, on August 26, at one o'clock to hear the rumble of thunder that had been mistaken in far away places. At half past three in the afternoon from a short burst of sound, so he began to believe that the noise was coming from Krakatau activity, the more so because the sound comes from the north-west direction. In Batavia's roar can be heard, as well as in Anyer. Bandung was attacked and the voices began to be heard at three o'clock.
A Dutch non-commissioned officers stationed in Batavia recounts his personal experience. Like many others he thought that the world would end then. "On August 26 it coincides with a Sunday. As a sergeant in the battalion to-IX in Weltevreden (central Jakarta) the day I was ordered to duty at the main guard at Lions Field. The weather was very oppressive. Thick cloudy overcast sky. When the rain began to burst, I am amazed that in addition to well water droplets falling ice. "
"About two o'clock there was a roar from the west. It seems like there's a rain storm, but interspersed with a bang-bang, so nobody paid knew that it was not unusual lightning storm. At the editorial desk of the newspaper Java Bode immediately recall the Krakatoa volcano that has been since a few months showed activity after resting for two centuries. They sent a wire to the correspondent in Anyer, a small harbor on the shores of the Strait of Sunda, where people can look at the figure of Krakatau is clearly on bright days. The answer came quickly: 'Here are so dark, I could not see his own hand.' This is the last message sent from Anyer ... "
"At five o'clock the rumbling became more intensified, but it does not look flash. Eruption after another more often, such as heavy shell fire. From the Field King (Freedom, Ed.) And the Lion Square (Bull) lookslike flashes of lightning in the west, not from top to bottom, but from the bottom up. Time of day gradually dark, at the foot of the west is still seen glowing light. "
"It is customary that every day at eight o'clock precisely at fort (Frederik Hendrik, now Istiqlal Mosque) fired a cannon as a gesture of ceremony, followed by the sound of trumpets that requires all soldiers enter the barracks. The drummers and trumpeters battalion was ready at quarter to eight. They still smoke relaxed before they lined up to give the hint. Suddenly there was a thunderous cannon fire, much earlier than usual. They soon come together to form rows and after the horn sounded, they marched with drums and trumpets sounding. Recently they reach the dormitory when the actual cannon boomed from the fort. Mount Krakatau was to outwit them! "
Batavia So Cold
"While the 'shooting' goes on. Sometimes it sounded like a salvo successive flashes of darting into the sky. All the people seized with fear. No one believes that there is a storm raging deep in there. Almost no one dared to sleep that night. Many who gathered at their home page while directing their views to the west and discussed the possibilities that cause the strange phenomena of nature. Just a country boy who did not hesitate: 'There is a mountain broke, "they said."
"Towards the middle of the night came on duty officer, Lieutenant Koehler. He told me that the whole city was in a panic. The natives gather in mosques to pray masijid. Dutch population is maintained in their homes or go to the ball to each other Harmonie Concordia or seek support from others. "
"By two o'clock in the morning like a series of quick shots of artillery eruption reached its peak. Stone houses trembled and windows rattling. Glass falls and street lamps littered the ground, broke shop windows, gas lighting in many homes out. After the explosions subsided, but from the west is still audible roar. "
"Then I felt that getting into the cold air. Within a few hours the temperature has dropped in such a way, until I shivered at the gatehouse. Batavia Air has never been as cold as it is. When I look out across the city was engulfed by thick fog. Street lighting across from Lions Field I can not see anymore, although I heard from other colleagues that the lights still on. Soon the fog was not the usual fog, but the rain of ash, which crashed shortly after midnight - at first rare, but more and more heavy, so everything is covered by a thick gray fog. "
"At six o'clock in the morning, according to regulations, all lights should be extinguished, but the sun does not rise! Only about seven o'clock in the morning seemed like going to dawn, but that day will not be bright. Eve getting a cold, so I ordered my men to wear their raincoats. While the ash down with endless. Ash was everywhere, the ward also keep a fine powder which is coated by a whitish gray. Sentries that I see from the window was pacing, looks like a gray snowman moving mechanically. "
"About nine o'clock in the morning explosions and thunder grew. At ten o'clock it was dark as night. Gas lamps switched on again. 15 mm thick layer of ash covered everything. The streets were deserted, no one dared to manifest themselves. I felt alone in the world, the world soon will collapse! "
"At 10:40 o'clock finally arrived a telegram from the attack, which it includes little information about the cause of the symptoms of the terrible nature. The wire read: "Yesterday evening Krakatau work. Can be heard here. All night long the light is clearly visible. Since eleven explosions more powerful and unbroken. After heavy rain this morning ash the sun does not appear, dark as night at half past seven. Peacock tidal wave destroyed. Now here it is raining pebbles. Without a strong umbrella no one dared to come out. '"
"Through twelve o'clock, when at Batavia was still pitch dark and very cold, came the news wire of the Fish Market and the port of Tanjung Priok. A tidal wave has flooded the lower city. Surface of the water two feet above the normal line. Steamship Princess Wilhelmina cast into the base, as well as the chimney Tjiliwoeng ship damaging the roof of the customs office. A number of boats and boat stranded in the Port ragged Fish Market, covered in thick mud and ash. Refugees began to flow along the highway with a property that can be carried to the higher lying Weltevreden. At two and four pm tide comes again, but this time less than the first. "
"In the west has become increasingly less quiet and dark, so the sun began to appear as red patches on the sky is gray dirty. At the eleventh hour to replace, I received orders to prepare immediately a force to be diberangkatkana to the affected areas in South Sumatra. At that time in Batavia nobody knows exactly what is actually happening in the west. All telegrams relationship with the affected disaster areas cut off. "
Silent Attack tense
If in Jakarta, the tide would not take too great sacrifice, but in the west coast of West Java are closer to the mountain's wrath, the result was terrible. In Tangerang, flooded northern coast as far as one and one half miles to ask for human sacrifice is big enough. Nine coastal villages destroyed. Victims in this area recorded 1794 people and 546 native Chinese and other foreign Asian.
In Attack of the clamor began to be heard at 3 pm, Sunday. Later that night constantly smell of sulfur and thunder and lightning seen from the direction of Krakatoa. Seninnya day the sky to the west was gray and raining ash down without stopping. At half-past eleven days from dark, and getting dark, making it virtually invisible nothing. After eleven o'clock came a wire from the attack that there has been rain of pumice gravel; soon cut ties with Jakarta telegram.
After the mud following heavy rains gravel, wet ash that is attached to the leaves and branches that sometimes collapse under the weight. Around 12 o'clock it stopped raining mud, but ash remained dry down. Surprisingly, during the attack that did not sound eruptions, even eerie atmosphere is very quiet, which makes many people more nervous and depressed. Pets are also more anxious, they want as close to the man in the house, near the lamp. By force even if the animals were not successfully sent. After two o'clock in the afternoon the sky began to look a bit brighter in the east, the cocks began to crow. Rumbling sound began again, raining ash down constantly and the smell of sulfur ash nose piercing. At four o'clock the lights are still lit.
Newspapers are published in Batavia, dated 28, August 31, and September 4, full of news about the catastrophe that befell the Banten. But rarely have the story from eye witnesses, because the places are located on the beach like a peacock, Anyer, and Caringin, crushed and there are only a few Dutch people who had fled and were helped at the right time.
When sober All Dark
In Merak a bookkeeper at the port company named E. Pechler is the only person who escaped the Netherlands. He was in charge of carrying a telegram sent to his superiors for Batavia passing attack. This news is probably the last delivered from Merak. It contained a report to the Bureau Chief of the Port in Batavia, which states that on Sunday 26 August and the next day, some of the more low-lying Peacock, Chinatown, the railroad, tergenangi; bridge and bay berthing place of extraction of stone for the port is damaged bridges and crane, the crane still in place at the time, but the carriages had entered the sea.
Around nine o'clock Pechler situated at the foot of a hill outside of Merak. Suddenly he replaced the mud and rain storms. He saw the wave approaching the water, so he ran helter-skelter to the top of a hill, but before it reached its peak, he had overtaken the tide. What happens after that he did not know anymore ...
The next day he had regained consciousness. Surrounding places are dry, but he could not recognize because it is very dark surroundings. On Tuesday he could just walk back to the Peacock. On the way he saw a locomotive which was badly damaged, about 500 m from the stop. In Merak he did not find anything else. Even the dead were not met ... everything has been washed out to sea. Among the government officials in Merak only Pechler and an engineer named Nieuwenhuis who survived, because he was traveling to Batavia. When the engineer returned to Peacock, who built his house upon a hill as high as 14 m only a floor only.
Running rain in the Bay Pumice Stone Betung
Anyer hit by tidal waves on Monday morning, the 27th, about ten o'clock in the morning. This wave swept settlement on the beach, so that remains is the fortress, prison, and the district officer's residence Patih. Plain about Anyer, which places it behind less than 1 km wide as if it was shaved; near shore coral boulders thrown to the ground. Densely populated Caringin also devastated; located on the wide plain of about 1,500 m, followed by 50m hills, where a small number of people to escape.
Not only on land, but on the high seas Krakatau also terrorizing ships sailing nearby accident. Passenger ships that sail the Straits of Sunda on the fateful day would never forget their experiences and fears for his life. Gouverneur Generaal steamer Loudon, with skipper Lindeman, a ship Stoomvaartsmaatschappij Netherlands Indies (the predecessor of KPM) sailed from Batavia to Padang and Aceh to stop in the Gulf of Betung, Krui, and Bengkulu. The ship was set on August 26 morning from Jakarta. A fellow passenger tells of his experience as follows:
"The weather was very sunny morning. In the afternoon we anchored in Anyer, a small harbor on the coast of Banten. Some blue-collar workers rose from this port. The vessel then continued his voyage to the Bay of Lampung, through Sangiang Island and Cape Tua. On the left the ship we saw the island of Rakata in the distance, we stopped two months ago. "
"When Mount Krakatau began work last May, after two centuries of rest, the ship owner company Loudon held a tour of tourism for the people of Batavia. By paying twenty-five guilders, we can sail to the island of Krakatau. At the time it is still possible to land on the island, even climbing the white steaming crater. "" Now the volcano is likely far more serious. Black smoke billowing from the crater into the blue sky and the rain of fine ash fell on the deck of the ship ... "
"At 7 pm we anchored in the Bay Betung. Very quickly into the dark days, was lautpun seems more choppy and increasingly heavy ash falls. Loudon ship motioned to send the boat ashore for passengers to be landed, but no answer anything. Then the captain ordered the lifeboats lowered boats, but do not allow large waves to reach the ground, so that the lifeboat had to come back again. "
"Harbor lights lit as usual, but there seems to be exceptional events in the Gulf Betung. Occasionally seen tandabahaya of other ships and kentongan sound beating. City lighting extinguished. While it was raining ashes now turned into a torrential rain of pumice ... "
Broken beacon tower like a matchstick
"The discomfort we spent the night. Seawater grew wild and the waves lashed the hull of the ship without stopping. When we saw that the dawn Betung Gulf suffered considerable damage by the tide. Barouw government steamer, regardless of their anchors, and struck down into the ground. Warehouses and other buildings damaged port. But there was evidence of your life in a small town ... "
"At seven o'clock in the morning all of a sudden we saw a wall of water moving in the direction of our ship. Loudon was to manouver to avoid, so that the wave is about parallel to the side of the ship. The ship was a great dive, but at the same time the wave has passed and Loudon survived. We got to see how the tide was approaching, and then struck the city of Gulf Betung with an unstoppable force ... "
"Soon there were three powerful waves that burst, which is in front of our eyes ravaged all that is on the beach. We see how the broken beacon towers like a matchstick and houses crushed by the waves disappear. Barouw ship lifted, then dumped into the ground through the tops of palm trees. Formerly Gulf Betung now only a mere water ... "
"In the town there are thousands who would die at once and the city itself as removed from the earth. All of that happens quickly and suddenly, so pass before we had time to realize what really happened. As if with one movement of a monstrous scenery of a theater background has been replaced ... "
"Finally the Captain Lindeman decided to leave the bay, because he thought that the situation is quite dangerous. Ship headed to Anyer in order to report the disaster that struck the Gulf Betung. Soon the ship was sailing on the high seas. Although it was still morning, the weather was getting dark, and by ten o'clock it was dark as night. The darkness lasted for eighteen hours and as long as it rained mud that covered the deck until nearly half a meter. "
"In the wheelhouse the skipper to see that the compass shows the movements of the most bizarre; at sea going strong currents, which are constantly changing direction. Air polluted by sulfur gas jet which makes it difficult to breathe and some of the passengers suffered ear buzzing. Barometer shows the air pressure is very high. Then the wind blew strong that develop into hurricanes. Ship tossed by the waves of the sea and high vibration. There are times in danger of being overturned by Loudon flood water coming from the side. Anything that is not tied to a strong cast into the sea ... "
The fire of St. Elmo
"Seven times in a row of lightning struck the main mast. With a series of bursts which rattle, thunder as it is sometimes hung on the ship illuminated terrible. Fire extinguishers put up on the deck, the skipper worried because every time Loudon get burned. "
"Unless lightning, we have also witnessed other strange natural phenomena, namely the so-called Saint Elmo's fire. On top of the mast repeatedly seen small flame is blue. Native-sailor sailor climbed the pole to put out the 'fire', but before they reached the top of the symptoms had disappeared and then look to move to another place. Blue fire on the move was really a sight to wake chilling and creepy. "
"Between the storms and big waves we have a quiet moment. Suddenly, everything became quiet and smooth as glass lautpun. But the unnatural quiet was more gripping than the roar of the waves and hurricanes that we had experienced. There was no sound other than complaints Indonesia and the prayers of the passengers on the deck forward, who believe that they are soon going to die. "
"Finally on the eve of the 28th we saw a little light in the sky blew! Pale beam of moonlight broke through the clouds. When it was about four in the morning. On the ship excited crowd cheered with gratitude and relief. There are still pumice and ash fell to the deck, but at least we can look around a little unclear. We are still sailing along the coast of Sumatra. It seems very quiet beach. That were once covered with trees now left only the broken stump of the former trunk. Sea full of wood and pumice, which in various places gathered into a kind of a big island that covers the entrance to the Bay of Lampung. "
"Looks Loudon ship is really surprising. He looks more like a ship that sank ten years on the seabed and the new re-appointment. We sailed the Strait of Sunda and early Krakatoa look back. Now we just understand what really happened. The whole island was blown up and destroyed most of the missing. Crater wall had collapsed, we only see the giant cracks that emit fumes and vapors. "
"At sea, between the island and the island of Krakatau Sebesi which was still a shipping line, is now emerging of small volcanic islands and dozens of burnt charcoal arising from surface water. In the eighth place of smoke visible from the sea surrounded by a white vapor. We slowly approached the coast of Java. The scenery looks almost ineffable. Everything has been flattened out into the desert no man's land. When we anchored in the Gulf of Anyer, we discovered that a small port that is not there anymore. Everything had been swept clean, no home, no bushes, not even a stone that looked! Still only a milestone marking the former site of the founding of the lighthouse. The rest did not have anything else, the emptiness and loneliness ... "
"What was once a prosperous villages, now only a stretch of gray mud. The river is full of debris and mud. Everywhere unseen signs of life ... The islands in the Sunda Strait also not spared from the disaster. Sebesi who once inhabited the island of two thousand people, now only a heap of ashes of the hill, to a peak of nearly five hundred feet high, and all the plants without a trace. Invisible boat or another village. Similarly, the state of the other islands, and island Sangiang Sebuku Island. "
Rain Mud
"On August 29 we were back in the Indian Ocean. The more to the north, the less visible due to the great catastrophe. Then in Padang and several other places we met with the people who heard the explosions and the roar of Krakatoa. The strange thing is that we who are in a place that is closest to Krakatau, have not heard that thump-thump ....... "
That is the story of a passenger ship that saw the catastrophe from a distance. Gulf of Betung own city there were no witnesses who survived. According to him the first tidal wave arrived on August 27 morning about half past seven, which lay the harbor lights, coal shed, shed on the wharf, and threw Barouw ship from the east side of the dam past the breakwater to the Chinese village. Gudang Garam and Kampung Kangkung damaged along with several other villages on the coast swept away. Marie rolled freighter in bay salt, but then be up again. People also saw Loudon anchored the ship, then sailed again at seven o'clock.
The sky is yellow reddish like copper, from the Krakatau seen the flashes of fire, ceaseless rain of ash fell, but about eight o'clock in the situation calm. While people who had fled to high ground when it was time to return to their homes to salvage what can still be taken, or to see the state. Approximately ten o'clock suddenly heard a terrific explosion that makes people stare. A beam of light and lightning seen in the direction of Krakatoa.
Days immediately after the eruption began to dim. Scattered pebbles of pumice began. Towards eleven o'clock it was dark as night, rain changed to rain ash sludge. Furthermore what exactly took place, no one knows, because the survivors took refuge in the house residents and only heard the roar and rumble through the night caused by a hurricane that broke the twigs, toppling timber, and throw mud on the windows. The flight was not aware that the tide is already approaching a place of refuge as far as 50 m in the foothills.
The new person the next day to know how much destruction. The whole terrain razed to the ground, no house or tree is still standing. That there is only ash, mud, debris, wrecked ships, and human and animal corpses strewn everywhere. Barouw ship was not seen again. Only later the ill-fated ship was found in Kuripan River valley, in the back corner of the valley at a distance of 3300 m from the berlabuhnya, and 2,600 m of Chinatown, where he cast the first wave at half past seven. A number of boats run aground on the edge of the valley, a marine beacon was found on the hillside cemetery. Barouw crew, the first propagator Amt and interpreter engine rimbanya Stolk gone unnoticed. Terjilat the coast of Sumatra that plagues most severe Krakatau, which lies primarily dealing with the Sunda Strait. Such places on the shores of the Gulf of Watermelon.
Sandwiched Two Houses
A Dutch personal experience and the magnitude of the eruption of Krakatoa managed to maintain their lives are placed in Beneawang controleur capital Watermelon section, which is located in the Gulf of Watermelon, Lampung. PLC. Le Sueur, Dutch officials, reported to his superiors in a letter dated August 31, 1883 as follows:
"On Sunday afternoon, four o'clock, when I was reading on the back porch of my house, all of a sudden I heard a bang that resembles a cannon explosion. I think that the resident had been due to arrive tomorrow with gunboats government has accelerated the schedule of his visit. I quickly assembled the chiefs and local officials to the beach. But we do not see any ship at sea. I immediately returned home. "
"Recently I got home, a messenger reported that the sea water began to rise and some villages on the coast are flooded. I immediately set out again to curb the situation among the people who started to panic and call out the name of Allah. I told them to bring women and children to places where that is located higher. Then the water receded more quickly, but it started raining ashes. "
"About four o'clock in the morning I was awakened by people who preach that the horizon looks rosy light. I was worried ... At six o'clock in the morning, Monday, I went to the beach. Sea levels are much lower than usual. While the rock is usually not visible, is now dry. Next I heard the thunder dial-connect, so I am afraid there are things more horrible will happen to us ... "
"When I got home I sent for Van Zuylen (my assistant) to write a draft letter to residents about what happened. Hours had past seven, but the weather was so dark that the lights still on. A moment later Van Zuylen said: 'Excuse me sir, for a while I stopped writing it. I feel nervous. '"
"No sooner had he said it, all of a sudden we heard a commotion. Men, women, and children running around, yelling: 'Flood! Flood! '. Van Zuylen and I immediately came out and offered the men to take refuge in my house, because my house is located in a rather high and is built on top of the pole. But the tide soon returned to the sea so that everything is calm again ... "
"Peace did not last long: After a while the sea water and back again with the crash of a frightening roar. In my house there were already about three hundred people displaced. I'm back and forth between them to calm them down somewhat. Suddenly I heard the front porch collapses and the water crashing into a house soon. I encourage them to move to the back porch. Recently I said that, all of a sudden the whole house falling apart and we are all dragged down by the water flow. "
"After that I did not know what happened. I managed to grab a piece of board and float with the flow of water, until something caught my foot so I had to remove the board. After that I managed to reach some of the pieces of the roof. I held on tightly until the water returned to the sea and my feet on the ground. I use my jacket to protect the head from the rain the mud. "
"In the distance I heard a voice ask for help from men, women, and children, but I am powerless to help. I can not stand because of weakness, fear, and surprise, and anyway not seen anything since the dark. I heard the water come back with strength. I can only pray for a moment we all beg lifesaving skills while preparing to face death. Then I was swept away by water, circulated, and then cast with tremendous force. I was sandwiched between two houses that float. I could not breathe anymore it seems. I thought that I had to die. But suddenly the house apart again. Then I got my banana trunks that do not disconnect anymore ... "
"With my banana trunk floats for some time, how long exactly I do not know anymore. When the water receded, I sat alone, I probably there long hours without moving. Around me was pitch dark and raining mud goes on. "
Kontrolir cry for help
"At last I heard human voices near the place. I called, got up and began teetering mud with his eyes closed as he groped my way. All my clothes, except the flannel shirt, has tercabikkan of my body. I walked in a state of cold mud in the rain, but could not find the people that I heard his voice it. "
"I stepped on thorn bushes and my skin is torn by a thorn cane, I'm a lot more downs than walking. Finally I heard someone say in Lampung: 'We're not far from the great river.' I speed up my street sedapatnya, sweep mud from my eyes and hurried toward the voice. I met a Javanese, a Palembang, Java and some women. "
"Soon we see the light of the torch from a distance. Without stop me screaming: "Help! Please! My controller! 'But it did not seem to torch my voice heard. Several times we saw the light, but then disappeared into the darkness. When it should have been eight or nine o'clock in the morning, but still dark ... "
"Finally there is also a torch bearer who come get us. I told him who I was, and he led me through the woods and brambles Kasugihan wade through mud to the village, and then forwarded to STEPS. It was already eight o'clock when we got there. In this village I had rested an hour when we heard the roar of the water, so this place is also still not safe. We fled to the mountains again. After two hours of walking we reached the village of Umbrella, located on the slopes of Mount Tanggamus. In this place there which gave me a glove, so I dressed up a bit inappropriate. "
"Lucky that I got a good reception from the village chief and his people, so every day I can eat rice with chicken. On Tuesday I sent people to investigate anyone who is still living in coastal areas. The result is very sad. Beneawang almost all destroyed. I expect the death toll in this area there are about a thousand people. Many villages disappeared. In many villages in famine. "
"We sent a few pieces of clothing, because I do not have anything else, also shoes and slippers."
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