Waves 13 
break through the surface of the sea, and would certainly an- 
nihilate any ship unfortunate enough to be caught in it. It is 
possible that some of the mysterious disappearances of ships 
“lost at sea” can be attributed to such fearful natural phe- 
nomena as submarine earthquakes and volcanoes. As it is, we 
know that fish and other marine animals are destroyed in 
great numbers. 
AN ISLAND EXPLODES 
Krakatao is an island in the Sunda Straits between Sumatra 
and Java. On the 26th and 27th of August, 1883, this island 
exploded with the loudest noise that has ever been heard in 
our world. Even a week before the terrible explosion there 
was considerable volcanic activity. A ship which approached 
the Straits on the 2lst recorded: “Stood south for 12 hours 
and then came north again, but found things getting worse. 
Accordingly, stood south once more until the storm settled. 
All one day it was as dark’as the grave and pumice stones and 
ashes were still coming down. On getting to the straights we 
came through a bank of ashes and could only force the ship 
through at one-half knot. When once I got into clear water I 
was all the remainder of the day sailing through dead bodies 
of men and women.” Another ship got through the Straits to 
Batavia covered with ashes and claimed that it had passed 
through areas of sea covered with 7 feet of pumice. Both of 
these ships were very fortunate, inasmuch as all other abodes 
of the living near the Straits on the 26th and 27th were ut- 
terly destroyed by the explosion . . . lighthouses and all. 
The noise of the explosion of Krakatao was heard 3000 
miles away at the Rodrigues. A wave 100 feet in height was 
set up which swept away 36,000 unhappy souls and traveled 
