MANILA 
M AN I LA 
B A Y 
^/NiAMlipoly SCALE 
PASIG 
"A 
Kilometers 
s 10 
i-i M i-i H -m — 
MAP OF THi; REGION AFFECTED BY THE GREAT ERUPTION OF JANUARY 30, I9II 
The inner line incloses the area of devastation. The space between it and the next outer 
line shows the area of serious damage. The space included within the outermost line marks 
the area over which there was a considerable fall of "ash." A light fall of "ash" extended 
as far north as Manila and to a corresponding distance in other directions. The lighter 
ejecta were drifted to the northeast by the wind which prevailed at the time._ The loss of 
life was confined to Volcano Island and to the mainland to the west included within the zone 
of devastation (see page 361). 
through, but later torrential rains fell 
with thunder and lightning, some of the 
latter striking and the whole causing the 
greatest terror. Finally, however, the 
weather cleared, and of the whole 
tragedy there remained no other signs 
than the stench of sulphur and of the 
great quantity of dead fish cast upon the 
beach by the waves." 
In 1729 there occurred an eruption, of 
which we have no adequate description. 
In 1 73 1 the volcano again burst forth. 
Father Torrubia has described this out- 
break as follows : 
"With terror we heard during one of 
the nights a continuous fire of heavy ar- 
tillery, as if two mighty armies were en- 
gaged in battle. This was followed by a 
terrible earthquake of long duration, 
after which we heard only isolated deto- 
nations, not with the former frequency, 
but very much sharper. Their persist- 
ency caused us to pass the following day 
in considerable anxiety and fear. At 
nightfall we were informed that out of 
the depths of Lake Bombon, which is at 
a distance of eight leagues [34 kilo- 
meters, or 21 miles] there rose such a 
frightful and all-devouring conflagration 
that the whole region was panic-stricken. 
''Curiosity led me to go and examine 
the terrible phenomenon which lasted 
during many days, accompanied by sub- 
terranean rumblings which caused the 
entire region to tremble. The moment 
when a report was heard, there appeared 
in the air, surrounded by sulphurous 
flames and pestilential smoke, enormous 
boulders, which built up an island from 
the bottom of the deep lake, said island 
31S 
