THE ICELAND ERUPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1730, 3 September 1875, Page 3

THE ICELAND ERUPTION.

Additional Details of the Imposing

Event

The following is a translation from the paper Nordavfari, published at Akureyri, in the north of Iceland, on the 17th of April :

On the evening of the 4th inst, an intense glare was observed in the sky all about the eastern horizon, and when seen by Laxardal it appeared to proceed from a more southerly locality than before. A few men therefore joined in an excursion to the scene. This time the eruption had found a new outlet in a southeasterly direction from Burfell, a good deal more than half way east between it and the Jokulsa. When they had got as far east as Hyannfell, they beard heavy rumblings in the mountain, but the weather being stormy they thought this might be only the din of gusts of wind travelling through the hills. Approaching Burfell they perceived that the din increased, so as at times, to give them the impression of MANY ENORMOUS WATERFALLS. Tumbling over the precipices. Ai certain intervals these thunders rollsd away, and then began with increased vigor. Having passed Burfell to the eastward, they were surprised all of a sudden to hear no din at all, but it soon made itself heard again as they approached the place of eruption. The fire arose up from three lava craters, in a line from south to north, which it had piled up around itself on a perfectly level piece of ground. At the distance of fifty to eighty fathoms to the west horn the craters a large fis3ure had formed itself as the firo broke out, and the land had sunk in to the depth of about three fathoms. Into the hollow thus formed the lava had poured at first, but now it flowed in a southeasterly direction from the two craters. The northernmost crater had the appearance of being oblong, about 300 fathoms in length, and from this crater the

MOLTEN RED-HOT LA.VA Was thrown about 200 or 300 feet into the air in one compact column. The top of this column then assumed a palmated appearance, and the lava fell down in small particles, like drops from a jet of water, which, as they became separated from the column, grew gradually darker, and split into many pieces, burating into lesser and lesser fragments as they cooled, yet when they fell on the edge of the crater, they were still in such a molten state that they were splashed about like water dashed against a solid substance.- As a matter of course no flames were observed, but the glare proceeded from these columns and the seething lava in the craters. The columns rose np at various points within the largest crater; but most frequently toward the ends, and at times the explorers could count twenty to thirty of them. No real smoke accompanied the eruption, but a bluish steam, which expanded and whitened in colour, as it rose to a greater distance from the crater, and such seemed to be the power of this blue jet of steam that it rose

STKAIGHT VP INTO THE AIR For many hundreds of fathoms in despite of a heavy wind blowing. The din to which reference was made before apparently proceeded from the boiling action inside the crater, which in power and force exceeded any noise produced by waterfalls. In the midst ©f this din there was heard now and then loud cracks, exceeding any report of cannon, and these- reports were followed immediatety by a blue steam column shooting up into the air. This is about the sixth eruption which has broken out in these mountains since the present volcanic action began. With intermissions of from 10 to 12 days the eruptions are1 gaining steadily in intensity. The din mentioned before could be heard clearly from the Myvatus Sveit— that is to say, it is audible at a distance of about 20 English mile*. » w ; < <