A ramble through the United States, Canada, and the West Indies / by John Shaw.

Shaw, John, M.D.

Date:: 1856

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A ramble through the United States, Canada, and the West Indies / by John Shaw. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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with an immense quantity of lava, illuminating at night the whole island. This continued with tre- mendous force until the 5th of June, exhibiting the awful, but yet magnificent, spectacle of a perfect river of fire, distinctly seen from Fayal running into the sea. On that day, the 5th, its form began to fail; in a few days after, it ceased entirely. The elevation of the crater above the sea was 3,500 feet. The lava inundated and swept away the town of Ursulum, and country-houses and cottages adjacent, as well as the farm-houses throughout its course. It, as usual, gave timely notice of its approach, and most of the inhabitants fied; some few, however, remaining too long, endeavouring to save their effects, were scalded by flashes of steam, which, without injuring their clothes, took ofi“ not only their skin, but the flesh. About sixty persons were thus miserably scalded, some of whom died on the spot or in a few days, and numbers of cattle shared the same fate. The consternation and anxiety were so great amongst the people, that even their domestic concerns were abandoned; and, amidst plenty, they were in danger of starving. Supplies of ready-baked bread were sent from Fayal to their relief; and large boats, to bring away the inhabitants who had lost their dwellings. In short, the island, heretofore rich in cattle, corn, and wine, was nearly ruined; and a scene of greater desolation and distress had seldom been witnessed in any country.