KRAKATOA, or KRAKATITA, A small volcanic island in the Sunda Strait. be tween Java and Sumatra (Map: East Indies, C 6). It has au area of six square miles. about one-half of its former size. The volcano had been in a dormant state since 1680, when. in May, 1883, it broke out, culminating on the night of August 26-27 in one of the most violent and dis astrous eruptions known in history. A mass of rock material, estimated at more than a cubic mile, was thrown into the air in the form of lapilli and dust by a succession of explosions that were heard over 150 miles away. The dust was carried to an estimated vertical distance of 17 miles, and reaching the upper air currents it was borne to the remote quarters of the globe. The suspension of this finely divided material in the atmosphere has been regarded as the cause of the brilliant sunsets which during the following win ter and spring were observed over a large portion of the earth's surface. The explosions wire fol
lowed by violent atmospheric disturbances that passed around the earth at the rate of 700 miles an hour. A series of gigantic sea waves was also generated, and these caused great loss of life. The water advancing upon the shores of the neigh boring islands swept away whole villages, while the oscillations were noticeable as far as the shores of South America. After the terrible con vulsions it was found that the northern part of the island. including the highest peak. had disap peared. The total loss of life probably exceeded 30,000. one authority estimating it at 36.3S0. The island is without permanent population. Consult: Symons, The Eruption of Krakatoa and Subse quent Phenomena (London, 1888); Verbeek, Kra katua (Batavia, 1884). See VotcAxo.