May 15, 1754 Earthquake: Taal Volcano, Philippines

1754, May 15, 21 h local time, intensity X. Another eruption of Taal Volcano, the most terrible in the history of the Islands. All the towns which surrounded Lake Bombon were destroyed completely. When rebuilt, they were placed at a distance from the lake. There occurred most violent earthquakes which produced disasters in the neighboring provinces equal to, if not exceeding those of 1749. The spasms, separated by intervals of greater or less duration, lasted 7 months, the principal outbursts being always accompanied by very intense earthquakes which made themselves felt throughout a large part of Luzon, on Mindoro Island, and northern Panay. (reference #1072)

1754, May 15. Batangas. Eruption of Taal Volcano. Twelve victims. (reference #1058)

Twelve persons are known to have perished - some carried away by the waves of the lake, others crushed beneath their collapsing homes. (reference #2340)

The greatest eruption of Taal took place in 1754. It consisted of only fragmental ejecta, but these were sufficient to destroy four villages lying about the lake. "This ash," Semper says, "has now indurated and a new growth of bamboo and palms has sprung up around the projecting ruins." Father Buencuchillo wrote also a pathetic description of this eruption, from which we take the following:

It began on May 13 and did not end till the 1st of December. During this time the intensity and aspect of the eruption were continually changing. It was two hundred days of devastation and ruin for the inhabitants, to whom the time must have appeared an eternity. During this terrible time the four principal towns of the laguna of Bombon disappeared, viz, Sala, Lipa, Tanauan, and Taal, with the numerous villages around them...

The activity of the volcano continued, with short intervals of quiet, during the months of October and November. On the evening of the feast of All Saints the volcano again began to vomit forth fire, stones, sand, mud, and ashes in a greater quantity than ever. This went on till November 15, on which date, after vespers, there commenced a succession of rumblings, so loud as to deafen one, and the volcano began to vomit forth smoke so dense and black as to darken the atmosphere, and at the same time such a great quantity of large stones fell into the lake as to cause big waves. The earth trembled, the houses shook, and yet this was but the preparation for a fresh rain of scoriae and ashes, which lasted the whole of the afternoon and part of the night.

(above from reference #2070)