June 24, 1853 Eruption of Niuafo'ou

Lava flows from fissure cutting directly through village of Ahua killed 25 persons. Chief of Selusalema and 7 subjects were killed by lava flows. Estimates of fatalities range from 8 to 70-80. (ref #9675)

An eruption took place at Niuafoou, an island to the north, which destroyed nearly one half of its inhabitants; it occurred about midnight and so sudden was the overflow of lava from several apertures in the vicinity of a village that the people who ran for the shore were overtaken by it and destroyed. This eruption was not felt at Tongataboo. (ref #13311)

The John Wesley, which arrived yesterday, is last from Auckland (N.Z.), she reports..an eruption that had taken place at the Island of Nenafooa (Friendly Islands), on 26th June last...the whole village has been destroyed, the lava taking a course of 3.5 miles long, by three quarters of a mile in width. Violent shocks of earthquake were felt previous to the eruption. (ref #13314)

Ref #13312

It has also suffered a sad calamity in the eruption of a volcano, which has carried away a town with a chapel and 25 persons. p. 91

On the 24th of June, 1853, the island was visited by many severe and heavy earthquakes; but as these are exceedingly common in their occurrence, no alarm whatever was felt. The earthquakes were most violent in a district called Ahau; most fortunately, this being the least populated, although most valuable, part of the island. In the village of Ahau there resided a few families, numbering in all from 40-50 individuals. On the evening of the above day nothing remarkable was observed, nor the slightest indications of the appalling catastrophe about to occur. All the inhabitants retired as usual to rest. At midnight, an earthquake or unusual violence awoke the whole village in alarm; but this having subsided entirely, with the exception of a continued tremor of the ground, and an apparently distant rumbling sound, the people again betook themselves to rest, little thinking that they were actually sleeping over the very mouth of a volcano, whose fires should, in two short hours, hurry many of them into eternity, and devastate the land! Such, however, was the awful reality. At two A.M., of the 25th of June, another tremendous earthquake rent the ground in sunder in the very center of the devoted village; and in an instant the devouring flames and streaming lava of a new-formed volcano burst forth with terrific and overwhelming force. The whole was but the work of a few minutes. Houses with their inmates, and among them the chapel, were swallowed up, and consumed by the ascending flames. Of the inhabitants, 25 were thus instantaneously swallowed up, or lost in the deluge of liquid fire. 18 individuals were saved as by a miracle, and some of these had their backs scorched by the pursuing flames. One man, in flying, stumbled into a rent of the earth, but happily regained his footing, and the next moment flames of fire were shooting up from the hole into which he fell. The suddenness and utterly unexpected character of this remarkable visitation and the awful terror inspired in the minds of those who thus marvelously escaped, preclude the possibility of many particulars being given. In fact, as daylight dawned, the principal work of destruction was accomplished. In a very short time, about ten miles of the most valuable gardening land in the island was covered to the depth of from five to twelve feet of molten lava, which soon hardened into solid rock. The tremendous nature of this eruption will be better understood, when I state that no less than thirty distinct craters can be counted, some of which are large. p. 141-142

On the 24th of June last, three dreadful earthquakes shook the island in the night; and the earth opened and swallowed up a village. 25 persons were consumed in the burning gulf, together with their dwelling-houses and chapel; but 18 escaped to the mountains. A great part of the land is destroyed. p. 158