The eruption of Taal volcano, January 30, 1911, by Rev. Miguel Saderra Masó, S.J., assistant director of the Weather bureau.

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cracks and occurred very extensive slides. The worst of all is, that, the mouth of the river Pansipit
having been blocked, the lake is rising and invading the towns of Lipa and Tanauan, both being
on the lowest level, and inundating their buildings. All the animals of whatever kind have perished,
some by being buried, others by drowning, the rest by starving, as not a green blade remained
anywhere.
The same fate as Taal has befallen the towns of Lipa, Tanauan, and so much of Sala as still
existed. These towns, together with Taal, lay around the lake, being situated within easy reach of
it, and less than one league [4 kilometers] from the volcano. The bulk of the population left this
neighborhood and settled in more distant places. Thus out of 1,200 taxpayers whom Taal contained
formerly, hardly 150 remain in the poorest and least respectable villages, which suffered little from
the rain of ashes.
Thus far good Fr. Buencuchillo. The towns of Taal, Lipa, and Tanauan were on
this occasion definitively transferred to their present sites, a measure, the great prudence
of which has been shown by subsequent eruptions.
1808. After 1754 the volcano had no notable eruption until the middle of March,
1808. Although this outburst failed to reach either the magnitude or the duration
of the preceding, it, nevertheless, proved disastrous to the neighboring towns owing to
the quantity of ashes and pumice stone ejected on the occasion. In the more immediate vicinity of the volcano there were places where the ground was covered with
ashes to a depth exceeding 84 centimeters (33 inches), and in more distant localities
the fall was proportionately heavy. According to an author who, however, visited the
volcano for the first time as late as 1849, this eruption profoundly modified the principal crater. He says:
Formerly the depth seemed immense and unfathomable, and at the bottom was seen a liquid
mass in continual ebullition. After the eruption the whole aspect was changed; the crater had
widened, the pond within it had been reduced to one-third and the rest of the crater floor is dry
enough to walk over it. Besides, there has formed on the enlarged floor a little hill whose top
continually emits smoke, while at the side of this elevation there are seen several wells, one of
which is especially remarkable for its size and the material which it contains. The fire causes the
latter to rise to a certain height at regular intervals while a monotonous sound is heard. It would
seem that the eruptions issue from this hole. The height of the crater walls has diminished and will
continue to decrease from day to day, owing to the rains which disintegrate them.
The great change which the crater underwent on the occasion of the eruption of
1808, may be inferred likewise from the description given in his work "El Estadismo
Filipino," by Fr. Zufniga, an Augustinian, who had visited the volcano in 1800. Speaking of the impression received when he had reached the brink of the crater, he says:
We expected to find a deep abyss into which penetrated so little light that it would hardly
permit us to distinguish what was in the interior; when in reality we saw a vast opening of more
than one league in circumference, and at the bottom of it a lake only a little smaller, as all its borders
looked as if cut with a knife, descending well-nigh perpendicularly to the water which was of a
deep-green color.
1874. On July 19, 1874, took place an eruption of gases and ashes which killed all
the live stock which was being raised on Volcano Island and withered or burned the
entire vegetation on the western slopes of the crater.
1878. From the end of October until November 12, 1878, noises were frequently heard
proceeding from the volcano which finally, from November 12 to 15, ejected a quantity
of ashes sufficient to cover the entire island.
1904. During April, 1904, it was reported that Taal was in eruption. In fact, a new
crater or outlet was found to have formed near the southeastern inner wall of the
principal crater. During several months this new opening continued to emit great masses
of vapors and, intermittently, also mud and rocks, up to a height of 150 meters (500
feet). As there usually prevailed atmospheric calm during these eruptions, nearly, all