10:52 in the morning
Both events happened on that terrible night . All night long the corks were going , and at last -- Krakatoa burst ! In the hurly-burly of confusion , smoke , and noise , no eye could note the precise moment when the island was shattered , but there were on the morning of the 27th four supreme explosions , which rang loud and high above the horrible average din . These occurred -- according to the careful investigations made , at the instance of the Dutch Indian Government , by the eminent geologist , Mr R.D.M. Verbeek -- at the hours of 5:30 , 6:44 , 10:02 , and 10:52 in the morning . Of these the third , about 10 , was by far the worst for violence and for the widespread devastation which it produced . At each of these explosions a tremendous sea-wave was created by the volcano , which swept like a watery ring from Krakatoa as a centre to the surrounding shores . It was at the second of these explosions -- that of 6:44 -- that the fall of the mighty cliff took place which was seen by the hermit and his friends as they fled from the island , and , on the crest of the resulting wave , were carried along they scarce knew whither .