The April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon is undoubtedly an immense tragedy. Even months afterwards, crude oil continues to spill into the sea; the full extent of the enormous economic and ecological damages will likely not be understood for many more months or even years to come. While we should in no way minimize the significance of this terrible event, history shows that nature has brought about catastrophes that are even more terrible and destructive -- and on an exponentially greater scale. What follows is the true story of one 19th-century insurance professional that lived in the hottest spot of the volcanic region commonly called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The respectable Mr. Schuit had the uncommon fortune of being a Lloyd's of London agent in the Sunda Strait in 1883, situated among the 25,000 islands in the vast archipelago commonly known as the East Indies. He loved to watch the shipping lanes from his spacious wooden deck as steam-powered vessels and sailboats glided past. The warm tropical breezes and ample compensation made it seem like the complete package.

As historian Simon Winchester remarks, in those days the job of a Lloyd's agent "was in good times one of great simplicity, in bad times one of formidable complexity." Schuit's only career irritations until August of 1883 were caused by the trend that placed the full burden of claim adjusting on agents. Schuit undoubtedly expected that he would sometimes have to come down from his deck and handle a contentious claim; it was part of his job description. Schuit, however, was not prepared for both his beloved deck and his entire town to be annihilated in an event so frightening that some feared it to be the end of the world.