What happened to the people on nearby islands after the volcanic eruption? [orig

In the spring of 1815, the volcano Mount Tambora began an eruption bigger than the world had seen in 10,000 years. After several days of eruptions, volcanic ash and stones formed a 1-foot-thick layer on the surface of the sea. Four years later, sailors still found big piles of stones floating in the water. Only 26 of the 12,000 people living on the island survived the volcano. The ash that fell on nearby islands covered up soil and crops and caused the deaths of 82,000 more people from starvation.
    Meanwhile, the ash floating high in the atmosphere was taken by winds throughout the world. It caused a smog in the sky. The following spring, millions of people in North America and Europe went through the strangest weather they had ever known. In June 1816, the eastern part of the United States was hit with snow and frost. Farmers had just planted their crops, but the frost killed the seeds beneath the ground. Suddenly the cold weather ended, temperature rose, and farmers planted again. But in early July, the cold returned again and froze the ground.