Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-26
PACIFIC COAST PERIL.
suppose the Sleeping Volcanoes Should
Wake Up-A Tremendous One Under
Lake Tahoe

From the Virginia City Enterprise.
In hundreds of places on the Pacific coast are
the sO-caed ''craters of extinct volcanoes" So
far as can be seen, these craters are really ex-
tinet at the surface but deep in the bowels of
the earth their fires are probably only slumber-
Ing In the Bishop creek country are many
sueh volcanoes. and some of them seem to have
been pretty lively less than 100 years ago. judy
Ing from the fresh appearance of the lava
streams on their sides. But to come nearer
home. there is an old crater on the big noun
tain above American Flat, surrounding which
are immense fields of lava. Lake Tahoe Itself,
as all biologists agree, occupies an immense
volcanic crater. This accounts for the immense
depth OF the lake in the central parts.
Though these cTaters are spoken Ofas extinct
no one can say when a volcano is dead. A
volcano that has slumbered for untold ages is
liable to suddenly start into life and destroy
everything in its neighbOrhOod. The great vol
eanO of Vesuyius. now constantly active, was
described by the ancients as q flat topped
mountain, containing a deep circular valley
filed with vines and grass. They did not even
suspect it of being volcano. A large popula-
ton lived on the sides of the mountain which
were covered with beautiful groves. So little
was the terrible nature Of the valley on the top
OF the mountain suspected that in A. ID. -.
spart1cus encamped there with thousands
OF lighting men. Only seven years later-in
A ID. 79-occurred sudden eruption that
blew out the whole top of the mountain. By
this outburst Pompeii and Herculaneum were
overwhelmed.
The present is time of great electrical and
subterranean disturbances. We hear of great
earthquakes and of volcanoes starting into life
IL al parts of the world. Even here at home in
California. there have recently been MANY Sc
we're earthquakes. the first in nearly twenty
years that have shown the old-tme force Al
most any day the tremendous volcano that lies
slumberng under Lake Tahoe is liable to assert
itself At the first burst all the water in the
lake would be blown thousands of feet into the
air. and with the water all the steamboats, sail
boats and rOwbOats. Up into the clouds would
not only go all the boats on the lake but also
all the fish i'm its waters with millions of tons of
powders. gravel and sediment from the bottom
of the old crater. OF course the sudden empty
ing of the basin of the lake would be bad for
Reno. but its fate could not be worse than was
that Of the cities of Pompeii and Hercuaneum.
besides what are a few human habitations or
few human beings i'm great commissions of nature
Vines and grass grew over the crater Of Vesu-
wins. and soldiers camped in the beautiful basin.
but OF sudden vines, grass and all were shot
thousands OF feet into the air. Over the Tahoe
craterls beautiful pool of water, in which are
beautiful fishes and on which are gallant
steamers and vessels of all kinds but the whole
Is as mere bucket of water compared with the
great power that lies belOw-pOp bang and all
Is IN the air. and the throat of the crater is
again red-hOt. as In aGespast All this may not
come to pass this summer, but it is bound to be
seen sooner Orlater-t is Onlya matter Oftime
in case the election Ofthe waters of the lake
shall Instantly DE followed by a mighty column
OF fire and flames, the water may be turned to
steam Gin falling back) before reaching the
ground. and so Reno would escape drowning.
on! the place only be covered by forty or fifty
feet Of molten lava