The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-25
a NEW VOLCANO.
Tho Ascent of the Steaming Gone Made bJ
Two Oficers of Revenue Cutter.

Two Officers of Revenue Cutter
WASHINGTON Special
The Secretary Of the Treasury has received
from Captain NJ. A. Healy. of the United States
revenue cutter Corw1n. under date of Ounalaska,
May g. two interesting reports BY officers of the
Corwin describing q visit TO the recently up
heaved volcano in Behring sea, at the northern
end of Behring island, in latitude So So ID north.
longitude 1868 q west This volcano which is in
q state Of constant and intense activity, was up
heaved from the sea in the summer OF A6H2, but
was not seen by any civilized eye until Septem-
Der 81. 1883, when il was discovered by Captain
Anderson, of the schooner Matthew Turner A
few days later it was also seen BY Captain
Hague, of the steamer Dora, hut no landing
upon it was made previous to that by the OIL
GERS of the Cerwin last spring.
DIR. Yenans describes it as dull gray, irregu-
larly cone-shaped HILL about five hundred feet in
height from the sides and summit of which
great volumes of vapor were arising. At a
height of about two-thirds the distance from the
base to the apex Of the cone, there issued q very
irregular series of large steam jets, which ex
tended in a horizontal direction completely
across the northwestern face of the hill Around
these steam jets were seen, upon nearer ap
proach, deposits of sulphur of various hues,
which, at q distance, had looked like patches of
vegetation. a landing was effected without diff
| fculty. upon q narrow sand spit connecting the
new volcano with the old island of Bogoslof
| and DR.. Yenans and Lieut. CantweH undertook
| the ascent of the smoking cone. 1t was covered
with thin layer of ashes, formed into crust by
the aCJ1OD OIL rain, WHICH was DDb StIDLE 6IOLKn
| to sustain mans weight, and at every step the
climbers feet crushed through it, and they sank
| knee-deep into q soft, almost ilnpaipahle dust
| which arose in clouds and nearly sHffoeated
| them.
AS the summit was neared the heat of the
ashes became almost unbearable A thermofne-
! ter buried in them half way up the ascent
| marked 1862, and in a erevice of the ramparts
| of the crater the mercury rapidly expanded
| and filed the tube, when the bulb burst. and
1 shortly afterwards the solder used In attaching
the suspension ring to the instrument was fused
The temperature was estimated at 5069 Fahren-
| heit. On all sides of the cone were perforatiens
| through which the steam escaped with more or
less energy, and IN some cases at regular inter
| walls like the exhaust of a steam engine. The
1 interior of the crater could not be seen on ac-
connt Of the clouds of smoke and yap0r which
/ filled it.
IA curious fact to be noted, Lieutenant Can't
well says .in regard to this volcano is the entire
absence apparently Of lava and cinder Nowhere
could Iaind the slightest evidence of either Of
4 these characteristics of the volcanoes hitherto
l examined in the Aieutian Islands Volcanic
! dust crashes, however, is throWnout in consider.
| able quantities and carried by the wind to places
! as distant as 0unalaska. After carefully meas
uning the volcano and phetographing it from va
rious points of view the xpiering party returned
i without accident to the ship. Captain HeRiy re-
ports his intention to leave May 20 for ST.
/ Michaels and the Arctic, and says he will visit
4 the new volcano again on his return.