Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-02
TuE NEW VOLCANO N BRuRINS:
SEA.
Rising 500 Feet Above the Water, and
In q state OF Constant Actlyity

WASHINGTON. July O.-The Secretary
of the Treasury has received from Capt.
VI. A. Healy of the United States rev
enue cutter Corwin. under date of Oun-
alaska, May y, two interesting reports
by officers of the Corwin, describing a
visit To the recently upheaved volcano
IN Behrlng Sea, at the northern end Of
BoRosloff Island in latitude 53 deg. 55m.
Is sec. north. longitude los deg. II IN.
west. This volcano. which is in a state
of constant aud intense activity, was
upheaved from the sea in the summer of
1882, bat was not seen by any civilized
eye until September q. 1888, when II
was discovered by Captain Anderson, of
the schooner Matthew Turner. A few
days later IL was also seen by Captain
Hague, of the steamer Dora, but no
landing upon it was made previous TO
that by the officers of the Corwin last
spring. DIR. Yemans describes ii As a
dull, gray, irregularly cone-shaped hill,
about 200 feet in hight, from the sides
and summit of which great volumes of
vapor were arising. Alta hight of about
two-thirds th9 distance from the base
to the apex Of the cone, a very irregular
series of large steam Jets issued, which
extended in horizontal direction com
pletelv across the northwestern face of
the hill. Aronnd these steam Jets were
seen, uIon Eearer approach, deposits
of sulphur of various bues, which
at distance had looked like
pstches of vegetation. A land
ing was effected without difficult
ty upon u narrow sand spit connecting
the new volcano with the old island of
Boposloff. aud DIR. Yenans and Lieut..
Cantwell undertook the ascent of the
smoking cone. II was covered by a
tain layer of ash. formed into crust
by the action of rain, which was not
strong enough to sustain q mans
weight. At every step the climbers
crushed through 1t, and they sank knee
deep into q soft, almost impalpable
dust, which arose in clouds and nearly
suffocated them. As the summit was
neared, the heat of the ashes became
almost unbearable. A thermometer
buried in them half way up the ascent
marked l96 degrees, and ia crevice of
the ramparts of the crater the mer-
curry rapidly expanded and filed the
tube, when the bulb burst. aud soon af-
terward the solder used in attaching
the suspension ring to the instrument
was fused" The temperature was esti-
mated at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. On
all sides of the cone were perforations
through which the steam escaped with
more or less energy, and in some CASE s
at regular intervals, like the exhaust of
steam engine. The interior of the
crater could not be seen, on account OF
the clouds of smoke. and vapor which
filled il.
"a curious fact 20 be noted, Lieut..
Cantwell says. in regard TO this vol
cano il the entire absence apparently OF
lava and cinder. Nowhere could hnd
the slightest evidence of either of these
characteristics of other volcanoes hith-
erto examined in the Aleutian Islands.
Volcanic dust or ash, however, Is thrown
ont in considerable quantities. and car
ried by the wind 20 places as distant IS
Uunalaska.
After carefully measuring the volcano
and photographin2 IL from various
points of view. the exploring party re
turned without accident 10 the ship.