The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-10
SIX BIG VOLCANOES VOLCANOES;
THEY ARE IN ALASKA WITHIN A
RADIUS OF A HUNDRED MILES.

tains Than 1900 Miles-The Queer
Island of BogoslofT and Its Formation.
Much is heard OF the stately Mount St
Elias, in southern Alaska, which towers
19, 500 feet above the sea level because of
its being the highest mountain in Ameri-
ca, but this mountain with its smoking
crater, though probably the grandest, is
not the most interesting one of the north
by any means. The volcanoes Umnak
Bogosloff, Programme, Akootan, Shishal-
din and Pavloff, all located in the Aleutian
islands, 1900 miles from Sitka, are proba-
bly, the most interesting mountains in the
world. All six volcanoes are in active op-
Grafton, and located within radius of 100
miles of Oonalaska.
From the Pacific ocean all the noun
tains, with the exception of Pavloff, which
is hidden from view behind another
mount, can be seen at once. with the
smoke and steam rolling upward from
their craters More is not told the world
of these splendid mountains because they
are seldom visited. Tourists do not go with
in 300 miles of them, for there is no regu-
larly established line of steamers running
further north than Sitka.
The revenue cutter Bear, from the Aleu-
tian islands, brought down great deal of
information concerning the volcanoes.
Lieutenant D. II. Jarvis, of the Bear, who
has taken especial notice of the six vol
canoes in this group of islands, has made
several cruises north, having been in both
the Bear and Rush, government cutters.
and upon each cruise he embraced every
opportunity to learn more of them. Sew
eral of them he has visited; he has climbed
to their summit and acquainted himself
with their peculiarities.
VOLCANIC ISLANDS
He spent much time examining Bogos-
! loft, which he soon found to be the most
! interesting mountain of the group. Speak
| ing of Alaska and volcanoes the lieutenant
says: From the mainland to Attu, dis
lance of LOCO miles, are hundreds of isl
ands. The map will show that they are
chained along, Attu being the westward
! island of the group that composes the
| Alaska peninsula. The islands are all of
volcanic origin. Oonalaska, or Oonalaska
/ island, is east to the center of the group
by several hundred miles, and is in the
center of the Aleutian islands. Coma
laska island, which is about eighty miles
long is the largest The other islands. of
which there are numbers. varyin size from
this down to mere reef or rock projecting
out of the sea-
The lieutenant found Bogosloff an espe-
cially fascinating study. One hundred
years ago Bogosloff did not exist The
island on which the volcano is situated lay
at the bottom of the sea. Just about 100
years ago there were continuous Earrings
in the Aleutian group, and the several vol
canoes smoked and belched forth lava
showing that an internal war was in prog
ress in the bowels of the earth. One morn
ing, during heavy disturbance, the ma
tives of Oonalaska saw an immense object
rise up out of the sea, about sixty miles to
the northward.
Great volumes of smoke and showers of |
ashes and running lava came out of the !
object. After many days the disturbance
subsidized, and the natives could see that |
new island had come to join the group, |
and they called the new arrival Bogosloff !
The island was about half a mile long, and |
was $50 feet high.
FORMATION OF BoGosLoFF.
A peculiar feature of the mount was that |
it had no well defined crater. From many |
assures which cut across the sides of the |
mountain and around the top huge vol |
umes of smoke came, but at the top there |
was no hole. STILL notwithstanding this |
deformity, Bogosloff was very lively, and |
made more fuss than all the rest of the |
larger volcanoes.
About eighty years ago, during a violent |
eruption, another island came up out of |
the sea, and joining Bogosloff became one
island. During the summer of 1889, while |
in the government service, Lieutenant Jar
Wis visited Bogosloff for the first time. He |
walked all over the mountain, whose en-
tire sides were rent with huge assures, out |
of which came hot, sitting smoke, odorous
with sulphur So much smoke came out
of the assures that it was simply impos-
sible TO 90 close to them, much less look
down into them. There was no crater or
assures directly at the summit, as was
found by examination. Again the lieuten-
ant went to Alaska, this time in the reve-
nue. cutter Rush.
When the cutter made landing at Oon-
alaska the natives told the officers of the
steamer that a few months before there
were eruptions among the volcanoes, and
that Bogosloff was especially angry; that
the island gave out great showers of hot
ashes and steam and black smoke
The Rush made the run of sixty miles to
the island, and long before she hove to
those on board could see that the whole
top of the volcano had fallen in, forming
smoke not only rolled, but puffed like the
exhaust of an enormous engine. Those
who went on shore did not dare go near
the summit because of the intense heat.
BY the top falling in the height of the
mountain YVES reduced fully $50 feet, leav-
ing only 200 feet above the sea level.
THE SCENERY.
Clear days are almost unknown in this
land of ice and volcanoes. When it is not
raining in summer it is foggy, and when it
is not showing in winter the wind is fierce
and bowling Once in a while, in the early
spring, mariners are favored with a few
clear days. The wind goes down, the skyis
free of clouds, and the deep blue azure of
space looks down upon the trembling ocean
with a cold upfeeling gaze.
During the latter part of April, while the
Bear was en- route from the Pribylov
islands to OonalaSka, such a day as de
scribed was enjoyed. Morning broke while
the Bear was forty miles from Bogoslof,
and Umnak, Makushin, Programme, Akoo-
tan and Shishaldin came out in bold relief
TO the southwest. All were in active opera
ton, and Bogoslof, not content with mere
ly smoking like the rest OF the mounts, was
putting savagely.
Umnak, which is 5000 feet high. lies the
furthest 10 the northward of the group,
and Pavlof, also 5000 feet high, lies the
furthest 70 the eastward. Between these
two are ranged In order. from west 70 east,
the other mountains-Bogoslof, Maku-
shin, Programme, Akootan and Shishaldin. !
The latter Is a bio rornd rnount o no foot /