The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-22
ALASKA'S BIG VOLCANOES.
A Dozen Big Natural Chimneys
Smoking and Spouting.

be found the only volcanoes still show
ing signs of life within our own territory,
except Mount Baker in Washington,
which is almost quiescent, and the recent
indications of volcanic activity near
Mount Rainier in the same State, of which
we have as yet no authentic information.
Half of the volcanoes now alive in Alaska
were seen in high state of activity by
Gov. Lyman r. Knapp OF that Territory
during his visit to the Alaska peninsula
and the Aleutian chain last summer.
Little need be said here OF Bogoslov
whose remarkable conduct in the past few
years has excited the attention of the
world. Bogoslov is little rock in the
Aleutian chain about a hundred miles
directly west OF the Island OF Unalaska.
BY a great submarine eruption n new
Bogoslov has been thrust about 600
feet into the air less than half mile from
old Bogoslov. From innumerable assures
In the surface OF this newly appeared
rock clouds of smoke and steam pour.
During the convulsions attending its
appearance columns of smoke and flame
shot into the air to a heighth of several
miles, and ashes were sifted over the
ocean and islands for long distance
around.
ands of the Pribylov group have a splen-
did view in clear weather OF the volcano
OF Makushin, the chief point of scenic in
terest on the island of Unalaska. 1t is
one of the busiest of volcanoes. A hun
dred years ago last summer this giant
chimney was smoking, and vessels that
visited the neighborhood last year re-
ported that the immense volumes of
steam and white smoke which were slowly
but steadily pouring from its crater We're
visible on clear days for fifty miles at sea.
A little further east on the small
Akutan Island is the volcano of the same
name, which is the observed OF all
observers when ships are in its neighbor-
hood.
Every American ought to know of
beautiful Sheshaldin. II comes nearer to
being a perfect cone than any other
mountain in the world. 1t is the chief
ornament Of the island OF Unimak, a little
east of Akutan. Unimak, as the Russian
records show, was always regarded by
them as "the roof of a subterranean
smelling furnace" The island has been
the theatre of the most stupendous spect-
acles of plutonic activity in Alaska in
historic times. Those who read the Rus
sian records have observed that they usu-
ally speak OF Sheshaldin as emitting
fiames," while of most OF the volcanoes
they mention only smoke and ashes. Tho
beautiful proportions of the mountain
rise to the height of about S,75O feet above
the sea. Not far from Sheshaldin, on the
same island, is Progromnia. 1t is consid-
ably lower than its grand consort, and is
reported in the Russian records as a vol
cano. There is no information, however,
that the mountain has been in eruption
in recent times.
It was on the island OF Unimak that the
Russians first observed the remarkable
manner in which the natives obtained
fire. From the volcanoes they procured
an abundance Of sulphur. 1t was their
practice to scatter the powdered sulphur
over moss spread upon rock. Then,
with a large stone in hand, a native would
smite the sulphur sprinkled mass with all
his might. The sulphur would ignite,
setting the dry moss on fire. .
Still little further east we come TO the
Alaska Peninsula, and on this mainland
Pavlof Mountain puffs out greatsvoiumes
OF dense black smoke from an opening on
one side Of the mountain, perhaps thou
sand feet below its sharp pointed summit.
The mountain is little il any over 1000
feet high. The puffs OF smoke occur at
intervals OF about thirty seconds, and tho
snow on the side where the orifice is, Is
blackened to the base.
All these active volcanoes are magnif-
cent sights from the sea. Some of them
rising to heights of II 900 feet are more
impressive, apart from their Plutonic ac-
tivity, than the tallest of the Alps, for the
reason that they are viewed from the sea
level and all their giant stature is revealed
to the gaze.
Still journeying east, we come to Cooks
Inlet, the deep indentation whose northern
shore is lined with mountains rising
steeply and ruggedly from the sea. These
SUBMITS belong to the Alaskan range.
Grandest OF all these peaks is Illiamna,
the most prominent fire mountain of the
chain. The mountain is over l., 900 feet in
height, and the smoke that rises above its
pinnacle is brownish in color, probably be-
cause of the strong infusion Of sulphur.
Illiamna is said to be constantly active.
Redoubt Volcano, also on the north side
OF Cooks Inlet and about sixty miles
northeast OF Illismna, is also constantly
active. 1t Is only thousand feet lower
than Illiamna. 1t has never been ex-
plored and has only been seen at q dis
tance.
Mount Wrangell, at the FORKS OF the up
per part of the Copper River, was reported
few years ago TO be smoking. The re-
port has not been substantiated on relia-S
BILE authority, and is perhaps erroneous.
About 150 miles north of Hadiak Island
is Mount st. Augustine, which was active
for some months in 1Ss3-S4, but it seems
ever since to have been quiescent. While
the eruptions were in progress the decks
OF vessels were covered with ashes from IL
for hundreds of miles at sea.-N. Y. sun.
Clock that Talks.