The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1894-11-22
Special to the RECoRD-UN1oN.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
SEATTLE, Nov. 21.-Great excitement
has been caused throughout the Puget
Sound country by what is looked upon by
many as an eruption of Mount Tacoma,
or Rainier, Ii, 444 feet high, and one Of the
loftiest peaks in the United States. The
mountain has certainly been strangely
transformed. The crest of the monarch
of the Cascades has entirely changed,
and new peak has appeared in it's CEN
ter.
Soon after sunrise this morning, the sky
ana air being remarkably clear, clouds
OF black smoke were soon curling from
the southwestern part of the peak, where
the crater is located, ,.coming at intervals
OF about fifteen seconds. The dome-like
top had disappeared, and been replaced
by flat top with large crevasse eX-
tending down the side, while in the center
OF its summit a new peak had appeared
on [ he northern side. The snow was all
gone from the summit, as though melted
OFT OF as if some falling mass Of rock had
started an avalanche from the summit
The Jagged points of rock, stripped of
tHCIi "AiltO CoN6iIuSs COult D6 pIdIllIy
dlscerned. Steam was also seen minglIng
with the smoke, which rose 100 feet above
the summit.
Mount Rainer is cone-shaped peak,
and stands slightly to the west of the
main Cascade range, siXty-five miles
southeast OF Seattle. 1t rises fully 5000
feet above the range. 1t has three craters
OF which the principal and most perfect
is the scene OF the present volcanic dis
turbance. This crater is half a mile
across, with walls OF rock fifty feet high,
and thousands of jets of hot air and steam
issue from this rim. The inside of the
crater is filled with snow and ice. in
which the snOidering volcano and steam
jets have formed innumerable caves, one
of which has been penetrated by eX-
plorers to a depth of 100 feet, while they
have used the steam jets tor cooking.
1t is supposed that the walls OF the
crater, having been gradually weakened
at the base, have fallen in, leaving q peak
composed OF the rock on which the snowy
cone named Columbia'S Crest had formed
and that the internal fires thus set free
have burst forth in new Vigor. The
eruption became hidden by cloud soon
after A. NJ.
But very few people have ever as
cended the mountain, and at this season
OF the year the ascension is absolutely
impossible, so there Is no way OF making
a thorough investigation of the phenome-
non.
Tonight exactly at 6:30 several slight
shocks OF earthquake were felt here.
Windows were ratified Uhroughout the
city. The first shock was most severe
being accompanied by rumbling noises,
as OF distant explosion, and simuta-
neously a sheet of flame was observed IN
the eastern heavens.
Inquiry tonight develops the fact that
several persons here saw the smoke aris-
l1I n11n nt hi
Mrs. Lowell, an Iowa lady visiting
friends, says she saw at O'Clock, Just be-
fore sunrise, good-siZed column of
smoke rising from the mountain top. Its
color was gray. She thought it rose too
rapidly to be cloud.
Professor Fred. u. Plummer, a local
scientist, who has made study OF earth
quake phenomena in the n northwest, says:
'Old Hiaton, the oldest Indian on the
Puyallup Reservation, said through an
interpreter before the Tacoma Academy
OF Sciences on February G, 1898, that he
had many times seen fire and smoke
coming out Of Mount Tacoma when d
boy. General John G. Fremont reported
on November l3, lS43. that Mount Tacoma
was in eruption. According 10 Professor
Holden of the Lick Observatory q slight
eruption OF the mountain occurred Octo-
Der III, 1873. at p. NJ. In May, 1880. vol
umeS OF smoke were observed issuing
from the crater. On June II, 1884, lets of
steam were observed shooting upward
from the mountain at intervals of one
minute, floating outward. Steam was
continually issuing from the crater's
peak, IN volumes varying with the hight
of the barometer.
1T is Interesting to note" said Pro-
fessor Plu MINER, that several of the
planets, lncluting the earth, are at pres
ent in line, fact which bears out the
theories of Professor Alexis Percy and
others that such conditions are favorable
TO earthquakes and volcanic phenome-
non. There have been so far twenty-five
large earthquakes throughout the world
during the months of October and n o.
yember OF the present year."
THE STORY DIsCREDITED AT TACOMA,
TACOMA, Nov. 2l.-The story of Afount
Tacoma's changed appearance is regarded
here as having little foundation, though
Tacoma looks at the mountain from a
different point of view than Seattle. No
steam or ire have been observed here.
but the side nearest the city, which is
covered with the largest glaciers in the
world, seems to be covered with snow 10
greater depth than usual. Most always
IN the summer time, on a clear day,
some steam can be seen arising from the
mountains crater, and it is thought here
that this phenomenon has given rise to-
the story. Persons have slept in the
crater for few hours at time but cam
not remain too long, on account of the
dense fumes of sulphuric acid which are
constantly rising, and which has led
some travellers to suspect that the interior
OF the mountain was in close proximity
to the place known in literature as
'hades."