The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-23
FELT EAST AND WEST.
The Earthquake Caused by
Rainier's Commissions
CLOUDS HIDE TIE MOUNTAIN.


me news that Mount Rainier hsd er-
rsxseneeA some internal disturbance and
taaf ixs summit had changed form created
about a. much comment abroad yesterday
"A i dad at home. for inquiries on the sub
jeet came By telegraph from al over the
country Nearly syeryons IN this eaty
YESTERDAY morning wanted 20 eaten
glimpse Of the monarch Of the Cascades
and for tine opera glasses snd telescopes
we're ia grez; demand. bat the people ~ere
doomed 10 disappointment. Tor through
out the day the clouds completely hid the
mountain from view and 80 dense ~as the
cir in The morning that IL ~as with diff
Guilty one could discern objects across the
ba-. let alone see the sno s-ciad peak sixty
i've miles away,
A great many people dlscredtt the story
OF sne phenomenon, hat all sho saw u
declare that there lie no ground FOR deny
ing sha. they saw smoke IN great quaint
ties coming out Of the mountain. IL sas
not yaTor. but dense, black smoke, which
caused an old PsHnsyivania man 20 say
that ID reminded him Of a confiaxratiOn in
sn oil works he had on three different oc-
easions seen. The smoke would come up
from the top OF the mountain in great
puss and .hen remain stationary mo
rnsnt until q current Of air would carry 10
away. That the eruption. or whatever the
disturbance may be. should cause slight
earthquake in Tacoma and not cause any
disturbance here Was another circumstance
that caused the fncrsduious TO shake their
heads. When 10 IL remembered that
the mountain il about twenty-eight
miles nearer Tacoma than Seattle. the fact
that no unusual disturbance was observed
here In not at ali Inconsistent with the
geographical position OF the two cities
relative to the location OF the mountain.
Too many people observed the active con-
dition OF the mountain TO allow the slight
ess doubt .. TO the truth Of the phenomena
as published In yesterdays PosT-iSrELLI-
sKscwR. and IL 10 10 be regretted that the
weather yesterday would not permit OF a
further observation Of the mountain.
Mai. r. :. fngraham, who has made sev-
eraI ascents of tbe mountain and who took
party OF Seattle people To the summit
last summer. remaining over night inside
the live crater whore the escaping steam
kept them from freesing, does not think
that the top OF the mountain has changed
from It's original shape, although he did
not observe the dist urbence and has not
been able to see the mountain since its
activity. He says that IL is possible that
tho crater became choked up with snow
and Ice and the steam. not finding o vent
and accommodating in force. simply blew
its way out or the smoke" seen BY
those who were up early Wednesday
morning might have been nothing more
nor less than vspor rising in the ridgss
and valleys along the mountain aide. and. !
being forced up the mountain side. lpokfd
~ this distance as If 1t really cams frony
the crater from the bowels of the earth. 4
j. X. Williamson, q Puget sound nj
nesr and one of the best posted men on F.
scientific subjects in the city. was Set
Yesterday, and he Was also inclined III
think that no general blowout had
Cured on the mountain. although he :!
mltted that such an occurrence is n
likely true. In talking concerning =
matter he recalled the eruption of Mo&
Baker in the middle Of February, ~
which he witnessed from Ludlow. F1T
several days the mountain was very actfs6f'
and great streams of lava were forced c,yt!
OF the mountain. the stream cutting I'D
way down the mountain eide through the
ice and snow fields TO the timber line. All
winter long there was an immense black
streak down the mountain, showing the
course of the lava. which the snow could
not cover up. In an air line Ludlov is
about loo miles from Mount Baker. but
the eruption Was plainly observed. Mr..
Williamson SAYS that the eruption of
Mount Baker was probably caused by the
crater filling up with snow and ice, allow
ing the steam no vent. The steam thus
bottled began melting away the foundation
of the obstruction in the crater until
the whole immense mass o. ice and
snow broke loose and fell into the bottom
less depths Of the volcano. causing q stir
ring mp within the earth that resulted in
an eruption of Laws. lie reasoned that
the present active state OF Mount Rainier
is very likely due 10 similar causes, the
several square miles OF ice and snow in the
crater tumbling down into the burning pit
aud causing q eommotion that in violence
can hardly be conceived. IL Is also su in
teresting circumstances that all such dis
turhanees occur in the winter or coolest
season OF the year. when there is more
cold and snow to condense.
Mr.. Williamson and Maj ingraham
both thought that If the eruption was OF
sfficient force TO change the appearance OF
the top of the mountain the disturbance
would most certainly have keea felt in
Seattle and at points further up the
Sound; in fact they believe that there
would have been q general shaking up all
over the Sound country. But If any doubt
remains as 10 there being an earthquake the
following dispatch from Eslensbarg should
certainly dispel Is.
EfIENsHuEa, Nov - SDerIai T.
The eruption 80 Mount kainier has ex-
planned - the satisfaction OF many a mvs-
tery which hsflle3 all TIE water works
reservoir suddenly became exhausted.
Investigation showed a cFevice running
along the hal north and south. from one
zach 10 one foot ia width aud Of unknown
depth. Ii ran directly through the reser.
yair, letting the water out. IL has been
traced several hundred feet along the hili
No shocks 81 earthquake have been ieit
here. as far as known.
Additionsi facts regarding the eonvuisoq
and the accompanying earthquake. which
~as felt 50 Tacoma. are contained In the
following dispatch from that city:
T.cenA. Nov. 2s.-There were no new
development. here sod&v ia the Mouat
RAtnier story. except that many more
persons reported having feit the slight
shock of earthquake 81 6 - o'clock last
nssht Reports have beea received saoN-
ing that ~ ives tslt la every section Of the
civ desulfe the assertions cf a. evening
raeer which, without investigation, to-
nsFat pronoanced the statements u cred
tbls citizens 10 be untounced The story
printed by thu pspeF referred 10 has also
hcea seat abroad By IA unreliable press
association. liz has been e.oaav al cay,
readsring further observation OF the Eaad
eruption Of Mount RalnieF impossible.
The persons WhD asm the smoke arising