The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-09
RIRTH or AN ISLAND,
Natures Gltt TO Uncle Sam OF u New
Volcanic Rock In tho Alaskan,
Archipelago

! Exchange,
| Few persons outside ot small mum.
/ hcr OF scientists In Washington. and tho
I natives ot tnalaskn. tho trading station
on tho island of unaiaSka, and other
adjoining Alaskan villages. arv aware OF
I the fact that not long white aso a
/ new island. which has been called New
Rogoslor. has appeared near the old ISL
and ot that name. about forty or ngty
mites from the trading station on tho
island % Cualaaka. Never before has
tho date of the appearance " an island
been so nearly hNci as In this case
A party from the geological survey,
composed of pr nrckrr. pr W n pall
and Mr. burlington. assistant grologist
and photographer ot ability lctt Wash.
ington several months ayo ,or tn ln1prc-
ticn ot tho mineral nglds ot Alaska.
After stopping at unalaskn and nniing
tho weather propltious, they decided 10
visit the islands ~ Hogosiorr, about tho
new ono OF which they had heard 30
much talk In tho distance they ap-
pcarvd In shape not unlike the ends Or
two loavcs of bread. except that tho top
ridge consisted ~ long line ot scrra,rd
points. The old island OF nogosloir is
higher than the new part. largc por-
ton or which consists ~ low rrach
hut a few feet above tho level OF the aca.
The old island Is devoid ot vegetation
or water. on their approach the travel.
crs noticed a number ~ spccks on tho
rocks As they landed they found that
they were sc0 parrots. putiins, auka and
divers. They appeared 20 be very tame
and could b. approached by members OF
the party but n they arose, is they did
In ono or two instances. there Wrrv so
many that the sky was almost obscurcd.
New BogosloI Uncle Sans resent ac-
qulaltion. Is thrcc-quartcrs of a mile TO
the northwest Of Old pogoslutr During
tho season of iNl Captain Hague In the
steamer Dora. at distance of a milo
and a half from the old island OF HoKoa.
lofr. noticed a state OF eruption here.
The island was entirely envrlopcd with
smoke and flame. with red-hot lava Is
suing from It's central portion. Great
quantities OF soft lava ran down the
sides Of the rocks into the sea. This
eruption OF Hogoslofr was reported by
various sea captains and was supposed
to have continued for about six months
In october OF the same year the people
over at Unnlaska. forty.fiyc miles away
saw dark cloud OF indoscribable and
forblddlng appearance como up into tho
sky north OF the trading post. whore II
hung very near TO the earth for the
larger portion OF the day. SO black and
dense was Il that II completely hid the
sun.
The air even at Unalaskn. became
greatly heated. and some Of tho inhnbl-
tants were In terror for their lives many
OF the supcrstltious ones believing that
the end OF the world was at hand. After
a while. however, this cloud collapsed
"a suddenly as II had arisen. and the
earth at Unalaskn was covered with
dun. gray ashes OF the lightncss of cot
ton. This phenomenon. they said, was
accompanied with terrible rumhling
noises and n slight quake OF the earth
Some time later. Captain Hague. with
the Dora, passed again In the vicinity
OF Bogoslor. and to his great astonlsh-
ment observed n new island In a SPOT
over which he had previously frequently
sailed
Captain Anderson. OF the schooner Mat
thew Turner and his crew were the
only ones who saw the island while II
was In process OF formation In Sep
tember Captain Anderson saw the new
island, which was then mass OF nre
and smoke bubblIng and seethlng ns tho
molten lava came in contact with the
waves
A most remarkable fact in connection
with the appearance OF the new island
OF Bogoslofr was the disappearance Of
what wns known as Ships Rock. Cap
tain Cook, In l77S, when navigating along
this coast and making his map, llacoy-
cred and marked upon his chart n rock
almost directly north OF the pres M isl-
and OF Old Bogoslon. II was not very
large, and rose but short distance
above the level OF he sen when the
island OF New Bogoslofr was born In 1854
Ships Rock vanished. The relation OF
Ships Rock to Old Bogoslofr was most
for Bogosloff did not appear
until nearly fifteen years after the dis
covery OF Ships Rock by Captain Cook.