The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-02
Volcanic ](thtp1 III Till NORTHWEST.

~ N tho August issue OF the Review Of
Reviews OF the current year Robert
Strahorn contributes an illustrated
article on volcanic scenery In the
II Northwest The descriptive writing
In the treatment Of the topic IL. how
ever, much better than the scientific side
Of It, which tho writer touches. although
he takes care TO use the scientists" and
the ''seoiogists'' AZ a buiwark Of author
ity.
The region Of country under considera-
ton. In that between the Rocky mount
aims ~ the eastern boundary, and the
Cascade and Blue mountains on the west
Ths Kootenai and Selkirk mountains. In
. general way, mark the northern limit OF
this volcanic area. ana the Sderras OF Me-
vada and California roughly denne its
southern limit. Hut Mr.. strahorn omits
to nay that q broad belt extending from
tho Arctic ocean coastwise to Mexico, was
involved In that siesmic demonstration.
Of which this abnormal volcanic exhibit
tion WAS only one Of It's local phenomena
II 10 also q fact. Furthermore. that this
eruptivs and convulsive period had. N Its
theater Of action. not only the coast re-
gion mentioned, but also Northeastern
Asia and all Of Northern North America
to . diagonal line crossing the continent
about at Cincinnati. o., and covering the
domain of the drift II also involved
Northern Europe In It's consequences and
with particular severity Greenland and
Iceland.
That this action was on a scale sur
passing anything of which there remain
visible geological records, In plainly evil
dent. That, as compared with this past
lava outflow OF cur western country, all
the volcanic eruptions * the last sooo
WARS have been mere bonfires. Is true Hut
II is not In accordance with volcanic phys
la xaFH Il rtf l.s.
tell us 70 per cent. OF the eiecta consisted
OF water In the shape 81 steam" Some
other untenable propositions will also be
nnticed
Hut, before going into the cause. the
general extern, and result OF these ph--
nomena. u may he In order to deal local
" with this lava region.
Those who study the river systems Of
California. Oregon and Washington, as
they display thnmselve. IN their Indirect
courses before they discharge into the Pa
cihc, viii be impressed that something
out OF the usual must have contributed
TO their seemingly aimlesa wandering and
neandertnE character. The erratic Co
lumhia makes toward all tho points Of tho
compass, before taking It's bar IN It's
mouth in salt water. and TIA great tribn-
tartes, the Snake and Salmon together
make almost complete circle In Idaho
These drainage systema with other PEI
culiaritics not mentioned hero. differ from
any elsewhere on the hemisphere. 1. il
along the Snake. for eco miles % its sin
ucus course. that the great lava plain IL
most In evidence Hero the thickness
ranges frnm 1. 600 90 ZOO feet and in many
localities the erosion has been so siight
that one might conclude that the dspaslt {
had taken place only In recent years
And yet CLASSY and ilntlike as the lava
OF this region is tho snake river has IN
Vt sa4Ft lat So -
thousand feet. over many tens % thou.
sands ~ square mlies the entire tapor.
Faphy ~ the ceuntry MAS wholly changed
river and lake svst@ma vanished Whn,,
others teok their places; water tines were
Tilted and there Was long reign Of in.
descrshahlc chaos. Over an area ~ What
now comprises parts ~ several states. iay
q rugFcaly outlined ocean of hissing lava
and hot ashes. Ted from vents through ths
T&rth's cgwAf. compared wtth Whirh the
modern type Il ilminntiVc The most cam
sp@eWopS ~ these chimneys vas what r.
nov known as crater lake. In she south.
cgn orexrn Cascades. AZ an altitude %
over soaa feet above tide
II r. hard 20 realise now. that thts calm
oval body % water SEVEN mites long six
miles side and koa feet deer. with lls
surface far below itS raj viua. was
enea hgee resriAE geyser ~ molten
matter, With eancupk gamc miles 20 sky
ward. and whose thsoes and founders
rocked the continent The ifnag4aasien q
simply appalled, In tho cndeavar 90 con.
ceive a. rae depth % shis lake Is nm
paraltelea Cor go small an area of water
and yvt from this VAST depth are pro
iec;ea several columns az lava 2a01 feet
above is xnrgacc
II tho volcanic resinHS - he earth b.
carefully considered il VIII Sc found tAai
- per cent. Of the yeats VIII lice In q
pathway around tho gloho about "a wide
"a the belt between the tropics, ON the
Western hemisphere this Eirdle skirt.
along the western coast % the two grral
continents crosses into Asia with Rertns
strait eastward " rs center, and thos
crosses the Eastern hemisphere antipe
dali TO it's path on the Western. There {,
abundant evidence 10 Indicate that thi,
il = farmag SENATORIAL line. from which