The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-06-08
WONT NJ
scientific Men SURPRISED Ia Near ~ the
~taruptien In Alaska.

scientific Men Surprts~d Ia Near ~ the
Eruption In tisska.
II ever there was a volcano that seemed
tn have become extinct and fo~sili1ed, ~
tn speak, Mount Blackburn IN Alaska NAV
10 said 10 be thai volcano. tn. n'ountain
IL no: even mentioned IN Prof RusselIs
\ book on the volcanoes ~ North America.
The possibility that " might come to
life. a. u H. said IT, have done in the last
few months. has never occurred Ia any
o! the few visitors Ia the region 81 Mount
Wrangell I, II not found or any map
showing the volcanoes ~ this continent
Mount Blackburn j. 81" ~ N. ou'lier~
of the Volcanic belt composing the Aleut,sn
chain ~ stands u lies To- The northeast
Of this belt, m tn" Copper River. about 30
miles inland from the head ~ Cook Inlet
In other words, II l. in southeast, Alaska.
about thirty mile- southeast 81 III. more
famous Mount Wrangell u j. far 10 the
wes' OF ih~ route 10 the Yukon gold fields
by way Of LYNN Canal and the railroad
This region :. remarkable for the great
thickness. ~ snow and ice that cpver- II.
The central and most important feature
l. Mount wransell. which IL said n have
been in eruption in 1919 and which, in re-
cent wears. has be"n reported a. almost
continuously sending out a column Of steam
from its crater.
To the north and northw est ~ Nount
Wrang~ll are two other very prominent
peaks. known AZ Mounts Sanford and
Drum. These four mountains are among
the great SUBMITS Of the continent,
According to the measurement reported
NV A. 4. Spencer ~ the theological survey.
Mount Wrangrll l. about i..5oO feet high.
while Blackburn overtops II with is.lto
feet. Another Government agent. how
ever. has declared that Wrangell over
looks every other summit In the ~ncighbor-
hood.
The two mountains are very differ
ent Wrangell - a smooth. demonstrated
mountain. a very excellent examp" Of a
true volcanic cone
II II covered by a snow field that " un-
broken except al times when n larger or
smaller AREA II the surface may 10 dsnuded
Of snow nv melting due 10 internal heat
or may IT, buried beneath the outpourlng-
Of some slight eruption
The mountain was built up nv lava flows
and frasmcntary materials elected from
the crater. The snow field. that cover
the mountain give ri-c to The mighty glaciers
that move down tho valleys leading way
from Il.
On the other hand. Mount Blackburn
looks more like a colossal mesa, a. tho
hai-topp~d. isolated elevations found In
our southern arid rsion are called. ex-
cept that II has n rounded top Instead
Of t~lng formed hv lava flows ~ IL made
up ~ limestone. and -hales and various
kinds ~ igneons rocks.
Mr.. Spencer. who visited that region
In 1900. says that. when he saw II. the noun
tain could not properly he called a volcano
At all. not even . quiesCent or estinc, VOL
cano.
Its site was doubtless once occupied
hy q great volcano. whose upper portion
has been completely carried sway nv ero-
sion leaving only the stump The present
Mount Blackburn has heen carved by
many streams Of flowing water and moving
ioe from the very roo,s and foundations
OF this mountain.
II il not strange therefore. that douh,
has hem oppressed a. 20 the accuracy -
| the report that Mount Blackburn il IN
| eruption. l. II possible that increased
| activity on the part of Mount Wrangell.
scen ~ a di-'an"e. NAV have seemed to-
appear as charact"rizing Mount Blackburn
However. this may he. 1t il only natural
10 exJs~, that there should he considerable
display 81 vol'anic energy IN the r"giOn
or Mount Wrangell. this SEASON. IN view
~ tho eruptions that arc occurring among
tho volcanoes along Cook lnle, which form
part 81 the same volcanic b-lt
There seems 10 he no telling what an
ancient ~volcano. that has never shown
the slightest sign % activity within historic
times. NAV suddenly take a notion 10 10.
About, 40 miles from Blackburn. IN Took
Inle,. riSes the ISLAND OF ST. Augustine
which - little more than q ~volranic zone 81
striking appearance
Mr.. Dali de--'nbe- ~. IN 'sso, A. n low
dome. about $500 feet high. without a
peak There was no reNord of volcanic
disturbances having occurred on this
mountain though II Was supposed TO he
Of volcanic origin.
But in August, 1888. What was described
as smoke Wa observed To te issuing from
it's summit and on the morning 81 Oct a,
at a dist ance Of sixty miles from the island.
clouds and flames were -ss,n TO IL issuing
from it, summit. After the long period
Of disturbance was over II was found
that the northern slope 81 the summit had
fallen To the level Of the cliffs that form
the shore and the mountain appeared as
II split in two.
An exorlleni harbor for small vessels
had been turned into a lagoon. worthless
for shippins. and n new island, about
ev-n,y-fve feet high and a mil" and a
half long. had made it, appearance he
tween the island and the mainland.
Mount Redoubt. which IL also reported
TO have been restored To activity this
spring, has never befor" attracted any
t.art attention. II lies To the west
Of Cook Inlet and IL nearer To the we'll
known volcano nimans on that inlet than
TO any other active volcano.