Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-06-06
Natures Forces.

IL. =. Zoe, WHO lives bll IlOOu IlNtI
Oregon, declares, in the Portland pa
pers, that he has seen Mt. Hood in
active eruption. He, several years
ago, completed the Mt Hood wagon
road to Cloud-Cap Inn, and afterward
made an ascent of the mountain on
east side, with party OF eight others
They xor ked their way across the east
face Of the mountain with great diff.
Guilty, and came near losing their lives
from an avalanche OF rock. On reach
ing the summit OF the wall Of the
crater, about 300 or 400 feet below the
main peak, the party found themselves
cnveloped in smoke-blue smoke-no,
steam, and not only smoke, but ashes
which were constantly coming up with
it, until they had formed layer sew
eral inches thick on the surrounding
rock. The smoke came from fissure.
in the rock some eight or ten feet
from the edge of the cliff, or rim o.
the crater. Steam in the bed of the
old crater was also plainly visible, issu
ing from six or eight crevasses in the
ice. Smoke, he ailirms, may be seer
issuing from the mountain, on the
north branch OF the Snake river, where
the canyon first shows on the side oil
the mountain, about on level with
Barretts spur, the dividing ridge be.
tween Hood and Snake rivers.
Mr.. Coe makes the statements in
reply to the opinion expressed by O
q" Mazama," who derides the idea that
the mountain exhibits any OF the sign.
OF being volcano. Mr.. C.'s state.
mcnt is likewise supported by that OF
other pioneers who profess to have
seen the mountain in active eruption
in early days. While no evidences
exist OF serious overflow of lava
there is reason to believe that, at no
very distant day, mass of angular
rock has been thrown directly out
from the base of the mountain. 1t is
on the middle fork of Hood river
some four miles long by one wide, and
in places 400 feet high. There wa.
very little lava, however, from this
outburst, it apparently being an up.
heaval from the rocky base of the
mountain.
Visitors to Mt. Rainier have like.
wise testified to the volcanic nature OF
the mountain. 1t will be remem-
bered that Gen. Hazard Stevens and
party found at the summit what ap-
peared to be an extinct crater, from
which warm vapor, or rather hot air,
assembled, which conduced very much
to the comfort OF the party while there
Some OF the peaks farther north, on
the Cascade range, have shown un.
mistakable evidences OF possessing
vent-holes for the pent.up energy oil
the Earth's fiery center. and it is safe
to assume that these escape valves,
placed all over our globe, are wise
provision of nature to ease it from the
strain produced by heat and moisture
in the process of a cooling of its eight
thousand miles of enveloped force,
which requires centuries of time for
that object.
Instead OF the phenomena OF smoke,
steam and fire issuing from many
craters, being regarded as menace to
mans feeble power, it should be &C
cepted as a provision for safety, as the
weighted valve of the steam boiler in
operation is an indication that undue
tension is finding relief from discharge
of superintendent expansion. Had it
not been for failure OF natural forces
to work properly-some of the ma.
chinery controlled by the titanic
forces being out of gear-there would
probably have been no overflow a,
Pompeii or St. Pierre to awaken the
consciousness OF mankind to the
mighty and fearful consequences tina,
attend natural forces when the Divine
command ceases for moment TO hold
them in obedience to the harmonious
action OF Natures law.