The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-12-10

WASHINGTON, November 22.-The
new islands in the Bogoslof group away
up in the north Pacific near the Aleu-
tian Islands, Alaska, which the United
States acquired several months ago,
appear to be very unstable territory,
according to the latest reports received
by Captain Worth c. Ross, chief Of the
revenue cutter service i'm this city.
About a month ago The Star published
a summary Of a report made by Lieut..
| b. II. Camden of the cutter McCullOch
regarding the birth Of the new lands
and the explorations Of them made by
! himself and a party Of revenue cutter
| service officials, who were the first and
as it has turned out to be the only ones
! that have ever set foot on the islands.
Since Lieut.. Camden and his com
panions visited the islands i'm July and
! August last a remarkable transforma-
! ton has taken place in the new group.
! McCulloch peak, the higher Of the two
| mountains that were forced up from
! the bottom of the sea, has entirely dis
appeared and many changes have taken
place in Perry peak and the remaining
! new land. Under verbal orders from
Captain H. b. Rodgers, commanding
the McCuloch, Lieut. Camden visited
the Bogoslof group again the 18th Of
October, and the changes discovered are
the subject of a report made by him
and which has just reached Captain
Ross
The report shows the remarkable
transformations made in the new ISL
ands in the two months that elapsed
between the first and last visit and it
will be of much interest to the scien-
tifc world. As the McCulloch rounded
Cape Cheerful instructions were given
the quartermaster at the wheel to no
tify Lieut. Camden as soon as the
vapOr from the hot lands, which on
former visits could be seen for miles
before the islands were reached was
visible.
Much to the surprise of all aboard
the ships, mile after mile was traversed
without any vapor being discerned OF
the horizon, until the island became
visible some fifteen miles away.
Over the land there was no evi.
dence Of the cloud that had hitherto
been visible for such a great distance
and it was evident that there was bu,
little steam escaping from Perry and
McCulloch peaks, from which such
dense volumes escaped at the time al
the visit of this vessel in August.
Lieut.. Camden was prepared to OBJ
serve many interesting changes ever
to the upheaval Of another peak, but
the first change that was observed
was at such a variance with anythinl
that had been expected that it wa!
startling, to say the least. McCullocl
peak, 1896 feet high, with base l,7O
by 1000 feet, had entirely disappeared
3 leaving the half Of Perry peak will
its perpendicular wall standing in grin
silence as headstone at the grave o
the departed peak. However, a neare
view disclosed the fact that McCullOcI
peak had not died without a struggle 0
y without leaving some evidence of it
short existence, for astonishing change
had occurred in the prohles Of tn
peaks, the rugged outlines of each O
which had been softened to a genera
symmetry by a padding Of lava dus
that almost disguised them beyond re
cognition, while the sand spit connect
ing the peaks had attained a heigh
varying from 20 to 100 feet, as snow
, by the contour lines in the sketch.
'Incalculable tons Of material hun
dreds of feet in depth had been deposit
J.. ed over the entire island. Fire Islam
a and Perry peak now lowered into tn
air, with a gentle incline rising frol
the beach, several hundred yards di.
tant. to their summit
Castle rock, on account Of its prec
pitous walls, had no considerable dept
v of the lava dust deposited on II, an
/ consequently its form remains una
Z tered, but its color is changed To IN
d very tips of its highest rocks from gra
l. to the color of Portland cement
intervals a mass of this lava dust wi
be Jared or blown from It's bed, hig
mp among the rocks and come tearin
down the cliffs to The beach, raising
cloud of dust with IT,, that is amo'
, identical in appearance with the yapt
IL rising near nv and leaving IFS stuTtiu
ID point bare and white ina contrast wit
the color of the undisturhed dust cove
ing The adjacent rocks
ii AS soon as Lieut. Camden realize
that this new development was con
posed of lava dust which was easil
recognizable at the short distance tt
shin was then from the island he In
medutoy connected il with fan a
q lama. I..f fl.f tIIf.YII al 'UulNal