The Rice belt journal., 1907-11-29
PEAKS RISE AND SINK
OFFICERS OF REVENUE cur-
TELL OF SEA MARVEL.
Entire Island in Eerng Sea cb,,
Evidence of Mountains stru,
gle for Life Seen on
Every Side.

Washington.-Last July the s,..
ling discovery was made bv tba oa
GERS of the revenue cutter McCuIIooh
that an island had appeared ora.
night in Bering sea, coughed I'm nv =
volcano in the vicinity Of Unalaska
Steam was issuing from every no,o
ana fissure, and showers of lava dp,,
Sifted down upon the head of the oss
GERS OF the revenue cutter who soyoh.
to go ashore to raise the Americas
flag above the volcanic visitor. Two
efforts were made to land, one in hIv
and the other in August, but the cool.
ing process was slow and the baf'ed
officers decided to retire for two
months. Meanwhile they speculataa
on the possibility Of additions to Uncle
Sans island possessions. Possibly
the volcano might cough again.
1t was October 10 when the McCuI.
loch visited the scene again. and tba
remarkable transformation that had
occurred in the eight weeks is hest
described in the words of Lieut.. r. II
Camden, whose report has reached the
treasury department.
In this document he says:
over the land there was no eyi.
dence of the cloud that had hitherto
been visible for such a great distance
and 1t was evident that there was but
little steam escaping from Perry and
McCulloch peaks, from which dense
volumes escaped at the time of the
visit OF this vessel in August.
"McCulloch peak, 395 feet high. with
base LOO by 1000 feet, had entirely
disappeared, leaving the half of Perry
peak, with its perpendicular wall.
in grim silence as a head.
stone at the grave Of the departed
)eak.
However, nearer view disclosed
he fact that McCulloch peak had not
lied without a struggle or without
eaving some evidence of its short ex-
Stence, for astonishing changes had
occurred in the protiles of the peaks.
ne rugged outlines of each of which
ad been softened to a general sym.
1etry by a padding of lava dust that
lmost disguised them beyond recog-
ltion, while the sand spit connecting
he peaks had attained a height vary
lg from 20 to 100 feet, as shown by
lie contour lines in the sketch.
"lncalculable tons of material. hun
reds of feet in depth, had been de-,
oslted over the entire island. Fire,
land and Perry peak now lowered
TO the air with gentle incline ris.
g from the beach several hundred
lrdS distant to their SUBMITS.
AT intervals mass of lava dust
ould be Jared or blown f,'om its bed
gh up among the rocks and come
airing down the cliffs to the beach,
lslng a cloud of dust with it that
almost identical in appearance with
Vapor rising nearby, and leaving
starting point bare and white in
ntrSst with the color of the undis-
rbed dust covering the adjacent
cks."
The officers decided not to land.
{ they sailed around the island and
tlced that while there had been a
of the peaks and trans.
nation in topography, the island
actually widened.
deep bay more than half mile in
meter had appeared since the last
II, and on one side of it a precipi.
S wall 100 feet high appeared. From
surface of the bay dense cloud
steam and smoke arose. A thick
osit of sulphur was on the beach
Its fumes could be detected by the
GERS two miles away. The officers
hnal leave of their discovery. for
y realized that it might disappear
rely before their next visit.