Evening star., 1907-11-09
Alaskan Mountain Just Risen.


How one of these sea Guakes grew q
new mountain for us is the st!ll more r.
markable story which came into the by
Geographic office a few days ago from
Lieuts Camden and Crozier of the revenue
cutter McCulloch. who. on July 1. land \
on the northeast point OF Bogoslof Island
to make a survey. Bogoslof. link ot
our Aleutian chain. is a harr.u stre}nl
two miles long by three-quart~rs uf a
mile wide. Approaching it, the otfic,rs
Expected 10 find. as usual. two high rocks
with open water between. but to N .ir
amazement they found that a sand snt-
had been lifted ont OF the sea hetwe n
them. and back OF it was new peak +n
feet high Approaching the new noun
tain. they found innumera BILE jets ~
steam escaping from the sides and form
ing a dens cloud above the summit. Il
a mass of loose earth and rocks &c.
sembling the dump from a huge cXcaya-
ton. At the summit Were gigantic UP
turned rocks weighing hundreds OF tols
and ready to toppe over at the slighb.s
tremor of the foundation. The steam
spouting from the sides dscoloring
the rocks with sulphur. whose disagree
able fumes filed the atmosphere.
Behind the mountain, which they
named "McCulloch Peak" in honor or
their vessel they discovered a newly
created steaming lake, 1890 feet long aad
from 80 to 100 feet wide. From this rnss
dense clouds Of steam and the surtacA
water registered ninety-six degrees on
the Thermometer The photographs pub
lished herewith, and showing tie II w
peak which thus rose 50 mys atio sly
out of the sea, were taken by Lelts.
Camden and Crozier on the day Of us
discovery. The island had last been Wis
tied last fall, when no such prominence
gave evidences of forming. During JunH
of last year, however. a smaller peak
was thus suddenly formed near the SAM
spot But the upheavaI of the newer
McCulioch Peak has caused the near side
of this former new development to col
lapse leaving a perpendicular wall about
275 feet high Commander Munger o.
our Bering sea feet reports that he viii
have a vessel visit the island later this
year and note any change that may have
taken place meanwhile.
New Island Made in a Night.
A new island similarly rose out of he
sea off the coast of Arakan. Burma, on
the night of December Ii last Light
house builders on a neighbortng Island
were alarmed in the night by loud noises
from seaward, and later ny a tidal wave
that swept their island. When day broke
they were amazed to behold, some dis
tance off. land where the evening before
only omen sea had been visible. This new
land was found to be circular island
900 feet in ..iameter, Il feet high ana
composed of gray clay. emitting a strong
odor of sulphur.
system of predicting earthquakes has
been partly developed by Dr. Omori, the
Japanesa above mentioned. Applying 1t
himself he predicted, in a publication OF
June 1906 that the next great shock on
the Pacific coast would be In Chile or
Peru Less than two months afterward
This prognosticatio ton was confirmed by the
Valnaraiso Quake, in Chic. His method
of prediction is based on his observation
that destructive earthquakes are seldom
isolated, but occur in groups along what
he terms Seismic zones No two Vloieht
shocks occur SUCCESSFULLY from the same
center however He finds recent great
earthuuakes to have occurred especially
along two zones One runs down the IA
cific coast of North, Central and South
America from .he Aleutian lsianas al
most to Cape Horn. The other. beginning
at tho Pacific. extends across Asia west
ward through the Himalaya mountains
and then through Europe along the north
ern shore of the Mediterranean sea
Along the American earthquake zone
there have been seven great shocks with
in eight wears. according to DIR. Omorl,
who saws that these seem to be connected
with the growth of the Rocky and Andes
mountain ranges
The monograph of our new mountain,
McCulloch Peak. shows what progress
can be made in mountain growing within
a few months, at the northern extremity
of the American seismic zone.
The geological survey has been collect
ing photographs of other seismic freaks
within this zone, some of when are re-
produced herewith.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.