The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-09-27
ASH HEAP IN PANAMA
Chiriqui Mountain Peak Formed
by Crater EruptionS.
Is 1000 Feet High and Has Been
Dead for $4,000 Years-Geoloaist
Mcdonald Tells Results Of
Recent Expedition.

New York-Dr. ID. F. Mcdonald. the
geologist of the Panama canal com
mission. has just completed a tour OF
! western Panama. and in the last issue
/ of the Canal Record, the official bulle
/ tin of the commission. which reached
New York the other day, DR.. MELON.
aid tells some of the results of his
was made under the auspices of the
Smithsonian institution. the Panama
canal commission and the United
States geological survey.
The full results" Dr. Mcdonald
says in the Canal Record. of the jour
ney, which lasted about two months.
will be published later by the Smith
sonian institution. In this issue the
so-called Chirqui volcano will be brief
ly treated.
Perhaps the most interesting new
thing discovered about the extinct vol
cano was the evidence that indicated
about the number of centuries that
have elapsed since the last volcanic
about year ago the newspapers told
how an eruption of Chiriqui volcano
had flung death and destruction far
over western Panama This proved
to be newspaper story for the last
explosive outburst of the mountain did
not occur in 1912, but many hundred
centuries earlier
The majestic ChiriQui peak stands
as king among mountains. Tower
ing over 1000 feet above sea level. it
overlooks all the other rugged crests
Of western Panama. From its sum-
NIT. on clear day. one can see the
wide coastal plain OF David meeting
the low lying shore Of the Pacific,
forty miles away. Streams, like loose
lying silvery threads flung oceanward.
tie the mountains to the sea, and on
their banks here and there are dis
tant specks of little native villages
Scattered grazing herds dot the nearer
plains. and a tiny dust cloud. barely
visible in the blue haze OF the distant
valley, tells of train of bull carts
toiling from David out to the coffee
plantations. near the foot of the noun
tain.
Turning then to the northward. one
may behold lessening waves OF noun
tains dimming in the distance. where
they meet the wide embayments Of the
Caribbean shore. In the bays and be,
yond the headlands dark island spots
are scattered along the landward mar
gin of the sunlit sea. These remnants
Of a submerged mountain group stand
like a struggling rear guard protecting
the main shore line against the foam
crested trade wind waves.
Gazing out over this pleasing pic
ture ones aesthetic sense may be
slightly shocked when he realizes that
he is only on the top Of an ash heap,
for this mighty peak was built up by
emanations OF volcanic ash and debris
blown out during long centuries from
a crater or group Of craters. The last
explosion. or series of explosions. was
more violent than the rest, for it
blew the top off the mountain and
scattered the debris far and wide
burying the surrounding country I'M
der some hundreds of feet of volcanic
ash and ejectamenta. Later streams
formed on the new surface, and these
slowly entrenched themselves in the
new volcanic formation. The Caldera
river thus excavated for itself a canon
that is $50 feet deep and about half a
mile wide-a vaster trench by far than
Culebra cut. and all done by a river
without drill. powder or steam shovel
In the fiat, wide bottom of this canon.