Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-16
CALLS MT. LASSEN
A MOVING PICTURE
covernment Geologist Describes
Activity of Only Active VOL
oano in the United States.

-, Lasscn, the California volcan,
has been in eruption since last May
T,o report of the activities of this, tn
-, active volcano in the United States
4 vritten by J. s. Diller, Govern
.,ort aeologist. Bassen Peak Mr.. Ollie
.s.rs 70 as a volcanic moving picture,
..a be suggests that the smoking noun
s,,, NAV prove to be one of the chic
.,,roctrons to the tourists who next yeai
4 -.il visit the Panama-pacitic Exposition
al San Francisco.
4 uuount Rainier and Mount Shasta, The
.,,utirnl cones 80 much in evidence Il
,t,o traveller ON the Pacific coast north OF
c., Francisco" MIR. Dller says in his
,onort TO the Geological Survey, are now
an,iing an up-to-date rival in Lasscn
paak. which is plainly in view from the
raiIroad for many miles In the Sacra-
,,onfo Valley between Redding and Red
piuT Lassen Peak Is in the southern
nnd of the Cascade Range, and IL stands
botveen the Sierra Nevada on the south
sost and the Klamath Mountains on the
northvpst It's luvas cruptcd in past
ages reach the sacramento Valley, on
tbe one side, and on the other form a
nart of tho vast volcanic field, one of
;be greatest in the world, that stretches
far across California, Oregon, Washing
ton and Idaho to the Yellowstone National
Park
"of all portions of tho Cascade Range,
Tassen Peak still retains the largest rem
nant OF It's once vigorous volcanic energy.
Morgan and Suppan Hot Springs and
Bumpass HELL on the south, as well as
Hot Springs Valley and the boiling mud
Jake Tartarus, on the southeast, have long
attracted the attention not only of Cali
fornlans but to some extent Of the tour
lists, TO whom the region Is growing more
accessible every year. II to these already
established attractions he added a fro
ouent occurrence of the recent volcanic
plays of Lassen Peak, the region will take
high rank among natures wondcrlands.
"But what is the nature of this new ac-
tIvIty of Lassen? Is It really volcanic?
VIII it soon dwinde and become wholly
oulescent or, on the other hand, il il the
precursor of more profound eruption
like that Of Krakatoa? The excellent pho
tographs that have been taken of the out
burst, especially those by G.. f. Milford
and the series by B. Il. LOoms of Viola.
taken from point six miles northwest of
Lassen Peak, leave little doubt in tho
mind Of any one familiar with volcanic
phenomena that tho outburst is essentially
volcanic. These photographs are striking
LAWS, showing the progress of an erup-
ton in the Lipari Islands, whose volcanic
character is we'll known.
"Thc eruWions Of Lasscn Peak began
May 80 at $50 p M, with an outburst
Of steam which. according to Forest Su-
pervisor ". j, Rushing, continued about
u minutes. II formed a crater I'm the
snow-covercd summit of Lassen. about
$ by 40 feet in extent. and covered the
aunir rn1 Inc
with a mantle of dark, wet dust. Harvey
Abbey, forest ranger visited the scene
and reported the facts
"On the following day, at s n. M an
other eru3tiou occurred. and on June S, !
week later the third and much larger |
outbreak took place. 1T lasted 20 min |
utes ana the rolling column Of dense |
black smoke rose to the height of 25OJ |
feet. stones We're hurled from the era |
Ter, and the Forest Service outlook house |
quarter ut a mil" away on the tip-top |
OF laSseh Peak, was broken by some of |
them. Blocks and smaller fragments ac-
cumuldted ABOUT tn" crater to a feDth of |
several feet The dust ana suIphurous
gases carried southward by the wind were
observed at Mineral the forestry station.
and the dust was noted five miles beyond
FWest rangers who We're i'm the neigh
horhood of the summit during the erup-
uOn heard tn" rushing steam and the
iailihs rocks, but report no rumhling or
fuDterTanoal noises. earth shocks. cleo
lleal phenomena or great heat beyond
that Of steam
me dust Was practically cold when
II ieh Considerable volumes of water
were elected, probably wholly i'm the
FORM OF steam The watcr condenslng
ltoiE the steam washed II gully in the
snow to the adjacent lakclct, which oc-
,upes what prior to this latest eruption
Iau long been regarded as the Youngest
crater OF Tn" l.asseu volcano. The now
~ ua"r Is not quite over the throat OF
the .tthe oid, but is a few hundred feet to
'he northwcStward."
:, cuAthulhS his report, Mr. Dillcr saws
ulal the eruption Is visible in the Sac
AZ iS'"IH'o ,H N"leN Tor distance of about
~ ~ hll!es' ana tnat with successive erup- |
uons The new crater Is becoming large
SHu iargcH The other hot holes" about
ii.dsseh Peak Mr.. Diller saws. have not
He'eased their activity, ''unless II IL !
SN! pass fi'll, which is always fummg."
Nh, 40 definite molten products" Mr.
Dnle' continues "have been found I'm
, ,,c"ictuuu with the recent eruptions Of
.IaSsen .eah. Th" elected dust as far
,y,,, San ne Judged from AN examination
yrat.l '"'aI rocket lens, is dIsintc-
,a.' uee'mppSed The quartz and an
,.%,gnly .a,al.y also the CLASSY reldspar are
.,rLsN nut the horublcndc, augita ana .
~" "It' uI course, not 50 abundant i'm I
~ 'ItIl" aud are less evident. An cv- .
a1''o" WIN "a Photographic mcrusCupr
Nm n. MS IN" conclusion that tho dust is 3
hs p.pr't' "I the pulyeriZug action os
gbicI ',.gSl'' Eases on the rocks through
esuIt ~ tE '.e escaping, ana not tn"
H. ". y. n