The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-07-30
Mt. Katmai Wonder
Among Volcanoes



Mt. Katmai. reported by Captain
McMullin Of the steamer Diriko to
be throwing out great volumes OF
sulphurous-iaden smoke, Is a peak
1880 feet high. situated relatively
near the eastern end OF the Alaska
peninsula and of the Aleutlan noun
tains The seaman reports the ocean
for a distance of 100 miles To be dis
colured by sulphur dust mad pumice.
The last eruption OF the volcano, In
June. 1912, MS described In a state
merit nv the National Geographic So
ciety at Washington, ID. c., compiled
from data collected by George G..
Martin. the g%eologist who directed
the socioty's Alaskan volcano re-
searches following MI. Katmai's out
break. was one OF the most violent
of historic time.
can southern Alaska knew az once
OF Katmai's eruption on the morning
OF June 6, 1919" reads the society's
statement. The sound Of tho first
mighty explosion carried down the
coast as far as Juneau, $50 miles
away. and was ven heard across the
Alaskan range at Dawson and Fair
banks, distant $50 and SEQ miles re-
spectively. The column 81 steam me
ash hat rose several miles Ia the
air was carried eastward by the wind
and within "a few hours had shed a
shower Of ashes all over the east end
Of the Alaska peninsula, the east half
Of Kodiak island and an Of Afognak
island. Intense darkness accompan-
led the fan and midnight blacknesH
l.. IL lit. .wNgrIaN ne Tn guEl
as the Kenai peninsula. Darkness
lasted for sixty hours at Kodiak, 100
miles away. Dust fell as far away
rs Juneau, Ketohlkan and the Yukon
valley. 100. zoe and COO miles. The
fumes We're reported from points as
remote as vancouver Island and Pu-
get sound 800 miles away sub
sequont terrific explosions occurred
at 3 ana II p. m. OF the same day.
"A description of the fall Of ashes
Is given by John T.. Thwaites OF the
steamer Dora, which was So miles
away when The shower began: And
now began the real rain Of ashes; u
fell la torrants; Il swirled and ed
died. he says. Gravity seemed TO
have nothing h dow ith the course
Of the fan. The under side Of the
decks seemed 10 catch ns much ashes
as the sides or the decks under our
feet. Bright clusters Of electric
lights could be seen but a few feet
away, n we had 10 feel our way
about the deck. IL was with the
greatest difficulty that the man az
the wheel could see the compass,
through the thick dust that filled the
room Lurid flashes OF lightning
glured continuously. while a constant
boom Of thunder. sometimes coincid-
Ing with the flashes. increased the
horror OF tho inferno around ~. As
far as seeing or hearing anything
pertaining 60 earth, we might az well
have been miles above the surface
OF the water. And stiil We knew the
sun was two hours above the hori-
ron. Birds noundcred, crying Wildly,
through space and fell helpless TO the
deck
The magnitude Of an eruption =
not properly measured by The loss Of
! life and daamge 60 property, but
rather In terms OF the natural phe-
nomcna; tho quantity n distribu-
ton Of the elected material, the dis
atnce az which the sound waves,
dust. darkness ana fumes were OBJ
served. She violence Of the accom-
panying earthquakes and the dis
trlbution and intensity of the result
ing atmospheric conditions. The
greatest oruptions on record include
those OF Krakatoa In 1ss3. C~oaoguina
In 1855. Tomboro In 1915, Skapiar-
Jokull In 17s3 and P-apnndhyang In
lTT1. Tha ~arnafluu az Kutmal was
apparently 90 a magnitude compor-
able with some % these. The depos-
its from Katmai vary la thickness