The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-03-31

~ ALIFORNIA, the state OF per-
ennial self-advertising and of
marvels too numerous to men
ton, has the downright good
luck OF being in possession of the only
volcano which the eyes of white men
have ever seen In a state of eruption
within the borders Of the United
States.
1t was on May 80, 1914, that the Cali
fornians who lived within a radius of
fifteen to twenty miles of Mt Lassen
were awakened out Of their nights
sleep by roar and q thunder like the
sound of thousands OF heavy cannon
going off,
A black column of smoke, attend
ed with hot ashes, fine sand and hiss
ing steam, was shot up from deep cav
ems of the earth into the sky 5000
feet above the summit of the mountain,
which is itself nearly two miles high.
The Californians could scarcely be-
Heve their senses. They had been
used to considering Lassen peak as
harmless old pet, as quiet old mon
ster who didn't have tooth left in her
head. And then to have her suddenly
become one OF the most savage active
volcanoes in the world was almost too
much for them.
But with the true California spirit
the Californians got busy and made
Lassen peak and its eruption shout for
the glory Of California "If California
has dead volcano that won't behave
itself and stay dead" said the Califor-
mans, then we'll make a virtue of its
misbehAvior, advertise 1t and get more
tourists to come to Gods favorite spot
Of earth"
This is just what the Californians
did. 1t was Just their luck to come in
to possession of the only live volcano
the United States owns. So they ad-
vertised it right and left and got no
tices and reviews concerning it In all
the papers and magazines in the land.
Gives a Fine Display.
Lassen peak Is a giant mountain
with height OF 1O.437 feet. 1t is built
up entirely of materials drawn from
the deep interior OF the earth. Cali
fornia claims it now as one of her most
wonderful scenes. Not only is it a
rugged sentinel guarding the states
northern frontier but 1t is constantly
challenging attention and exciting ad-
miration by splendid displays of deep
seated energy and by sending forth
magnificent black plumes into the sky
often accompanied by a grand bonn
bardment of great rocks.
About 1900 feet of it's summit can
be seen from the mail stage at dis
lance of 20 miles. Steam can be seen
gently steaming forth. Every once In
while column of black smoke
comes forth and rises straight towards
the zenith. A long horizontal light-col-
ored cloud lies apparently above the
volcano. The smoke sometimes reach
es height which mountaineers have
estimated as being $4,000 feet above
the volcano opening. 1t impresses it.
self indelibly upon the memory of any
one who is lucky enough to see it.
The crater itself cannot be ap-
preached at present on account OF the
incessant spurts Of steam, and the pos
sibility of an outburst Of cinders, ashes
and rocks, not to mention flows of lava
which may take place any minute.
At such times a fine sand ranging
from an almost fmpalpable but gritty
powder to very small pebbles is pro-
jected with great violence from the
throat OF the monster and carried to
distances of from fifteen to twenty
miles. 1t was on the northern and east
ern side of the mountain that the ire
mendously large rocks were projected
from the volcano and sent tumbling
down the steep mountain side toward
Manzanita lake, four miles distant
when the tremendous and historic out
burst occurred on May %, 1915.
Some of the daring mountaineers set
out with lines to measure these stones
shortly after the eruption. They found
two great rocks, one IL by IA by 10
feet and the other IL by by II feet.
both still SO hot that they blistered
their hands in measuring them An
other great rock which was vomited
forth set fire to green sapling against
which it rested.
1t was on the northern slope of the
mountain that the great disaster Of
Hat creek occurred. There was a deep