The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-12
THE LASSEN VOLCANO
NATIONAL PARK
Congress Has Just Made National Park
of the Only Active Volcano in
the United States.

The Lassen volcano National park, this
bill creating which President Wilson has
just signed, is California; fourth nation
al park. Lassen peak, which showed vol.
eanic activity only a few years ago, was
1906. Cinder Cone, in its immediate
neighborhood was also thus distinguished
at the same time. The New National
park includes both of these markable
volcanic monuments within its area of
$3.50 acres.
The region is one of extraordinary in.
terest and the only one in the United
States exhibiting recent volcanic action.
Among its features are Lassen peak, TO-
437 feet elevation aud still exhibiting
some volcanic activity; North peak, S.
600 feet elevation, Southwest peak, over
a,2o0 feet elevation; Prospect peak over
1900 feet elevation; Cinder Cone, g.
907 feet elevation; the Devils Half
Acre; showing hot springs and mud
geysers; Bumpass, Morgan and other hot
springs; seven lakes, many interesting
| ice caves and lakes of volcanic glass;
numerous trout streams; and beautiful
and majestic canyons. There are forests
OF yellow pine, fir, white pine, and lodge
pole.
Prof. Douglas w. johnson of Columbia
university thus describes a recent visit
to this great Pacific coast volcano:
From the summit we had magnificent
views of the northern Sierras, the Cas-
cades, the distant Coast ranges, and the
mountains of the Great Basin, panora-
ma which for grandeur can be equalled
at but few places in the country.
1.-THE products of recent volcanic ac-
tivity, the escaping steam and gasses, /
the ruined forests for miles to the east
ward, marking the path of the great |
blast which swept destruction before it, /
reminding one of the similar blast which
destroyed San Pierre, Martinique; all /
bore witness to the activities OF that |
force of nature, which has always in
spired man with the greatest awe and
wonder. To be able to view such phe-
nomena in our own country with ease
and safety is one of the striking merits
of the Bassen peak locality
within easy reach OF the mountain
base are boiling lakes and springs, mud
volcanoes, and other evidences of vol
canic heat which appeal most strongly
to the Imagination of every visitor By /
means of saddle horses the entire party ,
also visited the remarkable Cinder Cone {
erupted few hundred years ago, and
which is short distance to the east of
the main peak. From the base of this {
cone there spread ont lava flows whose {
fresh, rugged surfaces give every APP
pearanee of having erupted yesterday, I
and which are in reality less than hun :
lred years old. The opening in the vase /
If the Cinder Cone from which the lava j.,
poured forth is still well preserved, and
easily accessible to the visitor. The
sides of the cone are easily climbed and
rom the sumit one may look down into
/ double crater as perfectly preserved r
md as symmetrical as though the erup n
ion had just ceased. II
"On all sides of the cone are the grey e
sh white ash deposits which, descending e
Ipon the surrounding forest, burned and /
Tiled the trees. leaving the trunks still r
tanding as monuments to the disaster =
which overlook them. Close by is Snag
axe, of particular interest to the tour
st because he can plainly see the lobe of !,
he lava flow which recently damned the !,
alley to form the lake, while from the \
axe waters project the "snsgs" or trunks a
t trees drowned by the rising water. and II
OF vet rotted out. Y
"On the whole it is difficult to imagine o,
region where the more striking phe-
omena OF nature are developed on a +,
rander scale or in a manner calculated q
D appeal more strongly TO the average r
ldividual. The Lsssen peak country is Of
, exceptional that it has always iusti- [,
ed special protection because of the nat al
raj wonders included in the area and a.
he excellent camping sites which favor Il
he summer visitor. The recent activi- q
r Of the volcano has simply added to 81
ie wonders already existing in the dis OF
-ict.# m