The Wrangell sentinel., 1917-10-04
HELL'S MOUTH DISCOVERED
 IN ALASKA

the Valley ot leu Thousand Smokes, the greatest volcanic re- zion in the world, about Mt katmai in Alaska.
 This valley, according to prelim, mary reports from Robert F. Griggs, director of the society $ exploration expedition. is the first wonder ot the world. It makes NesuviuS. renowned for centuries. appear as nothing but a toy by comparision.
 There is great volcanic region about Mt. katmai, a hundred miles in extent, literally filled by millions of active craters.
 pr. Griggs and his party, with complete scientific data and photo graphs of the region, is now on his way 10 Washington. The ex- petition is expected to reach Washington October ;. Dr. Griggs teleeraphed his discoveries immediately upon reaching civili- zation a, kodiae. Alaska.
 Indians Told of Craters.
 Hidden away in the center Of Alaska, Mt. katmai and this enormous volcanic region were un- known to the civilized world until the great eruption in 1912 that nearly devastated the coast area. Alaska Indians had told the story Of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and the Mouth of Hell, but their descriptions were made quate, it seems, in the face of scientific discoveries.
 Explorations were made by the National Geographic Society in succeeding years, but the enormity of this volcanic region has just be- come known. The Mt- katnlai explosion in 1912 was the most terrific in the history of the world. The quantity of material throwrf from the katulai crater was vastly greater than that which resulted in the projection of the Island of hrakatoa out of the bed of the Pacific ocean. The greatest effort Of Nesuvius could not be compared with it. Practically the entire Alaskan peninsula and the islands oi the Aleutian groups were covered inches deep in ashes, as were the decks of vessels hundreds of miles off the coast. The coast guard cutter Bear had to rescue whole communities threatened by the ash shower.
 Announcement of pr. Griggs' discoveries was made by Gilbert H. Grosvenor, director of the National Geographic Society, who received a telegram from pr. Griggs announcing the safe arrival of his party from the interior and outlining some Of it's disco, cries.
 The survey by the exploration party proves that Katmai Is the greatest crater on the face of the globe, being more than nine miles in circumference and 5000 feet deep. The party also discovered a mud river seventeen miles long. and mapped I,6oo miles of terri tory hitherto uncharted. Two thousand photographs of the great volcano and the contiguous terri tory were secured, and a complete collection ot plants, insects, birds, and geological data is being brought back to the United States by the expedition. Gases from the vents are also being brought back for chemical analysis.
 Mir. Grosvenor announces that the expedition, judging from pr. Griggs' preliminary report,is one of the most successful ever undertaken by the National Geographic Society and that the data collected by il will be among the foremost contri- buttons to the science of the earth's surface since the dawn of the twen- .tieth century.
 This expedition set sail for Mt. katmai region from Seattle on