Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-01-04
TEAMMATES
 HUGE ABYSS
 MAY BE PARK
National Park System May Be Extended to the Val
 leys of Southern Alaska.

At the end of September last Presi- dent Wilson created by proclamation the Katmai National Monument. This reservation incloses what the explo- sive eruption of June, 1912, left of Mount Matmai, on the southern shore of Alaska, together with several neighbOring valleys of steaming vents, the largest of which the National Geo. graphic Society, which explored it in June, 1917, named the 'Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes"
 The two features are intimately re- lated. Rock strata superheated since the great eruption underlie Katmai near enough to the surface to turn to instant steam the spring and drain age waters of many surrounding mile of foothills. Thus originates the steam which bursts from the myriad valley vents. The phenomenon is familiar in the neighborhood of most volcanoes which still are classed as active. Steaming springs, later stage of the vents in this valley, are found upon the Hanks of several of the most prominent of our Cascade volcanoes, and are numerous around the base of Lassen Peak.
 The comparison, however, between Katmai's steaming valleys and the. geyser basins of Yellowstone is espe- cially instructive because Yellow stones basins once were what Kat mails steaming valleys are now. The "Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes" is probably coming geyser field of enormous size. The explanation is sini- pie. Bunsen's geyser theory, now gen. erally accepted, presuppose column of water filling the geyser vent above a deep rocky superheated chamber in which trickling spring water is being rapidly turned into steam When this steam becomes plentiful enough and sufficiently compressed to overcome the weight of the water ill the vent, it suddenly expands and hurls the Wa ter out. That is what makes the geyser play
 Growth of Geyser Basin.
 Now, the difference between the Yel- lowstone geyser fields and Katmais steaming valleys is just difference in temperature. The entire depth of earth under these valleys is heated far above boiling point, so that it is not possible for water to remain i'll the vents: it turns to steam as fast as it collects and rushes out at the top in continuous flow. But when cen turies or hundreds of centuries enough elapse for the rocks between the sur face and the deep internal pockets to cool, the water will remain in many vents as water until, at regular inter- vals, enough steam gathers below to hurl it out. Then these valleys Will become basins of geysers and hot springs like Yellowstone's
 The crater of katmai is very large | It's circuference, says Robert F. Griggs. who headed the expeditions which explored the entire area, is S.4 miles, measured alongs the highest point of the rim. "The area is 4.6 miles. The precipitous abyss, which does not extend to the rim of the southwest side, is somewhat shorter, measuring 2.6 miles in length 7.6 miles in circumference, and 4.2 square miles in area. The milky blue lake at the bottom is IA miles long and nine tenths of mile wide, with an area of III square miles. The little cres- cent-shaped island in the lake meas ures 400 feet from point to point. The precipice from the lake to the highest point of the rim is 3,700 feet.
 MT. Griggs estimates the capacity of the hole at 4,500,O00,O00 cubic yards If this hole were filled with water, there would be enough to supply New York City for 1885 days. The great eruption blew out 1,000,000,000 cubic yards of material, more than forty times the amount remove din the con- struction of tho Panama Canal.