South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-31
ALASKAN VOLCANO
NOW MONUMENT
Mt. Katmai'S Deep Abyss
valley of Ten Thousand
SmokeS"-Recognlzed.

At the end OF September last
Pres't Wilson created by proclama-
tim the Katmai National mOnu-
ment. This reservation incloses
what the explosive eruption OF June
1912. left OF Mount Katmai. on the
southern shore OF Alaska, together
with several neighboring valleys OF
steaming vents. the largest OF "hich
the National Geographic society,
which explored it in June. 1917.
named the VALLEY OF Ten Thou
sand Smokes"
The two features are intimately
related Rock strata superheated
since the great eruption underhe
Katmai near enough TO the surface
20 turn 20 instant steam the spring
and drainage waters OF many a sur
rounding 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. "a later stage of
the vents in this valley. are found
upon the TANKS Of several OF the
most prominent OF our Cascade vol
canoes. and are numerous around
the base Of Iassen Peak.
. The comparison, however. be-
tween Katmafs steaming valleys
and the geyser basins of Yellow
stone is especially instructive be
cause Yellowstone's basins once
were what Katmai's steaming val
levs are now The Valley of Ten
Thousand Smokes" is probably a
coming geyser field Of enormous
size. The explanation is simple.
Bunsen's geyser theory. now gener-
ally accepted. presuppOses n column
OF water filing 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 in the vent, it sudden
" expands and hurls the water out.
That is what makes the geyser play.
Growth of a Geyser Basin.
Now. the difference between the
Yellowstone geyser fields and Kat
MATS steaming valleys is just a diff
ference in temperature. The en-
tire depth OF earth under these val
Ieys is heated far above boiling
point so that il is not possible for
water TO remain in the vents: il
turns TO steam as fast as it collects
and rushes out at the top in con-
or hundreds OF centuries enough
elapse for The rocks between the
surface and the deep internal peck
cts 10 cool, the water will remain in
many vents as water until. at regu-
lar intervals enough steam gathers
below TO hurl it out Then these
valleys will become basins of gey-
sers and hot springs like Yellow
stones
The crater OF Katmai is very
large. Its circumference. says Rob
ert +. Griggs, who headed the ex-
petitions which explored the entire
area. is S.4 miles. measured along
the highest point Of the rim. The
area is 4.6 miles. The precipitous
abyss. which does not extend 10 the
rim OF the southwest side, is some
what shorter. measuring IS miles in
length &c miles in circumference.
and AZ square miles in area. The
milky blue lake at the bottom is 4
miles long and nine-tenths of a
mile wide, with an area of L
square miles. The little crescent
shaped island in the lake measures
400 feet from point 10 point. The
precipice from the lake to the high
est point of the rim is 400 feet"
Mr.. Griggs estimates the capacity
OF the hole at $500, 900. 900 cubic
Yards. II this hole were filed with
water. there would be enough TO
supply New York city for 1856
days. The great eruption blew out
1900, 00O.00O cubic yards of ma
terial. more than 80 times the
amount removed in the construc-
ton OF the Panama canal.
Returned from service; office now