Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-18
Where The Face of The
Earth Is Young
BY Frederic J. Haskin

Washington, ID. c., Dec. 15.-The
astounding proposal made by a world
famed engineer 70 the British Association
for the Advancement of Science that a
shaft be bored twelve miles dcep-a task
estimated Co take eighty-fvc years and
IN cost S25, 900, ,O00--is only one evidence
of the increasing interest in the possible
value Of the pent up energy under the
thin crust of the earth's surface
While British science has been debating
that project an American body, the
National Geographic Society of Washing
ton. has made rapid strides III the study
~ the composition of the earth 5 sub
surface The sixth of its expeditions To the
Mt katmal region. IN Alaska, has just
returned In that area there are nature
made shafts, volcanoes which already
have revealed hidden secrets Of Mother
Earth. There Is also field of Kissing va
pors, hundreds Of degrees above the boll-
ing point, popularity known as the valley
Of Ten thousand Smokes.
The expedition which has just come
back Is the largest and best equipped Ne'
aent In NJ katmai Dr Robert Z .'rGEs
who was in personal charge, has headed the
previous National Geographic expeditions
into the httlc-known areas. Dr. Gugg
reports not only disclosed that the region
was one Of great interest Tor science;
hut also place Of such wondrons natural
bcauty, that by executive order, fr,Si-
Icp, Wilson has directed II 10 be set aside
A. q national monument, pending thy
f,rre when transportation tarihtlcs Will
7-ake i our farthcst-north national
layTound
s~RrAc1- ~ TEF MAKING.
tt gTc,t s-iontifc value of tho region
les n thr fac. thar il sFords an opportun-
~ - study the mysterious natural pro-
-esses bv which the earth became habita-
-, For this entire volcanic field is an
s,.aicd patch on the surface Of the
sar.h where. through some backward
prvSeal process that surface still is IN
thc naklng THIS region. IN word is q
ult % tho earth that remains much IS
All u il was millions Of years ago, before
ma had appeared.
= hemists, photographers, rooioeists, and
-arots other scientists who made III
r. expedition now arc preparing thor
-cnorts There nrp two aspects of the
sxDcditiors work revealed in thesr
rrports. which arc ~ marked general
interest
! preliminary report showE that the
-rei0n north AZ the national monument
area ahounds in fish and game; and WI
therefore 10 al great intCrCst ~ sports
mon and scientists
For the first tirnc an expedition of thu
Kind was cqulppCd 10 take extensive
motion picture photographs, 50 that j
1rings back material not only for the pro
loncrd study al laboratory microscopes
but n record that may he conveyed il =
few hours % millions ii ewes Thi,
nrvcord shows that nature rot only =
performing some queer pranks N Alaska
hut that this region slso has nat,.rB
heauties which some day Will VIC in Popu-
laritv with those ~ the Yellowstone
Yosemite and Mesa Verde
The so-callcd Valley oi Ten Thousand
Smokes Is such an unusual phenomenon
that il Is hard 70 convey 8 mental picture
81 .ts wonders l. most resembles s
ra.rnifed traln ward where thousands a
ergines arr splitting forth kissing columns
az stfan But mary os tho fumaroies
,he technical name for these natura
srnokestacks, sprrt forth vspors far tor
/ hot 70 ~ visible as steam. The early
expeditions found thst some of them Verr
- bot thst Instruments taken slonC corle
7ot measure the intensity az the heat
prera-arnn for this contingency vas mad,
"a the 1919 expedition. and he highes'
-enpersture found was l,l9l ? degree
FahTenheIt 4 heavy DIrce q ve05
sindlcs as Guirkiy when held over fht
opening oi many of these soothing f.Ua
-olCs. As does a mstch ove- a gGS Hano
IN the couvse q centuries. or moro like,
after scverai TrillenUus, this reEIcn vii
resemble the geysers to be seen n d.
western national parks. Az vct most g
the region has not reached ~ conHars
tively lA-e stage N surface development
wren sCvvf X a-c formed
4 discovery Of importance made durin
this sunrnr- was The finding q ak
twelve miles lorg The Fody of wste
j. one ~ great natural heaCty and add
oue rcre - tic so-lc wonders Of q rvFio
vhlch practically Was unknown Until NJ
Eatnai blew oF rs GargartUan liC
ard attracted nnen thero for hrranity