The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-06-24
CIT

fighting forest fires are
very clearly shown in
picture OF an airplane flying over the
crater Of the sleeping volcano Lassen.
In California, taken by another air
plane photographing the one below"
said Senator George +. Chamberlain
OF Oregon, the other day in a debate
In the senate over an appropriation
item In the sundry civil bill.
Well, the picture to which he re-
ferred is given herewith. And 1t is
lucky for the aviators from Mather
Field, California. that they were not
doing their peeking act a week or so
later. Lassen Peak, which had been
sleeping for months, suddenly walked.
sent up columns of smoke and steam
for thirty minutes and then settled
down for another nap.
Lassen Peak is the crowning touch
Of Lassen Volcanic National park. 1t
rises 10437 feet and its chief claim
to fame Is that 1t Is the only active
volcano In the United States proper.
Our national park system contains
five volcanic parks: Lassen Volcanic,
Crater Lake. Mount Raiaier Yellow
stone and Hawaii. Crater Lake National
park In Oregon contains the most won
derful lake in all the world-that in
the crater of Mount Mazama. 10000
foot volcano that sank within itself
in the prehistoric past. Mount Rain
Ter. 14.150 feet in altitude. is a dor
mant volcano. with steam Jets issuing
from vents in its icy crown. Yellow
stones volcanic origin Is shown by
It's geysers. the finest in the world,
and its boiling springs. pools and paint
pots. Hawaii. in the Hawaiian is
lands, has three OF the most impress
slve volcanoes in the world-Mauna
Loa. which erupts every ten years and
has just finished a spectacular per
formance; Kilauea, with its everlast-
ing lake of molten lava, and Haleakala.
which has not erurted for 200 years
and has crater eight miles across
and 5000 feet deep.
Lassen Peak until recently has been
quiet for 200 years. II is, however,
so interesting and important scien-
tifically and so scenic that President
[ Taft made IL a national monument in
/ 1906. Then. in the spring of 1914 It
/ walked up from its .Ong sleep and
/ broke out in a series of eruptions
/ that were practically continuous. In
I August, 1916. congress created the
! peak and 124 square miles OF its en-
! vironment the Lassen Volcanic Ma
] a,.r hc n
sen ceased activity with its 212th
eruption. The crater gradually cool
ed of and scientists predicted that
It would not resume operations for u
long time.
The activity OF Lassen aroused great
interest all over the nation; II was
the first thing of the kind In our his
tory. The spectacle was magnificent
because OF the heavy columns Of
smoke BY March of 1918. lava had
nlied the crater and had overhowed
the west slope for thousand feet.
May 22 was the climax of the many
eruptions. A great mass of smoke,
to the air. At night. with this mass
of smoke and vapor lighted by the
crater fires, the spectacle was impress
sive.
An exceedingly interesting phe-
nomenon was a blast of superheated
gas that swept down the valleys of
Lost and Hot creeks. This blast de-
stroyed every living thing in its path,
for ten miles Forests were scorched
to clnders. Snow fields were instant
ly turned to water and the lower val
leys were flooded.
Lassen Peak. the scientists seem to
think. is the last exhibit OF activity
IN the volcanlsm of the Cascade range.
They say that In ancient days the
mighty peaks OF the Cascades that are
now crowned with snow and ice were
monster volcanoes. Mount Rainier
Mount Baker. Mount Adams. Noun,
st. Helens. Mount Shasta. and van.
ished Mount Mazama.
Lassen Volcanic. whether II sleeps
or wakes, is an attractive national
park. with great possibilities as a peo-
pies playground. II contains several
other fair-slzed mountains and a T..
000-feet symmetrical heap of volcanic
material called Cinder Cone. II has
large forests and fine lakes and
streamS There are hot sprinGs which