The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-09-05
VOLCANOES Do NOT
ALWAYS INJURE MAN
DUST CLOUD SPREADS OVER
AND CAUSES RAIN BY IN
TERCEPTING SUMS RAYS.

Study of Mount Katmai, recently in
eruption. has disclosed its value to
humanity.
Mankind's debt to the volcano has
been more fully recognized by results
of recent researches. Contrary to the
popular belief that the volcano is an
enemy it is one of mankinds best
friends. Without volcanoes it now IS
/ believed there would be no ocean; and
to them we are indebted for carbon
/ dioxide without which human life
would not be possible.
| One of the most tremendous vol
canic explosions in history, that OF
| Mount Katmai, in Alaska, will be de-
scribed and its effects shown in mo.
ton pictures before the Conference OF
Geography of the National Education
al Association, to be held in Boston.
DR.. Robert F. Griggs leader OF the
National Geographic Society's expedi-
tions to study Katmai and discoverer
of its neighbor natural wonder, the
Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes, will
tell of the findings OF the expeditions.
Though unaware of the mighty up
heaval every inhabitant OF the United
States felt its effects, one of which
was the cold damp summer OF W.,
caused by the interrogation OF so much
sunlight by the dust from the eruption
which quickly was carried around the
world. Even in cloudless Sahara the
sky was overcast, and it is believed
that A succession OF such erupt1ons
could plunge the earth into another
ice age.
Was Immense Upheaval.
Katmai's terrific explosion was un--
noticed because it was so remote. HAD
the upheava1 occurred in New York
CITY the sulphurous fumes would have
polluted the air everywhere east OF the
Rocky Mountains; the NOISE would
have reverberated like an artillery duel
across the Central states; and the low
err Hudson itself would have been a
giant tomb with few ruins even to tell
the story.
Fortunately, Katmai's eruption pro-
vided biographies one OF their great
est opportunities for studying VOLCANIC
phenomena without any frighttul toll
of human misery. Katmai village, ~
miles from the crater, was deserted
because all the natives had gone hSh-
ing. according to their summer GUS
tom.
Kodiak. nearest settlement OF con
sequence, and the most important
town in an area larger than OHIO, IS
sleepy village of 400 people, where
mosoue-1ike Russian church, IS
relic of the one-time Russian America.
An area around Katmai, hall again
bigger than Delaware, was covered
with a foot or more of ash, which was
enough to destroy all but the hardest
herbaceous plants. Before the eXplo-
sion suffocating blanket OF incandes-
cent sand burst through oritices in the
floor of the valley When the eXplo-
sion occurred two cubic miles OF ma
terial was blown off the top OF the
volcanic mountain and its present
whereabouts. as the police bulletins
would say, still is mystery to sc1en-
lists.
The aftermath of this eruption prom
ises to be one of our most precious
national heritages. Beyond Katmai lies
great valley from whose floor con-
stantlv ascends millions of columns OF
steam. These great rolling clouds OF
vapor which go billowing down the
valley, sometimes trailing out before
the wind a mile or more, exert an
uncanny fascination.
The fumaroes, or vents, through
which the steam escapes, disclose en-
crusations of greatest beauty, variety
and color. There are masses OF bright
yellow sulphur, chunks of ash turned
red and blue, and pure white masses
of siliCiOus material
You can cook your dinner over these
Jets of kissing steam, though you have
to hold the frying pan down against
the uprushing steam. There is nat
ural bathing pool, one end cold and
another hot. Not far away is a lake
with trout of 80 inches or more that
bite at almost anything; and there also
is Brooks Falls, with its leaping sal
mon, which may be speared when a
trout diet pals
Will Be National Park.
Some day this region will be a ma
tional park-second in area only to
Yellowstone. Many lesser phenomena
mark the vicinity. There is falling
mountain, for example, which needs
not a motion-piCture camera, but a
monograph or a radio to record its
| numerous SuDSlutlICe. NdSIllNSllt
forests will provide game preserve.
Novarupta, a nearby volcano, now
wells her crater in rolling clouds OF
steam.
So remote are these phenomena that
members of the National Geographic
Society's expeditions are the only
white men who have yet explored
them; but they are not inaccessible,
A broad, deep harbor renders land
ing easy, and SO miles OF roadway
will place this natural wonderland
within the compass OF a days auto
mobile trip from the harbor, named
Geographic Harbor, in honor OF the
National Geographic Society, which
discovered and explored the region.
The TananeSe have made heavy