Jackson County sentinel. (Gainesboro, Tenn.) 1914-current, 1922-04-20
U. S. HAS GARDEN
OF FIREWORKS
Worlds Most Active Volcanic
Region Is in Alaska.
MOUNT REDOUBT BREAKS OUT

II Forms, SO Far az Known, Landward
End Of Chain Of Volcanoes Which
Stretch Along AIeutlan Islands for
1900 Miles and Which Have Been
Spoutino Fire at Intervals for Hun
dreds of Thousands of Years
Chance to Solve Stubborn Problems.
"The waking into activity Of Mount
RedOubt In Alaska just reported by
wireless and cable serves to remind
the people of the United States that
In the Alaska peninsula and the Aleu-
tian islands, which sweep from 1t al
most to Asia, they possess one of the
most extensive and most active vol
canic regions on the face Of the earth"
says bulletin issued from the Wash
lngton. d. c., headquarters Of the Ma
tional Geographic society.
"Redoubt is not remote from the set
tied portions Of Alaska continues the
bulletin, but rises close to the west
ern shore of Cook inlet, at the head OF
which is Anchorage, an important port
on the Alaska railroad recently con-
structed by the federal government.
This mountain and companion peak,
Hanna, are conspicuous landmarks
for ships which steam up Cook Inlet,
They are almost perfect cones, ard
with their snow covered caps serve
very we'll as American versions of the
famous Fujiyama Of japan. RedOubt
forms, so far as Is now known, the
landward end Of the long chain of vol
canoes which stretch to the southwest
ward along the Aleutian islands for
more than 1900 miles, and which have
been spouting fire at intervals for hun
dreds of thousands Of years.
Mountains That Blow Their Heads Off,
Although Redoubr, passive for near
~ 20 years, is showing only clouds Of
steam, those who have observed the
volcanoes of the Alaskan chain are not
treasured, for these volcanoes have a
dlsconcertlng way of blowing their
heads Off with little warning. Katmai,
200 miles to the south, which Is one OF
the chain that had long been dormant,
exploded suddenly In 1912. constituting
one of the dozen greatest eruptions Of
historic times. A scientific expedition
sent to the crater by the National Geo
graphic society found that two cubic
miles OF material had been blown from
this previously passive mountain. II
was while making study Of katmai
that the soclety's expedition found
that unique natural phenomenon, The
Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes.
Augustine mountain, In Cook inlet, less
than 100 miles from Redoubt, and long
noted for Its perfect cone, blew Its top
Off suddenly in 1883 leaving only jag
ged stump. The whole Alaskan vol
canic chain is unit of volcanic action,
and it is always predetermined where
the next outburst will occur.
Chance to Solve Stubborn Problems.
TO scientists one of the significant
features in connection with the exist
pnce of the extensive volcanic region
In Alaska Is the fact that II Is situ-
ated where In the future at least II
will be easily accessible for study. And
there Is much room for the study of
volcanoes. Although vOlcanism was
probably one Of the first of natures
spectacular phenomena TO thrill man
Ii presents one of the few obvious
problems about which science has no
satisfactory hypothesis. Just where
the heat comes from which melts
stone, why II is concentrated within
definite areas, from what depths the
molten material rises and why 1t rises
these are some Of the problems
about which there has been much spec
ulation. but in regard to which few
satisfactory theories exist.
"Tell-tale fossils and types of rock
show that the mountains of the Alas
kan peninsula and the Aleutian islands
are older than either the Himalnyas or
the Alps, systems which are practically
without volcanoes. 1t does not follow.
however, that volcanic activity accom-
panles age, for the Appalachians,
among the oldest mountains of the
earth. have no volcanoes"