Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-07-03
VOLCANO ONE 0F
MANKIND 8 BEST
FRIENDS, CLAIMS
Surprising Declaration Will
Be Explained to the Ma
tionaI Educational ASS0-
CiatiOn.
(By The Associated Press.) }

Washington, July 2.-lt might
be surprise to many to be told
that the fire -eating, laya-spout-
ing, earth-rocKlng volcano is one
of mankinds best friends rather
tLan his arch enemy, but such is
the surprising declaration when
will be explained to the conference
of geography of the National Edu-
cational association in Boston, July
3.
The most tremendous volcanic
eruption of history, that of Mount
Katmai in Alaska, in 1912, will be
described in TINS connection by DR..
Robert f. Griggs, leade4 OF several
parties sent to tht scene of the
cat, clysm by the National Geo
graphic society, and who discovered
the Valley of Ten Thousand
Smokes, Katmai's neighbor wonder
lof nature.
No Volcanoes, No Ocean.
Mankind's debt to the volcano
has been fully recognized by re-
suits Of recent researches. says a
bulletin of the society, describing
the upheaval. Without volcanoes,
it is now believed, there would be
no ocean, and to volcanoes we are
indebted for carbon dioXide, with
out which human life could not
Iexist.
The explosion of Katmai, the
I conference will be told, was un'
noticed because it was so far from
the centers of civilization. Had the
eruption occurred near New York
city, the bulletin declares, the sui
phurous fumes would have pollute1
the a,r everywhere east of the
Rocky mountains; the noise would
have reverberated like an artillery
duel across the central states. The
lower Hudson itself would have
been turned into a gigantic tomb.
However. due to the lack of pop
ulation in that far region. there
was no loss of life, and the erup
ton provides scientists and geog
Iraphers now one of their creates
opportunities to study the phenom'
lemon of volcanic action.
Though generally unaware OF tht
eruption until long after, every IN
habitant of the country and al
most of the world felt its effects
one OF wn:ch was the cold damI
summer of 1912. This was cause'
by the interception Of sunlight BY
the long-hanging dust cloud in th'
upper air. Even in cloudless Sa
hara, 1t was declared, the sky wa
'lovercast.
A succession Of such mighty eX
Iplosions could plunge the earth int
another ice age, it is believed.
Mountain Top Blown Off.
An area around Katmai, largei
than the state of Delaware, wa!
/ covered that summer by more thar
a foot of volcanic ash which wal
enough to destroy all but the hard
liest of vegetation. When the eX
plosion occurred two cubic miles
of material were blown off the tol
of the mountain, and the prssen
whereabouts of the mountain tol
is still a mystery to scientists.
The Valley of Ten Thousant
Smokes, from which arise virtuall'
millions of steam Jets in a seen
of unsurpassed awe and beauty. u
believed to have been an aftermats
of the cataclysm.
President wilson turned aside
from the stress of war to make thi'
region national monument sec
ond to none in the world. While
the country is so remote that th'
few white men who have viewed 1T
wonders have been members of th'
society's expeditions, the educator
will be told, 1t is easily accessible
from a sheltered bay christened ii
honor of the society, and a 50-mil
roadway will some day place
within the compass of the automo
bile tourist.