Smyrna times., 1933-09-06
ISLANDS" OFF
ALASKA COAST
Some Come and Go, Playing
a Regular f'Hide and
Seek"
RISE LIKE MOUNTAINS

Observation-Disclosures mountain
has Joined the observation-disclosures
off Alaska. Augustine island in
Kamishak bay, an indentation of
Cook inlet, is reported to have been
the most recent island to present
an act after the old stage formula,
now you see me, now you don't"
when an Alaskan island seven
miles In diameter and nearly 1000
feet high erases itself from the
map. it is front-page news every
where except in Alaska" says a
bulletin from the National Geo.
graphic society. alaskan residents
know that the volcanoes along a
part of the territory's seacoast
have done strange things in the
past. They can easily believe that
a beautiful cone-shaped mountain
Of today may be jagged peak to-
morrow, or that an island Of this
month may be beneath the waves
when the next moon shines.
Plays Hide and Seek.
''BOgoslof Of the AIeutian islands,
which belong to the same chain Of
volcanoes at Augustine, is famous
for it's jack-in-the-box activities
The island was discovered in 1870
but its strange habits were not
known until nearly century
later. At first Bogoslof was a
single island. Then suddenly ap-
peared a companion island which
its discoverers called Fire island
They were joined by narrow
strip of land.
In 1900 the American navy re-
ported that the hyphen' had disap-
peared and two unattached islands
appeared above the water. In 1905
a new peak appeared at BogoslOf,
thus adding another bit Of land to
Alaska, to which Bogoslof belongs.
Two years later, however, Alaska's
territory was diminished when Nc
Cullock peak of Bogoslof disap
peared, leaving splendid harbor
Since. another peak has also dis
appeared in the sea.
"A nearer neighbor of Augustine
than BOgoslof, however, is Mount
Katmai, on the Alaska peninsula,
whose explosion in 1912 was one
of the most tremendous in history.
Instead of sinking, it blew its head
off, Two cubic miles of mountain
top were blown away. Some of the
debris was scattered over hundreds
of square miles of nearby land and
sea; but a large portion disap-
peared. being blown to dust and
ash which was hurled into the up
per air and then whisked away by
winds even TO the far side Of the
earth.
Though the Inhabitants of the
United States were unaware Of the
great explosion of Mount Katmai
they felt its effects. one of which
was the cold. damp summer of
1912. caused by the interception of
by dust from the eruption.
Even the clear, cloudless sky of the
Sahara desert region was overcast.
Fortunately Katmai was remote
from congested population centers.
If the explosion had occurred in
New York city, the sulphurous
fumes would have polluted the air
as far west as the Rockies and the
noise would have reverberated like
IN artillery duel across the central
states.
IAN area around Mount Katmai,
half again larger than Delaware.
vas covered with a foot or more of
lsh-enough to destroy all but the
most hardy plants.
"Garden Of Fireworks"
Americas Garden of Fire
works. as Alaska's volcanic region
las been called. also includes the
amous Valley of Ten Thousand
a volcanic phenomenon
which has been carefully explored
~ expeditions of the National Geo
,raphic society. The valley lies
lear Mount Katmai. For a num-
'er of years after the Katmai ex-
'losion millions of columns OF steam
scended from the valley floor. The
team jets are fewer now. The
or vents. through which
he steam escaped, disclosed en-
of great beauty, varle-
y. and color. There were masses
( bright yellow sulphur, chunks of
sh turned red and blue, and pure
Ihite encrustations of sillcious ma ]
erial.
Explorers of the valley cooked !
leals over the kissing Jets, holding {
heir long-handled frying pans
own by main force against the
prushing steam. They found a
atural bathing pool. one end cold
nd the other hot. President VIII
On turned aside from the stress Of
ar time to make this region a ma
onal monument"