The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-08

A trip to unknown depths of Alaska was described last night by Rev Bernard J. Hubbard, S. J., If a two hour lecture accompanied by his most recent collection of pid- lures that thrilled the very large audience present at the Wa terbury Wowen's Club, The hazardous journey, although not considered such by Father Hub- bard, included the approach to and mounting of Aghileen Pifinacles, the journey through the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes with slow desperate trek through quicksands and through the weird skeleton forest, and lastly the approach to the glacier mountains with the actual photographing of the break ing off of large sections forming iceberks.
 Father Hubbard is a nationally known explorer and geologist and has just completed his eighth trip . Alaska returning with fifteen thousand feet of valuable film, some pictures unique in that he is the first explorer to show such a screening as that of the breaking off of a complete cliff. In the photographing of the icebergs and their breaking off Father Hthbard and his party witnessed the slid ing into the water of many small particles, small meaning. as exr plained by him, little chunks about the size of an enormous building. The iceberg pictures were partic- ulafly spectacular, even the smaller slides, with his especially made boat pushing it's way through the great ice sections; but the cljfnax of the ice trip was the fall of the entire cliff, something never be- fore achieved by an explorer.
 Dangerous Trip
 The dangerous trip to the Aghi- Teen Pinnacles with excellent views of the party as they finally reached the very highest, the scaling the side of the cliff, the type of equip mANt used, and the manner in which the Hubbard party proceed ed in their mountain climbing, were enlightening. Equally in- piessive were the pictures of the party struggling through the Quicksands; the, nature of same was explained by Father Hubbard to be not entirely dangerous as there was a bottom underneath and usually none of the party sank in to any great depth. The pictures of the party travelling through the dead forest were et- ,fective especially the night trek with their torches creating 2 weird effect among the ghostly trees. This, Father Hubbard explained. was Q mor,otonous and somewhat dangerous part of the trip as 1t was not possible to find place to camp, 50 that the party had to walk endlessly making toward the coast and water. The dead forest was the result, as was explained, of the spreading of ashes from tho eruption of Mt Katmai twenty-two yeAts ago, the tree skeletons still standing, the wood of same as demonstrated in the pictures. now very light and pithy and easily urrooted.
 Father Hubbard predicted the CT Iption of Mt Aniachak, but said he was not at the locality, unfortu- nately to see it in. action. The largest volcano craters in the world are right in Alaska, he sald laat night, and Vesuvius placed m the smallest would be as small as a cork by comparison. He ex- piained the real reason for wear ing gas masks in the volcano crater was, not because of danger from the gases but because of the hot steam rising at intervals. In the open he explained 1t was pos sihle to be surrounded by the gas without danger when stapdirig or walking, but lying down would be fatal.
 Carried Puppies
 Father Hubbards' trip as pie tured by himself last night, along