BOGOSLOF VOLCANOES.' 



Bv C. IIakt Mekkiam. 



A little more than a century ago the icy waters of Bering- Sea were 

 violently disturbed, and, in a tumult of thunder, earthquake, and steam, 

 a volcanic island was thrust up from the deep; and again, in the sum- 

 mer of 1883, the waters were once more convulsed, and, shrouded in 

 steam and fog, a companion volcano was born. 



The advent of the new volcano seems to have escaped observation, 

 but the terrific disturbances attending the upheaval of Old Bogoslof 

 were witnessed by native .Aleuts and by a Russian named Kriukof, 

 resident agent of the Russian-American Company at Unalaska, who at 

 the time chanced to be on the nearest part of the adjacent island of 

 Umnak. 



Kriukof reported that on May 7, 1796, a storm from the northwest 

 cut off the outlook seaward, but the following day, when the weather 

 had cleared, a column of smoke was seen, followed by the appearance 

 of a black object. During the night fire arose in this place, at times 

 so bright that every object on the island could be clearly distinguished. 

 An earthquake followed, accompanied by a terrific roaring, which 

 seemed to come from the mountains to the south, and the rising island 

 twice hurled stones as far as Umnak, a distance of 30 miles. 



In 1800 Langsdorf passed near it at sea, and said of it: "The center 

 point has on every side the appearance of a pillar and seems entirely 

 perpendicular. On the northwest side are four rounded summits, 

 which rise one above the other like steps." 



The new island continued to grow, and in 1817 its circumference 

 was estimated at 2£ miles, its height at 350 feet, and for 3 miles 

 around the sea was covered with floating stones (pumice). By the 

 Aleuts it was called Agaskagok; by the Russians, Joanna Bogoslova, 

 after St. John the Theologian. 



In 1832 it was described by Tebenkof as about 1,500 feet in altitude, 

 roughly pyramidal in form, the sides covered with sharp crags, which 

 threatened to fall at any moment. At this date (1832) Tebenkof made 



"Abstract by author of article in Harriman Alaska Expedition, Vol. II, pp. 291- 

 336, October, 1901. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co. By permission of E. H, 

 Harriman. 



307 



