210 EARTHQUAKES ON THE PACIFIC COAST 



the steady breaking of surf on the beach. Knowing that such 

 a noise would hardly be heard in the inclosed bay, the captain 

 and Mr. Applegate went on deck to ascertain, if possible, the 

 cause of the disturbance. The night was then calm and clear 

 and not a thing could be seen, so that the two watchers returned 

 to their bunks with the mysterious noise still unexplained. 



About 2 a. m. the mate went on deck and shortly afterward re- 

 ported seeing what appeared to be a small black cloud low down 

 in the northwestern sky. The rumbling noise now gradually in- 

 creased in volume and soon the w^hole sky was filled with dense 

 volumes of smoke. Before daylight the crew of the schooner 

 saw^ a vast column of smoke suddenly shoot straight up to a dis- 

 tance of a mile into the clear atmosphere and then slowly ex- 

 pand in the form of an immense cauliflower from 10 to 12 miles 

 in diameter. From the lower edges and periphery . of this black 

 cloud blinding flashes of lightning shot downward toward the 

 base of the column, and the air was filled with almost continuous 

 and deafening detonations as if of thunder. The display was 

 magnificent beyond description. It lasted until daylight. Feel- 

 ing that the vicinity was anything but pleasant or safe the 

 schooner got under way as early as jjossible Monday morning, 

 and made her way out into the open waters of the Pacific. A 

 brisk northerly wind swept the smoke cloud clear of the schooner, 

 but the country to the southward must have been covered for 

 miles with ashes and ciuders, which fell like a heavy rain from 

 the cloud. At Metrofem, a small native settlement 80 or 90 miles 

 away, the inhabitants witnessed the eruption and distinctly heard 

 reverberations of the thunder, and at all the islands lying to the 

 southward of the peninsula quantities of dust and cinders fell 

 during the greater part of three days. 



The exact locality and appearance of the new volcano could not be 

 obtained for the reason that it is inland some 30 miles, as esti- 

 mated by Mr. Applegate, and hidden fromi view by the higher 

 mountains which border the sea. It must, however, be of con- 

 siderable extent, as there can be no doubt now that the rain of 

 volcanic dust which fell on the decks of the St. Paul during five 

 hours of August 28 came from the new volcano. In connection with 

 this upheaval it is of interest to recall the fact previously noted 

 by the Chronicle correspondent of the unusual activity of all the 

 volcanoes situated along this part of the Aleutian Islands during 

 this season. 



On September 23, while the revenue-cutter Kush was cruising in the 

 vicinity of Akutan Island, the volcano situated thereon suddenly 

 opened up its hidden batteries, and blast after blast of dark 

 purple smoke shot upwards from the crater to a distance of 

 nearly 1,000 feet, accompanied by a rumbling noise like distant 

 thunder. At the same instant, as was subsequently ascertained. 



