﻿60 
  ALASKA 
  PISHEKIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTEIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  that 
  a 
  volcanic 
  outburst 
  had 
  occurred 
  until 
  mid 
  afternoon, 
  June 
  6, 
  1912, 
  when 
  a 
  dark 
  

   cloud 
  was 
  observed 
  rising 
  from 
  the 
  west. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  improbable 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  hght 
  

   convulsions 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  which, 
  because 
  of 
  their 
  frequency 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  passed 
  un- 
  

   noticed. 
  

  

  The 
  day 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  eruption 
  began 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  more 
  than 
  ordinary 
  pleasantness. 
  

   The 
  warmth 
  and 
  brightness 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  coupled 
  with 
  a 
  gentle 
  breeze 
  from 
  the 
  west, 
  

   made 
  it 
  an 
  ideal 
  summer 
  day. 
  Air 
  temperatures 
  at 
  morning, 
  noon, 
  and 
  night 
  were 
  

   52°, 
  58°, 
  and 
  52° 
  F., 
  respectively; 
  and 
  water 
  temperatures 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  hours 
  were 
  

   41°, 
  42°, 
  and 
  49° 
  F. 
  

  

  Many 
  interesting 
  phenomena, 
  particularly 
  the 
  rise, 
  spread, 
  and 
  rapidity 
  of 
  the 
  east- 
  

   ward 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  ash 
  clouds, 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  observed 
  at 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  

   eruption 
  if 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Afognak 
  had 
  been 
  situated 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  

   where 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  the 
  mainland 
  are 
  clearly 
  visible 
  on 
  bright 
  days. 
  Located 
  as 
  

   it 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  lowlands 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  shore, 
  the 
  view 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  is 
  shut 
  off 
  by 
  forest 
  and 
  

   mountains. 
  For 
  this 
  reason 
  the 
  cloud 
  attracted 
  no 
  attention 
  until 
  its 
  crest 
  rose 
  high 
  

   above 
  the 
  hills, 
  when 
  its 
  blackness 
  and 
  otherwise 
  pecuUar 
  aspect 
  became 
  the 
  subject 
  

   of 
  some 
  comment. 
  The 
  first 
  impression 
  received 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  had 
  lived 
  in 
  other 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  was 
  that 
  a 
  thunder 
  storm, 
  characteristic 
  of 
  more 
  tropical 
  regions, 
  was 
  

   approaching; 
  but 
  being 
  unaccompanied 
  by 
  lightning 
  and 
  apparently 
  no 
  wind, 
  the 
  

   cloud 
  was 
  next 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  probable 
  fire 
  on 
  the 
  peninsula. 
  By 
  this 
  time 
  

   the 
  silence 
  was 
  ominous, 
  and 
  even 
  the 
  birds 
  seemed 
  to 
  feel 
  impending 
  disaster, 
  yet 
  

   no 
  special 
  apprehension 
  was 
  noted 
  among 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  island. 
  

  

  The 
  shower 
  of 
  ashes 
  began 
  about 
  6 
  p. 
  m. 
  The 
  hills 
  were 
  then 
  enveloped 
  in 
  an 
  

   amber-colored 
  haze, 
  the 
  sky 
  was 
  overcast 
  in 
  all 
  directions 
  except 
  a 
  narrow 
  border 
  

   along 
  the 
  northeastern 
  horizon, 
  and 
  the 
  air 
  seemed 
  strangely 
  warm. 
  As 
  the 
  storm 
  

   progressed, 
  the 
  shower 
  increased 
  in 
  density 
  until 
  absolute 
  darkness 
  prevailed; 
  even 
  

   artificial 
  light 
  could 
  be 
  detected 
  only 
  a 
  short 
  distance. 
  This 
  sudden 
  and 
  early 
  dark- 
  

   ness 
  became 
  all 
  the 
  more 
  alarming, 
  because 
  during 
  June 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  night 
  in 
  this 
  lati- 
  

   tude, 
  merely 
  twilight 
  from 
  10 
  p. 
  m. 
  till 
  2 
  a. 
  m. 
  

  

  Probably 
  an 
  hour 
  after 
  the 
  ashes 
  began 
  falling 
  the 
  first 
  rumbUng 
  noises 
  were 
  

   heard, 
  suggestive 
  of 
  the 
  detonation 
  of 
  distant 
  blasting 
  or 
  firing 
  of 
  heavy 
  artillery. 
  

   Soon 
  thereafter 
  lightning 
  was 
  observed, 
  the 
  flashes 
  becoming 
  more 
  frequent 
  as 
  the 
  

   night 
  advanced. 
  Some 
  observers 
  describe 
  these 
  flashes 
  as 
  being 
  balls 
  of 
  fire 
  which 
  

   would 
  burst 
  with 
  a 
  loud 
  report 
  into 
  a 
  shower 
  of 
  sparks. 
  Thunder 
  seemed 
  nearly 
  inces- 
  

   sant. 
  The 
  highly 
  electrified 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  was 
  shown 
  on 
  the 
  set 
  of 
  

   wireless 
  instruments 
  at 
  the 
  Federal 
  hatchery. 
  Although 
  the 
  aerial 
  switch 
  was 
  open, 
  

   tiny 
  blue 
  flames 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  switchboard 
  and 
  the 
  tuning 
  and 
  induction 
  coils. 
  

   Whenever 
  the 
  lightning 
  flash 
  was 
  near 
  these 
  flames 
  would 
  shoot 
  out 
  with 
  a 
  keen 
  report 
  

   like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  rifle. 
  Associated 
  with 
  these 
  phenomena 
  were 
  the 
  earthquakes, 
  which 
  

   varied 
  in 
  violence 
  from 
  gentle 
  vibrations 
  to 
  shocks 
  that 
  made 
  the 
  buildings 
  creak 
  and 
  

   tremble. 
  The 
  most 
  violent 
  convulsions 
  were 
  of 
  several 
  seconds' 
  duration 
  and 
  were 
  

   usually 
  attended 
  by 
  rumblings. 
  

  

  Beginning 
  about 
  noon, 
  Thursday, 
  June 
  6, 
  and 
  ending 
  Sunday 
  morning, 
  the 
  9th, 
  

   this 
  eruption 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  continuous 
  operation 
  ; 
  but 
  observations 
  made 
  at 
  Afog- 
  

   nak 
  seem 
  to 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  discharges 
  were 
  intermittent. 
  This 
  conclusion 
  is 
  based 
  on 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  there 
  were 
  three 
  distinct 
  showers 
  of 
  ashes, 
  separated 
  by 
  short 
  intervals 
  of 
  

   comparative 
  quiet. 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  break 
  in 
  the 
  storm 
  came 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  the 
  7th 
  and 
  continued 
  for 
  a 
  

   space 
  of 
  10 
  hours. 
  About 
  4 
  o'clock 
  that 
  afternoon 
  the 
  second 
  shower 
  began, 
  bringing 
  

   with 
  it 
  all 
  the 
  phenomena 
  of 
  the 
  first, 
  but 
  with 
  renewed 
  energies. 
  This 
  was 
  the 
  

   period 
  of 
  greatest 
  distress 
  to 
  man 
  and 
  beast; 
  to 
  man, 
  mentally, 
  in 
  that 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  it 
  all 
  

   was 
  uncertain, 
  to 
  the 
  beasts 
  and 
  birds 
  in 
  that 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  escape 
  from 
  the 
  blinding, 
  

   suffocating 
  dust 
  which 
  was 
  carried 
  into 
  every 
  nook 
  and 
  crevice. 
  Alarm 
  was 
  felt 
  lest 
  

   the 
  ashes 
  be 
  followed 
  by 
  poisonous 
  gases 
  from 
  which 
  there 
  could 
  be 
  likewise 
  no 
  possible 
  

   escape. 
  But 
  after 
  23 
  hours 
  of 
  uninterrupted 
  fury 
  the 
  second 
  storm 
  had 
  spent 
  itself. 
  

  

  