Photo by Lieut. J. F. Hahn, U. S. R. S. 

 VOLCANIC DUST 2 FEET DEEP: SCENE AT KADIAK AETER THE ERUPTION OF KATMAI 



VOLCANO 



party willing to try a rescue and asked 

 for orders. I replied that I dared not 

 give him orders, for it might be sending 

 men to death, but that he and his party 

 had my permission to make the attempt. 

 The party at once decided to go, depart- 

 ing at II o'clock, and returned on board 

 with the rescued men at 1.30 p. m. It 

 was an heroic act deserving of highest 

 commendation. 



At 2.30 p. m.. June 8, the fall of ashes 

 decreased, the skies assumed a reddish 

 color, and finally objects became dimly 

 visible. All clothed and festooned in 

 ashes, nothing looked familiar, and as 

 frequent seismic disturbances were still 

 felt, much fear existed that worse was 

 still to come. 



The night of the 8th was spent in sus- 

 pense, but when the morning of the 9th 

 dawned and all precipitation of ashes had 

 ceased, it was felt that the eruption was 

 over. Some time during the eruption 

 the wireless station at Woody Island 

 was destroyed by fire, doubtless caused 

 by lightning. 



June 12 a message reached me fronx 

 Lieutenant Thompson, in charge of the 

 Redondo expedition, advising that he 

 had been in the vicinity of the volcano,, 

 which was Mt. Katmai, on the mainland 

 across the Shelikof Strait. 



During the 9th, loth, and nth the ap- 

 pearance of the skies seemed to indicate 

 that some substance was held in suspen- 

 sion, and at times most unpleasant and 

 strangling gases filled the air, making it 

 difficult to breathe. 



The outlook for the future of this 

 vicinity is at present a problem. While 

 the fish are now very scarce, it is gen- 

 erally believed that they will return. 

 Many gardens have been uncovered, but 

 I doubt if they produce much this sea- 

 son, and their product will be greatly 

 missed by the natives. Cattle are find- 

 ing a little feed on the hillsides, where 

 the deposits slid down, but all the feed 

 is impregnated with sand and ashes. 



The officers and crew of the Manning 

 rendered gallant and unflinching service 

 through an ordeal that was arduous and 



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