Makch 7, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



237 



in your article. But no scientist would ven- 

 ture categorically to affirm, without investiga- 

 tion, the correctness of such a hyxwthesis, as is 

 done in your columns when you state that the 

 valley is due to heated rocks which 



turn to instant steam the spring and drainage 

 waters of many a surrounding mile of foothills. 

 Thus originates the steam which bursts forth from 

 the myriad valley vents. The phenomenon is fa- 

 miliar in the neighborhood of most volcanoes which 

 still are classed as active. Steaming springs, a 

 later stage of the vents in this valley, are found 

 upon the flanks of several of the most prominent 

 of our Cascade volcanoes, and are numerous around 

 the base of Lassen Peak. 



Now, as a matter of fact, there is no evi- 

 dence that the vents of the Ten Thousand 

 Smokes have any connection with the vapor- 

 ization of surface drainage. The writer gives 

 strong reasons for the belief that they are, on 

 the contrary, true volcanoes in an article en- 

 titled " Are the Ten Thousand Smokes Eeal 

 Volcanoes ? "^ There is not space to give the 

 evidence here, but some of the facts which 

 lead to that conclusion may be summarized. 



1. The disposition and magnitude of the 

 vents are such as to make them very difficult 

 to explain on the surface water hypothesis.^ 



2. The temperature of all the larger vents 

 in the valley is far above that of ordinary 

 steam. The expedition of 1918 measured 

 many temperatures above 300° C, while the 

 highest was 432° C. Curiously enough the 

 " smoke " from a number of these vents is 

 hotter at the surface of the ground where it 

 meets the cold atmosphere than it is a few 

 feet down the throat. In one case where the 

 temperature is 352° C. at the surface it is 

 only 245° C. three feet down in the throat — 

 a difference of 107° C 



3. The smoke from the vents is by no means 



» ' ' Scientific Eesults of the Katmai Expeditions 

 of the National Geographic Society, II," Ohio 

 Journal of Science, December, 1918. 



2 For details see paper cited. 



s The studies of temperature upon which these 

 statements are based will be given in full in the 

 fifth number of the ' ' Scientific Results of the Ex- 

 peditions, ' ' which is in press. 



all water vapor. It includes many other vol- 

 canic gases. Most notable among which is 

 perhaps hydrofluoric acid in such high concen- 

 tration as to etch the glass on the inside of 

 the vacum tubes which were used for col- 

 lections. Dr. E. T, Allen, of the Geophysical 

 Laboratory, who has made a preliminary ex- 

 amination of the deposits, has informed me 

 also that the incrustations around the vents 

 are rich in fluorides. The chemical study of 

 the gases, undertaken by Dr. E. S. Shepherd, 

 of the same institution, would probably have 

 been completed by this time if it had not been 

 interrupted bj' the diversion of chemists to 

 war problems. 



4. The Vents of the Ten Thousand Smokes 

 are by no means secondary openings conse- 

 quent ujwn the eruption. On the contrary, 

 they are associated with an extraordinary de- 

 posit of fragmental material poured out 

 before the explosion of Katmai, This deposit 

 is described in detail in the third of the 

 papers giving the scientific results of the ex- 

 peditions. 



There are still very many problems to be 

 worked out in connection with this remark- 

 able district but even now it may be asserted 

 with confidence that the Valley of Ten Thou- 

 sand Smokes is no secondary phreatic phe- 

 nomenon but on the contrary is a true mani- 

 festation of the forces of volcanism of a 

 character and magnitude unparalleled in the 

 present day world. 



Robert F. Griggs 



Director Katmai Expedition, 

 National Geographical Society 



hereditary deficiencies in the sense 



OF SMELL 



I.v a recent number of Science, Professor 

 Glaser^ has recorded a family history which 

 is supposed to show inheritance of deficiencies 

 in the sense of smell. There are certain 

 modifying conditions, not considered in esti- 

 mating the history, which should be kept in 

 mind in analyzing this case in particular, as 



1 SciENCK, N, S,, Vol, XL VIII,, p, 647, December 

 27, 1918, 



