June 11, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



861 



gram has been sent from Washington instruct, 

 ing the ofScers of the Lassen national forest, 

 in which the peak stands, to continue observa- 

 tions of the volcano's activity and keep a 

 record to be used as a basis for a scientific in- 

 vestigation by J. S. Diller, the government 

 geologist, vcho is expected at Lassen early in 

 July. The observations are being made by 

 forest rangers at the scene and from a fire 

 lookout tower on Brokeoff Mountain, a few 

 miles north of the crater, where the forest serv- 

 ice last year kept watch on the numerous erup- 

 tions which occurred from May to September. 

 It is not known whether a cloudburst started 

 the last eruption by precipitating rain down 

 upon the molten lava in the crater, or whether 

 melting of the snow on the peak, with conse- 

 quent flowing of water into the crater, caused 

 the accumulation of steam which blew a river 

 of mud out of the mountain. Mr. Diller, who 

 made a study of the volcano last year, said 

 that he inclined toward the melted snow 

 theory, adding that the bright glow reported 

 as appearing on the clouds of smoke and steam 

 over the crater is a reflection of the red-hot 

 m.atter uncovered by the eruption, indicating 

 that the volcano is in a more or less danger- 

 ous mood. The river of mud which was shot 

 out of the north side of the crater and down 

 Hat Creek has damaged government and pri- 

 vate property, destroying bridges which were 

 necessary to permit the entrance of livestock 

 that are grazed on the forest range during the 

 summer. Some 12,000 cattle and 30,000 sheep 

 are grazed on the Lassen forest every year. 



Special arrangements have been made for 

 the members of the Geological Society of 

 America and of the Association of American 

 Geographers attending their summer meetings 

 and the sessions of the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science at San Fran- 

 cisco beginning August 2, 1915, for a " spe- 

 cial " over the Santa Fe Railroad leaving 

 Chicago on July 23 at 10:30 p.m. and Kansas 

 City at 11 A.M. on July 24. Numerous stops 

 and short side-trips are provided for to visit 

 points of particular geological interest and 

 especially places best showing the features of 

 desert erosion, the latter subject being one of 



the main themes of discussion at the sessions. 

 For a limited number of other members of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science who are intending to be present at the 

 San Francisco meetings and who wish to join 

 the special party, ample provision will be made. 

 Those joining the special party may return 

 home individually at any time and over any 

 route. The cheapest way will be for each per- 

 son to purchase a round-trip railroad ticket at 

 his home town, via the Santa Fe route from 

 Chicago and Kansas City to San Francisco, 

 with returning privileges over any other route 

 he wishes; this includes stop-overs at Los 

 Angeles and San Diego without additional 

 cost. Pullman reservations, Chicago or Kan- 

 sas City to San Francisco, should be made 

 early by direct communication with Mr. 

 Samuel Larimer, general agent, passenger 

 department, Sante Fe Lines, 315 7th St., Des 

 Moines, Iowa. The geological direction of the 

 special party wiU be under the supervision of 

 Dr. Charles Keyes, Des Moines, Iowa, to 

 whom communications may be addressed con- 

 cerning full information and detailed itin- 

 erary. The cost of the side-trips, etc., for the 

 five extra days on the way going will be 

 about $25.00 above regular individual fares, or 

 about $35.00 if the Painted Desert trip is 

 taken. 



The third annual joint field meet of the 

 United States Bureau of Mines, the Ameri- 

 can Mine Safety Association and the Cali- 

 fornia Metal Producers' Association will be 

 held at the Panama-Pacific Exposition on 

 September 23 and 24. It is expected that 

 there will be a large attendance of mining 

 men, as the joint meet will either precede or 

 foUow the annual meetings of a number of 

 institutions allied to the mining interests, 

 such as the American Institute of Mining 

 Engineers, September 17 and 18; the Interna- 

 tional Engineering Congress, September 20 

 to 25; the American Mining Congress, Sep- 

 tember 20 to 22; the California State Mine 

 Kescue and First Aid Contest, September 22; 

 and the National Safety Conference, under 

 the joint auspices of the National Safety 

 Council and the California Industrial Acci- 



