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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



the earthquakes were strong and there 

 was continuous rumbhng. The earth- 

 quakes became so severe toward evening 

 that it seemed dangerous to remain in 

 the barabaras, one of which nearly fell 

 in, so they were abandoned and tents 

 used. That evening after lo o'clock 

 came the strongest earthquake yet felt, 

 accompanied by heavy rumbling and 

 rock-slides from all around. There was 

 evidently a strong glare of light from 

 the volcano, it being recorded that "the 

 mountains were like sunshine." After 

 midnight he heard a "big noise like 

 thunder from the Katmai side," after 

 which everything was quiet and he slept. 



THE THIRD EXPLOSION 



It is important to note the very severe 

 earthquake which was felt at Cold Bay 

 at 10.40 p. m. June 7, and also at Kana- 

 tak at about the same hour. At Kanatak 

 heavy rumbling was heard and an in- 

 tense flare of light came from the direc- 

 tion of the volcano. Earthquakes lasted 

 all this night at IHamna Bay (115 miles 

 distant from Katmai Volcano), it being 

 recorded that "the earth never ceased to 

 move for nearly 12 hours." Earthquakes 

 were reported from 90 miles southwest 

 of Eagle at 11 p. m. June 6 or 7. It is 

 evident that these phenomena marked 

 another violent outbreak of the volcano. 

 Probably it was the material erupted dur- 

 ing this period which forms the upper- 

 most stratum at Kodiak and vicinity, fall- 

 ing there during the night of June 8. 



The period of explosive activity and 

 of the ejection of large quantities of 

 solid matter seems to have ceased on 

 June 8, the volcano then passing into a 

 less violent but freely erupting stage 

 which lasted all summer and possibly 

 still continues. An immense column of 

 steam was noted rising from the volcano 

 wherever the absence of clouds permit- 

 ted a view in that direction. Frequent 

 earthquakes were noted on the Alaska 

 Peninsula at intervals throughout the 

 summer ; heavy rumblings were heard 

 by all who approached the vicinity ; so- 

 called flames were observed from Bris- 

 tol Bay; fumes were noted at long dis- 

 tances from the mountain, and occasional 

 light showers of ashes fell as far away 



as Nushagak. These subsequent phe- 

 nomena will be described more fully af- 

 ter we have considered the conditions 

 existing during the fall of ash from the 

 eruptions already described. 



THE ZONE OF DARKNESS AND FAEE OF 

 ASHES 



The material hurled into the air by the 

 explosions described above ascended to 

 great heights and traveled east under the 

 influence of the prevailing wind in a suc- 

 cession of clouds. The coarser material 

 began to fall at once, but so great was 

 the total volume of material that the 

 clouds traveled several hundred miles 

 before very considerable amounts of dust 

 had ceased to fall and before they ceased 

 to spread absolute darkness over the 

 land and sea. The track of the clouds 

 seems to have been to the east over the 

 southeast end of Kodiak Island and out 

 to the sea for an unknown distance, then 

 back under the influence of a wind shift- 

 ing into the east, so that Cook Inlet, IH- 

 amna Lake, and Bristol Bay received a 

 belated shower. The influence of the 

 west wind at the time of the eruption on 

 the distribution of ash is shown by the 

 fact that the total amount of ash which 

 fell at Cold Bay, only 50 miles from the 

 volcano, was less than that which fell at 

 Seldovia, 150 miles away, and probably 

 was little if any more than that which 

 fell at Juneau, which is 750 miles distant. 



The nearest to the volcano of those - 

 within the zone of darkness were the na- I 

 tives in a fishing camp at Kaflia Bay. ' 

 Ivan Orlof^, the creole Tyone of Afog- 

 nak, who was with these people, wrote 

 as follows to his wife : 



Kaflia Bay, June g, 1912. 

 My De;ar Wife Tania : 



First of all I will let you know of our un- 

 lucky voyage. I do not know whether we 

 shall be either alive or well. We are awaiting 

 death at any moment. Of course do not be 

 alarmed. A mountain has burst near here, so 

 that we are covered with ashes, in some places 

 10 feet and 6 feet deep. All this began on the 

 6th of June. Night and day we light lamps. 

 We cannot see the daylight. In a word, it is 

 terrible, and we are expecting death at any 

 moment, and we have no water. All the rivers 

 are covered with ashes. Just ashes mixed with 

 water. Here are darkness and hell, thunder 

 and noise. I do not know whether it is day 



