I'hutu bj' George C. Mai tin 



lupine;s growing through cracks in the ash ne;ar kodiak, September 4, 1912 



"The stronger-stemmed plants, especially the fireweed, lupines, and some of the grasses, 

 forced their way up through the cracks in the ash, and even through its solid mass where the 

 thickness was not too great" (see page 178). 



is to be expected on Kodiak and Afog"- 

 nak islands and in lesser degree on the 

 southern end of Kenai Peninsula. 



The leaves of the currants, salmon 

 berries, and many other of the shrubs 

 and herbs on Kenai Peninsula and Prince 

 William Sound were blighted by the dust 

 or by the acid rain which fell there. 

 This effect, curiously enough, did not 

 occur in the district of thicker ash. 



Marine life was affected to a larger 

 degree than would perhaps be expected. 

 The writer observed that the barnacles 

 and mussels as far down as low tide in 

 Katmai Bay were mostly dead. Kelp is 

 apparently dead as far as the eastern end 

 of Afognak Island. This is indeed a 

 catastrophe, since the kelp is the one 

 great aid to navigation on the Alaskan 

 coast. Cod and halibut are reported to 

 have died in great numbers in the shal- 

 lower waters of lower Cook Inlet. 



ANIMAES STRICKEN WITH BEINDNESS 



The bears on Kodiak and Afognak 

 islands were made bold by hunger, and 



attacked cattle in close proximity to the 

 villages. It is reported that some of the 

 bears were blind. 



In the vicinity of Iliamna Lake, where 

 not over 4 inches and for the most part 

 less than i inch of ash fell, most of the 

 small birds died, many rabbits were 

 made blind, and the reindeer were se- 

 riously affected by the dust. Dead gulls, 

 geese, ducks, ptarmigan, snipe, hawks, 

 and many small birds were found at the 

 mouth of Kakhonak River. A dead 

 eagle was found hanging in a tree in such 

 a position that he was probably killed by 

 flying into the tree when blind. Blind 

 rabbits, and birds which were either 

 blind or had their eyes affected, were 

 noted at several places in the Iliamna 

 district. Small fish in some of the creeks 

 were killed, and the fish in the lakes 

 were driven off"shore into deep water. 



Small birds, squirrels, marmots, and 

 mice were killed at Cold Bay. Mosqui- 

 toes were entirely exterminated through- 

 out the greater part of the district in 

 which the ash fell. 



