A WELL TOLD STORY
OF MT. KATMAI ERUPTION
MAYOR GILMORE, OF NOME, WRITE8 HIS 1MPRES8ION OF THE
ERUPTION OF KATMAI—IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE
AWE-INSPIRING SIGHT
The C>tli of June was a beau
tiful, bright, sunshiny day, one of
(he finest we had had on I ho en
tire run fron^ Unalaska. We
reached Uyak on the steamer Do
ra about 8 a. in. and visited the
cannery, which was running full
force. We also met Mr. and Mrs.
Nichols and their daughter from
Seattle, Mr. Nichols being the
manager of the cannery.
I asked Mrs. Nichols why she
was down on the wharf so early
in the day and she replied sho was
afraid of the earthquakes; that
there had been rumblings and
that there had been quakes all
night long and all morning. This
was the first information 1 had
of the volcanic trouble. About
0 o'clock the second mate told nie
that at 3 a. in., while crossing
Shelikof Straits, that he had ob
served a volcano belching out fire
and smoke and felt livmor* of
earthquakes. This information
he gave me after the people at.
Uyak had told me.
After lunch that day the pas
sengers and most of Hie crew
were out on deck with their hats
oJYt it being such a beautiful,
warm, balmy day. About 1
o'clock someone called attention
fo a strange phenomenon to the
westward and we observed a Imge
blaek column ascending into the
Jieavens. which appeared to he
nearly a half mile wide and in
1he shape of a mushroom, after
wards expanding into a fan shape,
covering the whole western sky.
Shortly afterwards Hashes of
lightning appearing, some /.ig
/.a}: ami somet imos flashing ho
rizontally and accompanied by
terrific thunder and rumblings
from the mountains.
Captain McMullen, of the Dora,
immediately took his hearings and
determined it to he Mount Katmai
on a rampage. When we first
observed the eruption we were
just entering Kupreanof Straits
between the islands of Afognak
and Kodiak, and steaming with a
favorable wind and tide in the
opposite diiection from the vol
cano. As we went along we could
observe the cloud was coming to
wards us and by 4 o'clock, three
hours after we tlrst observed the
volcano, the cloud was directly
overhead.
Mr. Thwailes and Mr. Ounklc
used their cameras trying to get
photographs «»f the cloud ctTcet,
some df which afterwards devel
oped into splendid pictures. At
the time the volcanic cloud pass
ed over us we were about 85
miles eastward from the volcano
so that the velocity in the then
prevailing wind was 30 miles an
hour. It is impossible to de
scribe the awe-inspiring sight
and the grandeur of it all, coup
led with a fear of the insignifi
cance oT one's self compared with
it all. We realized that we were
in the volcanic storm, that we
might be destroyed either by fall
ing cinders or ashes, or be smoth
ered by the poisonous gases or
by lb*' electricity that was flash
ing all around us or by niany
oilier ways that destroy human
ity at such times. Uy f> nYloek
WHY
You Should Vote For
For Delegate From Alaska
I Ho has lived in Alaska for
1 i years—CP von *» f those years
in Juneau. None have question
ed or can question his ability or
industry. If you do not believo
• his, write to Juneau.
2 In the pursuit of his profes
sion he has boon called to nearly
^very portion of the Territory,
•fc^and ho is thoroughly familiar
With the needs of Alaska.
3 lie lias no grievances to air,
no axe to grind, and Is free to
iCM've Alaska, unswayed by per
jooal likes or dislikes.
'• lie is not connected, in any
way, with corporations or other
persons seeking favors from tho
government. While he tins ever
been the friend and attorney of
Mm* laborer and the poor man, yet
tie. U no blalant demagogue,
.seeking lo array clans ngainst
< lass. lie believes in "Equal
lights for all, and special priv
ileges for none."
o He is in political harmony
willi I he dominant party in tho
present House of Representa
tive"', and with what will bo the
dominant party of tho nation for
the next four years, and so, will
be Letter ablo to get things for
Alaska than would a socialist or
a repudlican (bo ho a standpat
ter or an independent republi
can.) What Alaska wants, it
wants now. We cannot wait for
the socialist millenium.
the ashes began to descend on us
and the sun was obscured and
darkness was setting in. At 5:30
we hart to have all the doors and
port holes opened, it being so
close and stilling, and we ate din
ner with the use of the electric
lights, dust and ashes falling in.
to everything. Between 6 and
0:30 the whole world was shroud
ed in complete darkness. The
darkness became so intense that
when we stood on deck we could
not sec anything about us—not
even the water over the side of
the boat. During all the time the
constant rumbling of llie volcano,
the falling ashes and the electri
cal display continued.
The captain of the Dora was
particularly anxious to laud me
at Kodiak, as we had telegraphed
from Cbignik to the people at Ko
diak, many of whom I knew per
sonally, that we were going to
stop to meet them. The captain
constantly blew the Dora's whis
tle and we were answered by the
whistle of another boat and the
ringing of a bell of a third, but
it was impossible to sight or get
the bearings into the harbor at
Kodiak and it would have been
little less than criminal to at
tempt to gel into the harbor un
der the conditions. lie was just
as much disappointed as all the
rest of us at not being able to
,reach Kodiak. We were within
three miles of the place and un
able to land. Our little wireless
boy stuck to his task and kept
calling for Kodiak If) notify them
of Ihi* eruption, and not .being!
able to got them the captain;
wrote out a message and tin* boy
time after time again tried to get
Kodiak, but was unable to do so. |
It afterwards transpired that
lightning had struck the wireless j
at Kodiak and our message was
sent in vain. A constant electric
current was passing through the
wireless of the Dora, visible to
the naked eye, and our 'sparks"
is entitled to great credit for his
bravery in sticking to his instru
ment.
Tin* captain steamed fur tliej
high seas and all night long un
til 5 o'clock file next innrniiiK we
strained in a heavy sea with ash
es raining down on us. Ashes
fell on the Dora from three to
inches deep and drifting in many
places still deeper on the boat.!
The heaviest part of the volcanic
cloud evidently Ml southeast of)
Kodiak and Afognak. When we,
came out from under the vnleau-j
ic cloud on the 7th of June we!
were in sight- of the clifTs near!
Sehloviu and all day we were I
steaming in plain sight of tliej
volcano to the westward, still I
hclching out smoke in terrific j
volumes. j
We arrived at Seldovia at H j
o'clock in the evening and left i
Homer at II p. in. On the morn
ing of the 8th, about 0 o'clock,
we anchored to the leeward of j
some of the islands west of Cape
Klixabeth and for tlire hours lay
in complete narkness with a finer
volcanic ash falling upon our
decks. We hauled up anchor and
started for Seward about to
o'clock and at 12 oYlock noon
we still had to use the electric
lights. That afternoon we steam
ed out of the cloud, again leaving
the cloud away to the westward,
arriving at Seward at 0 o'clock on
the Oth ami as the bora steamed
into Seward she looked like a
phantom ship, she was so com
pletely covered with while ashes.
As soon as the cable office op
ened on Hie Dili I sent a cable
gram to Capt. Reynolds, port cap
tain at ITnalaska, notifying him
of the disaster and advised him
to send a revenue cutler to Ko
diak an<l Afognak at once.
This is a brief summary of my
own '•xperience in Hi" matter.
While there may not be much
loss of life it is very evident that
the high prevailing wind that
dropped tlie volcanic ashes away
to the southwest saved the life of
everyone on the Dora, as well as
everyone on the islands and if it
were possible to measure up and
weigh the amount of volcanic
ashes that were cast in I he air
by this eruption It would go down
in history as one of the greatest
volcanic eruptions ever known.
Had Ibis occurred 1n a populous
country, where there were many
cities, the los« of life would have
been appalling. As it is it will
take many years for the traces
of this eruption to be erased.
I talked with Mr. Krskinc, of
Kodiak, who arrived at Seward,
and he showed mo photographs
taken at Kodiak. He ha* some
photographs of men standing
knee deep in voloanie ashes and
showing how the volcanic ashes
have drifted. He told me many
thrilling sto, les of rescues of the
JSew York, May 24.—When the
stock market was inactive some
of the room traders in Wall St.
made a betting1 pool on the pres
idential nominations, the consen
sus of brttors being as follows:
2 to 1 lhat Taft will not b«
next president.
5 to 4 that Roosevelt will not
get nomination.
2 to 1 that Speaker Clark will
not get Democratic nomnaition.
" 4 to t that Woodrow Wilson
will not get nomination.
10 to 1 that W. J. Bryan will
not be nominated.
The Big Place has American
Press pictures of Taft and Roose
velt in their dilTerent poses dur
ing the New Jersey election.
The Big Place
A I. White
Proprietor
LENA MOBBOW LEWIS.
the Socialist lecturer, will speak
tonight in Moose Hall, com
mencing at 8 o'clock. Ev
one is invited to attend, including
ladies and children. Mrs. Lewis
is reported by the press to be not
only a lucid speaker, but very
convincing, as well as having her
subject well in hand. Her life has
been devoted to the subject of po
litical economics and in the pur
suit of her specialty she has trav
eled to all the great centers of
learning in the world.
natives, all of which redound In
the credit of (In* revenue service
ami to th«* men of t(i»* Manning.
He to hi me that, Ihe natives, be
ing unacquainted with lightning
ami not used lo thunder, would
throw themselves down <>n their
face* in their homes and refuse
to In* taken from their cabins.
While there appears to he no
lo>, of life, yd tIn* people over
then* arc suffering from the loss
of their property, of their crops,
their cattle and their occupations,
and it would he a splendid tiling
for the United States government
to come to the assistance of the
people there. As mayor of Nome
I .joined the people of S»*ward in
rei|ui'sting the authorities at
Washington to forthwith relieve
Ihe sufferers and Ihe news we
received from I here has .jusliilcd
the action taken.
Special Rate to Mount Katmai.
An opportunity will bo given the
tin- public to visit (ho scone of
tin; late eruption of Mount Kat
mai. Tin? Alaska Coast Company
will make a special rate of one
faro for the round trip from Cor
dova, Valdez and Seward to Ko
diak and return. Kate only on
tho stoanu'r Sampson arriving at,
Valdo/. about the 22nd of thi*
mouth. Tin- steamer Sampson is
expected to call a| l*yak this trip,
thus passing through the center
of the district 'affected by llio re
cent action of Mount Katmai. The
sight is one. thai in all probabil
ity may novt-r b»> witnessed in tho
woj^ld again. II is estimated that
no less than 70 billion Ions of
debris foil wilhin I lie aroa nf
focled.
ALASKA COAST COMPANY.
H. I'. WATSON, Ooiioral Agent.
Headquarters for
Fishing goods of every descrip
tion. Owl Drug Co., Inc.
If you want all the news all the
imo read tho Prospector
y- '
IttlHHHUtMMf •
SEE
Holm & Hansell
Far good quick carpantor
work, Shapard'a Building,
Wall Straat.
SHAMPOOING and MANICURING
W#I1 Croom«d U4Im and G
mM ApprnUU My ScttIcm.
Print* Bulk M«mi> for L*di««.
C«r«a WIUkwI Pain, $1.90
•INOftlTA MCMDKZ
Phonn I8S Wall 8t.
COAL COAL
VALDEZ DOCK CO. or VALDEZ TRANSFER CO
Alaska Coast Co.
The "INSIDE ROUTE"
To Juneau, Puget Sound Ports and Southeastern Alaska
Steamer Admiral Sampson leaves Seattle - June 15
Steamer Bertha, leaves Seattle .... June 20
Steamer Admiral Sampson leaves Seattle - July 5
Connecting at Seattle with steamers of the Alaska-l'acitic Steamship Co. for
Southern California ports. Sailings every Monday and Thursday. Through
Service and Low Hates. Kikht reserved to change steamers and sailing dates
B. F. WATSON VALDEZ DOCK CO.
General Agent Local Agent
Independent Laundry Co.
Satisfaction Guaranteed I i pvw *
Telephone 06 I R°o°u ft™
,^s^vvvv^wvwvwvww«^owW7V5wo^iOwOvx<MM5^^^^ystO556C6C9I8wK8C8C8066939C8C8w8C63806C9C8C8C8C6C
IT'S IN THE BREWING
PILSENER STYLE
THE BEER THAT MADE VALDEZ FAMOUS
A Home Product For Home People
FOR SALE EVERYWHERE
Patronize HOME Industry and Keep Your
Money at HOME
VALDEZ BREWING AND MALTING CO.
4 SAILINGS MONTHLY 4
Via JUNEAU and KETCHIKAN
The Largest and Best Equipped Steam»hips in
the Alaskan Service, ALAMEDA and MARI
POSA, leave every eight days, All the
Year 'Round for Cordova and Seattle via. In
side Passage.
TRAVEL. AND SHIP VIA.
ALASKA STEAMSHIP CO.
|VALX>EZ DOCK CO., Local Agent
The Side Board
Day & Greenig [Proprietors]
WINES, LIQUORS AND CIGARS
Furnished and Unfurnished Rooms
For Housekeeping, Sleeping and Offices. Rates
Reasonable
Foot of w«ii st. ARCHIBALD BLOCK
Port Wells
THE LAUNCH
BRIGHTON
Leaves Valdez for Port
Wells ovcry Tuesday carry
ing passengorii and freight,
touching at all way points
whero business offers.
Special Trips Caa Be Arraagcd
Chas. R. Crawford
Wall Street PKon« 1S9
Elate «1aaa, window cUm, roofing and
ullcUng ptp«rt, roofing pilch, lima. ca
poM. plaatar U.S. Jlln.l.., bailor*'
bir4wtr*. Shop and job work of all klnda
Windows,Door*, Moulding. Finiah
<ng Lumber
A ■•nf» for Fait bam ka, Man* A Co, * ]
-
Th« Prospector ll th« ptptr lo
luy.