Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1901 — SOME HEW VOLCANOES. [ARTICLE]

SOME HEW VOLCANOES.

Ittj Mapped ta the Last Vow or Eire - Years. Volcanoes have been conapicuous for their absence from all descriptions that geographers and explorers have written of Siberia. There are, to be sure, important areas whose predominating rocks are crystalline, evidence of plutonio energy in both the older and younger geological formation*; but in the vast expanse of Siberia, save in Eamtschatka, not an extinct or a live volcano has been reported until this year. Kamtschatka has many volcanoes, the only ones in Russian territory that are still active, and these are unusually impressive. Their summits are always smoking, and often glow with molten lava, though they are clad in eternal snow and are covered with glaciers. Explorers, however, have just reported the discovery of two volcanoes in eastern Siberia about 250 miles north of the present terminus of the Siberian railroad. It is probable that they are extinct, for though their situation is described, there is no intimation that they are in the active phase. These volcanoes are west of the Jablonoi mountain range on the Witim highland or plateau, 300 miles or more east of the north end of Lake Baikal. Although the range and plateau are indicated on the best maps, very little has been known of that part of Siberia. Many new volcanoes have been brought to light within the past four or five years. Prof. Carl Sapper has mapped more volcanoes, hitherto unknown, probably, than any other explorer in the past half century. He had been working in Central America, whose mountains have not yet been adequately explored. Counting only volcanoea of the first order, which he discovered in his journey of 1897, Sapper added to the map of Central America 81 volcanoes, of which 23 are still active. Much yet remains to be done before the Andes can be said to be completely explored, and there is little doubt that a number of important volcanoes will be added to the present list. The most interesting result of the Fitzigerald expedition to the middle Chilian-Argentine Cordilleras, in 1897, was the discovery of a new volcano by the Swiss guide Zurbriggen and the geologist Vines when they made the ascent of Mount Tupungato. It was then in a state of moderate eruption. The volcanic region of Ecuador has been the scene, in recent years, of thorough exploration work. Dr. Stubel’s book, one of the most recent works on volcano exploration, contains numerous illustrations showing the form, color and structure of the four active and many extinct volcanoes of Ecuador, with Dr. Peter’s determination of heights and Dr. Wolfs map of the volcanic region. The study of volcanoes is keeping pace with other phases of the minute geographical exploration which is now following the era of the great travelers.—Brooklyn Eagle.