THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MOUNT SHASTA.

Evening Post, Volume XL, Issue 11, 12 July 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MOUNT SHASTA.

The Nelson Evening Mail gives the following interesting account of Mount Shasta, the sudden disappearance of which was alluded to in a cable message received a few days ago. Its information, the Mail states, was obtained from notes supplied by the Bishop of Nelson from his journal of 1888, and it is curious that the guide book alluded to should refer to the possibility of such a collapse as has actually occurred : — Mount Shasta is one of a series of gigantic sentinels of recent volcanic origin posted along the Pacific coast, reaching from Lower California up to and terminating in Mount Elias, in Alaska. Thoy lie at a distance of 30 or 40 miles from each other along the coast, and are not continuous or joined by any range of mountains, but stand out as isolated cones, the tops clothed with perpetual snows, permanent glaoiera, and ice fields, and all of them exhibiting more or less of volcanic agency in hot springs or even f umaroles. Mount Shasta is called the keystone of Californian scenery — An old volcano, sealed in ice and snow, Looks from its airy heights supreme On lesser peaks that dwindle small below, Or valleys hazy in the beam Of summer sun, or distant hikes that flash Their starry rays in green woods dense, Canons where blue rapids leap and dash, And mosses oling to cliffs immense. It takes 14 hours to reach Sissons at the base from San Francisco ; that place has an altitude of 3555 feet above the sea. The route liesjup the valley of the Sacramento Biver, crosses the river 18 times, and passes through 12 tunnols in 80 miles of railroad. An hour more brings you in view of the five peaked volcanic cone of Muir'sPeak, and the railway begins to descend. We arrived at Sissons station at 9.30 a.m., the snow peak dazzling 12 miles off, the great mass rising over the railway 10,870 feet, or 14,425 feet above the sea. This feeds the Sacramento river. The timber line is 9,000 feet. "The Guide " says — " There is a crater bowl on the lesser peak, which is" about three quarters of a mile across and 1500 feet deep, and if you should go to Edgewood you would see where the old volcanic demon broke out at the rim of thia bowl and poured his flood of fire and molten lava over the surrounding country. Should th« bottom drop out of Shasta at any time, that is, if everything from an altitude o/"4000 feet upwards should sink out of j sight, it would leave an awful chasm 75 miles in circumference. 1 ' It is a magnificent chain of sentinel rocks, boginning at Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada of South California, 15,500 feet, with Tacoma, or Mount Rainier, a few feet higher than Shasta. Mount Baker is visible in the extreme north from British territory, and also the Olympian mountain, 8.150 feet high, just opposite Victoria or Vancouver Island. There are 26 of these mountain giants, varying from 6.000 to 15.000 feet, but of limited area, and all more or less of conical shape. Game of all sorts are to be found on the sides of the mountain masses. The neighhood of Shasta is an admirable hunting ground for botanists, and also abounds in birds. An ornithologist

collected 103 varietios in one month, while, although it was very early spring when we passed through it, I was able to secure a sketch of some of the flowers, amongst which were many well-known forms. Altogether, a visit to what was known as Mount Bhaßta and Mount Muir, the latter of which seems the most likely to exhibit volcanic action, is quite a feature in a Californian trip, and amply repays all trouble in going there. I look with great anxiety for the detailed account of what took place, and am glad, as in the case of the Hot Springs, to have secured a sketch before the catastrophe oc curred.