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Copyright. 1913, by the Star Company. Great u.-luin Kight: Kev.’i-v. d.
T HAT cold years are due to
volcanic dust is the curious
discovery made by Professor
C. G. Abbot, Director of the Astro-
physical Laboratory of the Smith
sonian Institution, of Washington.
His conclusions are published in
a pamphlet called “Volcanoes and
Climate,*’ just issued by this insti
tution.
Prom this it appears that the re
markably cool Summer which we
experienced last year must be at
tributed to volcanic dust.
The professor made this discovery
while observing the sun at Bassour,
Algeria, for the purpose of compar
ing temperatures with those taken
at Mount Wilson, California. He
was working on the hypothesis that
the amount of heat given off from
e sun’s surface varies in different
ars. While this hypothesis has
t been disproved, it has been con-
ierably modified by his recent ob-
etvations.
ile was puzzled to observe a very
persistent reddish haze in the sky
. hove Bassour. Observation showed
F at it could not be a vapor cloud,
reports from Mount Wilson in-
ermed him that a similar haze was
isible there. Investigation proved
hat this could only be due to the
l.t omendous eruption of Mount Kat-
tnai, near Alaska, which occurred on
June G, 1912.
A long series of intricate calcula
tions indicated that the volcanic
lust In the atmosphere reduced the
amount of heat received from the
sun by about 10 per cent. It would
produce a fall of several degrees
Fahrenheit—perhaps five or six—
from the mean average temperature
of the year.
“From our Bassour (Algeria) ex
periments,” writes Professor Abbot,
in his report, “including the meas
urements by two methods of the
radiation of the sky, it appears that
the quantity of heat available to
warm the earth was diminished by
nearly; or quite, 10 per cent by the
haze. There is, however, some in
dication that this was in part coun
terbalanced by a decrease in the
earth’s radiation to space, caused by
the haze.”
One method of measuring the heat
was by the spectro-bolometer, in
vented by the late Professor Lang
ley. This instrument shows by
spectroscopy the amount of heat
abstracted from a pure ray of sun
light by the atmosphere and all the
substances in it.
Professor Abbot calculated that
the amount of heat ordinarily lost in
Summer by radiation to space w'as
0.05 calories per square centimetre
per minute, while during the preva
lence of the volcanic dust it was 0.28
calories, showing a loss of 0.20
calories to the earth through this
cause.
Volcanic dust now appears to be
the chief factor in causing cold
years. Hitherto the variation in
sun spots has been regarded as the
determining factor. The sun spots
go through an eleven-year cycle of
increase and decrease. It has been
noticed that there is a fall from the
average temperature at the point of
maximum sun spots. The year 1912,
however, was not a year of max
imum sun spots, and this strength
ens the evidence that the fall of tem
perature was due to volcanic dust.
The fall was much greater than has
usually been found to occur in years
of maximum sun spots.
The loss of heat is, of course, due
to the interposition of a layer of
minute floating solid particles which
prevent a certain proportion of the
nun’s rays from reaching the earth.
The effect of the volcanic dust is
very-much intensified if it prevails
shortly before the beginning of Win
ter' or just after that season . In that
case it would cause an abnormal ac
cumulation of ice and snow and an
unnatural, prolongation of Winter.
Fortunately, this coincidence did
not .occur in 1912. Volcanic dust
clouds may prevail for many months,
and it seems quite possible that if
they should come at the end of a
long and severe Winter they might
create a practically all-the-year
Winter.
That would be a calamity of
worldwide magnitude. It would
mean the failure of the crops over
the Whole of the United States and
all the temperate regions of the
earth.
It seems clear from Professor
Abbot’s observations that there is
no form of terrestrial disturbance
which is so farreaehing in its effects
as volcanic dust. Within a week or
less of a great volcanic- eruption in
America the dust is observed in Eu
rope. The dust * often travels at a
speed of forty miles an hour, or 960
miles a day. That means that in
fifteen days it will have gone half
way around the world.
From the moment of the eruption
the effect on o ur climate begins to be
felt and in less than a month that
of the whole world shows the in
fluence of the disturbance.
We should remember that even
at ordinary times a large proportion
of the sun’s heat and light is lost to
us. We should perish instantly if
we were exposed to the unfiltered
heat of the sun. It is the reflection
of the sun’s light from particles of
dust and water vapor that gives us
the beautiful and welcome phenom
enon we call the sky. In so-called
cloudless countries the sunlight is
very difficult to endure, and even
there the atmosphere is by no means
free from particles of dust and
water vapor.
When, however, the atmosphere is
filled with an almost continuous pall
of red dust, the dilution of the sun
light is carried much farther than is
agreeable or healthy. Such occur
renees suggest the possibility that
they may some day take a much more
alarming form than they have yet
done. The material thrown up by the
volcanoes varies very much in com
position. Is it not possible that
through certain chemical combina
tions, and the composition of the
earth where the eruption occurs, the
material ejected may take the form
of a heavy poisonous gas?
Diagram Illustrating How the Tiny Particles of Dust
Thrown Up by Volcanoes Obstruct the Sun’s Rays
and Turn One in Ten Back Into Space,
Depriving Earth of That Much Light
and Heat.
Now the ability of one volcano to
throw a shower of solid particles
over more than half the earth’s sur
face has been amply demonstrated.
If this material should be changed
into a poisonous gas *t would ex
tinguish the life of most, or per
haps all, of the human inhabitants
of the globe. It is evident that
science is increasingly disposed to
Bodies Covered with Volcanic Ash After the Disastrous Eruption of Mont
% Pelee, in Martinique.
The 1912 Eruption of the Volcano Colima in Mexico. The Enormous
Club-Shaped Cloud Shown Rises 17 Miles High in Air. It Is Composed
Mainly of Particles of Dust, So Small That They Drift for Months in the
Higher Air, Being Held Up by the Denser Air Below.
accept the probability of such a
catastrophe occurring from one
cause of another.
After observing the presence of
dust from Mount Katmai in tre
mendously separated parts of the
world, Professor Abbot made a
study of the temperature in connec
tion with all periods of great vol
canic activity during the past cen
tury. He found that in every yeflr
of great volcanic activity there nad
been a ldss than normal tempera
ture. He also found that in all these
years there were reports of "hazes,”
“dry fogs” and curious atmospheric
disturbances in places far apart.
The relation of these to one vol
canic centre was not generally un
derstood and their effect on climate
was entirely overlooked.
There were periods of diminished
heat from 1883 to 1887. from 1888
to 1893, and from 1902 to 1904.
These were all periods of great vol
canic activity. The last named
period, for instance, was begun by
the terrible eruption of Mount Pelee,
on the Island of Martinique, which
was followed by that of La Soufriere
on the Island of St. Vincent.
Professor Abbot has collected an
impressive mass of facts showing
the stupendous quantities of mate
rial thrown up by volcanoes. We
are impressed by the historical fact
that Pompeii and Herculanium were
buried under a shower of lava, mud
and ashes from Vesuvius, but that
is only an imperfect indication of
the power and activity of a volcano,
for those towns are but a mile or
two from the crater.
One of the greatest eruptions on
record is said to have been that of
Mount Asamayama, in Japan, in
1783. The matter it threw up
formed* an island in a river which
is shown at the present day. The
dust darkened the air for months
and was observed in many parts of
the world, although its source was
not recognized. That was an ex
ceptionally cold year.
That year was marked by an
eruption of nearly equal violence
to that in Japan. This second erup
tion occurred at the volcano of
Shaptar Jokull, in Iceland. Half a
mountain was blown away by this
eruption.
The dust thrown up by these
eruptions was noticed all over Eu
rope and in parts of Africa. It was
described in many places as “a dry
fog,” and the idea that it was a fog
coincided with the coldness of the
weather. Benjamin Franklin, our
earliest American scientist, who was
in Paris at the time, commented on
the presence of this peculiar haze
and the annoyance it caused him.
He attributed an attack of bron
chitis to it.
The year 1883 was remarkable for
great volcanic disturbances, and at
that time the extraordinarily wide
distribution of the dust was noticed.
Around Babujau, in Southeastern
Asia, the sun was hidden for three
weeks. There was no thickness of
the atmosphere at the surface of
the earth, the obstruction being
high up in the air.
When the darkness cleared some
what the sun appeared green, al-’
though at other times volcanic dust
has been found to be purple. A
tremendous eruption occurred at
Krakatoa, in the South Paeiflie, in
the same year and was attended by
similar phenomena. The dust
reached Europe within ten days and
caused considerable obscuration of
the sun.
The eruption of Krakatoa is re
garded as one of the most terrible in
history because 40,000 persons lost
their lives in it. The eruption blew
away nearly half the Island and
crevices a thousand feet deep were
left where once there had been
mountains.
The report was heard 3,000 miles
away and the darkness caused by
the dust extended over 720,000
square miles.
Many remarkable eruptions escape
How the Great Alaskan V'
cano Katmai Threw Up IW
lions of Ton6 of Ashes Whi
Drifting Around the Earth
the Highest Stratum of C
Atmosphere Formed a Barri
to the Sun’s Rays, Threw Tr
Per Cent of Its Heat Back In
to Space and So Caused the
Cold Summer of 1912.
notice because they are not attend
ed with great loss of life or damage
to property. An eruption in Guate
mala in 1902 spread ashes over an
area of 125,000 square miles. The
dust cloud above the crater was
eighteen miles high, a very signifi
cant indication of the force of the
eruption.
Although the eruption of Mount
Katmai has attracted comparatively
little attention, because it occurred
far away from thickly peopled re
gions, it was, nevertheless, of a most
tremendous character. There Is
every reason to believe that the
eruption of Mount Pelee, which
caused such universal distress, was
but a trifling natural disturbance
compared to that of Mount Katmai.
This latter eruption deposited a foot
of ashes a hundred miles away.
When it is remembered that this
deposit was spread for at least that
distance in every direction the
enormous quantity may be gauged.
The column of dust above the
crater was estimated to be thirty
miles high. The United States rev
enue cutter Manning witnessed the
eruption from a distance of 100 miles
from the volcano. The sky became
completely dark for twenty-four
hours and the deck was piled up
with volcanic dust to such a depth
that the men had great difficulty in
freeing the ship from the burden.
The dust was observed by Pr<K
fessor Abbot in Africa, 6,000 miles
away, eleven days after the eruption,
and at Mount Weather, Virginia,
3,700 miles away, within four days,
it was not seen at Mount Wilson,
California, 2,500 miles from Katmai,
until fifteen days after the eruption,
because the prevailing air currents
do not blow 1 in that direction. The
dust moves with the upper air cur
rents.
How “Squaw Men
T HE Fabian Society of England—
of which George Bernard
Shaw is the distinguished
head—is taking a census of the
growing army of “Squaw Men" in
that country—husbands who loaf
while their wives labor to support
them. The suspicion is that the
rapid increase of this type of male
creature is largely responsible for
the growing violence of militant suf-
fragettism.
Mrs. C. M. Wilson, of the Fabians,
who is investigating the matter, has
this to say:
“The object of the Fabian
women’s group is to study as thor
oughly as possible the economic posi
tion of women in this country.
“So little is known at present,
about the number of wage-earning
women who support others that we
11
Add to England’s Woman Troubles
are making special Inquiries into the
subject.
“I have as yet no definite figures,
but I should say that there are many
thousands of women in this country
who support husbands or other rela
tives.
“These women are to be found
among all classes and in all profes
sions and trades. Some of these
wives are skilled workers, and take
up their position as bread-winners
quite cheerfully.
"It is very difficult to ascertain
details of the better class homes
where husbands, for some reason or
other, are supported by their’wives.
“Among poorer people, however—
particularly in the districts around
the East London docks—I know there
are hundreds of cases where the wife
is the wage-earner of the home.
“The numbers of women who work
to support not only husbauds bu‘
fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers
and other relatives, must be amazing!
“I have heard of poor little domes
tics who have given away nearly al’
their money every month to keep
some home going, while there are
numerous instances of elder sisters
who have bravely gone out to busi
ness in order tb bring up a troop of
small brothers and sisters.
“Women workers with idle or in
valid husbands have practically the
same financial responsibilities as a
man. and are looked upon by the
State as the official wage-earners.”
According to the statistics issued,
and assuming the economic condi
tions to be unchanged. New York, it
is claimed, will contain 1,500,000
women workers and 300,000 husbauds
and fathers of families of the .die,
never-work class by the year 1923!
The Startling New
Discovery of
Science That the Millions
of Tons of Dust Thrown Up by Our
Alaskan Volcano Katmai Spread
All Around the World and Reduced
the Sun’s Heat 10 Per Cent in 1912