Geologists Have No Explanation
For 400-ft. Flood Waves Which
Swept Lituya Bay In S.E. Alaska
By RENNIE TAYLOR
Associated Press Science Reporter
.SEATTLE, OP) — A bay on the
northeast shore on the Gulf o'f
Alaska which has been visited
twice in the last century by cata
clysmic flood waves up to 400
feet high has posed a mystery
for U.S. geologists, one of their
number reported Saturday.
Once in 1853 or 1854 and again
in 1936, great walls of water ap
peared suddenly at the T-shaped
head of Lituya Bay and swept at
high speed towards the sea seven
miles away.
Nobody yet has given a satis
factory explanation for these oc
currences, Don J. Miller, of the
U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska j
Division, told the Geological So
ciety of America.
Evidence of the cataclysms still
is visible. Miller showed photo
graphs which outline the crest of
the waves along the shores. Shore
areas were swept clear of trees
and other vegetation in a matter
of minutes.
The first wave wiped out all
I vegetation along the shore for as
high as 395 feet above tide level
and sloped downward gradually
to ’he sea.
New trees have grown in the
denuded areas. But in the higher
level swept by the rushing water
w h there is no tree older than
90 years, Miller said. In the newer
and lower denuded area the maxi
mum age of the trees is about
15 years. The lines of these age
A.. ■■■■■m" »
>.
levels show clearlji in Miller’s
pictures.
There was one eye-witness to
the 1936 cataclysm, Jim Huncroft,
a prospector. He was living on
an island well down the bay. He
told later of hearing a tremen
dous roar at the bayhead and of
seeing a water wall coming down
on the island. He escaped by
climbing. The wave was only 29
feet high by the time it reached
the island.
Theories have been advanced
that the flood waves were caused
by the sudden release of a whole
lake full of water which had been
dammed up by ice at the bayhead.
The geological evidence does
not support this, Miller said. He
added that he is inclined to be
lieve that either a huge glacier
fell into the bay or that the bay
head was suddenly lifted by an
earthquake.
Geologists still are looking for
a good explanation of the event,
he reported.
In estimating distances, the Chi
nese once used two scales, one for
uphill miles and the other for
downhill miles, says the National
Geographic Society.
Alaska Dairymen And
Potato Growers Warned
To Keep Prices Down
FAIRBANKS, UP—Hugh John
son warned last week that Alas
ka’s dairymen and potato growers
“must get their costs down in the
very near future or they will be
fighting for their economic lives.”
Johnson, head of the agricultur
al economics department at the
University of Alaska, spoke dur
ing the annual extension confer
ence at the university.
“Our agriculture must sell it
self,” he said. “It must meet com
petition on the basis of quality,
price and availability.
The production outlook for Al
aska points to a continued rise in
milk production, he continued,
but a decrease of 15 to 20 percent
in the Matanuska potato acreage.
This land will go into other vege
tables, peas, oats and small feed
grains.
Kitimat Northern Sentinal
New Publication For Big
Aluminum Development
VANCOUVER, B.C., (/P)—Kit’
maf, a city rising in the wilder
ness 500 miles north of here, will
have its own weekly newspaper
when the Kitimat Northern Sen
tinel publishes its first edition
April 15.
Howard T. Mitchell of Vancou
ver, publisher of several trade
organs, said here Friday a build
ing to house the Sentinel should
be completed by summer. Mean
while, the publication will be is
sued temporarily from a convert
ed generator building.
Kitimat is the site of the huge
Aluminum Company of Canada
development, due to open later
this year.
Plamie -i\ advertising always pays off, that’s
why big business allocates a definite percent
age of its regular expenses to advertising.
© © ©
I NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING—
© INCREASES SALES
© KEEPS A BUSINESS NAME BEFORE THE
PUBLIC.
© CREATES A DEMAND FOR MERCHANDISE.
© IS A PERSONAL SALESMAN THAT GETS INTO
EVERY HOME.
© ACCOUNTS FOR MORE SALES ANNUALLY
THAN ANY OTHER FORM OF PROMOTION.
Make 1953 Your BIGGEST Year!
Trv a Systematic Advertising Program.
•
as NOME NUGGET
JOSEPH M. DODGE
TO RESIGN AS
BUDGET DIRECTOR
WASHINGTON, UV-The White
House Saturday announced that
Joseph M. Dodge is resigning on
April 15 as director of the budget
to return to private business.
Dodge will resume the po'st of
board chairman of. the Detroit
Bank in Detroit. He has been on
leave from that job.
The White House said no suc
cessor has been chosen. Press
Secretary James C. Hagerty told
reporters that Dodge took the
budget job in the first place with
the understanding it would be
temporary.
... —v
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