Description: From The Alaskan (1902): "While Redoubt has been most active as regards recent volcanic eruption in Alaska, two other peaks in the Cook Inlet section have been thoring [sic] off smoke and steam in greater or less volume for several months. They are Mount Iliamna and Mount Augustine."
From Johnston and Detterman (1979): "Coats quoted Sapper (1917), who told nothing more about the activity or about his source of information * * * Detterman (1973), who mapped the volcano after its 1963-64 eruption, referred to unpublished field notes of T.W. Stanton of the USGS, who visited the island July 17, 1904. Those notes may have been the original source for Sapper's statement.
"The only reference to activity in 1902 in Stanton's notes is contained in this brief passage: It is reported that * * * in 1902 there was a large 'mud flow' when one side of the crater broke off and slipped down, according to A. Brown who says he witnessed it from the mainland."
Johnston and Detterman (1979) state that there was no eruption in 1902, based on 1) their inability to find a primary reference to activity at Augustine, 2) photographs taken in 1895 and 1904 seem to show no change to the summit crater, 3) ash layers are found in Skilak Lake for every historic Augustine eruption except the 1902, and 4) they found no 1902 ash layer on Augustine Island. A primary eruption reference (The Alaskan newspaper) has now been located - which suggests that perhaps a minor eruption, too small to modify the summit crater or deposit long-lasting ash layers, did occur. It is also possible that there was no eruption, and Augustine was merely experiencing an increase in fumarolic activity.