Shishaldin 1775
Start: 1775 [1]
Stop: 1775 [1]
Event Type: Explosive
- Tephrafall [2]
- Lahar, debris-flow, or mudflow [2]
- Lava flow [2]
Description: From Veniaminov (1840, translated by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan, 1984): "About 1795, with the wind from the SW, the range on the SW end of Unimak blew up with a terrible thunder and an eruption of ash [pepel] or soot [sazha], white in color, in such a great quantity that, for several hours in the middle of the day, not only in the neighboring villages on Aliaksa but even on Unga, there was absolute darkness. The eternal ice, lying on that range, slid down along both sides together with a large quantity of water and burned rocks of different sizes. The last stopped about half-way along and formed a trench or a black belt visible even now. There are still signs in place where the water flows and where the ice, which had slid down the mountain, rested for several years (the vegetation has only just begun to appear there)."
From Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch): "From Zaikov's report (Pallas, N.B. III, p. 281) we receive the first detailed news about Unimak, on which island he sojourned from 1775 to 1778. 'The western promontory is rocky on both sides, and steep; and the shoreline is sandy, precipitous, and full of sandbars. The middle of the island is mountainous; and there is a volcano (Shishaldin), which is frequently on fire.'"
And Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch) continues "Cook (Vol. II, p. 117, [Eng. ed., London, 1784, vol. 2, p. 416]) sighted this volcano on the twenty-first of June 1778, and fixed its location at 54 degrees, 48 minutes N. Lat. And 164 degrees 15 minutes W. Long. He believed, however, that it still belonged to the mainland. 'Over this [Halibut Island, Sanak] and the adjoining islands we could see the main land covered with snow; but particularly, some hills, whose elevated tops were seen, towering above the clouds, to a most stupendous height. The most South Westerly of these hills was discovered to have a volcano, which continually threw up vast columns of black smoke.' This obviously was Shishaldin Mountain of Unimak."
From Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch): "From Zaikov's report (Pallas, N.B. III, p. 281) we receive the first detailed news about Unimak, on which island he sojourned from 1775 to 1778. 'The western promontory is rocky on both sides, and steep; and the shoreline is sandy, precipitous, and full of sandbars. The middle of the island is mountainous; and there is a volcano (Shishaldin), which is frequently on fire.'"
And Grewingk (1850, translated 2003 by Fritz Jaensch) continues "Cook (Vol. II, p. 117, [Eng. ed., London, 1784, vol. 2, p. 416]) sighted this volcano on the twenty-first of June 1778, and fixed its location at 54 degrees, 48 minutes N. Lat. And 164 degrees 15 minutes W. Long. He believed, however, that it still belonged to the mainland. 'Over this [Halibut Island, Sanak] and the adjoining islands we could see the main land covered with snow; but particularly, some hills, whose elevated tops were seen, towering above the clouds, to a most stupendous height. The most South Westerly of these hills was discovered to have a volcano, which continually threw up vast columns of black smoke.' This obviously was Shishaldin Mountain of Unimak."
References Cited
[1] Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003], 1850
Grewingk, Constantine, 1850, Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003]: Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series 11, Fairbanks, AK, The University of Alaska Press, 242 p.[2] Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984], 1840
Veniaminov, Ivan, 1840, Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984]: Pierce, R. A., (ed.), Kingston, Ontario, Limestone Press, 511 p.Complete Eruption References
Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition], 1994
Simkin, Tom, and Siebert, Lee, 1994, Volcanoes of the world [2nd edition]: Tucson, Arizona, Geoscience Press, 349 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf
The journals of Captain James Cook on his voyages of Discovery III. The voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776-1778, 1967
Beaglehole, J. C., 1967, The journals of Captain James Cook on his voyages of Discovery III. The voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776-1778: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 361 p.
Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003], 1850
Grewingk, Constantine, 1850, Grewingk's geology of Alaska and the Northwest Coast of America [edited by Marvin W. Falk, translation by Fritz Jaensch published 2003]: Rasmuson Library Historical Translation Series 11, Fairbanks, AK, The University of Alaska Press, 242 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC shelf
Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984], 1840
Veniaminov, Ivan, 1840, Notes on the islands of the Unalaska district [translated from Russian by Lydia T. Black and R.H. Geoghegan in 1984]: Pierce, R. A., (ed.), Kingston, Ontario, Limestone Press, 511 p.
Hard Copy held by AVO at FBKS - CEC file cabinet