Jonathan Scharrer
Quinta English
Professor Scharf
May 5, 2003
Mount St. Helen's is a volcano that was more dangerous than people thought in the past. It was giving signs to the new settlers that came in, that it would erupt very soon by puffing out ash. Some ignored it and just thought of it as another mountain. The history of the eruption of Mount St. Helen's is very informative and was very damaging to land, animals, and people.
Indians that came to Mount St. Helen's way before it erupted heard from their ancestors that it was a volcano and not a mountain. They also told them that it had erupted in the past so they should be careful around it. Newcomers came and the Indians tried to tell them that it was a volcano, but they just ignored them. The volcano even puffed out ash occasionally as a warning that this was no mountain it was a volcano.
Years before the main eruption, the volcano had perfect slopes from lava flow and ash deposits in the past. The earth would even occasionally shake and rumble from the volcano. Scientists said that giant slabs of the earth's crust rub together to form pockets of magma. That magma worked its way to the surface of Mount St. Helen's.
Mount St. Helen's started to become active again in 1842 when it had its first mini eruption. A reporter noted, "Vast columns of lurid smoke and fire?which after attaining a certain elevation, spread out in a line parallel to the horizon and presented the appearance of a vast table supported by immense pillars of convolving flame and smoke." (Staffs of the Daily News, Longview, Washington) Between 1842 and 1857, Mount St. Helen's was very active and had many small eruptions. It would eventually die down and not awaken for ano ...