The Nation - News from March 31, 1986

Alaska’s Augustine Volcano kept erupting and spewing ash, but strong polar winds cleared Anchorage of the gritty, gray clouds of ash that for three days had severely curtailed air service and prompted a health alert. Airlines that had been mostly grounded for three days resumed some flights and were besieged by stranded travelers seeking to leave Anchorage. “It was a continuous low to moderate eruption with a plume rising to 15,000 feet,” the U.S. Geological Survey said of the activity in the 4,025-foot volcano on uninhabited Augustine Island 180 miles southwest of Anchorage.