"C J Campbell" wrote in message
...
I would expect you to be both confused and just as contrary as usual. I
can
at least count on you to keep life from getting dull. In any event, there
was no full-scale evacuation, nor did they predict an explosion at all.
They
were concerned about slides and avalanches, and by the time of the
eruption
they were letting all kinds of people back into the area to retrieve
possessions and such.

Ahh yes, the old Usenet standby: the ad hominem attack.

Anyway, if what you write were true, I would have expected you to provide
links to actual information discussing that. From the vague, top-level link
you provided, all I could find was confirmation that the bulk of the
fatalities were either scientists studying the volcano, in a known high-risk
occupation, and civilians who refused to accept the warnings given them.
Not only had the area been evacuated, but as you even admit, people who were
allowed back into the evacuated area were required to sign waivers and
otherwise indicate that they understood the extreme hazard involved. "All
kinds of people" is hardly an objective way to describe that activity.

The "documentation" you provided simply contradicts what you claim to be
true.

It's plenty clear that in 1980, a much more significant event than is
expected today was expected, and occurred. It's also plenty clear that
scientists today have a pretty good understanding of what is likely to
happen and what is not. I'm not going to go flying around the mountain, but
to claim that the mountain could have a major eruption when nothing of the
sort is predicted is pretty silly.

Pete