New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-02
VIEWED PELEE'S CRATER
PROF He'll PRLN ASCENDS THE
TERRIBLE VOLCANO.
COVERED WITH MUD AND ASHES. HE
FACED DEATH FOR HOURS ON
The SMOKING PEAK.


THE SMOKING PEAK.
Fort de France Martinique. May 31.-The Ma
-ional Geographical Society has scored great
triumph through its representative here, Pro-
fessor Angelo Heilprin, who this morning, with
three guides. ascended to the top of the crater
on the summit Of Mont Peee. Professor He'll
,,rin is also president of the Philadelphia Geo.
graphical Society
Professor Heiprin had gone TO the Plantation
Vive which is near the crater. in company with
Fernand Clerc and Mr.. Ried landed proprietors
of Martinique. This expedition had been espe-
ciallv organized by United States Consul Ayme
and Professor Heiiprin, and was led by the lat
Ter The expedition left Fort de France last
Thursday. Nav %. at noon Friday was spent
in studying the newly formed craters on the
north flank Of the mountain Saturday morning
Professor Heilprin determined TO attempt the
ascent 10 the top Of the crater, and with this
purpose in view he set out at o'clock. The
volcano was very active. but amid a thousand
dangers Professor Heilprin reached the summit
and looked down into the huge crater Here he
spent some time in taking careful observations
He saw q huge cinder cone in the centre OF the
crater the opening of the crater itself is a vast
crevice 500 feet long and $50 feet wide While
Professor Heilprin on the summit or the
volcano several violent explosions of steam and
PinGeT laden Nap0T tCph pldCe, anu dSdii anu
again his life was in danger Ashes fell about
him in such quantities at times as to completely
obscure his vision. One particularly violent ex-
plosion of mud covered Professor Heilprin from
head to foot with the hideous. viscid and semi
solid matter thrown out. Professor Hellprln
still persisted in his study and observations
however, and twice more was he showered with
mud. He learned. as had been suspected,
that there were three separate vents through
which steam issued. Full details of the Profess
sor's observations cannot be had until ne re-
turns to Fort de France
Professor Heilprin's journey down the side os
the mountain was fully periloUs as the
ascent Mont Pelee seemed to resent the in
trusion of q puny human being into her most
awful precincts and belched out huge volumes
of steam. ashes and boiling hot mud
SYNCHRONOUs ERUPTIONs
Professor Heilprin made the important dis
covery that the crater at the head Of the river
FaIlaise has synchronous eruptions with the
crater at the summit Of The volcano, and that it
elects precisely the same matter at such times
The river Fallaise crater and the crater at the
summit showed. during Professor Heilprin's
visit, a new phenomenon Mud was thrown up
in high columns. Heretofore the mud has bub-
bled or boiled out, and flowed downward in huge
streams In the course of one eruption Of the
river Fallaise crater. an enormous mass OF in
tensely hot mud was elected This flow reached
the rum distillery the Vive plantation and
extinguished all the fires there This torrent OF
mud may invade the entire plantation, and as
Vive Is the centre Of of the richest districts
Of the island It is feared the damage there may
be great
MI -Clerc furnishes the following further de-
tails of Professor Heilprin's ascent: The party
proceeded on mules to an altitude of 700 metres
the ancient line of vegetation. From this point
Professor Heilprin continued on foot leaving
the mule that had carried him up the steep hog
back TO the tree line. Upon reaching the site OF
Lake Palmiste. Professor Heilprin found it to
be completely dried up. He crossed the bed OF
the lake, and continued up the gently rising
slope to the crater. Formerly the edge Of the
crater was a high bluff or shoulder. This the
explorer found had fallen inward into the great
crater and he thinks this change probably oc-
Cured at the time of the great explosion Of
May 90 This is the first important topographic
alteration in Mont Pelee which has been noted
and verified.
VIEWED THE CRATER FOR TWO HOURS.
Professor Heilprin arrived at the edge of the
summit crater at 1:30 O'Clock, and remained
there for over two hours. When he returned to
Vive he resembled a statue of mud. The weight
of ashes and mud he carried his person. the
horrible atmosphere he breathed and the fear
ful difficulties he encountered reduced Professor
HeIlprin TO condition OF extreme fatigue, not
withstanding the fact that he assembled Mont
Pelee from the most accessible and easiest side.
Professor Heilprin may return to Fort de France
tomorrow If he has sufficiently recovered by
that time to travel
George Kennan and his party. which went 10
Morne Rouge, found On their return trip that
a bridge across the road had been carried away
by q torrent Of hot mud. Negroes managed to
get the party across the obstruction: they took
the carriages 10 pieces and carried them and
the members Of the party TO the other side Of
the river OF mud which still hot. All the
members Of Mr.. Kennans party we'll