The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-09-19
A CLOUD OF HOT GAS.
On the Fringe of an Eruption Like That
of Pelee.

On the Fringe of an Eruption Like That
of Pelee.
Prof. Robert Hills ''Study of Pelee,''
in the Century, contains this description
Of an eruption Of the volcano of the
sort which he thinks destroyed St. Pierre
He was at Frond St. Denis when it oc-
CURED, May 2G. He says:
stepping out of the door. l saw be-
fore me perfect tropical night. Not a
cloud obscured the starlit armament.
Suddenly, to the north and above Pelee,
there was a dull flare Of light like the
sheet-lightning of a summer storm. This
was the reflection OF the incandescept
motion mass within. Following this, a
great spherical cloud, with hundreds of
boiling and seething convoiutions: slowly
rose above the vent. 1t had hardly APP
peared before it was followed by blind
ing flash of light, like great gun-Hash,
from the mouth of the crater. accompa-
MED by long, deep-pitched detonations
from the bosom Of the mountain. Over
the crater's rim followed mountain
shower OF incandescent punlice, which
looked like molten fire. Hardly had the
cloud-ball reacilcd the ali when around
and through it flashed thousand light
ning-like streaks, with here and there
great balls Of ire. While standing in
mute amazement observing this phenom-
enon at the apparently safe distance of
some three miles, | Was Mortified to see
the cloud fall suddenly. fatten. and float
out horizontally into the sky like al
aerial river directly toward and above
me-a ribbon of inky blackness, and conf
ing slowly, yet so fast that it was easy
for me to see that it was not to be es-
capped by running.
Rapidly and with deadly silence the
cloud flowed toward me. when presently
l was made painfully aware of another
frightful feature within it. The electric
like flashes were not confined to the area
Immediately over the crater, as might
naturally have been expected, but all
through the dense aerial river Of lapill
weird flashes began to develop which ran
parallel to the earth's surface. Some Of
these were lightning-like at times; others
were unlightning-lik in that they were
slower and apparently travelled along dis
tinct lines of ignition. l undoubtedly
had before me the visible evidence of the
cloud like that which rolled upon ST.
Pierre OH that Hateful morning, apparent
ly ignitcd by electric flashes. Horror
stricken at the approach of that wiertl
silent, deathly cloud which was coming
directly toward and above me- and know
ing that there was no means of escape
which I could originate within myself.
squatted beside the building, wrote my
notes, and photographed at the flashes.
The fainter gas Examinations either made
no impression upon the plates or as
would be expected under the circum-
stances, l bungled at my methods of cx-
posture. l secured one of the lightning
flashes, however-a precious souvenir Of
that occasion.
1.-THE approaching and overwhelming
cloud had barely reached my position
when, mysteriously and silently, with a
change Of wind, it gradually changed to
the eastward, swinging around upon the
crater as pivot toward the northern end
of the island, and I breathed freely
again.