Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-07-29
VOLCANOES SLUMBER.
French Scientists Think Danger Is
Over In West Indies.
JAGGAR DUBIOUS, HOWEVER
Opposes Any Rehabilitation al
stricken Districts Until GOvern-
mental stations 10 Warn Inhab-
itantx Have Been Provided.

Boston, July 20,-Advices have been
received from Dr. Il. a. .Iaggar of
Harvard university who has been rep.
survey in the West Indies and making
explorations in the volcanic regions of
st. Vincent and Martinique.
According TO the latest information
available, Or. JaggHr arrived for the
second time at Fort dc France on June
"a and has since visited Mont pplee
twice. staying at CHrl,rt. lie has also
made excursions to the southern end
of Martinique and to In" warm springs
of the interior of the island. l)r. Jag
gar came directly from st. Vincent.
AS Il result of recent examination OF
the crater of Mont pelec and eXplora
ton Of the track of the devastating
blast which destroyed st. Pierre, it APP
pears that there is an extraordinary
similarity between the cruptions of the
Soufriere volcano of st. Vincent ana
Mont Pelce. The products are the
same both are characterized by the
absence of lava, and the work of de-
struction. both to inanimate objects
and to mankind, was accomplished in
much the same way. The destructive
effects of the eruption in st. Vincent
were much more extensive, but the
loss of human life was much less.
No Recent Eruption.
There has been no active eruption of
Mont Pelee of Importance since June
s. A great cone Of powders and vol
canic bombs heaped within the assure
from which the explosion came has
grown in size since the middle Of May,
when DR.. Jaggar first saw it. Occa-
sionally there are sudden slides of de-
brs down this cone into the deep gorge
of the Riviere Blanche. These slides
produce great columns Of brown dust.
resembling smoke, that rise In pillows
from the mountains flank and give the
impression of an eruption when viewed
from the sea. At night these slidingS
of rcdhOt rocks make a glowing streak
in the mountains slope. This accounts
for the many reports by passing YES
sells of eruptons. hot lava and dust
falls The phenomenon is merely
superficial one. AS at st. Vincent, the
many mud spouts. steam jets and To-
cal craters that have been reported are
all superficial caused by rainwater
draining into the beds of hot dry
gravel.
The two volcanoes of st. Vincent and
Martinique We're in eruption in sym
pathy i'm May. Both have gradually
become less active since. and it is prob
able they will continue to diminish in
activity, to judge by the present signs.
On this opinion the French scientific
commission, headed by Professor La
crOiX of Paris, concurs.
Opposes Resettlement.
DR.. Jaggar is strongly opposed, how
ever. to any rehabilitation of the dew
astated slope Of the volcanoes until
the respective governments of the is
lands are willing to establish perma
nent experiment stations to protect
and warn the inhabitants.
In addition to his work on the islands
of ST. Vincent and Martinique, Dr.
.Jaggar has spent some time in Rarba-
dos collecting information and speci |
mems relative to the spread of the dust |
fall, which appears to have been much |
greater from the Soufrere than from |
Mont Pelee.
DR.. ,Jaggar has been in communca-
ton with both the British and French |
scientific commissions now at work in |
the islands. Before returning to the |
United States he plans to visit the
northern volcanoes of the Windward |
island group with view to studying
the conditions of vegetation and drain.
age on such mountains AS Pclee, as
they were prior to the eruption Such
4 placid volcano. with Il crater lake in
It's summit, may be seen in Mount
Misery at st. Kits.