The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-06-06
TO MONT PELEE'S CRATER.
Psrllous Ascent Made w fr"'' S"s''s
Hesiprin, of the Nationai 'so-
graphical society.



ero,er ON the summit Of Mont Pelec
Prof. Heiiprin is also presid ~ OF 'h'
Philadelphia Geographical society
prof. Hciipr.n had gone TO ihe
,loptntion Nivc. which - near 'hs
crater. in company with fernana
Clcrc and Mr. Reid, landed Pr"
prietors Of Martinique. THIS eNpeu'
ton had been especially organized ~
United states Consul Ayme ana frol
Ileilprln. and was led by the latter.
The expedition left Fort de rance
Thursday. May %, at noon. fr'uaH
was spent in studying the newly
formed craters on the north Hank "i
az the mountain. Saturday morning
Prof. Heilprin. determined 10 attempt
the ascent to tho top Of the crat'r'
and with this purpose in view, he set
out at FIVE o'clock.
The volcano was very active, bui
amid thousand dangers, Prof lieu,
prin reached the summit and look'a
down into the huge crater Here he
spent some time in taking careful OBJ
ser,ations. lie saw huge cinder
cone i'm the center of the crater. The
opening of the crater itself is a vast
cre,icc 500 feet long and $50 feet
wide.
While Prof. Hcilprin was on the
summit If the volcano several Nioleht
explosions Of steam and cinder-laden
yapor took place, and again and again
1 his life was in danger Ashes fell
about him in such quantities at times
as to completely obscure his vision.
! One particularly violent explosion OF
\ mud covered the professor from head
10 foot with the hideou>. Niscid ami
semi solid matter. He still persisted
In his study and observations. how
ever. and twice more was showered
with mud lie learned, as has been
suspected. that there were three
separate vents through which steam
issued. Full details of the professor
observations can not be had until he
returns 10 Fort de France.
Prof Hcilprins journey down the
side of the mountain vhs fully as
perilous as the ascent. Mont Pelec
seemed to resent the intrusion of a
puny human being into her most aw-
ful precincts and belchcd out huge
volumes Of steam, ashes and boiling
hot mud.
The professor made the important
discovery that the crater az the head
If the River Fallaise has synchronous
eruptions with the crater M the sum
nit Of the volcano. and that il elects
precisely the same matter at such
times The River Fallaisc crater and
the crater az the summit showed dur
ing Prof. lfeilprin's visit new
phenomenon. Mud was thrown III
II high columns. Heretofore the muc
has dubbed or boiled out and flowed
downward in huge streams. In III,
course Of one eruption If the River
Fallaisc crater an enormous mass 81
intensely hot mud was elected. Tht
cow reached the rum distillery on tn
vive plantation. and extinguished ~
the fires there. This torrent Of mu'
may invade the entire plantation and
as Niyc is the center Of one IF tn
richest districts of the island, j
feared the damage ma, be great.
MIR. Clerc furnishes :ae following
further details of Prof. Heilprin's a.
cent. The party proceeded on mule
Z. to an altitude of ZOO meters. the AZ
Gent line of vegetation. From thi
! point Prof. Heilprin continuey >
4 foot. leaving the mule that had cal
Z ried him up the steep hog back TO tn
tree line.
Upon reaching the site Of Lake Pa
mstc the professor found ii con
pletely dried up. He crossed the be-
: u the lake and continued up on ii
y gently-rising slope 10 the crate
\ Formerly the edge Of the crater W;
2 n high bluff, or shoulder. This. Il
: explorer found. had fallen into II
\. great crater. and he thinks tn
y change probably occurred nj the tin
= Of the great explosion ~ May
r This is the first important topograp
~ ic alteration in Mont Pelee which hi
y been noted and verified.
:" Prof Heilprin arrived at thr cd
~ Of the summit crater at halfrast ~
le and remained there for over Is
hours. When he returned 10 Nivc
W rescmblcd statue of mutt T
Mflgnl VI d~n'N anu litHl Hf 'blIl
= on his person, the horril l.
"a moSphere he breathcd and thr fe;
IN fnl difficulties he encountered
Ie' duccd him to condition Of cNtrei
vt fatigue. Notwithstanding the III
- that he assembled Mont Pelce fir,
the most accessible and easiest 81,
Prof. IIeilprin may return to r,
-. de France to-day. If he has suniciel
ad ly recovered by that time to do SO
ia George KEENAN,. and his party. "
-, went 10 Morne Rouge. found on tn
return trip that bridge across I
-. road had been carried away by 4
~ rent Of hot mud. Negroes manap
he 20 get the party across the obstr
"A ton. They took the carriages
!, pieces and carried them and
X members Of the party TO the OIL
side Of the river Of mud. which ,
still hot All the members OF
Remnants party are well.
Grand Gift TO Methodism.