The Redwood gazette., 1902-06-11

ally occurring most frequently along
lines of weakness where the rocks
may be most easily disturbed.
The long chain of the western is
lands of the Lesser Antilles lie
along such a line of weakness. Their
rocks are porphyries and lavas, ig-
neous material that was evidently
thrust up from the bowels of the
earth through submarine break
in the crust that extends in the
form of bow, roughly north aud
south, for about 700 miles, The
islands rise like the ruined piers OF
a bridge, the outer rampant of the
Caribbean Sea: surmounted by
great volcanic cones, many of which
are now extinct, though some are
still active, and are occasionally
vent for the pent up volcanic forces
of the interior of the earth.
These are the Caribbean islands
of the Lesser Antilles. The eastern
or Atlantic part of the chain, ex-
tending from Sombrero on the north
to Bart bados on the south, Barbados
being the most important and larg-
est, are not OF plutonic origin: at
least if any part OF them was thrust
upward from the interior of the
earth by volcanic energy, it is the
bases on which they stand, for all
that is within reach of investiga-
tion is formed of the calcareOus re-
mains of marine life. In other words
they are of oceanic origin. while
the western islands are Of plutonic
origin with margins of more recent
marine formations everything the
| volcanic rocks. Guadeloupe alone
curiously unites the two formations.
The eastern part of it is of marine
origin; the western part, joined to
the other by narrow isthmus, was
4hrust above the sea by volcanic
energy.
These facts show why it is that
the western islands, the larger and
with the exception of BARBADOS
the more populous and important O.
the Lesser Antilles, are subject t(
more ills than the eastern islands
All alike have climates that at leas
in the rainy season are very insalu
brious; all are subject to devesta
tion by hurricanes; but the western
islands have the added affection O
earthq uakes and volcanic outbursts
they stand along line of crusta
weakness, and in fact owe their ori
gin to it, while the western island
rest upon a foundation of firm rock
Martinique is purely volcanic
With an area of only 395 squar
miles, less than one-fourth that {
oar Long Island, six volcanicpea
not very high, rise into the air, cor
ical in form, clad to their summit
in the most luxuriant verdure an
giving to the whole island, as see
from the sea, an aspect of strikin
beauty. Five of them have bee
extinct throughout the historic pei
iod; the tallest one, Mt. Pelee, nea
the northwest extremity of the is
land, 4, 42o feet hi igh, at whose bas
stands the port of St. Pierre, ha
generally been quiescent, but nea
the end of the eighteenth centur
and again in 1851 there were wea
eruptions There has always bee
plenty of evidence that life had nc
departed from Mt. Pelee, but sine
the island was discovered there ha
not been any indication that tn
volcano was capable of serious mis-
, chief. Following along the mai
axis Of the mountains to the sout
are the other cones, three creste'
Carbet, about midway on the island
being scarcely Inferior to Pelee il
altitude
This is the third time that Mar
, Unique has suffered from disaster
OF volcanic origin. In 1907 ther
was great earthquake which cos
! the lives of more than 500 persons
| That was the greatest disaster i
. the history of the island previous t
this now reported. There was a
! earthquake in 1889 which des
, troyed nearly half of Port Roya
the present capital of the island
o~I l-,lIoI ron