Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-22
Mont Pelee as a Rival of Krakatoa.

From the New York Herald
Under deadly Gains in the darkened tropi-
cal air. the Cyclopean subterranean forces
which two weeks ago today overwhelmed
ST. Pierre are waking up to yet more terri
BILE displays of combined seismic and VOL
canic violence. La Pelee is hailing red hot
stones upon Fort de France. Apparently in
sympathy with these demonstrations of the
Martinique volcano. all the neighboring sea
bed is shaken and terror reigns on the is
land.
After the phenomenal paroxysm of Pelee
on May it was fondly hoped by many that
the volcano had served an opened safety
valve to release the pent-up furies in the
earth beneath the flaming mountain. and
that Martinique would soon be left unds-
turbed. An old theory encouraging this
hope has been long entertained by many
biologists, but it's unrelability was forcibly
proved by the distinguished French physi-
cist Reclus in 1873. The relations between
continental earth tremors and ordinary vol
canic eruptions in the same locality is
sometimes such that the earthquake shocks
are merely results of the volcanic outbreak,
and the imprisoned lava and vapors having
escaped through the gigantic vent hole the
surrounding region is soon relieved from
the internal pressure.
But in the present disturbances in the
Lesser Antilles the extraordinary and con-
tinued violence of Mount Pelee indicates
that the seat of the disturbance lies several
miles below the earth's surface, amid beds
of rock at intensely high temperature, which
have been penetrated by large masses of
water from the caribbean Sea. AS long a s
the profound subterranean passage by which
the water has reached these incandescent
rocks are open commissions of the whole
adjacent region may be expected to con-
tinue and no promise of quiesence can be
given.
The outlook at Mount Pelee is therefore
likely to remain for some time alarming.
This Antillian volcano n he l.
ing the mighty volcano Of Krakatoa, on
little low lying island in the Straits of
Sunda, which startled the world by it's
grand eruptionS in 1888. In the spring of
that year krakatoa suddenly awoke with
thunderous energy, earthquakes occurred at
its base. while warnings Of increasing ac-
tivity were given by its sending cut i'm
menSe columns of steam and dust. Through
out June and July menaces of disaster null
tiplied. the ceaseless detonations from the
crater growing louder and louder. and the
adjacent seas sharing in the wild commo
ton until August u, when the long drawn
out series Of cataclysms reached their stu
pendous climax, SURPRISING in grandeur all
historic volcanic explosions.
In all protracted volcanic upheavals, as
those Of Krakatoa and Pelee. there must
exist beneath the burning mountain orifices
communicating with deep seated reservoirs
of lava, and proximity to the explains
why the element Of water plays 80 i'm
portant a part in originating and main
tanning the eruptions. AS the water under
great pressure penetrates to the deep-seat-
ed and intensely heated rocks beneath the
seabed the steam generated in this subter-
ranean furnace acts precisely as a high ex-
plosive, not only forcing upward through
the chimney of the crater vast masses of
incandescent pulverized stone and steam.
but also accomplishing further displace-
ment of the deep-seated rocks, thus permit
ting the water to penetrate in larger guam
titles to the furnace below. There Is thus
no known limitation or arrest Of this incon-
ceivably destructive process (by which a
large part OF the Island Of Krakatoa was
tern from its foundations and blown into
the upper atmosphere). until communica--
ton between the deep-seated rocks and the
volcanic vent is checked and closed up.
Science IL utterly powerless to tell when
the terrified people Of Martinique will see
an end put to the series of cataclysms
through which they are passing. Suspense