The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-05-29
MONT PELEE ERUPTION
Noted Geologist Discusses the
St. Pierre Disaster.
SECOND UPHEAVAL PREDICTED.

Professor Amos T.. Drown OF Univer-
sity of PennsyIvnnfn Believes An
other Eruption WIN soon Follow
the First-Cnuse of Outbreak and
Formation OF Martinique Island.
Professor Amos p. Brown. head OF |
the geological department Of the Uni |
versity OF Pennsylvania, believes that
a second eruption OF Mont Pelee may
be looked for very soon. He said the
other day TO Philadelphia corre-
spondent OF the New York Times:
"Mont Pelee is quite certain TO repeat
the performances of other great volca-
noes which have broken forth into vast
erupuons The first manifestation,
while usually the principal one I'm de-
gree Of intensity, is nearly always fol-
lowed by succession OF explosions
and eruptions which grow less and
less active and finally disappear alto
gether, when the volcano Is said To be
Quiescent A second upheayal OF Pc
lee should come shortly. Meantime 1t
will be exceedingly difficult to work
ton. The layers of hot rock which
were rained upon 81. Pierre may not
cool for three or Ave months, and the
lava deposit may take years to cool.
For the present It would be extremely
difficult to conduct any scientific in
vestigations and hardly worth while.
The general conditions we may guess
at Reports are so meager that little
exact knowledge of the geological facts
can be obtained.
"St. Pierre was not destroyed by an
eruption from the summit of Pelee. 1t
will be found, think, that one side
of the mountain near the town was
blown out and from this were hurled
the molten rock, lava and redhot
steam.
"The island was formed by previous
eruptions from Pelee, so long cooled
that herbage and trees had grown upon
the sides of the old tyrant. The dis
tance from the volcano to the sea is
three miles and to the town is FIVE
miles. Several hills and ravines lie
between tho town and the mountain,
which. had the explosion occurred in
the cone. would have partly saved the
former. The vast fields of hot lava
which were boiling in the base OF Pc
lee for years were acted upon by an in
let of water. This no doubt came
through a crevice from the sea. The
French Cable company reported nearly
a fortnight ago that the sea floor at
Martinique had dropped over 1,0OO foct.
A break in the earth's crust must nave
resulted. Through this the sea waves
passed. Coming in contact with the
lava bed, an immense amount of steam
was generated.
"Soon II became heated TO an inten-
sity OF five or six tons pressure to the
square inch. 1t is almost impossible
to conceive its latent force. The area
increasing volume. IL sought an out.
let. The cap over the summit of the
crater proved too strong. II attacked
the weakest side. which was adjacent
to the town. This side of the noun,
tain was unable to withstand the strain
and blew out. AS long as it takes q
projectile to shoot through the air and
drop TO earth just so long it took the
fierce, redhot stream of molten rock
and sheets Of flame to fall upon the
town.
'The consequent igniting Of St Pierre
must have generated poisonous gases
that caused the death of mary victims
The inhalation Of the hot air was alsC
instantly fatal II the path Of destruc
ton is anything like that Of other great
volcanic disturbances. no vegetable oil
animal life can survive them for years