The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-04
IS EXAMINED
VISITED BY PROFESSOR ROBERT
T. HILL.
\ Daring Tour of Explora ton Right to
The Very Sources of the Great Dis
aster at Martinique.

aster at Martinique.
FORT DE FRANCE, May 26.-Pro-
fessOr Robert r. Hill, United states
Government geologst and head of the
expedition sent by the National Geo
graphical Society, has just come in
from a daring and prolonged investi-
cation of the volcanic activity in Marti-
nique.
Professor Hill chartered a steamer
and carefully examined the coast as far
north as Port de Macouba, at the ex-
treme end of the island, making fire.
quent landings. After landing at lie
Precheur, five miles north of st. Pierre
he walked through an area of active
vulcanism to the latter place and made
a minute examination Of the various
phenomena disclosed.
Professor Hill is the first and only
man who has set foot in the area of
craters and assures, and because of
his nigh position a S a scientist his story
is valuable. In addition to his work of
investigation the professor rescued in
his steamer many poor people of lie
Precheur who had ventured back after
deserving their homes and found them
selves in awful danger.
He reports as follows. "The zone Of
the catastrophe in Martinique forms an
elongated oval, containing on lana
about eight square miles Of destruc-
ton This oval is partly over the sea.
The land part is bounded by lines run
ming from lie Precheur to the peak of
Mont Pelee, thence curving around to
Carbet.
There were three well-marked zones:
First, center of humiliation. in which
all life, vegetable and animal was ut
terly destroyed. The greater part of St.
Pierre was in this zone Second, a zone
of smuggling, blistering flame, which also
was fatal to all life killing all men and
animals, burning the leaves on the trees
and scorching, but not utterly destroy
| ing the trees themselves. Third, a large
outer, nOn-deStruCtive zone of ashes,
wherein some vegetation was injured.
The focus of humiliation was the new
crater midway between the sea and the
peak of Mont Pelee, where now exists
new area of active vulcanism, with
hundreds of miniature volcanoes. The
new crater is now vomiting black, hot
mud which is falling into the sea. Both
craters, the old and new, are active.
Mushroom shaped steam explosions
constantly ascend from the old crater.
while heavy clouds float horizontally
from the new crater. The old elects
steam, smoke, mud, pumice and lapilli,
but no molten lava.
THE salient topography of the re-
gion is unaltered. The destruction of
st. Pierre was due to the new crater.
The explosion had greater superficial
force, acting in radial directions, as is
evidenced by the dismOunting and car
rying for yards of the guns in the bat
terry on the hill south of st. Pierre and
the colonial statue of the Virgin III the
same locality, and also by the condition
of the ruined houses in st. Pierre.
According to the testimony of some
persons there was an accompanying
flame. Others think the incandescent
cinders and the force of their election
were sufficient to cause the destruction.
This must be investigated. l am now
following the nature of this hill"
This is the first positive scientific
statement based on observed facts.
Professor Hill has now started on horse
back for the volcano. He will study the
whole affected area and will try to get
to both craters. He will surely visit
Morne Rouge and the slope of Mont
Pelee. The undertaking is very hazard
Gus, as explosions may occur at any
moment, as one did May 30 Professor
Hill knows the risk he takes.
He says, however, the only way to
discover exactly what had happened is
to go to the crater itself, or as near it
as possible. He will be gone two days.
Fort de France is nearly deserted. A
new source of fright is that a tidal
wave may come.A wave eight feet high
would certainly destroy Fort de France
and probably cause enormous loss of
life.
The weather is lowering and rainy.
The south winds carry the smoke ana
ashes from the volcano away from
Fort de France.
FORT DE FRANCE, Sunday. May 20.
p. m.-The United States cruiser Gin
70 n 70 NNsUsfUr
terday. The steamer Luckenbach ar
rived this morning and left at once for
Porto Rica. The steamer Fontabelle
reached here at 9 a. m. with $50 tons of
supplies from the Chamber of Com
merce of New York and other citizens.
Among her passengers are w. II. Cor
wine, who was specially named by
President Roosevelt as secretary of the
various bodies i'm the United States con-
tributing for the relief of the sufferers
Professor Angelo Heiprin and other
scientists.
Mr.. Corwine and Captain Scott.
brother of Chief officer Scott of the
Roraima, We're presented to Governor
l. Huerre and the Freich delegates to-
day. The steamer Topaz has been
placed at the disposal of Mr.. COrwine
to visit St Vincent. Her cargo will be
discharged Monday Captain Scott
visited the survivors of the steamship
Roraima at the hospitals today.
Professor Robert II. Hill, the eminent
geologist with his party, has chartered
steamer and is carefully studying the
volcano from the sea. George KEENAN,
with land party, is examining the
northern part of the island.
Mont Pelee was fairly quiet yester-
day, although there was a big eruption
of ashes, which covered the extreme
north Of the island. The new crater is
active.
The scientists are divided in opinion
as to whether or not new and more vio-
lent outDursts are to be witnessed. A
majority Of them think volcanic en-
ergy will be displayed for a long time,
but that no further loss of life will oc-