The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-05-29
IN Q CONSTANT DANGER,

rae News cannot understand why
those people residing near Mont Pelee
and other places in the dangerous
district do not seek other parts.
From the opinion of learned scien-
fists we are led to believe that these
death dealing agencies are liable TO
eruption at any moment
Professor Robert T Hill, United States
government geologist and head Of the
expedition sent by the National Geo
graphical Society. has Just come in
from daring and prolonged inyesti-
cation of the volcanic activity in Mar;
Unique Professor Hill chartered
steamer and carefully examined the
coast as far north as Port De Macouba,
at the extreme end of the island, max.
ing frequent landings After landing
at LIE Pr@chuer, miles north of st.
Pierre, he walked through an area OF
active volcanism 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, assures and fumaroles. and
bee of his high position as a scien.
list mis- story is valuable. In addition
to his work of investigation the pro.
fessor rescued in his steamer many
poor people of lie Precheur who had
yentured back after deserving their
homes and found themselves In awful
danger. He reports as follows:
The zone Of the catastrophe in Mar
Unique forms an elongated oval, con.
tanning on land about 8 square miles
of destruction. This. oval is partly
over the sea. The land part is bound.
ed by lines running from lie Prechuer
to the peak of Mont Pelee, thence
curving around to Carbet. There were
three well marked zones First, a cen
ter of humiliation, in which life, vege.
table and animal, was utterly destroy
ed.
The greater northern part of st.
Pierre was in this zone. Second, a
zone of singeing, bllstering fame,
which also was fatal to all life. kill.
ing all men and animals, burning the
leaves on the trees and scorching but
not utterly destroying the trees them.
selves. Third, a large outer, monde.
structiye zone of ashes. wherein some
vegetation was injured. The focus of
annihilation was the new crater mid.
way between the sea and the peak OF
area of active volcanism with hun.
dreds of fumaroles or miniature vol.
canoes. The new crater is now vomis
ing, black hot mud, which is falling
into the sea. Both craters, the old
and the new, are active. Mushroom
shaped steam explosions constantly
ascend from the old crater, while
heavy, ash laden clouds float horizon.
tally 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 great superficial force,
acting in radial durations, as is evi,
denced by the dismounting and carry
ing for yards the guns in the battery
on the hill south OF st, Pierre, and
the colonial statue of the Virgin in the
same locality, and also by the condi
tion of the ruined houses in st. Pierre.
According to the testimony OF some
persons there was an accompanying
flame. Others think the incandescent
c:Hders and the force CT their election
were sufficient to cause the destruc
ton. This must be investigated. | am
now following the nature of this him
This is the first positive scientific
statement based on observed facts
Professor Hill has now started on
horseback for the volcano. He will
study the whole affected area and will
try to get to both craters He win
surely visit Morne Rouge and the slope
of Mont Pelee. The undertaking is
very hazardous, as eruptions may oc.
cur at any moment, as one did May 90
HIolessor mn hhoWs tue Ilsh ne taxes
but says the only way to discover ex.
actly what has happened is to go to
the crater itself. or as near 1t as pos
sible. He will be gone two days.
Fort de France is nearly deserted. A
new source of fright is fear that
tidal wave may come, A wave eight
feet high would certainly destroy Fort
de France and possibly cause enor
nous loss of life.
The weather is lowering and rainy
The south. winds carry the smoke and
ashes from the volcano away from
Fort de France.