The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-06-02
IN CRATER
DURING ERUPTION
Scientist Stands on Summit As
Volcano BeIches FuriOusIy.
RISKS LIFE FOR SCIENCE
MORE DISASTER EXPECTED TO
RESULT FROM LAVA FLOW.

L ~ LIZ 2 flANOEs Eottul I'd y NAY
81, s p. m.-The National
Geographical society has scored a
great triumph through its representa-
tive here, Professor Angelo Heilprin,
who. this morning. with three guides,
assembled to the top of the crater on
the summit Of Mont Pelee. Professor
Heiiprin is also president OF the Phil
adeiphia Geographical society.
Professor Heilprin had gone to the
plantation Vive, which Is near the
crater, in company with Fernand
Clerc and Mr.. Reid, landed proprietors
OF Martinique. This expedition had
been especially organized by United
States Consul Ayme and Professor
Heiiprin, and was led by the latter,
The expedition left Fort de France
last Thursday, May ,, at noon. Friday
was spent in lstudying the newly
formed craters on the north flank Of
the mountain.
Saturday morning Professor Heilprin
determined to attempt the ascent TO
the top of the crater and, with this
purpose in view. he set out at O'Clock.
The volcano was very active, but amid
thousand dangers Professor Heilprin
reached the summit and looked down
into the crater. He says he spent some
time in taking careful observations. He
saw huge cinder cone in the center
Of the crater The opening Of the
crater itself is a vast crevice, 500 feet
long and $50 feet wide.
Faces Terrible Danger.
While Professor Heilprin was on the
summit of the volcano several violent
explosions OF steam and cinder-laden
vapor took place, and again and again
his life was in danger. Ashes fell
about him In such quantities at times
as to completely obscure his vision.
One particularly violent explosion of
mud covered the professor from head
to foot with the hideous viscid and
semi-sOlid matter. He still persisted
IN his study and observations, however,
and twice more was showered with
mud. He learned, as had been sus-
pected, that there were three separate
vents through which steam issued.
Full details of the professors Obserya-
tons cannot be had until he returns
to Fort de France.
Perilous Ascent of Mountain.
Professor Helprins journey down
the mountain side WAS fully as peril
Gus as the ascent. Mont Pelee seemed
TO resent the intrusion of a puny hu-
man being into her most awful pre-
cincts and belched out huge streams
of ashes and boiling hot mud. The pro-
fessor made the discovery that the
crater at the head of the river Fal-
laise had synchrOnous eruptions with
the crater at the summit of the vol
cano, and that it elects precisely the
same matter A such lines.
The River FaHaise orator at the sum-
nit showed during Professor Heilprin's
visit new phenomenon. Mud was
! thrown UP in high columns. Hereto
/ fore tha mud has dubbed or boiled out
and flowed downward in huge streams.
In the. course of one eruption of the
/ River. Failaise- crater an enormous
mass Of intensely hot mud was elected.
| This flow reached the rum distillery
on the Eiye plantation and extin-
guished all the fires there. This tor
! rent Of mud may invade the entire
! plantation, and as Nive is the center Of
one of the richest districts in the is
] lands it is feared that the damage may
! be great.
Mr.. Clerc furnishes the following fur
( Their details of Professor Heilprin's
! ascent:
THE party proceeded on mules to an
altitude of 200 metres, the ancient line
/ Of vegetation. From this point Pro-
| fessOr Heilprin continued on foot leav-
! ing the mule that had carried him up
the steep hOgback to the tree line.
/ Upon reaching the site of Lake Palm
/ istc, the professor found ii completely
dried up He crossed the bed of the
I lake and continued on up the gently
rising slope to the crater. Formerly
/ the edge of the crater was a high bluff,
or shoulder. This, the explorer found.
I had fallen into the great crater, and
/ he thinks this change probably Oc-
Cured at the time of the great explO-
sion of May 20 This is the first i'm
pOrtant typographical alteration in
Mont Pelee which has beer. noted and
verified
ResembIed Statue of Mud.
/ Professor HeHprin arrived at the
/ edge of the summit crater at 1880 and
/ remained there for over two hours.
I When he returned TO Vive he Tesem-
4 bled a statue Of mud. The weight Of
/ ashes and mud he carried on his per
] son, the horrible atmosphere he
| breathed and The fearful difficulties he
! encountered reduced him to a condition
! Of extreme fatigue, Notwithstanding
\ the fact that he assembled Mont Pelee
( from the most accessible and easiest
( side. Professor HeilpTin may return to
/ Fort de France tomorrow if he has
\ sufficiently recovered.
! George KEENAN, and his party, who
! went TO Morne Rouge, found on their
/ return trip that a bridge across the
road had been carried away by tor
/ rent Of hot mud. Negroes managed to
/ get the party across the obstruction
1 They took the carriages to pieces and
! carried them and the members Of the
party to the other side Of the river Of