The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1902-05-29

Crater Area 8at Mont Polee invsstisst
essby Nstsd GSoloriat. B

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Fort de France. MAY. 28. Professor
Robert T. Hill; United States govern
Ment geologist and. head of the expe-
sdition sent by the National Geograph.
ical Society, has Just come in from
daring and prolonged investigation OF
the volcanic activity in Martinique.
Professor Hill chartered steamer and
carefully examined the coast as far
north as Port de Macouba, at. the ex.
3treme end Of the island, making fire.
Quent landings. After landing at lie
Precheur, Ave miles north of st. Pierre,
he walked through an area OF active
vulcanism to ttie latter place and made
q minute examination of the various
phenomena disclosed. Il.
Professor Hill is the first and only
man who has set foot in the area, Of
Craters. assures and fumaroles and be-.
cause OF his high position as a sci
enlist his story is valuable. In addi-
tion to his work of investigation the
professor rescued in his steamer many
poor people of lie Precheur who had
ventured back after deserting their
homes and found themselves in awful
danger. He reports as follows:
The zone of the catastrophe in Marti-
niaue forms an elongated oval, contain
ing, on land, about eight square miles
of destruction. This oval is partly
over the sea- The land part is bounu-
ed by lines running from LIE Precheur
to the peak of Mont Pelee, thence
curving to Carbet. There we're three,
well marked zones: First, center
Of annihilation, in which all life, vege-
table and animal, was utterly destroy
ed !; the greater northern part of st.
Pierre was in this zone; second, q zone
OF singeing, blistering flame, which
also was fatal to all life, killing all
men and animals, burning the leaves
on the trees and scorching, but not ut
terly destroying, the trees them
selves; third, large outer, monde.
structive zone Of ashes, wherein some
vegetation was injured. The focus Of.
sannihilation was the new crater mid
way between the sea and the peak of
Mont Pelee, where now exists q
New Area Of Active vulcanism,
with hundreds Of fumaroles or min
iature 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 as
scend from the old crater, while heavy,
ash-laden clouds float horizontally
from the new crater. The old elects
steam, smoke, mud, pumice and lapilli,
but no molten lava. NJ .F
The salient topography Of the re-
gion Is unalt tered. The destruction Of
st. Pierre was due to the new crater.
The explosion had great superficial
force, acting Ia radial directions, as
is evidenced by the dismounting and
carrying for yards Of the guns in the
battery 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. 81. l5s
According to the testimony 81 some
persons there was an accompanying
tame. Others think the incandescent
scinders and the force of their election
were SUN icient to cause the destruc-
/ tion. This must be investig gated. II am
now following the nature of this hill
This iss the frat positive scientific
statement based on observed facts.
Professor Hill has now started on
horseback Tor the volcano. He WIN
study the Il whole atfected area and
WIN NV to get to both cIaters. He will
/ surely visit Morne Houge and the slope
J u SNicnt Pelee. The underta king is
very azardous, as explo sidns may oc.
cur at any moment as one did May
Professor HILL knows the IisIx de IA lEess
but says the only to ex,
sactly what has happ eneds is tO gO t0 tle
crater itself, or "a near III as posaib ibles
1g WIFI \ bs zone two J e Gays .y I,IE