The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-09-04

The reports on the volcanic catas-
trophies in the West Indies, prepared
by Mr.. Robert T. Hill. of the United
States Geological and Survey, and
Prof. Israel c. Russell, of the Upiver-
sity OF ofMichigsn, for the National Geo
logical Society of Washington, have
Just appeared in the July number of
the National Geographic Magazine.
Some of the most interesting facts
and conclusions in these reports are
given below, together with the map
by Mr.. Hill. showing the zones Of de-
vastatiou in Martinique.
MIR. Hill says that of the total area
Of Martinique, about $50 square miles,
nineteen-twentieths is as green and
beautiful today as it ever was. Only
1878 square miles have been seriously
affected by the eruption. This area
principally embraces triangle be-
tween Carbct, Pelee Peak and Precheur
village.
s.There have been no lava flows nor,
owing to the mineralogical character
of the rocks, would these hardly have
been probable. The solid ejecta from
the mountain have consisted Of lapili
volcanic dust, also called ashes) and
blocks of pumice, together with some
OF the old material of previous erup-
tions. No true bombs have been
elected nor molten rock in any form.
Incandescent stone or pumice has
been blown from it's top at times and
fell in showers Immediately Y around
the crest; but this quickly cools upon
reaching the air and cannot be called
lava.
.There has been no subsistence nor
elevation Of the land that can be re-
corded nor Of the adjacent sea bottom
The only change in the littorsl are
the vicious little bites into the banks
and the mouths of the rivers made by
the return wave at the time Of the
great eruption.
"Neither have there been any seri-
Gus or positively proven earthquakes
| resulting from the rending of the
! earth along fissnres. Within mile OF
St. Pierre the bridges, roads. houses
and trees stand unshaken. Eye wit
| nesses testify that they felt no
quaking, only force in the air which
tended to knock them over. On the
other hand there were jar and tremor
from the tremendous explosions with
| in the mountain, and these were
of sufficient force to break the
cables"
Considering the phenomena as a
whole Mr.. Hill writes:
| .First-That Mont Pelee is one oil
the chain of ancient volcanic noun
tains, dating from Tertiary time,
rising to height OF 10000 feet above
the ocean bottom along the interior
side OF the semicircular ridge across
the entrance of the Caribbean Sea.
| ..Second-That the volcanoes o.
this ridge have been successfully
forming on its Western side.
..Third-That the material, like
that of the cretaceous volcanoes
| of the great Antilles, is entirely an
desitic.
"Fourth-That the eruptions, espe
cially of the later periods, have al
been of the explosive type, unacoom
panied by lava flows.
"Fifth-That the historic oruption
have taken place between long inter
walls of solfataric quiescence.
1.-The geology of Martinique, as out
lined. shows that Pelee is an old vol
cano, and that the present eruption
instead of being sudden and new Phe
uomena, are but the maxim OF serie
: of solfataric conditions which hav
? continued through a long interval o
/. geologic time. The eruption OF 1856
!, produced similar phenomena of ash
i mud and steam elected from the sam
vents and affected similar ares
The geological structure OF the noun
tain OF Pslee, shows, in its layers {
mud. pumice, and tuf1' that thes
> processes have been going on at lon
- intervals from time immemorial. Ih
- first important deduction, then,
> that the present eruption of Pelee
u the repetition Of events which hay
I, taken place time and time again :
- the same locality, and that the IN
'e shauism of the volcano is all oI
> and prehistoric-the same centr
crater and lateral vents. No ne
i craters have been formed, but merel
- !, old craters reopened. The princip
e. g lecture of this mechanicism is Il
a crater OF Mont Psles-simplv cor
- - cal chimney leading from tho b
d q magma Of the earth and built up
II its own ejecta. This chimney is
49, vertical tube extending downward
~ ~ the interior magms, which ascends
VI a great column Of molten matte
- - The bowl or crater Of Palse sum NIT
~ ~ the top of the chimney.
ns "a The fact that there were no Sc
"a "a Gus earthquakes shows that the
~ plosions within the crater were q
'rl sn exceptionally severe; in fact, not
- severe as many which have tax
- place within the Antillean vents, wi
No ~, deadly earthquake effects, witho
Il causing eruptions.
"a The eruption Of 1902, which
- still in progress. has been one OF p
70 gressive intensity for an unkno
~ ~ period of time. The waters of
~ L'Etang de Palmiste in the top OF
crater bowl have been warm for 8
eral years, and as far back as NJ
an 1901, sulphurous fumes and val
were noticed escaping"