The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-02
Finds Three Orifces Spouting Mud,
Steam and Ashes. with Top of the
Mountain Much Changed.
NEW KIND OF ERUPTION NOTED
HOT MUD THROWN IN STREAMS
HIGH INTO THE AIR.
Heretofore IL Has Merely Overlooked
Again in Eruption.

FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique Satur-
day, May 81, s o. m.-The National Geo
graphical Society has scored a great tr.-
umph through its representative here,
Prof. Angelo Heilprin, who this morning
with three guides, ascended to the top OF
the crater on the summit of Mont Pelee.
professor Heil9rin is also president of the
Philadelphia Geographical Society.
Professor Heilprin had gone to the Plan
tation Vive, which is near the crater, in
company with Fernand Clerc and Mr.. Reid.
landed proprietors of Martinique. This ex-
pedition had been especially organized by
United States Consul Ayme and Professor
Heilprin, and was led by the latter.
The expedition left Fort de France last
Thursday, May %. at noon. Friday was
spent in studying the newly formed craters
on the north flank of the mountain. Satur-
day morning Professor Heilprin determined
to attempt the ascent TO the top of the
crater, and with this purpose in view he
set out at 3 o'clock. The volcano was very
active, but amid a thousand dangers Pro-
fessor Heilprin reached the summit and
looked down into the huge crater. Here
he spent some time in taking careful OBJ
servation. He saw a huge cinder cone in
the crater itself is a vast crevice 500 feet
long and 80 feet wide
While Professor Heiprin was on the
summit of the volcano several violent ex-
plosions 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 to completely
obscure his vision. One particularly vio-
lent explosion of mud covered the professor
from head to foot with the hideous, viscid
and semi-solid matter.
He still persisted in his study, however,
and twice more was showered with mud.
He learned, he had suspected, that there
were three separate vents through which
steam issued. Full details Of the profess
sors observations cannot be had until he
returns to Fort de France.
Professor Heilprin's journey down the
side of the mountain was fully as perilous
as the ascent. Mont Pelee seemed to resent
the intrusion of a puny human being into
her awful precincts, and belched huge vol
umes of steam. ashes and boiling hot mud.
The professor made the important discov-
cry that the crater at the head of the
River Fallaise has synchronous eruptions
with the crater at the summit of the vol
cano, and that 1t elects precisely the same
matter at such times. The River Fallaise
crater and the crater at the summit show
ed, during Professor Heilprin's visit
new phenomenon Mud was thrown in high
columns Heretofore the mud has bubbled
or boiled out and flowed downward In huge
streams. In the course of one eruption of
the River Fallaise crater an enormous mass
OF intensely hot mud was elected This
flow reached the rum distilery on the
Vive plantation and extinguished all the
fires there. This torrent of mud NAV in
wade the entire plantation and, as Vive is
/
of the island, it is feared the damage may
be great.
Mr.. Clerc furnishes the following further
details of Professor Heilprins ascent:
The party proceeded on mules to an aitl-
tude of 700 metres the ancient line of veg
citation. From this point Professor He'll
prin continued on foot leading the mule
that had carried him UP the steep hog
back to the tree line On reaching the
site of Lake Palmiste, the professor found
II completely dried up. He crossed the
bed of the lake and continued up the gently
rising slope to the crater. Formerly the
edge Of the crater was high bluff, or
shoulder. This. the explorer found, had
fallen into the great crater. and he thinks
| this change probably occurred at the time
of the great explosion of May 20 This is
| the first important topographic alteration
in Mont Pelee which has been noted and
! verified.
Professor Heilprin arrived at the edge
of the summit crater at 80 and remained
there for over two hours. When he re-
turned to Vive he resembled statue of
| mud. The weight of ashes and mud ne
| carried on his person the horrible atnos-
| phere he breathed and the fearful diff
| culties he encountered reduced him to a
| condition of extreme fatigue notwith-
| standing the fact that he ascended Mont
! Pelee from the most accessible and easiest
| side Professor Heilprin may return to
! Fort de France tomorrow If he has suffi-
! GENTLY recovered by that time to do so.
George Kennan and his party, who went
| to Morne Rouge. found. on their return
/ trip, that a bridge across the road had
| been carried away by torrent of hot mud.
! Negroes managed to get the party across
/ the obstruction. They took the carriages
/ to pieces and then carried them and the
| members of the party TO the other side of
/ the river of mud, which still was hot All
the members of Mr.. Kennan's party are
/ we'll