New-York tribune., 1902-05-28
PROFESSOR HILLS REPORT.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ERUPTION OF THH
VOLCANO AT MARTINIQUE

Fort de France. May 26-Professor Rober
T. Hill, United States Government geologist and
head of the expedition sent by the Nations
Geographical Society," has just come in from
investigation of the volcanic activity in Mar
Unique. Professor Hill chartered steame
and carefully examined the coast as far nortl
as Port de MacOuba, at the extreme end o
the island making frequent landings. Afte
landing at lie Precheur, five miles north OF st
Pierre, ne walked through area OF actty
volcanoes TO the latter place and made E
minute examination of the various phenomena
Professor Hill is the first who has set foe
in the of craters and assures. In add1
tion to his work of investigation the professo
rescued in his steamer many poor people O
lie Precheur. who had ventured back after de
serting their homes and found themselves I
danger. He reports follows:
The zone of the catastrophe in Martiniqu
forms elongated oval. containing Ian
about eight square miles of destruction Thi
bounded by lines running from lie Precheu'
to the peak of Mont Pelee, thence curvini
around TO Carbet. There were three we'll marke
zones. First, a centre of humiliation. in whtc
all life. vegetable and animal. was utterly de
stroyed the greater northern part of St. Pierr
was in this zone. Second. a zone of singing
blstering flame which also was fatal to a
life. killing all men and animals. burning til
leaves the trees. and scorching, but not ut
a large, outer, nondestructive zone OF ashes
wherein some vegetation was injured The 1ocu
of annihilatiOn was the new crater midwa
between the and the peak of Mont Peles
where exists a new area of active vo
canism with hundreds OF miniature volcanoes
The new crater is vomiting black, hC
mud. which is falling into the sea- Both era
ters, the old and the new, active. Mush
room shaped steam explosions constantly
cend from the old crater, while heavy ash lade
clouds float horizontally from the new crate
The old elects steam, smoke. mud, pumice an
lapill but no molten lava.
The salient topography of the region Is ur
altered The destruction of ST. Pierre was du
to the new crater.
The explosion had great superficial fore
acting in radial directions. is evidenced Z
the dismOunting and carrying for yards II
guns in the battery the hill south OF S
Pierre. and the colonial statue of the Virgin
the same locality. and also by the conditio
OF the ruined houses in ST. Pierre
According TO the testimony of some person
there was accompanying flame. Others thin
the incandescent cinders and the force OF the
election were sufficient to cause the destructioi
This must be investigated. 1 am now fOIlowir
the nature of this hill
This is the first positive scientific statemer
Professor Hill has now started on horsebac
for the volcano. He will study the whole
fected area and will try 70 get to both crater
He will visit Morne Rouge and the slope
Mont Pelee. The undertaking is hazardous e
explosions may occur at any moment Profe
sor Hill knows the risk he takes, but SAYS Il
only way to discover exactly what has happene
is to go TO the crater itself. or as near 1t
possible. He will be gone two days.
Fort de France is nearly deserted. A ne
source Of fright is fear that a tidal wave ma
come. a wave eight feet high would certain
destroy Fort de France, and probably eau:
enormous loss of life.
The weather is lowering and rainy tn
south winds carry the smoke and ashes fro
the volcano away from Fort de France.