Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-17
DUST MOST DEADLY
ANALYSIS SHOWS WHY PEOPLs
Persisted.
GAS VERY SUFFOCATlNC
Chemists Now Seeking to Determine
from the Dust Just the Kind of Gas
Which Wrought Such Calamitous
Results-Many Victims Die From
Excessive Heat.

/ Scattere.- over the desks, tables. ant
| cnalrs OF room on the survey build
Ing at Washington is a heterogepeou,
collection of hardware, gray dust, oroh
en- emma and small stones. Each lten
III this assortment rests on a crumpIeG
| piece OF yellow paper, with a few puz
zles written on its face. For two uavs
clerks in the survey will be engaged
ID sorting and classifying this array
putting the dust in suitable bottles Ia
being the nails and bits of iron. and
| marking each stone with a name.
This unusual scene is one of the re-
suits OF Professor Robert T. Hills visit
10 Martinique as member of the ma
tlonal geographic expedition. The col
lectlon OF these articles, says the Wash
lngton Star, was not done with a Dur
pose OF adding to the exhibits of anv
museum. great part of the work of
the Martinique students is yet to be
zone mere in America, with the helm OF
laboratory appliances, and Professor
H. and his associates were thus mt To
Inc necessity of gathering SAMPLES Of
volcanic dust, the pumice formations
expelled from the volcanoes, and the
material substances which bear marks
OF the great heat then prevailing in the
vicinity OF the erupting mountains.
Specimens in Their Socks.
10 the end Professor I. c.. Russell
and Professor Hill exerted themselves
notably. Space in their wardrohes
aboard the transport Dixie was willing
~ sacrificed, Specimens were packet
away anywhere. When it was discoy
cred there were no bags suitable for
holding the dust which the two scient
lsts gathered about st. Pierre and ST
vincent they contributed their extr.
socks-so that the rauner monotonous
collection now in Professor Hills offic.
Is varied by the bright touches of HIN
ana red which mark prevailing fash
ions In mems hosiery.
an 'ne hardware picked up by pro.
lessor Hill apparently indicates -bo.
the explosion of Mont Pelee created ~
almost unbearable heat in the civ a.
us base. He found a cluster of n.i1e
III example which had SO far melted
DIS 10 nave run together. Several
pieces OF crockery found nearby had
into small pieces. IT is Gov
taln' say the scientists who have coon
'nese ARTICLES, that, due to one cause
VI another, great degree of heat nre.
vailed where they were found
yet several articles which Profess, ~
..in ~" mas on his desks were appar-
enlly not heated at all. He discovered
somewhere a keno" outfit. with .
score OF small checkers, each marked
Win number. Not one of tnoso
SHOWS any sign of heat.
To AnaIyze Volcanic Dust
me dust which has been brought 70
washington at such cost to the collac.
lors wearing apparel varies LITTLE in
oolor according to the places where It
was corrected. 1t can all be called |
gray, however. and it all has the same
pecullar gritty touch when pressed Ia. |
tween the fingers. Some of if bas Il.
decided blue tinge, like powdered blue
clay. But the greater part of II e
merely flat gray or yellow gray and
NJ more interesting specifically than
SO much powdered pumice or what The
druggist calls rotten stone.'
Our great problem now" said Pro-
lessor Hill, lis to determine the nature
OF the gas which sank down on the CITY
OF st. Pierre and contributed to kill the
inhabitants of the city. A great deal
OF this work can be done by calculation
based on conditions known to exist DE-
fore the eruption occurred.
These stones which were blown in
to the air will help when analysed. But
we expect to get the best results from
studying this dust. We shall have
cross sections made from each of these
stones, even the pieces of ordinary
rock torn from it's foundations and
thrown into the air. With the results
OF these analyses known we shall DOS