The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-24
SCIENTISTS
SAFE RETURN.
The Fontab0|Ie Brings Back
Relief Agents and Survivors.
CONDITIONS AT MONT PELEE
No Business on Martinique Island but
10000 Persons Must Bs Fed and
Looked After
CONDITIONS AT MONT pELEE

New York. June 2A--The Fonta belle has
just brought back from the volcano
wasted islands a group OF commercial
and relief commissioners. scientists. cor
respondents. artists and survivors OF the
Rorama.
The Quebec Steamship company's liner
sailed from Fort de France on June o.
She brought 61 passengers. H. c. Me-
deuil, a native of Martinique. manager
of the French West Indian department of
the Flint. Eddy and American Trading
company. and the relief agent of tho
French Chamber of Commerce of New
York. returned from Fort de France.
There is no business on the island
now" said Mr.. Medeui, but II will pick
up again. There are 10000 persons In
Martinique TO feed and look after.
Towns will still flourish. There are
two or three towns besides Fort de
France. including Trinity. that are not
destroyed. Small villages are left un-
impaired even In the vicinity OF St
| Pierre
ANOTHER VILLAGE MAY RISE.
Even on the ruins of st. Pierre
village may grow. but not in this genera
ton. At Fort de France II is just the
same as II used TO be-
| Nicola E. Parravictno, the italian con-
| sui at Barbados, whose little daughter
was killed In the Convent school at La
! Touche, was passenger on the Fonta-
| belle.
There are no refugees on the island
OF Barbados" said Consul Parravicino.
| but at Port Castries, st. Lucia, I should
| estimate the number of survivors at 800.
| There are no Americans among them: all
/ are natives OF Martinique"
George Kennan, the correspondent, who
| climbed. together with Professor He'll
prin and George Varian. the artist, to
| the summit OF Mont Pslse and looked
down into the crater, said yesterday:
II have seen the mountain in many
different ways, from all sides. on many
days, at all distances. and at every view
I have seen IL different I would not
venture to make any prophecy about the
| future of the volcano"
PROF. HEILPRIN's DISCOVERIES
Professor Heilprin. who also accom-
panied the Peary Relief Expedition In
1892. ascended after enormous difficulty
to the edge of the new crater OF Peee.
He went SO near that he dropped pebbles
into the white hot mass beneath.
Running north and SOUTH" says the
professor of geology and geography, 'the
new crater Is a crevasse expanding into
a bowl. The crevasse almost rifted the
mountain.
"As 1t runs transversely to the old
crater 1t might be termed a cash. From
IL volcanic matter has been bursting
freely.
The spectacle gave a conception OF
what Is taking place inside the earth.
Far below there was a kissing of steam
like a thousand locomotives. interrupted
by violent detonations. The output OF
the crater while we were there was steam.
No molten matter flowed over the lip.
HEIGHT OF MONT PELEE.
observations with the aneroid bar
ometer proved that the height of Mont
Pelee has erupted no real lava. There
has been no cataclysm and there have
been no serious typographical changes.
II could see down about 150 or 200 feet,
but no cinder cone was visible I be-
lieve, however, that the crater is much
deeper ard the volcano may continue for
some time 10 be quietly active.
''Our ascent accurately located the new
crevasse. 1t determined for certainties
other points. which have been enumer-
ated and that Mount Pelee did not blow
its head Off.
while the new eruption on Marti-
nique was not OF immediat te menace. vol
canic forces seem to be on the increase
I'm the Caribbean region and their phe-
nomena are far from local. The con-
neotion between Pelee and la Soufrisre
is deep There is a long volcanic
circuit through the Caribbean Gulf re-
gion."
DR.. C. r. Dudley, of St Louis who
sailed for Martinique on the Fontabelle
on May II, came back yesterday on the
same steamer, having gone as far south
as Demerara.
ION the afternoon of May Is, on which
day the Fontabelle arrived at Fort de
France 10 land her relief stores." said
DIR. Dudley, II visited the ashes OF St
Pierre and was struck by the wonderful
provisions OF nature for the restoration
OF sanitary conditions.
NATURE COVERED THE DEAD.
Although there were II days after
the great eruption few bodies to be
seen In all postures. the majority OF them
had been covered thick with the desic-
eating dust from tho second principal
eruption of Mont Pelee, which took place
on May 20"
Robert Dunn correspondent. said yes
terday on board the Fontabelle:
There were three irst-class eruptions
OF Mont Pelee occurring on May s. May
20 and June s. Four negroes perished In
the last principal eruption. On June 2
Frank Clarkin. correspondent. and I as
cended Mont Pelee and looked down the
crater"
SURVIVING SAILORS STILL SUFFER.
The surviving sailors OF the Roraima-
who arrived on the .Fontabelle yester-
day, having been discharged a week ago
from the Military hospital at Martinique.
were Giuseppe Lucino. Salvador Aielle
and Francisco dAngelo.
Their faces hands and arms were
burned and tho skin Is now beginning
20 form anew. one Of them Is still power
less 10 use his hands. but Is recovering