The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-16
LOOKED INTO PELEE
PERILOUS TRIP OF KEENAN, THE
EXPLORER.
Spent Twelve Days Amid the Con-
vusions of Nature To Get a View
of the Devastating Crater

FORT DE FRANCE (Martinique),
July 8, l p. m.-George KEENAN,, ac-
companied by Messrs. Jaccaci and
Varian, arrived at IL o'clock this morn
ing, after an absence of twelve days.
Professor Heilprin, Mr.. KEENAN, and
Mr. Varian have assembled Mont Pelee.
They stood on the very edge of the
crater and looked down on the mean
descent mass within. The ascent was
made last Sunday, and it was the sec
ond time Professor Heilprin climbed
| the mountain.
KEENAN, said: Five of us started for
| the crater of the volcano last Sunday
and three of us reached our object. We
crossed Lake Palmiste, which is now
dry, and powders and huge ragged
| rocks of trachyte rhyolite and ande-
site. We then climbed on up and reach
ed the edge of the crater. We found it
to be huge chasm or crevasse, with
| perpendicular walls. We could not see
down into the crater more than $50
feet 1t was like looking into white
hot furnace. The chasm opens out to-
ward st. Pierre, but the enormous coll
umns of steam cut off the view'in that
direction. There were hundreds Of
fumaroles all about us. What was
thought to be cone of cinders in the
crater was learned in reality to be a
huge pile Of gigantic rocks piled up one
upon the other. There were crusts OF
| sulphur everywhere, but we saw no
ashes or cinders in or near the crater.
The whole vast bed of the old crater
and of Lake Palmiste is emitting steam
through thousands of creVasses.
THE ascent to Lake Palmiste is up
a long and sharp incline, covered with
/ hnH oh -, 4 -
with the rain and as we proceeded
there were terrifying gorges fun Of
volcanic debris on each side of us.
Every footstep dislodged ashes and
out footing was most insecure There
were clouds of smoke, through which
! the sunlight swept at intervals. The
ascent was the most terrifying experi-
ence of my life, yet Professor HeilpTin.
the previous day, had sat enveloped in
darkness on the tip of what was once
Lake Palmiste and had descended in q
| thunderstorm of volcanic clouds and al
most complete darkness.
The itinerary of our party" COLI
tinued Mr.. KEENAN,, was as follows:
May 23d we went to Vive plantation,
the property of Herman Clerc. Vive is
on the River Capote, into which flows
the River Fallaise from the new crater.
Vive is in the new volcanic area and
our position there was very dangerous.
May 24th.-Went to Basse POinte ny
way of Morne Rouge. Our party was
the first to make this trip. We followed
| the old road to the point where the
volcanic tornado had swept From
there we followed down the track OF
the tornado. The spectacle here was
appalling. There were numberless boz
dies on every side.
ION the night of the goth occurred
the great explosion of the volcano. All
that day Mont Pelee had been vomt.
ing masses of yellow mud-colorcd va
por. We now know that this presages
serious explosion. We heard fearful
detOnations during the Goth, and huge
columns of black smoke, alive with
lightning-like and terrifying flashes,
rose from the crater One column
which rose to the height of a mile and
a half was lit up like fire by the fierce
reflection from the incandescent matter
within the crater. The population of
Vive plantation became panic-stricKen
at the eruption and went to Aciro, two
miles further away. Mr.. JaCcacl and
| returned to ViVe.
Another enormous explosion occur
red on the morning of the 2Sth, and
Vive was declared to be untenable. We
all abandoned the plantation and, taxi
ing furniture and provisions, went to
Aciro, which from that date was our
base. The Both we tried TO ascend to
the crater from this side along the
Gale Basse divide.
From the crest OF the divide we had
wonderful view into Fallaise valley
which was a tremendous seething gorge
of terrible volcanic activity. We We're
driven back by a severe thunderstorm.