The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-02
National Geographical Society
 Scores Great Triumph
PROF. HE|LPRIN ON SUMMIT
While Engaged In Task of Making ob- servation Lives of the Scientists Were in Great Danser-one
 Bluff Missing.

Fort de France, June 1.-The National Geographical Society has scored a great triumph. Prof. Angelo Heilprin ascend ed to the top of the crater of Mont Pe- lee yesterday In company with two guides and MT. Leadbetter. While on the summit several violent explosions oc- cured, but notwithstanding the thous- and dangers surrounding him, Prof. He'll prin spent a long time taking careful observations. Looking down the crater he found huge cinder cone. The crater opening is vast crevasse 300 feet long and 15o feet wide. While engaged in this task the lives of the members of the expedition were constantly in danger and one particularly violent explosion cov- cred Prof. Heilprin from head to foot with the vscid matter He persisted, however, and found as had been suspect ed. that there were three separate vents for the volcanic matter. Meanwhile Mont Pelee, seeming to resent the intru- sion of man into her awful territory, belched out huge volumes of steam, ashes and boiling hot mud.
 Prof. Heilprin made the important dis covery that the crater of Fallaise has an eruption at the same time as the summit crater and ejects precisely the same matter. Both craters showed new phe- nomenon during the professors visit, when mud was thrown up in high col umns, while heretofore the mud has bub- bled or boiled out and flowed downward in huge streams. There Is reason to fear hot 1o,, from outbursts of this mud. to the rich plan- tations still uninjured.
 Prof. Heilprin's journey down the side of the mountain was fully as perilous as the ascent.
 The expedition had been especially or ganized by United States Consul Ayme and Prof. Heilprin and was led by the latter.
 Prof Heilprin had gone to the planta- ton yive. which Is near the crater in company with Fernand Clere and MT. Reid landed proprietors of Martinique. Started Thursday.
 The expedition left Fort de France last Thursday, May 29 at noon. Friday was spent in studying the new formed craters in the north flank of the mountain. Sat urday morning Prof. Heilprin determin- ed to attempt the ascent to the top of the crater and with this purpose In view he set out at o'clock.
 MT. Clerc furnishes the following fur ther details of Prof. Heilprin's ascent:
 "The party proceeded on mules to an altitude of 700 meters, the ancient line of vegetation From this point Prof. Heilprin continued on foot, leaving the mules that had carried him up the steep hog-b to the tree line. Upon reach Ing the site of Lake Palmiste the pro- lessor found 1t completely dried up. He crossed the bed of the lake and con- tinued up on 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 altera- tion in Mont Pelee which has been noted and verified.
 Remained on Edge Two Hours.
 Prof. Heilprin arrived at the edge or the summit crater at half past one and remained there for over two hours When he returned to Vive he resembled statue of mud. The weight of ashes and mud he carried on his person. the hor- | rible atmosphere he breathed and the | fearful difficulties he encountered re- | duced him to a condition of extreme
 fatigue, notwithstanding the fact that
 he ascended Mont Pelee from the most
 accessible and easiest side.
 Prof. Heilprin may return to Fort dc
 | rance tomorrow if he has sufficiently
 recovered by that time to do so 1 George Kennan and his party who wen
 to Morne Rouge found on their return | trip that a bridge across the road hat l been carried away by a torrent or no
 mud. Negroes managed to get the party
 across the obstruction. They took tht i carriages to pieces and carried them ant | the members of the party to the other l side of the river of mud, which was l still hot. All the members of MT. Ken | nans party are well.
 ANOTHER ERUPTION
 OF LA SOUFRIERE.
 Kingston, leland of St. Vincent. E. w. | l.. Friday, May 30.--La Soufriere volcano | is still active. Another eruption occurred | at 8 o'clock this morning. It was ac- | companied by a thunderous noise and a | shock of earthquake, while volumes of | dense yapor rose to such a height that 1 they were visible from Kingston. The | vapor formed a thick cloud over the | crater of the volcano and this cloud | was illuminated as if by fire. In the crater itself lightning was more vivid | than on any previous occasion. No dam- | age was done and the eruption ceaseu d' the end of an hour. With the exception
 of these occurrences the night was quiet and the weather fair. Throughout Fri
 day the crater was capped with dense gray and silver clouds and sand fel
 heavily this morning on the ieeward side | of the mountain within a radius of eigh | miles.
 | The American scientist who started ou | to ascend La Soufriere Is still striving
 to reach the summit During the ipter | vals when the volcano was quiet yester | day he reached a point almost half way | up the mountain He reports to the aw, | of the inhabitants that the island of St | Vincent may subside. There are indica
 tions, he says, that a considerable DOT | ton of leeward districts will subside l Owing to the continuous rain there have | been heavy floods in the windward dis | trict of the island and many houses hav' | been washed away or filled with mud At Balacca the storehouse. large bricl
 building. was washed into the sea b! | stream of mud. |