The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-05-30
SCIENTISTS REPORT
ON PELEE'S ERUPTION
Professor Robert Hills Dar-
ing Investigations.


In the Arena of Yawning and Fiery
Craters-His Story of Great Interest
and Value.
Fort de France, Monday, May 90
Professor Robert 4. Hill, United States
government geologist and head of the
expedition sent by the National Geo.
graphicat Society, has Just come in
from daring and prolonged investi.
CATION of the volcanic activity in Mar.
Unique. Professor He'll chartered O
steamer and carefully examined the
coast as far north as Port De Mucouba,
at the extreme end CT the island, max.
Ing frequent landings. After landing
at lie Arechlor. ) miles north OF St.
Pierre, he walked through an area of
active volCaniSm to the latter place
and made 4 minute examination Of the
various phenomena disclosed.
Professor Hill is the first and only
man who has set foot in the area of
craters, assures and fumarolcs, and
because of his. high position as scien.
tist his story is valuable. In addition
to his work of investigation the pro.
feSsor rescued in his steamer many
poor people of lie Precheur who had
ventured back after deserting their
homes and found themselves in awful
danger. He reports as follows:
The zone OF the catastrophe in Mar.
Unique forms an elongated oval, con.
tanning on land about.S square miles
OF destruction. This oval is partly
over the sea. The land part is bound.
| ed by lines running from lie Prechuer
to the peak of Mont Pelec, thence
curving around to Carbet. There were
three we'll marked zones: First, cen.
Ger OF annihilation, in which life, vege.
table and animal, was utterly destroy.
ed.
The greater northern part of st.
Pierre was in this zone. Second, a
zone of singeing, blistering flame,
which also was fatal to all life, kill.
| Ing all men and animals, burning the
leaves on the trees and scorching but
| not utterly destroying the trees them.
| selves. Third, large outer, monde.
| structive zone of ashes, wherein some
] vegetation was injured. The focus of
| annihilation was the new crater mid.
| way between the sea and the peak Of
| Mont Pelee, where now exists a new
| area Of active volcanism with hun.
| dreds of fumaroles or miniature vol,
| canoes. The new crater Is now vomit
ing, black, hot mud, which is falling
| into the sea. Both craters, the old
and the now, are active. Mushroom
shaped steam explosions constantly
ascend from the old crater, while
heavy, ash laden clouds float horizon.
tally from the new crater The old
elects steam, smoke, mud, pumice and
| lapilli, but no molten lava.
"The salient topography of the re,
| gion is unaltercd. The destruction of st
| Pierre was due to the new crater. The
| explosion had great superficial force,
acting in radal durations, as is evi.
| denced by the dismounting and carry.
| ing for yards the guns in the battery
on the hill south of st. Pierre, and
the colonial statue of the Virgin in the
| same locality, and also by the condi.
tion of the ruined houses in ST. Pierre
| "According to the testimony of some
! persons there was an accompanying
| flame. Others think the incandesccnt
| cinders and the force of their election
were sufficient to cause the destruc.
tion. This must be investigated am
now following the nature of this hill
This is the first positive scientific
| statement based on observed facts.
| Professor Hill has now started on
| horseback for the volcano He will
study the whole affected area and will
try to get to both craters. He will
| surely visit Morne Rouge and the slope
| of Mont Pelee. The undertaking Is
| very hazardous, as eruptions may oc.
Cur at any moment, as one did May 20.
| Professor Hill knows the risk he takes,
| but says the only way to discover ex.
! actly what has happened is to go to
| the crater itself, or as near it as pos.
sible. He will be gone two days. ..
Fort de France is nearly deserted. A
new source of fright is fear that a
tidal wave may come. A wave eight
| feet high would certainly destroy Fort
| de France and possibly cause enor.
! nous loss OF life.
The weather is lowering and rainy.
The south winds carry the smoke and
ashes from the volcano away from
| Fort de France.