The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-13
PeLEE As sEEN eY HEARNr

y Graphic Description OF the Great Erup-
ton OF 1850.
Fafcadto Hearnc the gifted writer now
living In Japan has given graphic de.
scription Of the last eruption Of Mont PeIee
which occurred in 1850 and buried NJ
flerre and the surrounding country under
scverai Inches Of ashes II Is contained IN
Two Years in the French West indies.
published hy Harper & Brothers Tho fol.
lowing extract may afford some lnkllnF Of
the recent calamity,
felco is not very remarkable IN point NJ
altitude. being between 400 and $500 feet,
But In bulk l'eoc is grandloso
Nearly thirty rivers have their birth In
US iianks-hcsIdrs many therma sprlngss
Nrlously mineroliged As tho culminaut
point Of the slatd Polee Is also the ruler
oil ITS meterologlc life cloud .herder. light,
mngforgcr and rainmaker. During cear
weather You can see II drawing 10 itself hll
the white rnpors OF the land -rohhing csset
cmlncnccs Of thcir shoulder wraps and head
coverings.
lis the great volcano drad2 Nobody
knows, Loss than forty years tgo Il railel
ashes over al the roofs at ST. ltortr, Wit
IN twenty years it has uttered mutterlng.,
Tor inc moment 1t APPEARS TO sleep, aud tap
clouds nave q ipped Into tn cup " It's hgh.
est cratcl 10 IL has become a lake geVptut
hundred yHrns ma cirrumferenJs The crater
occupied by this lake, called The Pool
has neycl been active within human meai.
DRY There are others difficult and Il "A.
gefuus 10 visit because opening on The sd
or tremendous gorge, aud " Wns one of
these no doubt which has always hpe0
called la Soufrlcre that r7tlned ashes over
THE explosion was almost concomltont
with The last or series of earthquake
shocks which began ia tho middle Of May
ana ended IN the hrsl week " August all
Martinique
In The village of An Precheur, lying at
the foot Of the western slope " Peee. tho
people had been for some time complaining
Of an oppressive stencil Of sulphur-or. as
chemists declared IT, suiphureted hydrogen
when ON August 4 much temptation was
cuuScd by long nnd appalling noise from
tho mountain noise compared by planters
on the nrighhoring slopes 20 the hollow
ruoring made by packet blowing OF
steam. but infinitely loudcr
"lhusc sounds continued through in
tcrvuls until the following night, some
tunes dccping into rumble Ike thunder
The mountain guides dcearcdl 'Cest la
sCufrwC qri houi' 0hc soufrlere Is boil.
hsl ami pnnic seized the negroes OF the
ncighlotlng pHmntlon. Al II F., M the
noise wax tilihlc enough TO M oil ~,
Pierre win InIM aud ON the morning of
tie tth lltu ri presented an unwOntcd
uspcri DnMpu,d hv creolcs who had lived
Rhond 90 ttr Greet Of y great hoar frost,
"Al' the rr0a. trees. balconies, awning
and puNrl-rLts were covered with white
l@Ncl %. ushca 'rhr 4Irr shower hHuvi5
lho uuiH ct Nlurnr Rouge ANA ul the VII
lrgos lNout the chief city Garnet lfau
Core and Au rrochruri also Whitening me
rtiphhorng country, the mountain va
SENDING no columns VI smoke or tapir a,a
" WIS noticed that tho River Hanr @,
usually uf q guuchus color, ran black iiti
tue SEN iibo ana outpouring Of Ink sldi Ing
ats nZurc foam.
"a cousulttec appointed 10 make ~ IA
vcstigAtipn found that j number ~ f"'i
had suddenly become active In 'lr 'i;
of the mountain ia hope " ~ vta 81"
general alarm q priest climbed I ~ Wl'n ~
W the volcano and there planted ~ "at
cross whioh gives the hcghi It's uHnm HI
SIN remains tu commemorate Ihc crofi
"fhcrc was au extraordinary einisrlilal
or portcuis front tho liehwoul ahi hnm
INC higher 10 the lower paiuations 'eta"''
They were Killed by ihous3n s f1s long
time Pclpp continued "a sei'h 40 ~ lin
mense column Of wh,ir ""pnr. 'nti toe
were no more shower, ~ isheT dpl iie
mountain gradually SETTLED down 70 staie
Of quicsccncc.'