New-York tribune., 1902-06-05
TWO TRIPS Up MONT PELEE
PROFESSOR HEILPRIN'S DARING STUD
les OF THE VOLCANO.
NO MOLTEN MATTER HAS FLOWED FROM
THE MoUNTAIN-WHAT THE CRATER
LOOKS LIKE.

LOOKS LIKE.
Fort de France. Martinique. June 4-Profes-
sor Angelo Heilprtn president of the Phila-
delphia Geographical Society. who is here for
the National Geographical Society. came into
Fort de France last night from his explorations
of the crater the summit Of Mont Pelee
Professor Heilprtn is we'll and in good spirits
He has rested from the fatigues of his last
trip and is ready for work The follow
ing important points have been settled by Pro
fessor Heilprin The location of the new crater
has been accurately determined: it is positively
known that there has been no overflow Of molten
matter from the lip of the crater; there has been
no subsistence of the mountain and the height
of Mont Pelee is unchanged: the crater does
not contain a cinder cone; there has been no
cataclysm and geographical alteration of
the country. The period of violent eruptions
has probably ended. although the volcano may
continue to be quietly active for long time to
come
Referring to his expedition. Professor Heilprin
said to-day to the correspondent of The Asso-
ciated Press:
Il left Fort de France with Dr. Leadbetter
on the morning of May 90. and reached Acier
at O'Clock in the evening of the Both. We
visited Vive and Basse Pointe: the latter place
has been entirely destroyed by the overflow of
the local streams. Mud flowing into the beds
of the rivers there caused this overflow. Many
important usines are seriously menaced by the
foods
STORY OF THE FIRST ASCENT.
"On May 81 we made our first ascent of the
volcano We left Acier at $50 and Vive at
730 o'clock in the morning. The party con-
sisted of Mr. Leadbetter and myself, and three
colored boys. We were on muleback At an
altitude OF 700 metres we began the ascent of
tha ors+ We aJ0 itc St si6a md
slightly to the north of the mountain. We ar
rived at the lip of the old crater the former
site of Lake Palmiste, at II o'clock Here it
began raining. Rain clouds and the clouds
from the volcano enveloped US, and we could
not see ten feet. A terrific thunderstorm had
begun and we sat on the edge of the crater for
some time, speculating whether the detonation5
we heard were of thunder or from the volcano.
AS we afterward found the river Fallaise to be
boiling the detonations were probably volcanic.
We could not tell how we were to the
crater, either from local attraction or the
electric conditions our compass refused to work.
It's variation was about 20 degrees to the east
ward but later we found that it acted normally
at the lip of the crater. The Colored boys
with us were horribly scared. We finally CROPPED
our way down that awful arete, through gloomy
clouds OF rain and amid great electric dis
| charges. At every step dislodged the rain
soaked ashes and were in danger of being pre-
ciptated down the hideous gorges on either
side
The extreme top OF the volcano is covered
with cinders. scoria powders and angular
rocks which had been elected from the crater.
Further down the mountain is covered with
agnes and mud. and these are thick on the
arete. On way down we saw the river
Fallaise rushing along with great velocity and
full of steam and mud. We reached Acier we'll,
but soaked. caked with mud and vcry much
disappointed
UP THE MOUNTAIN A SECOND TIME.
AT Acier we met George KEENAN, and his
party and determined to attempt a second
ascent the next day, June l. The ascent made
this day with Mr.. Kennan more trying and
difficult than the one I had previously made
with Mr. Leadbetter. The day was intensely
hot and 1t was raining When we reached the
old crater Il was again enveloped In vapor. The
temperature of the basin of Lake Palnliste,
taken three inches below the surface. 124
degrees Fahrenheit. Between lifts in the clouds
Of vapor we could the new crater, of which
Mr.. Varian made an excellent sketch Suddenly
the vapor cleared away and made dash
forward. We reached the edge of the
crater. and from where stood we could have
dropped stones into the white hot within.
The new crater is a crevasse running north and
south, and expanding into a bowl This CreVaSse
nearly rifted the mountain; it runs transversely
TO the old crater, and might be called huge
CASH From il volcanic material has been freely
erupted.
"As we stood on the edge of the crater A sub
lime spectacle began. ! now have some ConCep-
tion of what is going on inside the earth, and
have been spectator of natures secret interior
work. We We're assailed with noise; far below
there a kissing of steam like a thousand
locomotives well as violent detonations- The
principle output of the crater, while we were
there, was steam The phenomena We're limited
md O essentially different those
other volcanoes in action Positive assurance
was gained that no molten matter has flowed
over the lip of the new crater. Several ObSerVa-
tions taken with the aneroid barometer showed
that the height of Mont Pelee has not been
changed l agree with Professor Robert T. HILL
the geologist of the United States Government
that Mont Pelee has erupted no lava. and that
there has been cataclysm nor any serious
typographical alterations No cinder cone was
visible in the crater; what was taken for cone
is a pile of elected rocks Perhaps the bottom
of the crater may contain clnder cone, Dut
we could see down only about one hundred and
fifty or two hundred feet believe, however,
that the crater is very much deeper than this
7 do not know the exact materials of which the
pile of rocks in the centre Of the crater is com
posed; but 1t seems to be matter which has been
elected from the creNaSSe- IhlS pie ol lochS
has vent
NOT LIABLE TO FURTHER ERUPTIONS.
IT think Mont Peee has freed itself from the
interior pressure, and that the volcano is not
liable to further violent eruption. 1t IS not SAFE
however. to make predictions about volcanoes.
The eruption of Mont Pelee of May was unique
in that 1t resulted in the greatest destruction of
life and property ever known by direct agency
of a volcano. The phenomenon of the explosion
Of flaming gases is probably new, but careful
study of observations is necessary before an
opinion can be reached. The electrical phe-
nomena are also new. They probably did not
pIay the chief role in the destruction of St
Pierre but were developed by and aided the
other forces. l have specimens which show the
effect of the bolts of lightning The latter were
small and intense, and penetrated within the
houses of The city. For rapidity of action. and
for lives destroyed Mont Pelee holds the record