The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-06-05
EXPERIENCE
OF HEILPRIN
Tells of His Ascent OF
Mont Pelee.
RESULTS OF HIS TRIP
Important Points Settled by
the Scientist.
There Has Been No Subsistence OF
the Mountain and No Altera-
ton of the Topography Of
the Country.

Fort de France. Martinique. June A.
Prof. Angelo Heilprin, who Is here for
the National Geographical Society, came
into Fort de France last night from his
explorations of the crater on the summit
Of Mont Pelee. Professor Heilprin Is well
and in good spirits.
The following important points have
been settled by Professor Heilprin;
The location Of the new crater has been
accurately determined; 1t is positively
known that there has not been an over
flow of molten matter from the lip OF the
crater; there has been no subsistence OF
the mo lntain and the height OF Mont Pc
lee Is unchanged; the crater does not
contain a cinder cone: there has been no
cataclysm and no typographical altera-
ton of the country. The period OF vio-
lent eruptions has probably ended. al
though the volcano may continue to be
quietly active for long time to come.
Referring to his expeditions. Professor
aeilprin said today to the correspondent
Of the Associated Press:
Heilprin's Statement.
81 left Fort de France with Mr.. Leo
better the morning of May %. and reach
ed Acier at o'clock in the evening Oh
the Goth. We visited Vive and Basse
pointe The latter place has been entire
ly destroyed by the overflow of the local
stresms- Mud flowing into the beds OF
the rivers there caused this overflow.
May 81 we made our first ascent of the
volcano. We left Acier at half-past
and Vive at half-past z o'clock In the
morning The party consisted OF Mr.
Leaabetter and myself and three colored
boys, We were on mule back. At an alt-
tude of 700 metres we began the ascent OF
the arete. We passed along its east SIDE,
and slightly to the north of the mountain
We arrived at the lip of the old crater
the former site of Lake Palmiste, at IL
o'clock. Here 1t began raining. Rain
clouds and the clouds from the volcano
enyeioped us and we could not see ten
feet A terrific thunder storm had begun
and we sat on the edge of the crater Tor
some time, specializing whether the de-
donations we heard were of thunder or
from the volcano AS we Afterwards
found the river Fallaise to be boiling, the
detonatlons were probably volcanic
Compass Refused to Work.
eve could not tell how near we were to
the crater, as, either from local attraction
or the electrical conditions. our compass
refused to work It's variation was about
twenty degrees to the eastward. but later
we found that it acted normally at the
lin of the new crater. The colored boys
with us we're horribly scared. We finally
eroned our way down that awful arete
through gloomy clouds Of rain and amid
great electric discharges At every step
we dislodged the rain-soaked ashes, ana
were I'm danger of being precipitated down
the hideous gorges on either SIDE.
"The extreme top of the volcano Is COW
cred with cinders. scoriae, boulder anu
angular rocks which had been cJected
from, the crater Further down the noun
tain Is covered with ashes and mud ana
these are thick on the arete. On our way
down we saw the river Fallaise rushing
along with great velocity and fun OF
steam and mud. We reached Achier well
but soaked, caked with mud and very
much disappointed.
AT Achier we met George KEENAN, and
his party and determined to attempt
second ascent the next day, June l. The
ascent made this day with Mr.. KEENAN,
was more trying and dificult than the
one ! had previously made with HI
| Leadbetter.
Reached Edge of Crater.
1.-The day was intensely hot and 1t was
raining. When we reached the old crater,
| il was again enveloped in vapor. The tenn
perature of the basin of Lake Palmiste,
| taken three inches below the surface,
was 124 degrees F. Between lifts in the
clouds of vapor we could see the new
crater of which Mr. Varian made an ex-
cellent sketch. Suddenly the vapor clear1
| ed away and we made a dash forward.
We reached the edge of the new crater
and from where we stood we could have
dropped stones into the white hot mass
within. The new crater is a crevasse run
ming north and south, and expanding into
bowl. This crevasse nearly rifted the
mountain; il runs transversely to the old
crater and might be called a huge cash.
From il volcanic material has been freely
erupted.
LAS we stood on the edge of the crater
sublime spectacle began. | now have
some conception of what is going on in
side the earth and have been a spectato:
of natures secret interior work. We were
assailed with noise Far below there was
| a Kissing of steam like that of a thousand
| locomotives, as well as violent detona-
tons. The principal output of the Grated
while we were there was steam. The
phenomena was limited and was not es-
sentially dlqerent from those of other
volcanoes in action. Positive assurance
was gained that no molten matter has
flowed over the lip of the new crater
| observations taken with the anerod ba-
rometer showed that the height of Mont
Pelee has not been changed.
No Lava Erupted.
Il agree with Prof. Robert T. Hill, the
| geologist of the United States Govern
| ment that Mont Pelee has erupted no
| lava and that there has been no cata-
| clysm or any serious Typographical alter
atoms. No cinder cone was visible in the
t.,ly for I a
pile of elected rocks. Perhaps the bot
tom of the new crater may contain Gin
der cone but we could see down only
about $50 or 300 feet, l believe, however.
that the crater is much deeper than this.
Il do not know the exact materials OF
which the pile of rocks in the center of
| the crater is composed, but it seems TO
| be matter which has been elected in the
| crevasse. 1 think Mont Pelee has freed
itself from the interior pressure. and that
the volcano is nat liable to further Xio-