The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-05-30

Fort de France, Island of Martinique.
Monday, May 26.-9 T. m.-Mont Pelee
Is again in eruption. Huge i~nky-black
clouds are rolling over Fort de France
in great masses, in which there are pc
culiar lightning flashes. The inhabi-
tants are now flocking into the great
square Of the town. If the demonstra-
ton increases a panic is imminent.
A very heavy surf has been beating
on the shore for the last two hours. and
an enormous, greyish yellow cloud. AT
a great height, is dimly visible in the
direction of Mont Pelee. The night is
intensely dark and the starts are only
family visible.
Fort de France is in no danger from
the volcano, but there is considerable
apprehension of a panic in the night
time should the greyish yellow cloud
reach here and ashes and stores begi
to fall. There are no noises from the
volcano at present.
For the space of one hour flames rose
from the crater to a height of $50 me-
tres. The crater seemed to be about
800 metres in diameter.
Castries. Island of St. Lucia, E. w. J..
May 27.-Flames were seen on the is
land of Martinique at frequent inter
walls last night. They were visible from
the signal station at this port.
Roseau, Island of Dominica, b. w. l.,
May 27.-During the whole of last nigh;
ashes from the volcano on the island OF
Aortipir,,a con lara L., roo+o n,o,x;,,.
han ever experienced since the out
break of Mont Pelee.
Kingston, Island of st. Vincent, Mon
day. May 26.-On Saturday night the
dense clouds forming a canopy owe the
greater part Of the island, lowered and
a severe thunder storm, accompanies
by a heavy rainfall, broke over st. Vim
cent and continued until today, causing
the mud streams in the Windward dis
trict Of Georgetown to be flooded. The
water pipes were damaged, several
houses were washed away and two
lives were lost. The rainfall was so
heavy that IL disturbed the bodi73 Of
the buried victims of the volcanic disas-
ter. and corpses with putrid flesh han--
ing to the bones were exposed to view.
During the rain storm the Soufriere
volcano appeared to give forth dense
clouds of vapor and steam, rising to 4
considerable height and spreading over
the neighborhood. Roaring sounds
from the mountain caused apprehension
OF another eruption. Severe lightning
lasted all nioht Saturday on Sun
day. Eight inches of rain fell at Kings
town between Saturday and Monday.
the heaviest down fall since the hurr-
cane.
PROFESSOR HILLS INVESTIGA-
TON.
Fort de France, Monday, May 26. ~
Professor Robert T. Hill, United States
government g%eologist and head OF thr
expedition sent by h national geo
graphical society, has just come in from
a dari-g n prolonged investigation Of
the volcanic activity in Martinique.
Professor Hill Is the first and only
man who has set foot in the area OF
c%raters. assures and fumaroles and. be-
cause OF his high position as a scientist.
mis- story is valuable. He reports az
follows:
1.-The zone of the catastrophe IN Mar
Unique forms an elongated oval. o n
tairing. on lar about eight square
miles of destruction. This Is wal and
Ia partly over the sea. The land part
is bounded by lines running from L.
Precheur to the peak Of Mont Pelee.
thence curving around to Carbet. There
were three well marked zones: First.
q centre Of humiliation, in which all
A@~~f AA1 AAAAAAN '0S 49,
destroyed: the greater northern part of
st. Pierre was I'm this zone. Second, 4
zone Of singing. blistering flame. which
also was fatal to all life, killing all men
n animals, buring the leaves on the
trees and scorching, but not utterly de-
stroying, the trees themselves. Third.
a large. outer, non-d~estructive zone OF
ashes wherein some vegetation was In
tured. The focus Of humiliation was
the new Greater midway between the
sea n the peak OF Mont Pelee, where
now exists a new area OF active vol
canism. with hundreds OF fumaroles ~
miniature volcanoes The new crater in
now vomiting black, hot mud, which II
falling into the sea- Both craters. the
old and new, are active. Mushroom
shaped steam explosions constantly as
cend from the old crater. while heavy
ash-laden clouds hoat horizontally from
the new crater. The old elects steam
smoke. mud pumice and iapilli. but
no molten lava