The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-28
VOLCANIC AREA EXPLORED.
Interesting Facts Made Known by Prof. K. T. HilI, the Geologist, at Great Personal Risk.

Fort de France, Monday May 26.--
 Professor Robert T. Hill, United States
 government geologist, and head of the
 expedition sent by the National Geo.
 graphical society, has just come in from
 a daring and prolonged investigation of
 the volcanic activity in Martinique. He
 chartered steamer and carefully ex~
 amined the coast as far north as Port
 de Macouba at the extreme end of the
 island making frequent landings Af-
 ter landing at La Precheur, five miles
 north of St Pierre, he walked though an area of volcanic activity to the lat ter place and made minute examina- ton of the various phenomena disclos- ed.
 Professor Hill is the first and only man who has yet set foot in the area of craters, Assures and fumaroles, and, because of his high position as scien- tist, his story is valuable. Tn addition to his work of Investigation, he rescued in his steamer many poor people of La Precheur, who had ventured back after deserting their homes and had found themselves in awful danger. He reports as follows:
 "The one of the catastrophe in Mar unique former an elongated oval, con- taining, on land, about eight square miles of destruction. This oval is part ly over the sea. The land part is bounded by lines running from Le Precheur to the peak of Mont Pelee, thence curving around to Carbet.
 There were three well marked zones: First, center of annihilation, in which all life, vegetable and animal, was ut terly destroyed; the greater northern part of St. Pierre was in this zone; sec ond a zone of singeing, blistering flame, which, also, was fatal to all life, killing all men and animals, burning the leaves on the trees and scorching, but not ut- terly destroying, the trees themselves; third, large, outer, nondestructive zone of ashes, wherein some vegetation was injured. The focus of annihilation was the new crater, midway between the sea and the peak of Mont Pelee, where now exists a new area of active WltH uullulcuo ul lulIldIUleS IT miniature volcanoes. The new crater S now vomiting black, hot mud, which s falling into the sea. Both craters, he old and the new, are active. Mush- 'oom shaped steam explosions constant y ascend from the old crater, while leavy ash-laden clouds float horizon ally from the new crater. The old
 rater ejects steam, smoke, mud, pum- ce, and Iapilli, but no molten lava The alient topography of the region is un- tltered.
 "The destruction of St. Pierre was due o the new crater. The explosion had 'reater superficial force, acting in ra- Iial directions, as is evidenced by the and carrying for yards the 'uns in the battery on the hills south f St. Pierre, and the colonial statue of he Virgin in the same locality, and lso by the condition of the ruined ouses in St. Pierre. According to the estimony of some persons, there was an ccompanying flame. Others think the | nccndescent cinders and the force of | heir election were sufficient to cause he destruction. This must be investi- | ated. I am now following the nature l f this.''
 This is the first positive scientific l tatement based on observed facts. Pro- | essor Hill has now started on horse- l ack for the volcano. He will study | he whole affected area, and will try l 3 get to both craters. He will visit l Iorne Rouge and the slope of Mont | elee. The undertaking is very haz- | rdous, as explosions may occur at any 1 as one did on May 20 Profess pr Hill knows the risk he takes, but | avs the only way to discover exactly | hat has happened is to go to the crat- r itself, or as near it as possible. He i'll be gone two days.
 Fort de France is nearly deserted. A ew source of fright is fear that tidal ave may come and destroy the city ith great loss of life. The weather is wering and rainy, and the south winds ow carry the smoke and ashes from le volcano away from Fort de France.