The evening Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-1902, 1902-09-13
VAST SCENE OF RUIN
Professor Heilprin Tells of Pc
lees Latest Convulsion.
ERUPTION OF MAY s SURPASSED.
Destruction of the Several Towns
Was Simultaneous, and Death
Resulted From a Terribly
Swift Hot Blast.

| FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique,
Sept. 13.-professor Angelo Heilprin,
president Of the Philadelphia Geo
graphical society, who is in Martinique
in the interests of the National Geo
graphical society, has made the follow
ing report Of thawecent eruptions of
Mont pelee:
1.-THE scene of destruction in the last
eruption of Mont Pelee far surpasses
in extellt that Of the eruption of May
8, when st. Pierre was destroyed, and
includes the broad area lying between
Macouba and Carbet and involves
Haute Tours de Bourbon, Basse
Pointe, Morne Balai and Aioupa Bouil-
lon, where alone upward of 800 per-
sons were killed, as well as Morne
Rouge, with death list of probably
not less than 100 persons; Merne Ca
pote and the heights somewhat this
side of Ponds st. Denis, the blast, how
ever, leaving the last named place I'm
touched.
Great cinders fell also over the re-
gion of Grand Riviere, and Precheur is
covered deep with ashes. In Carbet
the ashes lie one foot deep, and nearly
the same amount covers the ruins of
st. Pierre All of Morne Rouge, with
the exception of about four houses and
the beautiful church, has been swept
to the ground, and the greater part of
the town has been burned up. At Ajou-
pa Bouillon, where one-half of the
town has been Frustrated, there is no
trace Of fire of any kind
"The destructive blast instead of
combining itself to a section or area, as
was the case during the first eruption,
was distributed radally, crossing the
low summit of the volcano near the
knob of Morne Jacob and skipping
zones between its rays. The danger
from Mont Pelee is thus materially in
creased, and perhaps no position in the
north of the island is absolutely cafe.
The government has judiciously Or
dered the evacuation of all points
reached by radius of about eight or
ten miles from the crater.
THE recent phenomena were pre-
cisely like those Of May 8, death re-
suting in most cases from contact
with the terribly swift and hot blast,
which burned and which suffocated.
The sulphur emitted from the crater
during the recent eruptions was COM
paratively insignificant although it
densely penetrated the ash cloud which
fell over Precheur. The electrical illu-
limitations during the storm were won
derful and greatly surpassed those of
July 8. There was no barometric dis
turbance to Indicate a coming eruption.
During the time | was on the vol
cano ON the afternoon Of the eruption |
Mont Pelee was in terrible activity,
and refuge from flying bombs had to
be sought in hole. The great zone
could not be seen. On the way down
the mountain the party was enveloped
in ashes and mud, the center of the
ash and steam clouds being almost
vertically over us.
1.-THE destruction of the several
towns and localities was simultaneous,
occurring at ten minutes past 8 in the
evening.
"There is much unea all over
the island of Martinique, and this is
by the knowledge that La
on the island of st. Vincent,
S again in full activity. The illumina-
ion of the eruption on st. Vincent as
seen from here the night of Wednes-
lay was most terrifying, and on
Thursday morning the ash cloud from
he st. Vincent volcano carried dark
Tess to Fort de France for a period Of
learly six hours. No details of the cas-
lalties on st. Vincent have as yet been
eceived here"