The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-29
EXPLOSION OF MONT PELEE
4 TREMENDOUS ONE TESTER
 DAY MORNING.
Fears for George KennaD, the American Author, Who is Exploring the Voi- canic Territory, Prove Groundiess-
 His Party Rides to the Edge of the Crater-ProfessorH Htlls Observations.

Fort de France, Island of Martin ique, May 2S-5 p. n.-A tremendous eX- | plosion of very black smoke from Mont | Pelee at S:45 o'clock this morning ac- centuated the fears entertained for the safety of George Kennan, the Ameri- can author, who, with land party, had been examining the northern part of the island, and the governor of Martin ique, M. L'Huerre, was at once seen in
 the matter of arranging for a rescue
 party to proceed by land in connection
 with the voyage along the coast of the
 island of the United States cruiser Gin
 cinnati, should such steamers appear necessary.
 About II o'clock this morning Fer
 nand Clera, a wealthy landed proprie-
 tor of Martinique, arrived here and an-
 nounced that Mr. Kennan and his party
 were safe on a plantation at the north
 end of the island The story related by
 MT. Clero is quite interesting MT, Clero says:
 MT. Kennan and his party have been
 with me. We got around the mountain
 and reached the new crater, not far from Ajoupa- -Bouillon. We discovered that it had broken out at the very head of the river Falaise and about two hun dred yards from the high road. Our party rode directly to the edge of the crater, as it was then quiescent. We saw that a great slice of the mountain had fallen, leaving exposed perpen- dicuar cliff. In this cliff were five huge tunnels, which were not smoking, The crater is a great sloping, oval de- precision, from which smoke issues, as it does from the great crater, with the exception that here there were few ashes in the smoke. The river Falaise is boiling hot and so muddy that one quart of water weighed four pounds. Volcanic stones of the nature of pum- ice float in this water
 MT. Kennan witnessed the explosion of Monday night and was much inter ested in the phenomena. The explosion was accompanied at intervals by bright light which lasted for half an hour at a time. This light was steady and illu- minated the entire mountain top. Pro- lessor Hill says he did not see this | light. I left Mir Kennan and his party | in good health and in safety. They | seemed to be in no hurry to come back | to Fort de France"
 The explosion of this morning was | accompanied by an enormous column of l smoke, which rose fully three miles into .he air, but which was largely hidden rom thfe view of the people of Fort de France by heavy cumulus. There was, consequently, no panic here. This col nm of smoke was seen from the Brit sh cruiser Indefa tiga ble while she was 1t sea.
 The Indefatigable arrived here to-d day O make another attempt to recover the ,ody of the British consul at St. Pierre, h Ir. Jepp, and the archives of the con- ulate. With this in view the British ruiser proceeded this afternoon for St. Pierre. but the explosion of this morn ng has probably made it impossible to fleet landing there.
 An Italian warship is now coming nto the harbor.
 So many people have left Fort de Trance that the town is almost empty
 Professor Robert TT. Hill, United tates government geologist and head f the expedition sent to Martinique by l he National Geographical society, who aft Fort de France Monday on horse l ack for the volcano returned here this lorning. He was completely worn out ; y his trip. Professor Hill recites an 1 { 1teresting story of his examination of he district through which he passed. I Te left Fort de France a 1 O clock Mon ay afternoon. He was accompanied y MT. Cavannaugh, an army officer 'om the British island of Trinidad and r
 boy who was to act as interpreter. a The party set out on horseback and U 1oll the direct north road for Morne ouge Beween the hamlets of Deux 2
 1Continued on Third Page) T1