Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-06-04
NEAR TO CRATER'S EDGE.
Prof. Hill, Government GeO1Ogist,
Makes Daring investigation OF
the Martinique Eruption.

Fort de France; May 28.-Prof.
Robert T. Hill, United States geol-
ogist and head of the expedition sent
by the National Geographical soci-
ETY., has just come in from a daring
and prolonged investigation of the
volcanic activity in Martinique. Prof.
Hill chartered steamer and careful
ly examined the coast as far north
as Port de Macouba, at the extreme
end of the island, making frequent
landings. After landing at lie Pre-
cheur, five miles north of St. Pierre:
he walked through an area of active
vulcanism to the latter place and
made a minute examination of the
various phenomena disclosed.
Prof. Hill is the first and only man
who has set foot in the area of the
craters, assures and fumaroles and,
because of his high position as sci
enlist, his story is valuable. In addi-
ton to his work of investigation, the
professor rescued in his steamer
many poor people of LIE Precheur
who had ventured back after DESERT
ing their homes and found themselves
in awful danger. He reports as fol-
lows:
1.-THE zone of the catastrophe in Marti-
n1que forms an elongated oval. containing
on land about eight square miles of de-
structlon. This oval IS partly over the sea.
The land part is bounded by lines running
from LIE Precheur to the peak of Mont
Felee, thence curving around to Carbet.
1nere were three well-marked zones: First,
center of humiliation, in which all life,
vegetable and animal, was utterly de-
slroyed, the greater northern part of St..
Pierre was in this zone; second, a zone
OF smuggling, biistering flame, which also
was; fatal to all life, killing all men and
animals, burning the leaves on the trees
and scorchiHg, but not utterly destroying,
the trees themselves; third, a large, outer,
non-destructive zone of ashes, wherein
some vegetation was injured. The focus of
annlhllat1On was the new crater midway
between the sea and the peak of Mont Pelee,
where now exists a new area of active vul-
canlsm, with hundreds of fumaroles or min
1ature volcanoes. The new crater is now
vomiting black, hot mud, which is falling
into the sea. Both craters, the old and new,
are active. Mushroom shaped steam ex-
ploslons constantly ascend from the old
crater, while heavy ash-laden clouds float
horizontally from the new crater. The old
elects steam, smoke, mud, pumice and
lapllli, but no molten lava.
me salient topography Of the region is
una4tered. The destruction Of St. Pierre
was due to the new crater The explosion
mad great superficial force, acting in radial
directions. as IS evinced by the Gismounting
ana carrying for yards the guns in the ba t.
terry on the hill south of St. Pierre, ar d
the colonial statue of the Virgin in the
same locality, and also by the condition of
the ruined houses in ST. Pierre
according to the testimony of some per.
sons there was an ACCOMPANYING flame
Others think the incandescent cinders anC
the force of their election were sufficien,
TO cause the destruction. This must be
investigated. I am now following the ma.
ture of this hill"
This is the first positive scientific
statement based on observed facts
Prof. Hill has now started on horse.
back for the volcano. He will study
the whole affected area and will try
to get to both craters. He will sure.
ly visit Morne Rouge and the slope @!
Mont Pelee. The undertaking is yer,
hazardous, as explosions may occu,
at any moment, as one did MAY 20
Prof. Hill knows the risk he takes
but says the only way to discover
exactly what has happened is to &C
to the crater itself or as near it as
possible. He will be gone two DAYS