Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-07-17

sibly have made progress in determ1n-
ing the true nature of this gas"
Since reaching Washington Professor
Hills time has been divided between
asserting his collection of specimen.
preparing his lecture for the National
Geographic Society, ard recuperatins
from the efforts Of his overexertion in
Martinique. The mere recital of his
labors about Mont Pelee is sufficient to
indicate how completely exhausted no
must have been when he boarded tho
Dixie" for home.
Covered Vast Field.
1t was too big a story for one man
to handle. Work hard as we miobt
Professor Russell and l could not GOV.
er all the ground. So I walked al,
about the ruined city of st. Pierre ex-
plored the country thereabouts as we'll
as could and rowed back and forth he
fore the coast, watching the action If
the volcano from that superior vantage
point. Professor Heilprin went tn the
summit, and, as we all wanted to avoid
duplicating each others work. neitbar
Professor Russell nor went near
Our examination of the conditions
prevailing in the Caribbean Sea DURING
this period of disturbance was made
at most favorable time. Yet do not
know that it brings into question a sin.
gle geological theory as to these West
Indian volcanoes which was not accent
ed by the most advanced students he.
tore the eruption occurred.
These islands, which stretch across
the throat of the Caribbean, are really
smoldering furnaces, with fires banked
up, ever ready to break forth at unex-
pected and inopportune members. The
Whoie group, beginning with Saba or |
the north, near Rico, and ending with ,
Granada on the south, near Trinidad |
IS made up OF ancient ash heaps, piled
UP by volcanic action.
The bases Of these islands extend
beneath the water for depth as great
as their SUBMITS project above il
making the total height of the moun-
tain nearly 10000 feet. The island n,
Martinique is composed almost entire
~ OF old volcanic material, and is DOM
mated by three conspicuous peaks.
Mont Pelee, the highest of these is
4,42S feet in height. Mount Corbet ana
Mount Vauclin are $3.50 feet and 1e55
[eet high, respectively.
Sympathetic Eruptions. l.
Volcanoism is still an inexplicab,.
'no profound problem, and one Of 49,
nosI singular peculiarities is tho 80
nat II sometimes breaks forth s;n,,>,
.hn In widely distant portions
ne earth. Hecla and Vesuyius for Nv
llupie' are SO connected Such svn,
,a.ne'lc relation very probably exists
tween all the Caribbean volcanoes -
- i america, anu those of South
= Ii mexico. At the time of tho a,,,,. [
'ioh IN ST. Vincent-whicb w.s ~. I
LII terrible than that of Mont Pe1ee
-Utner explosions either preceded ~ c
oi,oMeo IN Northern South Amerio. {
IND Central America. Ia
Ihe recent outburst of Mont Do. /
Il martinique is apparently the cn1no;o i
..ioH OF number of recent vo1o,nI V
disturbances which have been nnnsra,
, ss!ere; Collma, in Mexico, was in a
~ but a few months ago while
onnpanclngo, the capital of the st.-e q
- uueilero' was nearly DESTROYED nv c
e q. 'nquakes which followed. Not Ions e
.I.7i "ard nearly all the cities of Guate. c
Laia were were shaken down nv ear+,, '
loohes. When we have news From, 49,. r
interior of Central Amen 2
~ - WIZ PROBABLY be learned that 7
olne OF the numerous volcanic sum.
MUS OF that region have exploded.
What Happened.
What happened at Mont Pelee is not {
lennltely known. It was probably l
gigantic explosion of steam and gas. i
accompanied by shower of red-hot {
which fell on the homes and t
shipping, burning them, and party .
'urled the ruins. No one vet knows t
What killed so many thousand peopfe.
Many died no doubt from the shock of
ne explosion. Others were almost cei.
alnly asphyxiated by the gas when {
settled down on the earth. !
Many more died from the excessiv. {
heat. But we shall be able to talk with
more confidence when we have detsc- t
mined as near as we can the nature of
he volcanic gas. ,
These volcanoes of the Carbid re-
yion do not resemble the type win {
which the popular mind is most ia i
niliar. Volcanoes of the latter class
nearly always have warnings in the ]
.orm Of rumblings and eruptions of
smoke, and then emit fiery streams Of
ava. These in the West Indies, on l.