Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-25
Mt. PeIee a Small Affair.

pect as cdnvulsion of nature. OF
course. they de- not dispute that in its
human aspect it was one of the most
terrible catastrophes known in the his
tory of man. Robert T. Hill, the head
of the United States geological sur
vey, was sent by this government to re-
port upon the disaster and some of his
observations are of much general in
terest. Since the latest eruption of the
volcano it has been freely predicted
that the island of Martinique would
pass from existence if, in truth, the
whole chain of islands along the east
ern border of the Caribbean were not
blown away. This is not the opinion OF
GeoIogist Hill, however. He predicted
that others may be expected before
the volcano subsidies. And from his
report of the scientific examination
made by his party we quote as fol-
lows:
There were no great cataclysmic
disturbances of the soil, as assures,
earthquakes, subsidences, uplifts of the
sea bottom. or gigantic tidal waves.
There have been no serious changes in
the configuration save where river
beds were filed with mud and hicks
were carved in the summit. The re-
ports of lava flow We're all founded
upon the confusion of mud streams
with that material. In the recent dis
cussiOn in Congress preceding the inter-
oceanic canal legislation the disaster of
Pelee was used as a potent weapon
against the Nicaragua route and has
tened the choice of Panama. Advocate
as / have constantly been of the
Panama route on account of its ap-
parent freedom from seismic dis
turbances, | can truthfully say that
had an interoceanic canal existed
within one mile of st. Pierre before
the present eruption, it would have re-
manned uninjured and intact today"
Other scientists agree with Professor
Hill in treating the eruption of Pelee
as Of small Importance when compared
with other volcanoes, or with earlier
eruptions of the same mountain. Israel
c. Russell. professor of geology at the
University of Michigan, was early on
the ground and made-S careful study
of the Martinique situation. He
says:
The recent volcanic eruptions on
Martinique and st. Vincent were well
marked examples of the explosive type
as distinguished from the lava-fowing
type. There was little discharge from
Pelee except steam and dust, the dust
later being converted into mud. The
area of destruction was in small
triangle measuring about five miles on
each side and having it's apex at the
crater. A lateral opening was made
below the base of the crater or the side
facing st. Pierre, and from this open
ing the volcanic discharge was shot out
laterally, ard not straight upward, rs
is normally the case. According to
the reports of the survivors, n cloud
rolled down the mountain side, re-
quiring some three minutes to reach
the coast. This cloud was probably
two miles in breadth when it swept
over st. Pierre. The blasts from the
mountain. judging from all available
information, consisted mainly of steam
charged with fine, hot dust. AS to the
force of the blast, there IS no accurate
measure, but there is abundant evil
dence to show that it was tremendous.
Continuing his description. Professor
Russell declares that the 10000 people
of ST. Pierre must have been killed al
most instantly. My investigation
tells me- he says, that there was lit
tie of burning gas in the blast, and tina
steam. and particularly the hot dus
with which it was charged, was the
chief cause of death. OF the people
who survived on the ships in the har
hor. the most We're scalded. The ho
steam and dust adhered to the skin ant
destroyed the epidermis. In many in
Stances the hair on the injured part
was not consumed. In the case of tn,
sufferers. also. the portions of thei
bodies protected by clothing, even t,
the extent of a light cotton shirt, wer
not burned. This evidence show
clearly that the people We're not ex
posed to the touch of burning gases
for II they had been their clothing ar,
hair would Certainly have borne evi
dence to thattksst. The dust was fine
and in The process of inhalatioa woui
enter the throat and lungs rs readily a
gas"
But the main thought in the report
of Professors Hill and Russell is tina
the explosion in the crater of Mon
Pelee is not to be COMPARED in violenc
to many explosions which have take
place in modern times i'm other parts O
the world. When compared to the tire
md - u