The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-05-31
NEAR TO CRAER'S EDGE.
Prof. Hill, Government Geologist,
Makes Daring Investigation of
the Martinique Eruption.

the Martinique Eruption.
FIRST SCIENTIFIC REfGRT GIVEN CUT.
Three Zones Within the Radius of
Mnnt Pclec's Activity-St. Pierre
Destroyed by the New Crater
Formed Between the sen and the
! Peak of the MOuntain
| Fort de France, May 2S.-Prof
! Robert I. Hill, United States geol-
ogist and head of the expedition sen;
| by the National Geographical soci-
ETY.. has just come in from daring
and prolonged investigation of the
volcanic activity in Martinique. Prof.
! Hill chartered Il steamer and careful
/ ~ examined the coast as far north
as Port dc Macouba. at the extreme
end of the island. making frequent
! landings. After landing at lie Pre-
chcur. five miles north of ST. Pierre.
he walked through an area of active
vulcanism to the latter place and
made Il 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 a 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:
''The zone of the catastrophe in Marti-
| nique forms an elongated oval. containing
| on land about eight square miles of de-
s.ruction. This oval is partly over the sea.
| The land part is bounded by lines running
| from lie Precheur to the peak Of Mont
| Pelee, thence curving around to Carbet.
There We're three WELL marked ZnEos: First,
a center of anEihilation. in which all life.
| vegetable and animal. was utterly de-
| stroyed, the greater northern part of 81.
| Pierre was III this zone; second. a zone
of singing. blistering fame which also
| was fatal to all life. killing all men and
| animals burning the leaves on the trees
| and scorch!ne. but not utterly destroying,
| Il l.,
| non-dest ructive zone Of ashes, wherein
some vegetation was injured The focus of
annihilation was the new crater midway
between the sea and the pt ak of Mont Pelee,
where now exists new area of active vlll-
canis1n, with hundreds of fGmaroles or min
iature volcanoes. The rev crater is now
| vomiting black, hot mud, which is falling
into the sea- Both craters, the old and new,
are active Mushrooms shaped steam en-
| plosions constantly ascend from the old
crater, while heavy ash!aden clouds float
horizontally from the new crater. The OLD
| elects steam, smoke. mud, pumice ard
| lapl!i, but no molten lava.
st. Pierre Destroyed by New Crater
'"The salient Topography of the region is
| unaltcrcd The destruction of ST. Pierre
was due to the new crater. The explosion
had great superficial force, acting in radia
directions. as is evincei by The Gismountinn
and carrying for yards the guns in the ba l.
terry on the hill south of ST. Pierre, ard
the colonial statue of the Virgin in the
same locality, and also by the condition OF
the ruined houses in ST. Pierre.
"According 10 the testimony of some per.
sons there was an accompanying flame
Others think the incandtscent cinders anC
the force of their election were sufiicien,
TO cause the destruction. This must be
investigated. am now following the ma.
ture Of this hll.'
/ "A
This is the first positive scientific
statement based on observed facts
Prof. Hill has now started on horse.
back for the volcano. He will stud,
the whole affected area and will try
to get to both craters. He will sure
ly visit Morne Rouge and the slope ol
Mont Pelee. The undertaking is very
hazardous, as explosions may occur
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
Fort de France is nearly deserted
A new source of fright is fear that a
tidal wave may come. A wave eight
feet high would certainly destroy
Fort de France and probably cause
enormous loss of life.
The weather is lowering and rainy
The south winds carry the smoke and
ashes from the volcano away from
Fort de France.
Pelee Again Erupta.
Fort de France, Island of Mar.
Unique, May 2s.-Mont Pelee is
again in eruption. Huge inky-black
clouds are rolling over Fort de France
in great masses, in which there are pc.
culiar lightning flashes. The inhab.
itants are now flocking into the great
square of the town. If the demonstra-
ton increases panic is imminent.
A very heavy surf has been beating
on the shore for the last two hours,
and an enormous, grayish-yellow
cloud, at a great height, is dimly Wis
ible in the direction of Mont Pelee.
The night is intensely dark and the
stars are only family visible.
Fort de France is in no danger from
the volcano, but there is considerable
apprehension of a panic in the night
time, should the grayish-yellow cloud
reach here and ashes and stones be-
gin to fall.
There are no noises from the volcano
at present.
Fear nm Epidemic.
Paris, May 2s.-In order to avoid o
possible epidemic among the 1000
refugees now at Fort de France, it
has been decided to distribute them
among number of depots.
Shower of Ashes I'm Dominica.
Roseau, Island Of Dominica, 3. w.
T., May 2s.-During the whole of Mon
| dav nipht ashes from tho vo1cann on