The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-28
MONT PELEE AWAKE
STILL PoURs FORTH DEATH AND
DESTRUCTION.
FORT DE FRANCE IN TERROR.
GEOLOGIST HILL RETURNS FROM
VOLCANO.

The Only Man Who He's Set Foot IN
the Area of Craters and Lived Tells
of His InvestigatiOns-Wer Three
Different Zones of Destruction, One
Not BEING FataI-A New Crater,
Midway Between Sea and Peak.
Was the FOcus-It Is Now Vomiting
Black Mud and the Old Crater Is
Also Active-It Was the New Crater
Which Destroyed st. Pierre.
Fort de France. Island of Martinique,
Monday, May &c. . p. m.-Mont Pelee
is again in eruption. Huge black
clouds are rolling over Fort de France
in great masses, in which there are
peculiar lightning flashes. The inhab-
itants are now flocking into the great
square of the town. If the demon
stration increases a panic is imminent
A very heavy surf has been beating
on the shore for the last two hours,
and an enormous greyish yellow cloud.
at a great height, is dimly visible 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 greyish yellow cloud
reach here and ashes and stones begin
to fall
There are no noises from the volcano
at present.
Fort de France. Monday. May 2s.---
Prof Robert T. Hill, United States gov
eminent geologist and head of tho ex-
pedition sent by the national geograp pm
ical society, has Just come in from n
daring and prolonged investigation of
the volcanic activity in Martinique.
Prof. Hill is the first and only nan
who has set foot in the area of the
craters, assures and fumaroles, and be-
cause of his high position as a scien-
fist, his story is valuable He reports
as follows:
1.-The zone of the catastrophe In Mar
Unique forms an elongated oval, con-
tanning, on land. about eight square
miles of destruction. The oval is part
ly over the sea. The land part is bound
ed by lines running from LePrecheur
to the peak of Mont Pelee, thence cury-
ing around to Carbet. There were three
we'll marked zones: First, a center OF
humiliation, in which all life. vegeta-
BILE and animal was utterly destroyed:
the greater northern part of st. Pierre
was in this zone: second, a zone of
smuggling blistering flame, which was
also fatal to all life. killing all men and
animals. burning the leaves
on the trees and scorching, but
not utterly destroying, the
trees themselves: third. a large,
outer. non-destructive zone of ashes
wherein some vegetation was lnjuted
The focus of humiliation was the new
crater midway between the sea and the
peak of Mont Pelee where now exists n
new area of active vulcanism, with
hundreds of fumarloes or miniature
volcanoes. The new crater is now
vomiting black, hot mud, which is fall.
! ing into the sea. Roth crateis. the old
and new, are active. Mushroom
shaped steam explosions constantly as
| cend from the old crater, while heavy
| from the new crater. The old elects
steam. smoke. mud, pumice and lapilli.
| but no molten lava.
Was Due. to New Crater.
THE salient topography of the re-
| gion is unaltered. The destruction of
| ST. Pierre was due to the new crater.
The explosion had great superficial
force, acting in radial directions, as is
! evidenced by the dismounting and car
| rying for yards the guns in the bat
terry on the hill south of ST. Pierre and
the 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
! persons there was an accompanying
| flame. Others think the incandescent
| cinders and the force of their election
were sufficient to cause the destruc-
| ton. This must be investigated"
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. The undertake
ing is very hazardous, as explosions