The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-09-04

Mr.. Hill says in his resume Of the
catastrophe:
The 10000 people of St. Pierre
were exterminated within few min
utes and the town set on fire by the
sudden eruption OF a volcanic cloud.
The fatal cloud came from the
lower vent, two miles North of the
city.
The vapors coming from the vol
cano were, and are, sulphurous.
"There was force accompanying the
eruptions of the morning of May 8 of
great destructive nature, which left
much evidence that the gases within
the cloud exploded after having
reached the air.
The summit eruptions were, and
are, accompanied by tremendous
electric Qightning-like) phenomena.
A great magnetic storm accom-
panied the eruption of May 8, whic!4
was recorded at remote points, and
which indicated connection between
them and the volcanic clouds.
lin connection with the magnetic
phenomena, it is of interest to note
that Poey has presented a table show
ing the relation of Antillean earth
quakes and eruptions to the period of
sun spots. OF thirty-eight seismic
tempests in the Antilles seventeen
| enochs, and fourteen near the mini
mum. Those of 1876, 1851, 1852 and
1858 were found midway between.
| The maximum number of volcanic
| eruptiOns occur at the minimum of
sun spots, and vice versa.
There is some evidence that flame
is emitted with the summit eXplo-
sions.
Gan the evidence indicates that the
fatal explosions were not from the
site of the old crater, which is five
miles distant from St. Pierre. All the
circumstantial evidence and much of
the direct strongly indicate that the
destruction was caused by the erup-
ton from the lower vent, about two
miles above the mouth of the Riviere
Blanche and some distance North oi
the city"
Mr.. Hill does not attempt to explain
the cause Of the catastrophe, but he
suggests that the contlagration, death
and fatality in ST. Pierre may ulti-
mately be explained by either of two
theories.
"First-The heat blast theory
This hypothesis assumed that thu
lapili, gases and steam of the elected
cloud were sufficiently hot to have in
I famed the city and destroyed thu
people by singeing, suffocation ane
asphyxiation. 1t does not accoun
for the forces exerted radially ant
horizontally, nor the flame.
"Second-The aerial explosion
theory. The explosion of case
( within the erupted cloud afte
their projection into the air woul'
account fer all the phenomena ob
served.
1.-The aerial explosion that occurre'
= was most probably a combustible gas
but science is still unable to state it
: nature. The discussion of explosiv
gases involves line Of scientili
=. specialization which the writer doe
not possess; bat as sudden and mys
5 terious as was the secret, it has lei
: its traces and clues which the deteC
tives of science will follow up. Nets
: surfaces of objects in the ruins wi
: be examined and analvzed for trace
$ of sulphur and chlorides. The d'
: posits from the numerous steamin
8 fumaroles are already within tn
e chemical laboratory. Even the as
I and rocks of the island will be sui
| mitted to minute investigation.
!. "And then there were those frigh
6 full lightning bolts. What of thel
!. and their igniting power?"
! Prof. Russell presents this theor
IF as to the cause of the destruction {
e St. Pierre and its inhabitants:
@ ut has been stated in the new
Ie papers that the inhabitants Of S
is Pierre were asphyxiated by noxio'
is gases or killed by a gas explosion
,e NV own observations and the best il
at terpretation l can place upon Il
e. testimony Of surviving witness
Id favor the opinion that the gsner
al cause of death was blast Of stea
W charged with hot dust. Case
" probably in part inhamma BILE. we
al no doubt present, as the odor of g,
ne phurous acid was perceptibls at t
IL time of my visit; but the part tn
OF such gases played was seemingly 81
of ondary. In order to be able to jud
a of the condition where everythi
to was destroyed, it is necessary
as learn what took place on the OF
II. skirts of the storm. The people
is the borders OF the devasted area W
escaped were in some instances
RI jured. and the injuries were inhict
IL by hot dust, which on touching t
lot skin adhered and burned. The
as burns resembled scalds and destroy
en- only the epidermis. In several su
th instances the hairs on the burn
IA, portions were not destroyed, a
where the bodies of the sufferers w
is protected by even light clothing tt
ro- were uniniured.
wn Had the dust which struck the
the jured people been somewhat hot
the their clothing would have been
ev- nited, and if they had inhaled the
ay, dust death would have been aim
DOT instantaneous. The condition OF
dead in ST. Pierre favors the conc